Seattle Schools Community Forum

It would appear that some people - especially wealthy people - believe this is so (and are willing to spend huge sums to prove it).  We have our own examples here in Washington State.  Consider our initiative process. In this last cycle, we see nearly every single initiative pushed by a handful of wealthy people.  The liquor initiative (I love Costco but this was wrong), the gay marriage referundum, the charter school initiative - it's a sad thing.  And, they are not only willing to pay for a campaign but pay to get it on the ballot.  The idea that in Washington State our initiative process is a way for grassroots efforts from citizens to make their voices heard is becoming a joke.  So what's next?  Well, just as we have seen the huge money in our presidential election (both sides) and on down, the next thing will be...School Board elections.  Here's a great story out of New Jersey at the Jersey Jazzman blog where they are seeing this pla...

This question keeps popping up and so here's the answer again. School Board elections in Seattle work in a very different way from other elections.  In the PRIMARY, only those voters who live in a district where a position is up for a vote, will see School Board candidates on their ballot.  In this election, only voters who live in District 1 , District 2, District 3 and District 6 , will see candidates on their ballot.  And, they will see only candidates from their district on the ballot. Basically, you do NOT vote for School Board candidates in the primary UNLESS you are in a district where the position is up for a vote.  That's why some people don't have any School Board candidates on their primary ballot.  When the primary has whittled the candidate pool down to two, then, in the General election, EVERYONE will vote for candidates in ALL 4 races.  The SB elections are then a city-wide race. (In the case of someone running unopposed in a dis...

I see at Publicola a story about student voting. Based on a push from a group of SPS students, Senator Scott White (D-46) has introduced a bill (SB 5621) that would give students, starting at age 14, the right to vote in school board elections in the district where they live. “Students having attained the age of fourteen as of the date of the election shall be entitled to vote in school board elections for the district in which they are enrolled and in good standing.” This bill even has a Facebook page . The student group is called the Campaign to End Education without Representation. Senator White says this (and it seems to indicate that he isn't really going to push the bill): "Irrespective of your position on the issue or even if the bill passes, I do think it is impressive that Seattle has young people who are engaged in the political process such that they would come up with a proposal and bring it to a legislator who cares about K-12 education. Kids are always f...