Seattle School Board Races: A New Low?
Honestly, I don't get it.
Why is Suzanne Dale Estey running such a negative campaign?
A new mailer has come out has come out that tops them all. (Apparently, some people have received this but, if they sent it citywide, some of you may not see it until Monday or Tuesday.)
It is a flyer that uses an illustration created FOR No on 1240. It very clearly has a sticker with No on 1240 and says it across the bottom of the piece. Dale Estey's campaign knew this when they created it.
(My campaign did not create this illustration nor did the teachers' union campaign. It was created by one person who wanted to express their opinion. Dora Taylor, Sue's co-writer, put it up at the Seattle Education Blog for others to see during the 1240 campaign.)
It is wrong to attribute words and images that Sue neither said nor created.
What does Sue have to say?
The Dale Estey PAC mailed yet another dishonest flyer to Seattle voters on Friday, for a total of four such attacks on my candidacy since July. This one is truly bizarre.
Sadly, some people will say or pay anything to win an election.
Why is Suzanne Dale Estey running such a negative campaign?
A new mailer has come out has come out that tops them all. (Apparently, some people have received this but, if they sent it citywide, some of you may not see it until Monday or Tuesday.)
It is a flyer that uses an illustration created FOR No on 1240. It very clearly has a sticker with No on 1240 and says it across the bottom of the piece. Dale Estey's campaign knew this when they created it.
(My campaign did not create this illustration nor did the teachers' union campaign. It was created by one person who wanted to express their opinion. Dora Taylor, Sue's co-writer, put it up at the Seattle Education Blog for others to see during the 1240 campaign.)
The title Dale Estey's campaign uses is “Evil Doers” and looks like something straight out of the National Enquirer. Below you will find the original illustration.
The mailer is deceptive and uses Sue's photo to block-out NO on 1240. So voters won't know this image was created for a completely different issue than a School Board race and Sue had nothing to do with it.
It is wrong to attribute words and images that Sue neither said nor created.
What does Sue have to say?
The Dale Estey PAC mailed yet another dishonest flyer to Seattle voters on Friday, for a total of four such attacks on my candidacy since July. This one is truly bizarre.
Sadly, some people will say or pay anything to win an election.
Apparently so, Sue.
Comments
I like both Suzanne and Sue. Both are thoughtful - both have a couple of drawbacks. I have been torn on how to vote.
My gut reaction to the mailer cinched it. I will vote Sue.
Christian Sinderman, an Eckstein area resident and well known Democratic consultant is running Suzanne's campaign. He should be ashamed of himself. So should Suzanne. This crap, and it is crap, has no place in an SPS election.
Informed Voter
EdVoter
--voter
I doubt that the Seattle Times will expose this, though, since the other side of the flier has her endorsements listed, including the Seattle Times...
Speaking of her endorsements, I'm shocked and dismayed that four Dem districts are endorsing her. However, I learned my lesson about following their endorsements of school board candidates after they endorsed Marty McLaren. IMO, she's been completely ineffective in her representation of West Seattle.
Voted for Sue Peters, and am now especially glad I did.
-West Seattle Parent
Sue Peters has been vetted over and over again. After Peters registered to run, Peters won the endorsement of EVERY legislative district and many of them were SOLE endorsements. Peters won the Seattle Education Association, M.L. King County Council Labor, I 609 and more.
The actions of Dale-Estey and her PAC are nothing less than disgusting. They come from a place of desperation and fear- not strength.
Disgusting.
So either she's faking nice, which means we can't believe a thing she says when she talks about charters and all the other corporate Ed deform fantasies her donors salivate over, or she's so clueless that she can't keep track of or control what her campaign is doing, which certainly doesn't lead me to believe she can help run a school district.
Between the nasty crap in the McGinn-Murray race, and the dirty dealings in this race, I will never ever vote for a candidate who uses Christian Sinderman as a campaign consultant. Show some class, Christian; you're even sinking lower than the GOP campaigns.
CT
In all your time in Seattle Public Schools, have you EVER seen a candidate and their supporters stoop to such a low level?
This is really disgusting.
Many people vote at the last minute and I hope this makes people realize the desperation to get Dale Estey into office, and the dirty games they are willing to employ. If this is the manner in which these individuals act before an election, how will they act after their candidate is in office?
MC
Just as I have never seen this kind of money in a race, I have never seen this kind of campaigning.
And word to future candidates, decide EARLY to do this. Sue was not in the running for many candidate endorsements from legislators because they do them very early (this is true for most campaigns). She only missed the opportunity for the endorsement at the 46th LD because of entering the race later than Dale Estey. This is reflected in the number of LDs she DID get endorsed by.
From what I have seen of Dale Estey, this campaign does not seem like her outward persona. But it is HER campaign - consultants notwithstanding - and clearly she will say anything to win.
If she wins, I'm not sure she has a lot to hold her head up about.
If that's even vaguely true it does not speak well for her ability to manage difficult situations - like standing up for an unpopular idea because it's the right thing to do for the greater good. Already voted, didn't get either mailer interestingly, but that would seal the deal for me.
If this is acceptable, does that right also extend to giving those email addresses to third parties, such as, let's say, Cliff Mass, so that he can then email those parents about the election?
I just want to understand the rules. I believe the federal Can-Spam law requires people to opt in to receiving spam emails. The vendor that Director Peaslee is using, Constant Contact, also says that recipients have to opt in.
I have never opted in to receive campaign emails from any Board Directors, much less from professors at the UW, so what is going on here? Is there a Board policy about appropriate use of parents' emails? If there isn't, then one needs to be developed immediately.
I think Sue will do a fine job and I don't question her position on this important issue.
FYI, all you need to do is click the "unsubscribe" link a the bottom of the email to opt out so I think the the span rules are being followed here.
--Grateful Voter
Why did you receive a mailing from us?
Our email marketing is permission based. If you received a mailing from us, our records indicate that (a) you have expressly shared this address for the purpose of receiving information in the future ("opt-in"), or (b) you have registered or purchased or otherwise have an existing relationship with us.
I never opted in to receive emails from Director Peaslee's gmail account or her comcast account. I have only ever had contact with her through her school board email address. I believe she violated the Constant Contact rules.
Second, she clearly identifies herself as affiliated with the Seattle School Board. In doing so, she is basically sending this email out in her elected official capacity, and that is not acceptable. At least when Director Smith Blum has sent these mailings out, she indicates her Board position and explicitly states that it is for identification purposes only. Director Peaslee crossed a line here by actively campaigning, using school resources (eg, parent email addresses), and using her Board position to sway opinions.
Yeah, I can unsubscribe. But that's really not the point. It is a violation of trust for a Director to use parent emails for political purposes. When I write to them about school matters, that is the extent of our relationship. They cannot put my address into their personal contact list and spam me with their personal political views at a later date. Or at least they shouldn't be able to. I don't care which candidate you support; this is wrong.
Not Cool
Are you saying you're not a member of your school PTA, but they have a copy of your email address? Or that you think you're not a member of the Seattle Council PTSA? Because Seattle Council PTSA is the umbrella organization for all the PTAs in Seattle and the WA state PTSA is the state-level organization, which in turn is part of the national PTA. One you belong to your PTA, I believe you're basically a sort of member of all levels upward.
PTA member
48 hours
"Fight fire with fire", you say? What did Sue's campaign do that looks remotely like these flyers?
Not Cool
WSDWG
Have to wonder if all that money Dale Estey collected is being put to good use. Is this the best they can do?
One can only hope that this time it comes back to bite him.
Shame on you Christian and Suzanne!!!
Voted Peters
--Frenchman
Why do you think APP advocates would "tear the district in half"? I'm pretty tired of people demonizing APP.
APP parents are simply advocating for their kids' needs. And those positions often line up with those of other communities. APP parents, for instance, are not behind the idea of putting APP in already crowded middle schools in the north end. In fact, they oppose the idea.
State law prohibits the use of facilities of any public agency to directly or indirectly assist
any campaign for or against a candidate or even ballot proposition. School board candidates must make a complete separation between campaign activities and the school district. If Sharon Peaslee used any official resources in campaigning for Sue Peters, that would be a violation of state law. I am not sure about an email list--if that is the property of the district or of it is personal property. See here for further info: http://www.ethics.wa.gov/TRAINING/Ethics12.pdf. Because the email is from her gmail or comcast account, I can't see how you would easily get traction on that account. It sounds like you don't remember signing up for Constant Contact, so the email may be violating that company's terms of service.
Frankly, I am fairly annoyed at the amount of emails I get from the Ed Murray campaign, and you can get your bottom dollar I never signed up to get anything from him. Despite the fact that I have tried several times to be removed, I'm still getting two or three per day. Am I going to complain about it? No, as it will all die off soon.
Additionally, I get emails from Suzanne Dale-Estey, and I never signed up to get on an email list from her either, but I had emailed her in the past.
@Linh-Coh,
As far as Ron Sims or Chris Gregoire, they are both retired from office. There should be no ethical problem with that.
You'll notice nothing APP-specific in all of the above.
As a fellow APP parent, I know the best way to help sustain the program for my kids is to help others build and sustain the programs that suit the needs of other people's kids, whether in a conventional school, an option school, or an alt like Nova. Selfishness and pushiness have never been Sue's calling card. Persistence and demanding accountability? You bet. She's not afraid to stand up to bullies, and the bullies do not like it! Those who call her "abrasive" and such are usually the same ones involved in things like siding with principals who are found guilty of misconduct. Abrasive? Go figure.
WSDWG
On most issues, as goes the district, so goes APP. So, there is, in fact, a massive amount of common ground between APP and other schools and programs. So, if the district at large is suffering from any particular malady, rest assured that the odds are that APP is too.
What does that mean for this race? It means many of you probably have a lot more in common with Sue Peters than you think.
WSDWG
Sue Peters, on the other hand, truly is a Sensible APP parent. "48 hours": please know that the aforementioned bad actors from north end APP support Suzanne Dale-Estey not Sue Peters. If you don't want to support what you see as the "APP" agenda (which is really more of a Bryant-Eckstein agenda but may be just an entitled, selfish, and unconcerned-with-the-larger-community then please vote for Sue.
Lori, since you're on the Estey side, would you be upset if these people sent you e-mails supporting Estey?
I think it's helpful to know who the continuing Board members think they would work with best. Otherwise, we could find our school board acting like Washington DC. If I really don't like the way Kay Smith-Blum, for example, has voted on issues I care about, I would vote for Estey. Instead, I look to see who is funding these campaigns and if I think their agenda is in the best interest of my child. If it is, fine, I'll vote for the bought and paid for candidate. Since I don't like the Gates, Hanauer agenda, I voted Peters
Has anyone read this book?
I find it ironic that Nick Hanauer wrote a book about
Democracy while throwing dollars into Estey's PAC.
Nick Hanauer's interests swing all over the place but I feel like he thinks his money should hold sway when he can't convince people of his argument.
Does anyone know why this is?
Voting Tomorrow
Dale Estey had paid sign placers. She had an independent PAC that did mailers for her (her own campaign did not pay for them).
Sue is for ALL parts of this district and has been endorsed by the Seattle Medium and Rita Green, RBHS PTA president among others.
I'm sure Sue wishes she had the money to do more outreach but campaigns are getting more expensive all the time.
Speaking as someone who accompanied Sue to a 37th District Democrats meeting, I can attest that she has MORE concern and MORE sensitivities than Estey and her paid handlers.
I think blog readers know me by now. I am an immigrant and strongly identify as a minority (SPS beware!) Sue Peters made plans to attend the 37th and I was going to be there to talk about what matters to us. Sure I live in SW WS, but I feel fortunate to consider myself a friend of Betty Patu and Rita Green. I certainly relate more to my BFFs than Michael DeBell, Jean Bryant, and the NE APP contingent.
Sue's done more than plant signs in SE Seattle planting strips. She has made it a personal mission to ensure our children are not defined by NCLB, Common Core, Arne Duncan and our local power clique.
I hope you will join me in voting for Sue Peters.
I've come away with a complete dislike of some parts of the APP crowd with their obnoxious entitled crap over the last few years. I had no idea that Sue was an APP parent, and I've been around her at several campaign events. I think your concerns about Sue being part of the entitled crowd is
CompletelyUnwarranted.
There's a whole crowd of people who will never vote for Peters, not because of her own ideas, but because of their dislike of this blog and some of its commenters. Not only does this viewpoint seem to include the education academic and venture crowd, as well as business heavyhitters, it also includes regions such as the northeast, where emails and conversations denigrate the 'awful' people associated with the blog.
Depending on a voter's news proclivities, they may vote or roll their eyes at The Stranger or The Times endorsements. But the reaction I've seen to this blog's endorsements is stronger. I wonder why this is, especially because there is more substantive discussion about SPS here than anywhere else, and it's certainly not all negative. Is it the discussion style here? The topics? Fear? Annoyance? Is it really personal? I don't know a way to understand the reaction, but I wish there was a way to do research to understand why. It would be helpful for future candidates, and possibly this blog too.
EdVoter
HP
Dissent is uncomfortable for many, and dissent is exactly what happens here. This blog tends to draw a wider variety of viewpoints, and not everyone is capable of reading other people's viewpoints and conceding that perhaps their idea is wrong or needs adjusting based on new info. I learn new things every time I read things here - both from posts and comments - but then I am also interested in the district as a whole, not just my little section, which is how I saw many of those NE people in my interactions with them. (Note - this is my opinion, and my opinion only based in my interactions in my neighborhood.)
I am now in a different area of the city, and I notice a difference in all conversations - not just ones about the district - more diverse opinions, more live and let live attitudes, which I have always associated with Seattle in general.
CT
-sleeper
Things got really bad with the North End APP after leaving Lowell and being in limbo at Lincoln and Hamilton. The reactionary "pushiness" and "loud" advocacy is the result of not having any peace of mind about where those kids will go to MS and HS, after 30+ years of knowing with certainty what the pathway was for the APP kids.
Yes, they may sound entitled and over-the-top at times, but the situation was foreseeable, preventable and very poorly handled. Dismantling Spectrum programs in the North, right or wrong, added gasoline to the fire.
Tension and controversy will always exist with popular programs and APP is no exception. Plenty of families are disappointed and angry about not getting into Aviation HS too. There's a chicken vs. egg scenario where equity and diversity compete for time and attention with program quality and integrity. Many rightfully ask: What good is equitable access if the program is no longer very good because the curriculum and teacher training work has been ignored for years?
If the program were growing, diversifying and progressing harmoniously as we wish it would, the advocacy/entitlement wouldn't be so loud or offensive to others. But, like so many other programs and populations in SPS, it isn't.
What do APP parents have to cry about? A program that been weakened and diluted from what it was just a few years ago despite the district promising to protect program integrity and quality as it grew. Some of this is capacity-related, but a lot was inappropriate leadership and head-in-the-sand wishful thinking.
Huge challenges remain throughout the district that will remain for awhile yet. Nickle & Dime strategies like school closures, and flash-in-the-pan "magic bullet" philosophies - like Discovery Math - will distract and dismay, but will not solve anything. Real solutions require long-term thinking and, even more important, long-term commitments.
So, do you want someone who's been around the district for 10 years, or someone with 2 years - about the same length of time as most SPS administrators while they prep their resumes for a better paying gig elsewhere?
This is where experience matters.
Voted for Peters proudly.
As one who does move frequently, I make it a point to get to know the neighbors and the neighborhood - that is part of the fun, exploring a new place and finding out new aspects to the city - so that is something that is important to me and something I am quite attuned to. It may have changed over the last few years as there was a lot of movement given the economy - I can only relay my experiences from that time in my neighborhood. And for the record, I've never lived in Ballard. At least not yet, anyway, though I am feeling the need to move again. And I love Snappy Dragon AND Cloud City, though the latter was not there when I lived in Pinehurst.
CT
WSDWG
11/3/13, 11:01 PM
Sorry, been slacking. The link to the original doesn't seem to be working. I'm fairly sure that I saw it earlier. Based on the original and the description of the recent version; if that's what passes for big bucks PAC mailings, then the job prospects for photoshop hacks must be pretty good.
-ArchStanton