Education Questionnaire for City Council Members
Reader Robert Crunkshank put forth this idea that I think is a good one:
I do think it would be a good idea to submit an education-related questionnaire to all the City Council candidates who make it through the primary. We should get all those candidates on record on the big issues, including Tim Burgess and Ed Murray's efforts to have the City take over the school district and impose unwanted "education reform" policies.
So, dear readers, what questions would you like to see put forth to City Council candidates? I would like to keep it to 4-5 questions because I don't want anyone trying to reject answering these questions on the basis of length of questionnaire.
I think there should be a dead-on "Would you support the takeover of either the district and/or School Board by the Legislature to pass onto the Mayor to run?"
I do think it would be a good idea to submit an education-related questionnaire to all the City Council candidates who make it through the primary. We should get all those candidates on record on the big issues, including Tim Burgess and Ed Murray's efforts to have the City take over the school district and impose unwanted "education reform" policies.
So, dear readers, what questions would you like to see put forth to City Council candidates? I would like to keep it to 4-5 questions because I don't want anyone trying to reject answering these questions on the basis of length of questionnaire.
I think there should be a dead-on "Would you support the takeover of either the district and/or School Board by the Legislature to pass onto the Mayor to run?"
Comments
Do you support restricting the Families and Education Levy to its original purpose of supporting wraparound services instead of using that money on high stakes tests or on interfering in the management of the school district?
Will you pledge to oppose giving City funds to charter schools, including those from the Families and Education Levy and the Preschool Levy?
How can the City help Seattle Public Schools build more classroom space to deal with growing enrollments?
Do you oppose taking scarce classroom space away from K-12 schools and giving it to the City's pre-k program? What is your preferred path for finding space for the City's pre-k program?
Do you support broadening the eligibility for pre-k funding to programs like Waldorf and Montessori without strings attached (such as mandating the use of tests or assessments)?
(PS: I don't know who Robert Crunkshank is but he sounds like a smart guy!)
Reader 420
How about also something re: the HALA report? The City wants to upzone single family residential neighborhoods, which will potentially necessitate dramatic changes to the school district's neighborhood school assignment plan. To what extent should the city be working with SPS on this, and in what capacity?
HF
How about this?
Would you oppose legislative action in Olympia that attempts to dilute or remove the current local system of democratic control of Seattle's schools, either by having the mayor appoint some or all board members, by having the mayor appoint (or approve) the Superintendent, or by any other means of changing school district governance to take the control of Seattle's public schools from its publicly elected board of directors?
It is a little longer, but doesn't allow the partial appointment nonsense to fly under radar -- and it also is less likely to let a candidate get away with claiming that he/she "supports" the current structure -- while they then stand aside (silently supporting) as the corporate ed reform crowd uses people like Pettigrew and Santos to destroy the district from the safe distance of Olympia.
Thanks for the help, Jan. I should have included "partial."
Do you support City efforts to obtain land for new schools?
Do you support developer impact fees to help fund infrastructure, including new/upgraded schools?
Do you support legislation that would give the mayor the ability to appoint one or more School Board members?
Do you support legislation that would give the mayor the role of the School Board, including appointing and firing the superintendent?
Do you support having F&L levy funding linked to a particular principal continuing at the school, regardless of whether the new principal supports the grant objectives?
Do you support using classrooms currently devoted to K-12 education for the new pre-K program?
Do you support giving F&L and/or pre-K funds to charter schools?
Do you support giving students in the pre-K program standardized tests?
These questions ask the same ideas as what was already in the previous questions, but it's not obvious what the answers should be from the tone of the questions. You're more likely to get honest answers that way. Actually, more likely to get answers at all from some candidates.
I'm all for neutral questioning, though make sure it's worded in a way that respondents have a more difficult time giving vague or evasive answers.
Do you support the concept that Family and Education funding is only available to schools that allow the city to influence- via family and ed dollars- principal hirings?
Do you support mayoral appointments to the school board?
Should the mayor have the capacity to hire school superintendents?
Would you vote to repeal I 1240?
Would you allow city funding to be used as a mechanism to expand charter schools?
Signed:
Lately Lurking
Do you support paying educators as much as professional sports players?
And, in a related question, don't you think all teachers should be given BMW 6 Series luxury cars?