Idea for Discussion: Change the Board Campaign
I'm thinking of making a web site called "Change the Board" in which I - and others - would advocate for the replacement of the school board majority elected in 2007. The site would have a general argument for replacing the board majority in general and would also have specific arguments for replacing each of the four individual board members.
The web site would be just one part of a whole campaign. There would be other parts than just the web site. It would include press efforts, rallies, truth-squads (to critically examine board campaign claims), online ads, and maybe even some yard signs. I'm thinking that we could promote "Change the Board" as an independent effort separate from each of the individual challenger campaigns. I'd like to try to build some momentum behind "Change the Board" that could support all challengers.
The costs on something like this could be pretty minimal.
Would this add to challenger campaigns or detract from them?
Thoughts?
The web site would be just one part of a whole campaign. There would be other parts than just the web site. It would include press efforts, rallies, truth-squads (to critically examine board campaign claims), online ads, and maybe even some yard signs. I'm thinking that we could promote "Change the Board" as an independent effort separate from each of the individual challenger campaigns. I'd like to try to build some momentum behind "Change the Board" that could support all challengers.
The costs on something like this could be pretty minimal.
Would this add to challenger campaigns or detract from them?
Thoughts?
Comments
I am 100% for a truth site as outlined by Charlie. Go for it.
-- Dan Dempsey
When voting to extend Goodloe's contract, Harium looked into MGJ's eyes and stated "it is a calling". So inappropriate.
During a budget meeting, Sundquist told the board to accept the district's proposal. Unknown to the public at the time, there was an ongoing criminal investigation involving Silas Potter.
Why would anyone trust district HQ ?
Even if we don't have opposing candidates, we have elected city officials endorsing this non-sense.
I say yes.
The truth site is also a good idea, but only if the editor is willing to view claims with really unbiased eyes (e.g. - not sure I could do it; WAY too much skin in the game). While I didn't agree with all the ST truth meter articles in last fall's election, I also felt as though there was an effort there to be fair to both sides, to give each side credit if any was due. So they were reporting things as half true, or mostly false, when I thought they were D***ned lies -- but in some cases, I had to concede there was a "weak" truth there -- and the effort was more credible than if they had been clearly on one side or the other.
"This is a great idea. Is it possible to put clips of board votes on links? One of the real wake up calls for me was watching these folks muddle their uninformed, unthinking way through obviously flawed Board votes. Synched up with text describing the underlying flaws of those votes, I think it could be devastatingly revealing."
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Using a Mac and iShowU software from New Zealand, it is easy to make the clips from Seattle Channel's School Board meeting broadcasts.
What takes the time is finding exactly what portion to clip.
Here I clipped entire testimonies but any length can be clipped.
-- Dan Dempsey
-- Dan Dempsey
-- Dan Dempsey
Some time ago, Charlie or Melissa called for the Superintendent (and by implication, her boss, the Board) to come up with a comprehensive list of every project that is part of the Strategic Plan; when it was proposed as part of the plan, when (if ever) it was dropped or quietly allowed to die, whether it is complete (and if not, how much is undone and what is the schedule and cost), how much was spent on it, whether it is slated to be dropped, or delayed due to funding issues, etc.
As far as I know, that has never happened. How successfully could we put together a list, and at least some of this information -- and then ask the Board members up for election, during the Campaign season, to speak to the results (or the information gaps). After all -- they know this stuff, right? Because of all those reports they required? And if they don't know it, hmmm. What does THAT mean?
Maybe, it is as benign as -- gee, MGJ bit off way more than District staff could accomplish, and we were naive to have believed her assertions that she could successfully complete all this stuff -- and we won't make THAT mistake again. But committing all this stuff to paper is the first step in tracking from here on out, and is a prerequisite to any thoughtful analysis of what needs to stay, and what needs to go, in light of this year's budget.
Go for it!
ken berry
Aw shucks, I can't run for office. Every other word I said on the campaign trail would have to be bleeped out. Kinda hard to debate when your hands are in a death grip around the neck of your opponent.
At election time, you get these wannabes who know surface detail and not much more. No one can know everything happening in the county, city, district, etc. but it surprises me at the number of pundits who try.
www.changetheboard.blogspot.com