School districts throughout the region have board positions on the November 3rd ballot. They are races that rarely make the news, though they have the potential to affect our children's academic future and everyone's pocketbook. A check of local ballots shows no fewer than forty school district in the Puget Sound Region holding elections next week. Many of those seeking election are running unopposed.
The people who hold these posts determine how money is spent at our children's schools, how much teachers will be paid, what curriculum will be used and how it will be taught and whether to try something new in the classroom.
School boards throughout the region had to face the same tough economic realities we have all dealt with this year. how they address the matter has become a bone of contention in many of those races where incumbents are facing opposition. In the Northshore School District, the elimination of a program to help those students who are struggling with reading is among the issues taking center stage between candidates. In Bellevue, teacher layoffs and board responsiveness are among the central issues.
In Seattle, the School Board is in the mist of hearings on a controversial school assignment plan that will completely change the was children are assigned to schools. Questions are still being raised as to how equitable the plan is to low-income and students of color. At least one candidate is running on a platform of addressing the achievement gap faced by those same populations.
With President Obama pushing for additional school reforms, the importance of school board elections increases. As Martha Rice, President of the Washington State School Directors' Association, says, "When all is said and done, the responsibility for implementing these changes will fall to school boards and the districts they lead. It's up to us, as voters, to take part in selecting the people who will make these critical decisions."
Studies show turnout for school board elections is relatively low - even when ballots are mailed to voters' homes. The Secretary of State's office is predicting only about half of all voters will cast ballots in this election - and that's with high profile issues like I-1033 and R-71 on the ballot. Ironically, state law requires that all students in Washington schools be taught a five-part section on the importance of voting at three separate points in their school career. One study goes so far as to suggest, "voting in school district elections can be an accountability mechanism and a reflection of a district's social capital." Take time to be informed - and vote. Our kids are counting on it.
choff said on November 2, 2009 at 12:41 PM
There isn't a less interested group that I can think of when it comes to "improving education" than most school board members. As a former one I can attest to the facts that most are very uninformed and very reluctant to make the hard decisions that are required if we are to begin to catch up to the rest of the world. "Education is Hard Work" is also true and yet most school board members are waiting for their Superintendent to "tell" them what and where to jump. The learning process hasn't changed in 40 centuries and yet we are looking for some way to "fix" education without requiring "Hard Work" on the part of students. This state is 43rd in the nation in high school completion and educators will blame this on funding! At the same time they will fund non essential courses at record levels. "Gladiator Training" is our most expensive curriculum and I haven't seen any cuts there.