Endorsement for School Board Elections 2011, Position 2
Update - doing too much, too fast and I put John Dunn in Jack Whelan's place. My sincere apologies.
Here is my endorsement for the School Board Position 2.
In Position 2, the candidates are Sherry Carr, Kate Martin, Jack Whelan and Mark Weber. I am endorsing Kate Martin with a few qualifications.
I feel that Kate knows the district and knows district issues. Kate is tenacious and would work hard (a quality that seems to resonate with many voters). Kate's husband is Hispanic and she knows that community and its issues. It would be a good "add" to the Board. I feel that Kate would be willing to push other directors towards more accountability to parents and community.
My qualifications are that I believe that Sherry Carr and Jack Whelan qualified as well.
I supported Sherry in the last election (and even doorbelled with her). She is a bright, capable person. In my talk with her, she had many good ideas about the focus going forward. She is determined that initiatives are seen through to the end (and not just started). She believes she, as an individual Board member, would be more prescriptive than before (and example being that at least a few of the Board members are going to be looking over the hiring of the COO and CFO, no exceptions).
All of this is good and yet, I worry that she is too much in the middle and swayed by outside interests. If I felt there was a balance between parents/community and outside interests, I could support her but I'm not sure I feel that is true.
I don't endorse Sherry because I still worry that despite all that has gone before, she still won't hold staff's feet to the fire. That's just my gut feeling after watching her at both Committee and Board meetings.
Jack Whelan is a quiet, thoughtful type (which is what I thought we were getting in Harium 4 years ago). I wish he knew our district better so that his learning curve might not be as great but I believe his work experience would be a value to the Board.
Here is my endorsement for the School Board Position 2.
In Position 2, the candidates are Sherry Carr, Kate Martin, Jack Whelan and Mark Weber. I am endorsing Kate Martin with a few qualifications.
I feel that Kate knows the district and knows district issues. Kate is tenacious and would work hard (a quality that seems to resonate with many voters). Kate's husband is Hispanic and she knows that community and its issues. It would be a good "add" to the Board. I feel that Kate would be willing to push other directors towards more accountability to parents and community.
My qualifications are that I believe that Sherry Carr and Jack Whelan qualified as well.
I supported Sherry in the last election (and even doorbelled with her). She is a bright, capable person. In my talk with her, she had many good ideas about the focus going forward. She is determined that initiatives are seen through to the end (and not just started). She believes she, as an individual Board member, would be more prescriptive than before (and example being that at least a few of the Board members are going to be looking over the hiring of the COO and CFO, no exceptions).
All of this is good and yet, I worry that she is too much in the middle and swayed by outside interests. If I felt there was a balance between parents/community and outside interests, I could support her but I'm not sure I feel that is true.
I don't endorse Sherry because I still worry that despite all that has gone before, she still won't hold staff's feet to the fire. That's just my gut feeling after watching her at both Committee and Board meetings.
Jack Whelan is a quiet, thoughtful type (which is what I thought we were getting in Harium 4 years ago). I wish he knew our district better so that his learning curve might not be as great but I believe his work experience would be a value to the Board.
Comments
Sherry had been as much of a rubber stamp for MG-J and Broad/Gates EdDeform as Peter, Steve, and Harium.
ken berry
SpEd IA Van Asselt Elem
grumpy
I can't see someone with these simplistic and inflexible views being an effective and productive member of the school board.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/opinion/2004069763_frilets14.html
There is a big difference in acting as an activist and as a director. I have known Kate for a couple of years and I can assure you she knows the difference.
I don't dislike Sherry personally. Frankly, there's nothing TO dislike. But I know a lot of people whom I like personally who I don't think are up to the requirements of public office, and she is one of them.
She has shown that she will not challenge the Superintendent or the central staff. Haven't we had enough of that? I do not and will not accept Harium's party line that "oh, all that goes on behind closed doors." I want it done in public. We're paying for it, after all.
Kate Martin will provide that. You bet she will. Yes, Kate can be a bit much at times. But we need at least one Board member to push the envelope. We all have seen the consequences of not doing so.
-- Ivan Weiss
It's very puzzling but I honestly believe they think it's just one more thing to try and aren't really bothered by the realities.
Mr. Greene, you should talk to Kate. She openly acknowledges being wrong on that point and will explain what she has learned about advanced learning programs.
Mirmac, I think Mr. Greene was making a valid point about what he had learned about a candidate. I'm okay with whoever anyone here wants to support (except David Blomstrom).
I would also point out, because of the NSAP, this district’s director assignment to my neighborhood is odd. Middle school and high school students’ assingments are outside of Position 2’s electorate. If someone from my neighborhood had wanted to challenge her it would be next to impossible to pull together a community of support since the schools of the would be candidate are outside of the primary boundary. Our neighborhood is assigned to Eckstein and split between Hale, Roosevelt; but, we vote in the primary for Position 2?
KB
If they say that they don't want to shame staff by calling them out in public, then I wonder why they don't know how to do their jobs with a professional demeanor and cannot perform governance without shaming people.
-reader
http://mynorthwest.com/?nid=75&sid=176470
what is up with that?
that feels either loose cannon-ish or cavalier about regulations, neither of which i like.
into alts
My take is this:
Kate Martin is too impulsive and I am not sure she can work and play well with others who don't hold the same view as her's.
Jack is smart enough but I don't think he can hold his own against the others on the board.
Sherry Carr is just a rubber stamp.
Mark has the most to learn about the inner workings of the district but I thinbk he is smart enough and gutsy enough to hold his own. He also seems to have a pretty good BS meter.