Voting for Seattle School Board Candidates
Update: Can't make the Tuesday candidate forum? There's another one on Thursday, October 17th at North Beach Elementary from 6:30-8:00 pm.
end of update
There is a Seattle School Board Candidate forum tomorrow night, Tuesday October 15th, from 6:30-8:00 pm at the John Stanford International School.
It is important who sits on the Seattle School Board. I have learned that sometimes it's picking the person you are just okay with rather than someone you believe will not do a good job/have an agenda you can't support.
As the years have gone by, I have ruefully realized a couple of concerns that I hope you take into account as you vote.
1) Candidates will sometimes present themselves as one thing but once they get on the Board, are not that director.
A good example is Jill Geary. She practically ran on her Sped cred and yet, she has not been a champion at all. I really thought this was going to be a good chance for Special Education issue to be daylighted and discussed by the Board. Not really.
This is not to say she wasn't qualified or a good director - she just was not the director that she made herself out to be as a candidate.
2) Don't consider the individual; please consider how that person talks about working with others and not just people/groups that he/she/they are aligned with.
Because being on the School Board means learning to work together with people you may disagree with on issues. But, for anything to get done, there has to be teamwork.
3) Beware of alliances.
It's great to get group of smart, talented-in-different-ways people on a governing group. But you don't want people who will vote in lock-step.
I'm always pleasantly surprised when people who may seem allies on one issue, giving valid reasons for having differing views on another issue and voting accordingly.
4) Beware of candidates who talk a good game but somehow can't point to an achievement related to School Board work.
If someone is using impactful words like "impactful" or vague language without real statements of how to get from A to B on any given issue, ask yourself if this is what you want to hear for the next four years.
end of update
There is a Seattle School Board Candidate forum tomorrow night, Tuesday October 15th, from 6:30-8:00 pm at the John Stanford International School.
This event is hosted by JSIS PTA and sponsored by Seattle Council PTSA.
Moderated by current members of Superintendent Student Advisory Board.
This is a kid friendly event and students are encouraged to attend. Their voice and insight is powerful!I love when kids ask questions because they tend to be direct. I sure hope one question is about the commitment each candidate has to fulfilling a full term.
It is important who sits on the Seattle School Board. I have learned that sometimes it's picking the person you are just okay with rather than someone you believe will not do a good job/have an agenda you can't support.
As the years have gone by, I have ruefully realized a couple of concerns that I hope you take into account as you vote.
1) Candidates will sometimes present themselves as one thing but once they get on the Board, are not that director.
A good example is Jill Geary. She practically ran on her Sped cred and yet, she has not been a champion at all. I really thought this was going to be a good chance for Special Education issue to be daylighted and discussed by the Board. Not really.
This is not to say she wasn't qualified or a good director - she just was not the director that she made herself out to be as a candidate.
2) Don't consider the individual; please consider how that person talks about working with others and not just people/groups that he/she/they are aligned with.
Because being on the School Board means learning to work together with people you may disagree with on issues. But, for anything to get done, there has to be teamwork.
3) Beware of alliances.
It's great to get group of smart, talented-in-different-ways people on a governing group. But you don't want people who will vote in lock-step.
I'm always pleasantly surprised when people who may seem allies on one issue, giving valid reasons for having differing views on another issue and voting accordingly.
4) Beware of candidates who talk a good game but somehow can't point to an achievement related to School Board work.
If someone is using impactful words like "impactful" or vague language without real statements of how to get from A to B on any given issue, ask yourself if this is what you want to hear for the next four years.
Comments
Thanks for bringing that up. Here is an alliance that can potentially set back this district for years (remember Don Nielsen and his Broad peeps? I do). A few usual suspects I will not mention here were at an event for a current candidate.
Here is the list of current board directors and candidates in attendance:
Mack
Harris
Blumhagen
Burke
Rivera Smith
Melissa, I wonder how many on the list are your personal friends?
(From the book of things that make you go hmm...)
PEACE
I’m sayin “hmm?” because your comment is vague.
Say It
-long road
If your interested in HCC then Blumhagen can talk your ear off.
I don't see a fighter in Blumhagen I see more of the rubber stampping we have had for over 4 years. I don't see how Blumhagen will advance AL in SPS.
I look forward to speaking with other candidates.
Ed Voter
Ed Voter and where did you heard this about Blumhagen? How do you know he "knows nothing" about solutions for Sped issues? I just went to an event for him yesterday and HCC didn't come up at all. We talked about district property, superintendents, many things but not HCC.
Rubber-stamping? Blumhagen? Uh, he's the guy that did the data-crunching and told district officials who did nothing. He's going to be that guy on the Board who will then fight for change, not rubber-stamp.
And I could say the same for almost all the other candidates on Sped. Who do you think knows Sped?
Now why don't you talk about your support for Geary until this last year. You even made excuses for her lack of true oversight around SPED. Why should people trust your judgment?
If people think the LD groups endorsements are good for education, I say think again.
I just don't think Blumhagen will win and that possibly only leaves Mack left as the only openly pro AL board member.
It's looking very grim for AL.
--Never changes
Sometimes you have to be willing to compromise to get what you want.
SPS has a sagging foundation and instead of fixing the foundation, SPS has been running around building crooked rooms. Do you understand?
I doubt crunching numbers fixes the foundation.
Ed Voter
And one could say that Westbrook's endorsement and support brought us Geary, so what's your point.
I'm not a SJW proponent, but the options are;
1. Slog along as SPS has for 10 years +.
2. Adopt the ideology that's going to be dominate on the board.
Option 2 will in my opinion yield the fastest results for all students, but if it fails then it's time to put the JSW agenda behind.
--Never changes
I would be happy with either outcomes for option 2.
--Never changes
Adopt the ideology that's going to be dominate on the board.
"Option 2 will in my opinion yield the fastest results for all students, but if it fails then it's time to put the JSW agenda behind."
No, that option will yield the fastest CHANGES, not results. I can practically guarantee that.
Westbrook, you were critical of candidates that didn't mention how they would work to implement the Strategic Plan, now you are against the plan. Which is it?
You are correct I can't but, I can for Westbrook defending her for 3 years.
--Never changes
--Never changes
PEACE
You supported Geary until she didn't do what you thought she needed to do to support SPED.
You supported DeWolf until he turned out to be whatever he is.
You could have sworn you were going to be successful blocking the Amplify adoption.
You could have sworn your pal JVA was going to be appointed.
You are not always right.
PEACE
https://medium.com/@eric_93873/seattles-high-school-enrollment-fiasco-99fbf061fb4b
https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/seattle-area-political-candidates-face-questions-from-youth-community/281-b8a9f3a7-7621-4154-97c8-e4b6c9e0ebfb
Voter
Voter
I am voting for Blumhagen because I am hopeful that he will push back on the enrollment disasters that keep happening. I want someone that knows how the high school schedules work.
HP
Peace, you seem to want to come here and needle me. I suggest staying the topic or you can go elsewhere. Also, I made none of the claims you suggest. Lastly, at least I DO admit when I am wrong (and do it at least on a monthly basis).
HP, you hit the nail on the head and it is what I was alluding to in the post - sometimes it's the person you think will do the least damage.
Owlet
I appreciate that Eric has the experience he has around data: capacity and boundaries challenges are just two of several huge misses by the district. These issues become much much more critical if not resolved for HS. And, I distrust any candidates like Rankin that needs to scrub their FB pages in order to run for an office. If you said it, own it and defend it, but don't try to portray yourself as something else. We've already had that in the likes of Geary.
-long road
I truly care that every student in the district has a classroom and a teacher on the first day of school. The process by which our students are assigned a teacher (vs a string of substitute teachers) and whether or not schools have enough classrooms (portable placement) happens in this intersection.
The intersection of capacity and budget is a wonky place, as well as pretty darn dull. AND a lot of really critical things happen here. There have been several times when the only members of the public at a board work session were me, Chris Jackins and Eric Blumhagen.
Eden Mack is one of the most effective board members in recent memory, precisely because she has such a detailed understanding of this intersection. And prior to her time on the board, attended many of those tedious and critical work sessions.
Eric Blumhagen is another exceptional candidate. He truly understands the intersection of budget and capacity.
I don't know Eric socially. I only know his work. I have reviewed many of his detailed and insightful spreadsheets over the years. Eric was instrumental in highlighting how profoundly short-staffed high school would be this year. His article on medium about the budget challenges was both wonky and understandable.
If you care about getting teachers into classrooms and budget oversight, Eric Blumhagen is an exceptional candidate.
MW made a off handed dig at Liza over Liza's endorsement from Geary. MW doubled down against Liza by stating that Geary ran as a champion for SPED but failed to deliver. Go back over MWs 2015 -2018 comments and you will see nothing but praise for Geary.
So if we are talking about SPED then I think Eric Blumhagen knows almost next to nothing. If we are talking about implementing the district's strategic plan then I think Eric Blumhagen knows next to nothing.
If we are talking HCC then Eric knows probably the most. It's funny how people think SPS can just build new high schools at a drop of the hat, well folks it doesn't work like that.
You have your new HCC high school and several large additions to other high schools. As for the budget. This years budget was a bust and the board signed off as they will every single year like they have forever.
If you think Eric Blumhagen is going to somehow change that then I think you're in for a big disappointment. Eric Blumhagen seems a like Burke 2.0 and Burke accomplished very little in contrast to his what he said during his campaign.
I would bet that Liza will do better for SPED than any other board member has in the last 15 years.
It's nice to have 7 members to handle the variety of issues in our diverse district. Liza is best aligned with the strategic plan. Oh in my opinion.
--Never changes
Maybe Eric is just soft shoeing it for the campaign, I hope he addresses these issue in the next 2 forums. He might have some great ideas in his head, but I have yet to hear those great ideas come out of his mouth.
Oh again this is my opinion.
--Never changes
Yes, I did support Geary when she ran and tried to when she became a director. But she certainly did not follow thru and, in fact, pivoted away from what she ran on. That's when I felt I could no longer support her.
It's fine if you think Blumhagen doesn't know Sped but you would be wrong on the Strategic Plan. He IS the person this district needs especially around Operations. Again, I have stressed diversity in talents/strengths and not those who would be lock-step with each other and/or the Superintendent.
What HCC high school? No such animal exists.
And every single high school that has had major renovations (but not RBHS) is very glad for those renovations. How is that an issue?
Actually NOT all the Board signed off on the Budget (do keep up). Mack and Pinkham, in what is very much not the norm for the Board, voted no.
It's fine if you like Liza Rankin; I think she's a good, decent person. However Eric would bring much more expertise to the table on many issues. No one candidate can cover all issues. I'm trying to understand why you are not raising this issue about other candidates.
Eric's campaign has highlighted his work on bell times that increased student achievement at a school with high numbers of free and reduced lunch students, analyzing data that would have saved the district $60M, sitting on 2 district level committees, 11 years on PTA boards, being awarded the Golden Acorn Award etc.
However, many don't know that, as a maritime engineer, Blumhagen went to SBOC with immigrant and refugee students.. and Cleveland High School to help students build boats for a boat racing competition. He is a man of great kindness and humility.
I never trusted Geary long before she ran and my intuition was spot on, you poo pooed people's mistrust of Geary. I'm not saying Eric would not be a good member, I'm saying for the issues in D1 that Liza has a better understanding on how to effect positive improvements for the kids that are furthest from educational justice. I think she will again win D1 in a 2 person race and win in D7 which possibly will be enough to win the city wide vote.
--Never changes
I can't see myself ever contacting Eric for anything , but I could be incorrect in assuming he wouldn't be helpful. Like I said, he has a couple more forums to change my mind.
And Geary did run on SPeD and changed coats once elected, which is a shame because SPeD needed a champion...and still does. She then tried to change coats by way of SCC and lost that. So the lesson I see here is that she was willing to say or do whatever to get her foot in the political door.
Since HCC has been used as a tool to manage capacity, it comes as no surprise that Eric would know a bit about that, especially operationally. Other areas Eric has focused on:
-PTA legislative chair (focus on boundaries, statewide ed funding, counselors in every school)
-PTA Friends of Ingraham HS, VP
-advocate for stable district funding for IB programs (all of them)
-advocate for RBHS as part of 2019 BEX, for Native ed program, for grants to under-served populations
-anti-school building closure (and accurately predicted they would have to reopen in 2 years)
-Bell Times analysis/tied to transpo
-Capacity and assignment boundary studies/advisory committee and task force since 2009
-Champion for technical/trades education
-anti charter
Using data as a baseline for decision making is what needs to change at SPS. It's also being a critical thinker and collaborating across a wide swath of personalities. The school board job is to hold the Superintendent accountable for meeting the needs of all students. I believe Eric will ask the hard questions (he has already proven he is a collaborator). And asking those questions does not need to be adversarial. But they have to be asked.
I don't know Eric socially either but on big topics that this district needs to address, his name continually pops up.
I think there's a place in the district for a FB moderator and anyone who has the time and ability should get involved in their school or state PTA. But we need experience and not a rubber stamp for what the district wants to do.
-long road
Never changes, except you forgot - School Board is a teamsport,not a single leadership role.
Also, sadly, D7 tends have a lower voter turnout so the vote is largely skewed by the north end. And, if you examine historical vote totals, when you have big races (see Mayor or City Council), the drop-off for School Board races is quite noticeable. In that way, every single vote counts in those races.
We already saw Burke as no show on the budget vote with others calling in. I think that's a shame. We never had an explanation to Burke's MIA on the budget vote.
I agree that Mack is a wonk, but she very weak on SPED and unless you can be strong on SPED your going to run afoul with the new strategic plan.
--Never changes
-long road
HCC does not resonate with voters except those with children in AL which is a small group.
In fact I'm going out on a limb and say that HCC/AL is a turn off for those not involved. HCC/AL supporters have caused many disruption in boundaries and school assignments and come off as entitled.
The rest of the list I think most people support, so I think they are benign in peoples voting decision.
I also think a women with small children has leverage over a middle aged man who likes to play with rockets. His words not mine.
It's too bad that Eric doesn't live in district 2, because I think he could maybe win there.
--Never changes
--Never changes
@never changes suggested, "HCC/AL supporters have caused many disruption in boundaries and school assignments and come off as entitled."
The placement of HCC/AL does create more challenges in boundary decisions, but HCC/AL has probably *minimized* the number of boundary redraws over the years, especially since it's historically been placed in schools that would otherwise be under capacity.
realist
I know who I prefer on day to day issues.
So if you check, every single Board member has missed a vote or two. DeWolf makes being a no-show a regular thing.
"I also think a women with small children has leverage over a middle aged man who likes to play with rockets."
Really? I don't and what's with the ageism?
HP
I don't think Eric has been through adversity because his experiences sound similar to Burke's gold plated SPS experience, you remember the one he rambled on about in his campaign. I know you like Rick and his wife for their AL leanings and that's ok.
I just think it's kind of weird for parents to lurk around high schools. Having younger folks with younger students might make for better for understanding today's 5-k issues.
It's just not very likely that a board member who doesn't have personally experience with the issues facing parents could fully understand how to fix them.
You keep bringing up ancillary issues like food and transportation and those are somewhat important however they are not that bad on the scale of furthest from educational justice. A subject that Eric seems to avoid.
--Never changes
--Never changes
Kids who are hungry don't learn. Kids who are not in school because their busses aren't running on time (or at all) don't learn.
Kids furthest from educational justice will have the least flexibility with food and transportation.
Krab
"...ancillary issues like food and transportation and those are somewhat important however they are not that bad on the scale of furthest from educational justice."
Krab, you took the words right out of my mouth.
Rankin seems very cozy with the SPS administration.
--Never changes"
There. Fixed that for you.
Also-I agree that K-5 are make or break years and this is the foundation upon which all education is built for any given kid. But HS is where the rubber meets the road. The issues that impact MS into HS continue to dog SPS and I myself didn't really understand it...until I did because we were in it. Never Changes, maybe you don't have older kids? All high schools depend upon other adults in the building besides teachers and administrators. It takes adults to run alot of the programs that SPS can't manage. It's not weird at all so don't make it weird with a statement like that.
What I have seen from Burke is a pretty balanced approach using data and critical thinking, not feel facts. Why would his wife even be a factor here? And sorry but your idea that you can only help or relate if you been through the same experiences is really an outdated view.
-long road
Eric has older kids, and has been involved for the past 10 years. He is very involved in the district with a deep knowledge of persistent issues. Compare that to other board members (not counting those leaving) majority who either have younger kids or no kids at all in our district.
NW Parent
There is a one off issue with food services and for you to make it sound like students are starving or that the issues food services are chronic is silly and not true.
The only reason that public schools exist is to teach children not feed them or bus them. Those are ancillary benefits, but not required.
Children should all walk to school with their packed lunch that fixes you busing problem and your obesity problem.
--Never changes
So Eric please answer that question tonight, because "a mom asked me to help with SPED" just isn't an adequate answer.
--Never changes
Actually schools DO have provide transportation. You can look that up.
Funny how you offer nothing about how Rankin knows a lot about Sped or any other candidates but you just keep saying (over and over) how little Eric knows.
I've said this already - you need to move on with points and evidence. If not, we've heard enough.
You are needed in high school.
Maybe not directing reading groups. But certainly there is a lot need for extra help in classrooms, in the counseling center, tutoring, Saturday school, backpack programs to address food insecurity, support for homeless students, college/scholarship/job application help. Xtra adults make clubs, volunteer programs, out-of-school opportunities accessible for more kids.
It may be hard to understand if your oldest is 10, but 17 year olds are still children and they really still need adult support, especially in our increasingly understaffed high schools.
-Tutor
2cents
2cents, well, the district does make volunteers fill out forms about their backgrounds. They don't just allow people to wander in off the streets. And the teachers do vet their abilities.
2 points:
With respect to Melissa, her bias can be seen in the fact that her "friends" have not (and will not) be criticized above or elsewhere on this blog. Even mentioning such a "friends" name in anything but a rosy light, gets "removed" in minutes.
Additionally, Geary didn't bring us deWolfe although I wish she could take that blame. Those who did come from a different political "swamp" but future stepping up was the goal and that's not a two person thing.
As someone who went to school in Europe I know why they don't need volunteers in classrooms.
They don't have the number of homeless students, food insecure students, or reliance on parents for half of a student's education. Their upper school math teachers don't find out that half the kids can't multiply when they are trying to teach algebra. Their teachers don't have only one planning period a day to grade 170 research papers. European schools are not responsible for helping students apply to college. European colleges don't decide admissions based on yield rates ratio to website page clicks and test scores from private testing companies. Students don't need scholarships to attend. European schools don't need to have mental health counselors and nurses giving physicals.
Our closest Seattle experience is IB program. Most of our students are unprepared to complete an IB diploma. The biggest difference between those who do and don't in Seattle, aside from a developmental disability, is parental support. Because it is too much for our understaffed schools to make up that difference.
It seems unlikely that we will be hiring enough high staff to make up that difference.
None of my European friends and relatives would be able to navigate the American college application system without help. And they are adults. Many of our Seattle students do not have that help. Or even know how to find the training programs that they need for their next step when it is not college.
I am sorry if this seems off track but do not assume that school board members need to know nothing about high schools.
-tutor
Geary absolutely helped bring us DeWolf. She was one of his first endorsements and supported him throughout his entire campaign.
Peace, you might watch that tone.
Good insights, Tutor.
JS
Also, to note, the Superintendent tweeted a column that former Board member, Stephan Blanford, has written about, well, himself. He claims that though he tried, no one wanted to do anything about racial equity. That's just not true and if he spent less time going off to conferences, he might have got something done.
"So, please take the time to read closely and learn the racial equity positions of each of the candidates on the ballot so that you cast an informed vote. And then, hold your school board accountable for demonstrable progress on its racial equity goals."
I do believe the equity work is the most important work but I wonder what his measure would be? Alas, he doesn't say.
Zilch
East Coaster
yeah, different
JS
JS
Geary did they same thing!
--Never changes
Toe walker
HP
JS
Personally, I am sad that Pinkham and Burke are leaving. I appreciate their support for real math and science.
HP
HP
Toe Walker, next time, check and please do not leave huge spaces. You will be deleted otherwise.
HP
HP
HP
Did Eric try and understand why there are so many disenfranchised students at Ingraham? Because there are and Ingraham students don't move to running start for classes, they do it to get away from Ingraham.
Do I have a point about Eric? Yes I do.
Eric moved his children out of their attendance High school for the IB program at Ingraham.
Which is what many parents do. Eric gave some BS story about running for school board because a Ingraham mother asked him for help to get services for her special education student. The problem with that is Eric doesn't have a documented history of helping SPED or attending SPED meetings, but he states that was the main reason for running. Come on!
Eric's primary focus has been HCC/AL/IB and that's fine, so my problem with him is what I perceive as a lie to why he said he's running.
I hope he comes clean before my ballot arrives.
JS
JS
Families that pick IB over AP pick Ingraham. Families looking for a smaller school tend to pick Hale. Families who don't think Hale is rigorous enough try to get into IB at Ingraham or Roosevelt for more AP classes. Families who think Roosevelt is too big and clickish try to go to Hale. Families have many reasons for picking the HS they want for their kid.
I see nothing wrong with Eric choosing Ingraham over Ballard for his kids. What will Liza do when her kids get to high school? Who knows. Liza's kids go to Wedgwood which is very white. Her kids will go to Eckstein which is also very white and preferred by many over JAMS. I don't know if her family is in the Roosevelt or Hale district.
HP
Why dodge my main points?
I've read Eric's comments on this blog and he is no doubt a HCC proponent and that's ok, but there is zero evidence of Eric doing anything meaningful for SPED. He brings up SPED in his campaign video like he saw the light. He has also been noticeably absent from commenting here for months.
I don't trust this new found love of SPED by HCC proponents. I think you are playing games in hopes of more funding for AL.
JS
So what are you really saying about Ingraham?
JS
Again, why just him on Sped? Why not the other candidates?
And not commenting? Of course, none of them would comment; they are running for office.
Are we clear?
JS
JS
- "Does Eric have children attending SPS?"
I answered that.
"Is Eric's daughter in IB at Ingraham?"
Answered partially because I know she's there; didn't know about IB.
"I thought that Eric lived in the Ballard HS attendance area?"
I don't know but whereever he lives, it's in District 1.
"Uh, how can you live between a line?"
Sorry, no idea.
"Did Eric try and understand why there are so many disenfranchised students at Ingraham?"
I don't know; I haven't asked him. Why don't you?
"Why bring race into this?
Why dodge my main points?"
Didn't know who you were talking to.
I DID answer your questions but you did not answer mine. So you are done on this post. Don't comment again.