Seattle School Board Candidate Updates - District 2

What I'll be looking for:

- Anyone who says they want to have regular contact with constituents outside of Board meetings

- Anyone who challenges SOFG

 - Anyone who has some new ideas

District 2

Sarah Clark's campaign seems to be humming along. One interesting choice - her website does not list endorsements. 

She does seem to be running against what has been happening in the district over the last several years.  Not just "more safety in schools" but, "increasing social worker presence and returning student access to programs that are emotional safe havens, like music and the arts." 

Equity but "Since before Covid, Seattle’s entrenched School Board has centered their decisions on a narrowly defined version of equity, using it to push school closure plans and end programs like highly capable cohort schools. But achieving equity for our students farther from educational justice includes recognizing (and advocating) for student groups whose commonalities are beyond race.'

She also is advocating more transparency (old news) with more ways for "two-way communication." 

Eric Feeny

His website is fairly basic - it's one page - but has some interesting thoughts.

Committed to Excellence, Agility, and Responsiveness in Seattle Public Schools. A father, small business owner, and advocate for student families.

He has some new ideas and support for old ones like:

- bring back Walk to Math (plus "opportunity for more homework value.") I'm not sure what the latter means.

- "Agility" - "I will put in place a public escalation board and review it regularly with the Superintendent to escalate the known needs of principals and school communities." Except that I would think that's what any given Board director should be doing.

- Under "Responsiveness" - you should go read it. I'm not sure that's SOFG at all.

The district is, and has been for a decade, in a state of crisis and we need to vote out the stick-in-the-muds who are unable or unwilling to roll up their sleeves, get creative, and do whatever it takes to get solutions.

Now, you don't hear the term "stick-in-the-muds" much anymore.

He sure does promise a lot.




Kathleen Smith has now appeared with a website. She says she is a "data scientist from a family of educators." She states that having "real data analysis" as the key to a better district as well as "partnering with and truly listening to student groups, families, and community leaders to ensure our decisions create safe, supportive, and thriving schools, especially for those farthest from opportunity." Like Feeny her website is a single page.




I can't say for certain who I think will clear the primary until I hear both Feeny and Smith speak. Unless they run stronger races, Clark will win easily.