Tom, It's good to hear your running for School Board. This has been a particularly tough year to find candidates for School Board or Mayor. Heck, when I ran for mayor in '93, there were 16 candidates. I've known you not only to be knowledgeable of many issues but willing to listen to all sides and interested in learning. Count me as a supporter.
John Mannillo Downtown and Highland Park -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Forum Manager Sent: Wednesday, March 09, 2005 5:14 PM To: St. Paul Issues Forum Subject: [StPaul] [AN] Tom Goldstein for School Board Announcement - From Tom Goldstein -------------------------------------------- I am choosing to announce my candidacy for the St. Paul School Board via the St. Paul e-democracy issues list as a way of underscoring that I plan to have a campaign very different from what we often see in city politics. For one thing, I don't have a big ego, so I can focus on what's best for the community rather than what might be best for me. Second, while I can point to several accomplishments that I believe I've played an integral role in bringing about in our community, I know that nobody is successful without the help of many other folks they bring to the table with them. Third, I make mistakes, I've got a sense of humor, and I'm not afraid to admit when I'm wrong or when somebody might have a better way of doing things. Why do I want to run for school board? Simply put, I'm tired of the defunding and marginalization of public education and all the great things that good schools can do for children and communities, and I'm no longer willing to sit by and watch it happen without trying to use my skills, talents, and experience in as visible a fashion as possible. We should be talking about what more we can do for kids, not how much less we're willing to accept. How does cutting staffs, neglecting libraries, eliminating sports teams and extra-curricular activities make us a better community? How do larger class sizes and deferred maintenance make our children better and broaden their horizons? It's great to talk about efficiencies and cost-saving measures, but I've yet to see how pushing all kids to fit into one particular learning track makes them better citizens or opens their minds to the kind of creativity they need to develop if they're going to survive and thrive in this global economy that promises no jobs or a certain future to anyone. I have served as a PTO chair, member of a site council, and on the steering committee of a statewide parents organization that has been pushing for funding increases in education for the past two years. But I believe that simply relying on parents to provide the leadership we need to change the dynamic on how we fund and value public schools is an abdication of the responsibility that elected officials have--at the city, county, and state level--to give us the best schools possible. While I do not consider myself a reform candidate, I do plan on being an activist school board member who makes his colleagues better while also tending to the important "nuts and bolts" duties that board members have for balancing budgets, approving contracts, dealing with curriculum issues, etc. Those who have worked with me know that I am not afraid to be combative on an issue if that is what the situation requires, but my general style is to work collaboratively and effectively at achieving the best solution possible. I have a lot of respect for the school district and the way in which the school board has dramatically improved in the past few years, but no system is perfect, and complacency is always a concern for any bureaucratic institution. The years ahead will pose many challenges for St. Paul schools, given the continued outflux of students to the suburbs and private schools. To reverse that trend, we will need leadership at all levels of city government, from the mayor's office on down, fully engaging the business community and all the other stakeholders in the city. I'd like to be an integral part of that effort. Okay, that's enough for now. I will provide my personal details and background in another post to this list. And yes, for those who are curious, I intend to seek and abide by the DFL endorsement. If you are interested in learning more about my campaign, like what I have to say, want to volunteer, or, better yet, would like to talk about making a contribution (we will have a campaign committee established shortly), please give me a call at 651-644-8558. If you are a delegate to the city convention, plan on hearing from me in the next several weeks. Better yet, if you will be attending the Ward 1 convention on March 12th or the Ward 2 convention on March 19th, please be sure to introduce yourself. Tom Goldstein (now in Hamline-Midway) -- Tim Erickson Forum Manager St. Paul Issues Forum http://www.e-democracy.org/stpaul/ Hamline Midway Resident 651-246-5045 [EMAIL PROTECTED] St. Paul Links - http://www.e-democracy.org/stpaul/links.html "The St. Paul Issues Forum is a interactive e-mail discussion on important issues about St. Paul public policy. Participation is free and open to anyone. We currently have about 425 concerned citizens and community leaders subscribed to our discussion." ------------------------------------------------- JOIN the St. Paul Issues Forum TODAY: http://www.e-democracy.org/stpaul/ ------------------------------------------------- POST MESSAGES HERE: [email protected] To subscribe, modify subscription, or get your password - visit: http://www.mnforum.org/mailman/listinfo/stpaul Archive Address: http://www.mnforum.org/mailman/private/stpaul/ ------------------------------------------------- JOIN the St. Paul Issues Forum TODAY: http://www.e-democracy.org/stpaul/ ------------------------------------------------- POST MESSAGES HERE: [email protected] To subscribe, modify subscription, or get your password - visit: http://www.mnforum.org/mailman/listinfo/stpaul Archive Address: http://www.mnforum.org/mailman/private/stpaul/
