How Many Mayoral Candidates Will I Be Interviewing? Stay Tuned

Now we have Rep Jesslyn Farrell and former U.S. Attorney Jenny Durkan running to take the place of current mayor Ed Murray.

I hope to interview all the major candidates (and that's a lot just in itself) about public education and Seattle.

What questions would you like me to ask?

Comments

Anonymous said…
Thank you very much Melissa for taking on this important work! I greatly look forward to reading the result.

Jonathan
Anonymous said…
1. Do they agree with the practice of pressuring SPS to have City Pre-K sites at SPS Elementary schools?

2. What consideration will be given to the location of city sponsored low barrier homeless camps - such as the one a block away from REMS? Will there be collaboration/communication with SPS prior to future low barrier camp placements? Will the location of schools be considered?

3. What is their priority for the monies generated from school zone red light cameras? Sidewalks, crossing guards,...?

-StepJ

Jetsons Mom said…
4. Seattle's population is changing fast. How do they see the city working with schools to change and adapt to the rapidly changing educational needs of our residents?

5. The job market in our state is changing rapidly. How do they want to see the public school system in our city keep pace with these changes so that local companies can continue to hire local graduates into their workforces? How will SPS students be competitive? Will our students be able to get into competitive universities and degree programs or is that only for students of other districts or private schools? Will the children of Seattle be able to compete in the future? As mayor, how do they see themselves as contributing to and driving that competitiveness?
Anonymous said…
Do they support implementation of an impact fee on developers, to pay for capital costs associated with the need for more schools? The school district has capital costs for school construction, and there are also costs of providing street and sidewalk improvements, need for parking, etc., that are the city's responsibility, and it seems like developers could pay for some of that.

Irene
Anonymous said…
It was so great when Mayor Murray opened the community centers to help provide childcare during the teacher strike. What other opportunities do they see for collaboration to help both entities better serve working families?

Fix AL
Nearly two years ago Melissa and I wrote this article explaining how the Families and Education Levy has been transformed from an effort to help supplement programs and services for schools and is now a vehicle to impose corporate education reforms on our city. http://saveseattleschools.blogspot.com/2015/06/seattles-families-and-education-levy-is.html

The Levy is up for renewal in 2018. So, my questions for mayoral candidates would be:

1. How will you act to restore the original purpose of the Families and Education Levy - to fund programs and services - and move it away from using funds as leverage to impose education reform policies on schools?

2. Will you commit to delinking Levy funds from test scores?

3. Who would you appoint to lead DEEL? Who would you appoint to a Levy Oversight Committee?

4. Can you pledge that no city funds would ever be used to support charter schools?
Watching said…
Great questions. It is worth remembering that the city will probably pass a soda tax for education. The city will have even more dollars ear marked for education.

Here is another question:

Do you support mayoral control of public schools?
Anonymous said…
I would ask Farrell to detail exactly what the 120 day old Trump administration has done that requires we have her as Mayor. Not innuendos, not hypotheticals, but factual changes Trump has made and the effects that requires her now to become uncomfortable.

Farrell...

"From a Wallingford sidewalk, Farrell, an attorney, said she is willing to step out of a comfortable role in the Legislature because of changing times, the Trump administration and “huge issues” facing Seattle."

How can she be so comfortable when McCleary is hanging over her head?

Some people
Anonymous said…
Public school guy

Ask them all - did you send your kids to public schools? If not, why not?

Public school guy
Anonymous said…
Hmm, public school guy. On the one hand, I like the question, and can see its validity (and its importance to whether the next mayor truly values and supports public education).

On the other hand -- all of my kids attended public school part of the time -- and all of them attended private school (or, for one kid, was partially home schooled) part of the time. It was never done because of a dislike or disbelief in public schools. It was done for reasons personal to each child. I am not convinced that a candidate for mayor should have to expose the academic, behavioral, emotional, or medical details of their children in order to pass the public education support test. I think more broadly asking them what their exposure to, and experience with, public education (either now or in their past) might be a better way of getting information. I don't really need to know, and don't think they should feel compelled justify reasons, or share, details (e.g. autism, OCD, Tourrettes, ADD, bullying (whether victim or perpetrator), developmental delays) that may have caused them at some point to choose an education for their kids other than public schools.

Jan

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