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I applaud The Stranger for endorsing Jen LaVallee (and it’s a capital “V” in her last name). Her opponent, Carol Rava, is a corporate type, through and through and the Seattle School Board doesn’t need that.
Katie Wilson supported Rinck’s amendment 7 to the Seattle Comprehensive Plan, which would have not required offstreet parking built with new development.
the Stranger writers don’t pay attention to the School Board… they got it wrong, vote Sarah Clark in District 1. An actual SPS graduate who opposed the school closures from the beginning.
I’m an SPS Advocate that’s been doing a huge amount of data analysis (look for “Cracking the Budget #1: Chronic Underspend” on medium for the latest article if you need context…I also run sps-by-the-number [dot] com) and will say that the Stranger is very random on school board with often incorrect conclusions. Like last election they literally said
“””
Bottom line: Voters are on track to assembling a knowledgeable board of school directors this election, and htey have proved resilient against hysterical claims about an imagined mass of impending school closures.
“””
(https://www.thestranger.com/elections-2023/2023/11/08/79246379/six-takeaways-from-seattles-2023-general-elections)
So…uh… you need to do more research beyond their cheetsheet.
In particular, on D2, Sarah Clark deserves this vote.
She’s been working with me directly to fix the finances (she’s why we have an finance committee again… it’s ad-hoc cause of SOFG but hoping to make that permanent after this race). And she’s one of the reasons we paused the nonsensical sunset of HCC for 3 years. Not to mention, if elected, she’s literally the only black-presenting candidate on the school board and the only one with lived experience in the district. So her not getting the seat is kinda a big hit to representaiton.
Smith’s data science background is nice, she hasn’t had any track record of using it. Given how much public data WTF there is in the district, one should be able to find quirks and oddities in about 1-2 days of looking. I was hoping to see that reflected in the campaign but it’s not there.
So we’re trading known track record + representation for a potential based on the stranger feeling “unease” about trusting a black woman…. that’s kinda not a good direction.
The Stranger does zero reporting on Seattle Public Schools issues. Those of us who pay attention to school issues know better. In this case they got it wrong in the Smith/Clark race.
Vote for Clark over Smith for School Board. Clark has stuck her neck out over and over again publicly in a way that has over and over changed SPS policy. She knows the issues, has an excellent head start, and is a former SPS student.
Sarah Clark was the first board member to come out against school closures. Prior to her writing her editorial, the school board was totally in SOFG-land, one principal of which is “The School Board Speaks As One Voice.” She broke that, which required a lot of bravery as a new member. Read her editorial here: https://www.seattletimes.com/opinion/sps-board-must-make-it-clear-the-well-resourced-schools-plan-is-done/
After she wrote that editorial, the school closure conversation changed. Hard questions were being asked of staff and other board members. Ultimately, they scratched the plan to close schools (though I imagine that specter will return).
Sarah Clark, along with Joe Mizrahi, wrote another editorial for the Urbanist about some of the shady dealings of the enrollment department, particularly around enrollment projections and waitlists. This prompted action by the district to move waitlists. Read that editorial here: https://www.theurbanist.org/2025/05/08/op-ed-seattle-public-schools-enrollment-practices-starve-schools-and-harm-students/
Another reason to vote for Clark is that she was an SPS student and can see how little things have changed. In a recent meeting discussing High School Lunch changes, she mentioned how the district always talks the talk but never walks the walk regarding student input. She wants to stop this pattern. She shows up for students in a real way.