Ken Avidor has hit upon a great thread. I'm glad to see it's generated so
much discussion. I know Ken as an excellent and involved neighbor -- he even
comes to Kingfield meetings about issues many blocks away from his home. I
also know Ken is an enthusiastic Lisa McDonald supporter, and that R.T.
Rybak is a guy whose kids are in private schools.
Ken advocates in his email:
>If you say you are for social justice, racial equality and
>community how can you send your kids to an elite, non-religious,
>predominantly white private school?
And
>I believe leaders should lead by example. I cannot support a
>candidate for Mayor or any other office who "talks the talk
>but won't walk the walk".
I voted for R.T. on several ballots at the convention, so I obviously
disagree with Ken's inference that R.T. - who I am sure believes in "social
justice, racial equality and community" doesn't "walk the walk" for social
justice.
Is his sending kids to private school a demerit for me? I've gotta admit,
yeah. (And I say this as a parent with two below school-age kids who is 95
percent certain they'll be going to public school.) I think we're all in
this together and I think public schools are a big part of that.
However, I have to admit I've never asked R.T. WHY his kids go to private
school - and since I am a relatively uninhibited questioner, that must
indicate there is a private component, and this cannot be a litmus test for
me deciding who my next mayor should be.
When I posted my note about Mark Stenglein, Steve Minn asked for context. I
think this is a case that needs it. (Since I think political contributions
are an obvious public act, I think Stenglein's contribution was more
clear-cut than R.T.'s family decisions.)
While I said earlier that I considered R.T.'s and Megan's sending their kids
to private school a demerit, I believe it is overwhelmed by R.T.'s public
actions. He was an enthusiastic supporter of the Minneapolis Public Schools
referenda - I believe he campaigned for them. He has also worked for nearly
a year to help King Field and East Harriet get a community school, or at
least the same rights school-choice rights as other neighborhoods with
community schools. Now, you can oppose community schools - and that would be
a wholly legitimate reason to oppose R.T. (even though the mayor isn't a
school board member they have a lot to do with the school system's success).
Publicly, then, while I have found R.T.'s personal decision a concern, I
believe as a taxpayer, activist, and candidate on schools issue, he is
top-notch. If he is elected mayor, I have no doubts that the school system I
hope to send my kids to will be better for his mayoralty - though I should
add that I feel the same way about Mayor Sayles Belton and Lisa McDonald.
An interesting philosophical question: Ken's candidate, Council Member
McDonald, has no kids. I strongly believe that is a private choice that I
would never, ever hold against her. If you are comparing R.T. and Lisa,
should his commitment to "social justice, racial equality, and community" be
considered inferior to hers, when he has had to make the schools decision
and she has never had to?
Ignorantly or insightfully, there is a moral judgment I make about where
people send their kids to school. However, this issue is simply doesn't help
me decide which mayoral candidate to support.
David Brauer
King Field - Ward 10
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