- John Cummings, Sharon Peaslee, and Peter Maier take a SECB civics exam on the Constitution, Abraham Lincoln, and capitalism.
In front of the SECB right now are incumbent Peter Maier along with challengers Sharon Peaslee and John Cummings, who appear sane but must be nutters because they want—actually want—to be on the Seattle School Board. As a high-school dropout I have no business in the room, let alone asking them questions. We have with us a parent of a child who has been in the Seattle public school system (Goldy) and somewhere around here is our “Parenting Issues Editor” (Charles Mudede). We’ve also got bona-fide education reporter Riya Bhattacharjee.
First we’re giving them a civics quiz—eight questions you’re required to know in high school—then what do you want to know? Put your questions in comments and we’ll try to ask ’em.
UPDATE: Papa Goldy has scored the tests. Here are the results: Peter Maier got 87.5 percent of the questions correct; Sharon Peaslee also got 87 percent correct; but John Cummings got only 75 percent correct (he missed questions on philosophers and the value of a flood-control levee). Goldy points out that’s “better than most Americans and better than most educators.”
“Should evolution be taught in schools?”
Ala: http://bit.ly/mDxH4x
Dear gods, I hope they answer this question better than those ladies.
Damn, @1 got there first. Seconded.
Seriously, how the fuck is Mudede the “Parenting Issues Editor”?
Which two states are nicknamed The Sunshine State?
@3 I don’t know but I think it’s pretty awesome.
@1) They all say yes, thank God. Maier adds, “Creationism is not science.”
These are candidates for Director of District 1.
When did/are the candidates of other Seattle Schools Districts take(ing) the tests?
How are standardized test results (MSP, MAP) used for district-wide data comparisons?
Does every candidate know how to read and understand a financial report?
What are the School Board candidates hoping to change within Seattle Schools? Retain? Eliminate? Improve?
What, in the candidates’ opinions, Seattle Schools programs and facilities projects are underfunded? What programs and facilities projects are perceived as bloated?
@3, I imagine since his daughter was singled out at school for using an ethnic hair product and he took umbrage.
I think that question concerned a Flood District levy, not a flood control levee.
I think you need to ask them what they think is the Board’s job.
The answer should have something to do with governance (assuring compliance with laws and policies), oversight (confirming that staff decisions are based on sound rationale), and representing the interests of the public (advocating for constituents and taxpayers).
I hope you’re planning on some intelligent vetting of the candidates as well.
Past coverage of the school board races has been equally droll, but certainly has given the impression that because the Stranger hasn’t the faintest idea how to evaluate school board candidates, they think they might as well go for the funny.
If no one staff is competent or interested in the race maybe you could outsource?
The school board elections are important, to families, to kids and to tax payers.
Oy, you round up for the man and down for the woman? Ouch.
I have a question for the Stranger. You round up for a man and down for woman? OUch.
The Stranger has acknowledged, on a number of occassions, that they don’t know about the issues in Seattle Public Schools and that they don’t really care about School Board elections. They play it for a joke. People looking for serious endorsements should look elsewhere.
The Stranger received offers of help with the School Board candidate interviews, but they declined the help.
I wish the Stranger would treat school board races seriously. A few years ago it didn’t matter so much. But now the PI is toast, and the Seattle Weekly no longer does endorsements. How hard would it really have been to fill these column-inches with substantive questions instead of a jr-high level joke?
You could ask:
How can the district justify raises of over 5% for many administrative staff in headquarters when there’s no inflation, a dismal job market, and they are laying off teachers?
How many hours a week are they prepared to devote to district business, considering that it pays only a token?
How long have they been following the district as a whole, as opposed to their particular school?
Are they willing and able to push staff for a specific response and not accept “I’ll get back to you on that?”
What should the district be looking for in a new superintendent?
How can the district justify accepting less than market value when it sells property? The district lays off teachers every year and has a maintenance backlog as long as your arm, and will need to be doing a lot of work to reopen schools to accommodate a growing student population.
Why doesn’t district ethics policy ban hiring or directing personal service contracts to friends, family, or business associates?
The district’s contract with the previous superintendent prohibited the board from talking to any district employees except the superintendent and a handful of other senior staff. That barrier to communication was instrumental in allowing the recent financial scandal to continue uncorrected for years. Will the board agree to such a provision in the new superintendent’s contract?