Mayor Nickels Endorses Levies

Mayor Nickels has added his name to the list of Endorsers of the Seattle School levies on the Schoolsfirst! web site. Still no endorsement from Norm Rice.

I found three former Board members' names on the list, but Michael DeBell is the only current Board member whose name appears. Raj Manhas has not added his name, nor have any of the district senior staff. If they do it from home, I don't think there is any prohibition against their coming out on political issues. In fact, the Board as voted to endorse votes in the past. There is a resolution in support of Initiative 884 on their web page.

Of the fifty-seven members of the Alliance for Education Board of Directors, only five have put their names on the list: Jon Bridge, John Warner, Peter Maier, Sherry Carr, and Greg Nickels, although the Alliance for Education is there as an organization. How do you vote to endorse the levies as a group but not take forty-five seconds to do so as an individual?

CPPS and Charles Rolland are there.

There are no names from the editorial boards of the Seattle Times or the Seattl Post-Intelligencer.

I know it is early, but I would expect the areas educational LEADERS to be out in the lead. I would think that this would include adding your name to the list of those endorsing the levies.

Comments

And how about the Mayor not having Education in his Topics and Issues section on his website? He constantly says he's the co-chair of the levy/bond committee (probably honorary but still)but that's not his web page either. (I asked a couple of reporters if they got the chance to ask him about Schools-First's webpage and his own and apparently he got a little testy.)

The Mayor did say that he supports the levy/bond measures but after the election that there would be a ramping up of the discussion. "We're going to have a very vigorous debate in November over candidates for School Board and the future of the schools."

It was pointed out to me that one reason the Mayor may be pushing for Rice is because he would still be there after the Board elections in November. That way, a - presumably new - Board would get to pick the next Superintendent and not the people who currently serve. I have to say I think that's the TOP reason the Mayor (and the powers that be) want Rice. I don't think one of the current Board, even if they thought Rice would be good for the district, would go along with it for just that reason.

Per my letter to the editor of the PI last week telling former Mayor Rice that I would be glad to go on a walking tour of any of our schools so he can see how good they are, sadly, haven't heard from him.

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