Friday, September 4, 2009

RAS School Board - Now or Never !!!

Now or never for RAS board candidates. MN Sun Filing Update

Also, after 3 school tours in <3 days, and receiving literature from Tom and/or Patsy at all of them. I started to wonder.....

What do you want to hear from the candidates?
  • Do you want to hear about how great things are and how they will protect or increase programs you support? Even if it means another operating levy in a couple of years?
  • Do you want to hear how they will manage to the budget and ensure the District's fund balance remains constant or grows somewhat? Even if it means the loss of some choice or school offerings?
  • Other?
Remember: If you live in the RAS boundaries, they are investing your money via district 281 expenditures. It is probably time to get involved and speak out, whatever your position... Have a great weekend !!!

20 comments:

John said...

Pretty quiet out here... All I am hearing is crickets...

No opinions about how to maintain/improve our current reality? What will you base your vote on? Name recognition....

John said...

If you don't want to commit, what do you see as the relevant issues during this school board race?

Anonymous said...

It's a hard and sad truth that the fact that the state has broken it's promises to the schools does not mean the schools can break their promises to our children and to our future.

It's not always easy, and it it's not always fair, but I am very proud to be on the side of those who keep their promises, not on the side of those who don't.

John said...

Jon, Thanks for breaking the silence, however what does this mean?

Which promises to which group of children? How does this relate to the pending election and who we should vote for?

Anonymous said...

The state has broken it's promise to fully fund our schools. The state broke it's promise when it cut 1.7 billion dollars from schools it was required by statute to provide. It seems prepared to break it's promise to put that money back into the schools next year.

I am for candidates who keep promises, and against politicians who break them.

John said...

Should I assume you vote for the raise taxes or pass another referendum group then? Since the funding increases need to come from somewhere.

Do you feel confident then that the additional funding is necessary to teach the kids? What particular promises are most critical in RAS?

I am still concerned that there may be too much fluff and waste in the MN educational system. Some of which we citizens seem to insist upon. (ie non-core programs, local control, etc) Some the Teachers and their Union insist upon. (ie tenure that protects poor teachers, pay scale that rewards yrs/education and not results, etc) And of course all the rules, regulations and paperwork that the politicians have put in place.

Anonymous said...

We aren't talking about additional funding here, or at least I am not. The state unilaterally cut 1.7 billion dollars it promised and is require by law to provide to the schools. It promised to pay that money back next year, without interest of course, and without any inflation adjustment, those naturally to be picked up by the rest of us who are fiscally responsible and do try to maintain our financial obligations.

I like to think of it in kitchen table terms. It's like an employer who arbitrarily reduces the amount he is contractually obligated to pay his employees in order to maintain a dividend. That shouldn't be allowed t happen, and I think we need a school board that at least recognizes the problem and is committed to finding ways to solve it.

John said...

Though Jon and I could discuss funding, taxes, obligations, recessions and expenditures for days. I think we agree that it will be an issue in the upcoming school board race.

Are there other more specific and closer to home issues that you think/feel should be a factor/discussed?

By the way, readership/comments are rising slowly. Please remember to get your friends and neighbors involved in this discussion. I would prefer that informed and thinking citizens choose the next board. Hopefully my thoughts and the reader's comments can help.

Remember: just have them google give2attain....

Jennifer Griffin-Wiesner said...

I will be looking for candidates who balance extraordinary vision with clear, rational decision making within the current context (funding, demographics, staffing, etc.).

Also high on my priority list:

Innovating thinking and action
Ongoing quality improvement
Systemic thinking without losing sight of the individual experience
Appropriate delegation balanced with being willing to make and act on difficult choices
Social competence
Fearlessness
Love of and commitment to and awe of and understanding the profound gift that is public education
A commitment to "all kids"

Anonymous said...

At 3:00 PM - 13 names in the school board pile already. More to come...does running with 15+ people make any sense?

DJ

John said...

It definitely makes sense if you meet JGW's criteria. They describe a pretty special person.

From reading some of your postings, you would probably get my vote.

Anonymous said...

Final tally ended up being 11 candidates running. Some dropped hours later...interesting.

DJ

John said...

I am guessing a number of them will be one issue candidates or folks with an axe to grind. Hopefully the public dialogue/ debate will weed them out before too long also.

To all candidates: I am happy to post your platform in a text format or link to your site, so that folks can give you some feedback totally anonymously. Just drop me an email if you are interested.

If you are not familiar with my stance / allegiances, check out the last ~170 posts. I fall somewhere in the middle. (ie support the kids efficiently)

R-Five said...

As of tonight's (9/8) School Board meeting, 11 people filed for the 4 seats. I believe Jonas B. is the only incumbent not running.

R-Five said...

JGW has her priorities. I like the last one - a commitment to all kids, assuming she's primarily referring to the achievement gaps.

But I'd add one more - knowing when to STHU, i.e., stop digging when in a hole.

Anonymous said...

Does anyone have a link or a list of the roster of candidates? Inquiring minds and all that.

Anonymous said...

My understanding is it gets posted sometime after the 10th. Candidates have two days to withdraw.

DJ

Anonymous said...

This is from the RAS website:

Eleven candidates have filed to run in a general election for four positions on the Robbinsdale Area School Board. They are Darlene Baker (Plymouth), Richard J. Brynteson (Crystal), Mark Bomchill (Plymouth), Patsy Green (New Hope), Linda Johnson (Golden Valley), Jim Oathout (Crystal), Andrew Richter (Crystal), Beth Sharpe (Brooklyn Center), Sue Stavenau (Plymouth), Tom Walsh (Plymouth) and Brian Zirbes (Crystal). The deadline for filing was Tuesday, September 8, at 5 p.m.; candidates can file an affidavit of withdrawal until September 10, 2009, at 5 p.m.

Jennifer Griffin-Wiesner said...

@R-Five — Does that mean you don't like the rest of my criteria? If so, why not? For example, would you want someone fearful who lacks social competencies?

My desire for a commitment to all kids is not limited to closing the achievement gap, but that is certainly one aspect.

Finally, knowing when to STHU, as you characterize it, is embedded within "Appropriate delegation balanced with being willing to make and act on difficult choices."

@John — Call me a dreamer (you wouldn't be the first and you won't be the last), but I want ONLY really special people running my school district. They are out there...we as a community ought to be trying to figure out how to support, inspire, encourage, and engage them. We don't do a very good of that right now.

John said...

JGW,
Now you know my Analtyical, Achiever and Connectedness strengths truly appreciate your Dreamer strength. It balances my just the facts tendency.

Now, 2 questions:
- Have you ever done Strength Finder 2.0? If so, what are your top 5? (just curious)
- If you are given 100 points to assign. How many would you assign to each of your "Dream Board member" qualities? Or are they all equally important?