You are correct partisan politics should not control the futures of our children.

At the very least politics should be ruled out of education. Only quality controls

and INDIVIDUAL commitment to those standards should be a consideration. 

 

I think the problem with education today is the politicizing of the school boards.

Some see this a way of launching their political career, others may see it as a

means to any political career at all.  Personally I think the only people qualified

to be on the school board are those with a child in school, left school in last six

years, a grandchild in school, or within two years of their child going to school.

 

We have an intellectually and monetarily bankrupt school system because of

political tinkering by fools who do not know the first thing about children but are

good at politics.  Judges have to be lawyers, why not school board members be

required to be mothers.

 

The above comes from some one who does not believe in the public school system.

Having been forced to miss about half the time of grade school and not having

gone to high school at all, I still managed to get mostly A's at the University. The

reason is that reading, writing and some math was pounded into my head at

small town and country schools, and the good old US military during a couple of

weeks. Also the above comes from someone who had to help educate children

during the years they attended public schools.

 

Parents know what their children need. You need supper before desert, and you

need reading and math before all the political fluff that now constitutes the education

offered in Minneapolis. The cost of this fluff is amazing. I would like to see a

cost/benefit analysis comparison between this system and a basic parochial school.

Which gives the best preparation to our children for the buck.

 

Jim Graham,

Ventura Village, and veteran of the war to educate one's children

----- Original Message -----
Sent: Saturday, June 01, 2002 12:05 AM
Subject: [Mpls] What's on the Minneapolis Ballot - Nonpartisian Seats - Oh my!


Minneapolis School Board Candidates

Blast me for these thoughts!   Somehow education it is a different issue for me than city council, or mayor (nonpartisan seats). Never should school board elections be complicated by party endorsement. What do other readers think?  Here
my opinions.

In review of the City of Minneapolis website, I see most of the seats on the ballot
we will be privileged to vote on, are nonpartisan seats.  I especially want to point out that school board seats are nonpartisan.   

Endorsements may be nice (or even comfortable for some), but don't help provide children with education.  Nope, no guarantees.  I would like candidates to reach beyond all these endorsements.  When you register as a candidate you can always register your party affiliation if you think that this is important.  This action might best state your values for the undecided voter, who many not have a chance to speak to any of the candidates. Nice, but again, absolutely no promise for children's education. 

When it comes to education, we need leave politics out of it.   Education has already suffered serious wounds this legislature and lets act responsibly locally, were we
have some control.   

I would rather see all Minneapolis school board candidates go after multiple party endorsements or skip them all together.  All parent or guardians really care about is, the school they need to choose for the next 12 years, programing, rigorous curriculum, and full programming, arts, and music, and probably something closer to home or office, and safety, yes reading, writing, and math. Tell me how does the endorsement get any of this for parents or guardians? It plain and simply doesn't. 

Parents, and others in Minneapolis who have been involved in many battle fields for
longer than the last year, really know who listens and who doesn't.  And believe
me there will be lots of opportunity to ensure candidates' values and leadership
skills can be shared or brought out.   I will help anyway way I can all candidates
speak to voters.   Small groups, informal, or larger forums call me. Some of us in the community are already thinking about many many ways to meet the candidates.  No politics.  Any candidate the last 2 elections for school boards, knows that I spoke
to them in person or on the phone. Put my issues on the table and my community
on their map or radar. 

The school board candidates for 2002, are going to really be challenged with moving everyone a new direction if they become part of the team. Minneapolis cannot afford more of the same in some respects to the operations of the district.  Public education is dying a slow death in Minneapolis for lots of reasons. Some maybe we can't control, but those we can, we aren't doing enough in my mind.     

It should have NOTHING to do with politics as far as I'm concerned, and no endorsement in the past or currently will change what has happened locally in Minneapolis to the way we do business with regard to education, or the education
system.    

Before everyone thinks I have nothing good to say, I really do.  I know first hand there are lots of great things happening with Minneapolis schools, even with all the blows Minneapolis schools and education suffer.  Good work is happening by individual efforts, or groups of people with and for kids. Thousands of individual examples where everything good happens against all odds.  Parent, community, schools, kids, teachers, principals.  Good stuff.  Education to touch the hearts and souls of their communities.  

What the city and the school board and candidates have to figure out is how to do more with less.  Even harder.  Hey, door knock on non-election years around the schools and find out what communities want.   

So be brave school board candidates, and go proudly to the election office when you file.  And run good campaigns and if you are the best candidate, hopefully you will
obtain the necessary support and votes.    

Focus on building more community involvement, even more parent involvement, new and fresh marketing strategies, and neighborhood involvement. Get school board members and administration into the classroom and regularly attend Leadership/Site Council and PTO meetings out in the field, all over town. 

I know there are existing board members who already do this, it is so valuable.   And no political party nor the endorsement makes them do this, they do it because they care.  Actions speak more than all the politics in this world.  Those hands on relationships with communities.

If a new candidate or returning hopeful, who is willing to not only work with the old system, but push for serious out-of the-box thinking and changes, then those are the candidates for me this year. I want someone who will at least try. If the laws or
charter prohibit something, lets revisit that too.  So much can be done for education without money to offset frightening costs of resources. Remember that in your campaigns.   All you have to do is ask.

Candidates individual life experiences and contributions speak far more than all the endorsements in the world.  We have become so dependent on the political process in Minneapolis.  Let go of the  need to obtain party endorsement for school board seats. It isn't important when it comes to education of children.   

I would like to encourage anyone running for school board seat to try it WITHOUT party endorsement. It sure would make some parents and guardians and community members better. And could encourage others who are too afraid to get mixed up with politics toss their hat in the ring.   

http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/elections/whatsonballot.asp

Katie Simon-Dastych
Cooper/Greater Longfellow Neighborhoods
Small School Task Force participant

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