School Board Elections Today!
School Board elections are being held today across Delaware — polls are open from 10AM til 8PM. Check these sites for details in your county:
Your schools are supposed to be doing something very vital to our society and supposed to be doing that well. They get alot of tax dollars to make that happen. School boards are supposed to oversee that effort and you should be paying close attention to who gets to do that.
Yesterday, the NJ ran an article discussing the low voter participation in school board elections. As usual, the CW that since elections are held in May means that it is harder to attract the attention of voters since this is well outside the usual political season. But there are two things interesting in this article:
1. The accusation that May elections pretty much give a clear field to special interests to dominate the process. Note that these accusations are coming *from* a special interest (Republicans) who have an axe to grind (unions). And I don’t get how — in Delaware — that you get *less* union participation in November than you would in May.
2. That Republicans have taken up the idea that School Board elections should be in November, with all of the other elections. Which is something I agree with. Because May elections essentially wall off the process from pretty much everyone except those who make the effort to insert themselves into the process.
The special interest argument is a canard — every election is dominated by special interests of some type or another. And the NJ should not be in the business of deciding who is a special interest and who is not. On the other hand, one of the things that could help open up the process abit more would be if the NJ would spend more time actually covering School Board races and whatever debates are going on around those elections. I don’t remember seeing much coverage about these elections until this article yesterday — somebody tell me if I’m wrong — and it seems to me that a local newspaper ought to provide some coverage of local elections. So that perhaps people besides *special interests* can get informed and motivated to participate.
So get out and vote today, then come back and tell us what you think the issues are in these school board races. Also tell us what you would think about moving elections to November or of Jea Street’s idea to have the people who live in nominating districts be the only ones who can vote for candidates in that nominating district.
Tags: School Board Elections
Red Clay candidate Q&A here; very helpful:
http://charterschool.org/downloads/news/candidateResponsesCSWForum.pdf
IRSD has teabagger Donald Hattier running for re-election. He was on WGMD last week talking about how the board is still pushing the prayer issue and other RWNJ issues that had nothing to do with serving on a school board.
I have not seen NJ cover school board elections since about 2002 when they used to do a blurb on each candidate in some section of the paper, usually covering almost 2 pages (pictures too). Here in Appo. our local Middletown Transcript has continued coverage w/ a statement or question/answer piece of the candidates about 2 weeks prior to the election. It is appreciated. Additionally, usually a civic group or PTA/PTO has hosted an evening question/answer or “meet the candidate” night the public is able to attend. Those have mixed results in attendance, with the scheduling conflicts of baseball, end of year school events, and beautiful weather :)!
However, I’d caution a move to the November election. If you can’t get coverage in a stand alone, down ballot race, non competitive time of year, how in the world are you going to get coverage competing with funded bigger seats and more of them? This stand alone election does bring out voters who either care about education, or care about their community and taxes–or all three. It’s as intentional and deliberate vote you’ll probably ever find. Now get out and vote!!!
I’d love to vote in the Appo SB election, but I have no idea which candidate wants to teach creationism in biology class and which one wants to teach straight Genesis.
Well hitch up your buggy and come sit, we’ll have morning prayer and song eat shoofly pie, then discuss. Then you take it back to your good neighbor folk, ya? You know where to find me in the field. 🙂 Hurry on. The sun is up.
yesterday on my blog http://paulprogressive.blogspot.com/2011/05/three-items-of-note-05092011.html I noted “School Board Elections—Tomorrow is election day for our School Boards. The School Boards are typically non-partisan elections, HOWEVER, there are differences between candidates. In many cases, candidates who are Democrats support quality education in ALL schools, while candidates who are Republicans support vouchers, weakening our public education, and often strengthening charter schools (which redirect money away from other public schools, and which often reduce pay for teachers and other employees). In Red Clay District, I support Democrat Jack Buckley, a great progressive who has been active in PDD in the past. In the Christina School District, I urge you to vote for Democrats Gina Backus and Fred Polaski.”
I haven’t been able to find any meaningful info on the Appo candidates other than a fluff pamphlet left in my door by one of them. However, one of the bloggers over at righty DelawarePolitics had this to say:
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“Richard Forsten in Appoquinimink is one of the finest minds in the state. He is dedicated to fiscal common sense and would be a fine addition anywhere.”
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So I now know of at least one candidate NOT to vote for. “Fiscal common sense” in Teaspeak means “scorched earth policy”.
Right. The DP endorsement is the kiss of death, so that guy is out. Now, where is Liberalgeek to tell me who to vote for ?
Go Faith!! Red Clay needs new leadership and someone who will work with Charter, not try to destroy it!
Edward Czerwinski has served on the appo board previously. He did a fine job IMO. Forsten is not the one to vote for. He is a lawyer who I believe has represented builders against increasing impact fees on homes.
Ed did a great job on the school board before. He was white on rice all over the county, when they tried to blindside the school district w/ forcing thru workforce housing.
Joe O’Leary is running for Christina. How can the writers at DL not remember the weird Evan Q-supported third party candidate for sheriff from 2010? If he had won, New Castle would be living through the same super cop mess as Sussex is. And now he wants to be in charge of children- yikes. I’d raise the threat level to “red” on this guy.
“Christina School District, I urge you to vote for Democrats Gina Backus and Fred Polaski” yup, thanks Paul. There is one tea party candidate who is outspokenly for vouchers and charters and against taxation for schools. I have heard this morning that it is going to be close in CSD with the tea bagger O’Leary getting a lot of support.
I also heard that Middletown is buzzing with Forsten support. With a GOPer Mayor in the development ‘biz’, is that a big surprise?
With Forsten (State GOP Parliamentarian and Saul Ewing land use attorney) being the stealth candidate for Pam Scott-Paul Clarky -Bayberry, City of, now that Scott is closeted, why not put him on the Appo Board to ensure votes for new schools to serve his client’s needs?
Forsten has no kids of his own so whose needs is he serving if not his day job: development protector especiale.
Note to Joanne, the County hasn’t quit with the blindside WFH density. There is a plan on the agenda tonight – Preserve at Robinson Farm – that will have massive apartments and WFH down by Odessa National on the little country road – Fieldstone.
I spoke to the Bond Bill committee twice yesterday – both related to development. With regard to DOE, the state still has not fixed the formula for impact costs assessed to developers for increased school capacity caused by their new homes. They pay less than a third of the actual costs. DOE says that they are neutral on the issue and it will be up to the legislature to fix it. Last I saw, there was a stand alone bill to fix it for Appo that didn’t get anywhere. DOE is crazy in trouble with school construction costs, management and risk. They say that their budget is second only to DelDOT. The construction costs are tripling in a few years time.
Then I spoke to DelDOT about not coordinating density in rural land with available transit. With the WFH and age-restricted communities going 10s of miles down country lanes, how the heck are we going to be able to send DART and Paratransit after them, much less a whole new slew of school buses and ambulences. OUCH! The DART director gave me a high five and said I’d have to convince Jack Markell to get involved in controlling growth responsibly. Good luck with that. We need a density management tool in NCC and it can’t just be the bad economy.
Delaforum has a story up about Brandywine SD. They had a forum for the two candidates and only a handful of people showed up. It lasted 25 minutes all told.
Jason – how about vote for anyone but Forsten? Vote for Ed. Vote. Please.
Forsten’s wife was a gung ho flat tax crazy and actively supported tea party candidates up and down the state. GAH.
Wrong Nancy. That buzzing you hear was chain saws being started by people wanting to cut his signs down for his inflammatory push pieces that arrived in the mail this weekend. And isn’t Branner a Dem?
I thought Branner was a GOP. Maybe I am confusing him with the Smyrna guy.
Anyone but Forsten? Could you expand that to include the wife of union head? Ridiculous as it sounds the teacher union co-president spouse Kelly Wiggin or Wright is running. WTF? And again, no kids in the district. Vote. Only Czerwinski and Combs seem clean.
FairTax Delaware is run from the Forsten home. His address is on its materials. He is a schill for developers. He looks at schools and sees dollars signs & his tax dollars being spent. Not chidlren and teachers. He would be a disaster. But he has deployed an auto-dialer and is working the teabags and local R’s. He will turn out about 100 new voters and with that I predict a win for Tea as the normal folks vote is split 3 ways.
Mayor Branner is a D.
Fair Tax rather. Sorry, flat tax – fair tax is there a difference?
Yes, the FairTax is essentially a massive, regressive, consumption tax.
It is a shame that the sensible person vote will be split among three candidates.
oh yeah….Forsten was the “illustrious” lawyer to the former schemer/shyster mayor of Smyrna when the mayor did all of his shenanigans.
If Forsten wins the appo election it will be up to the other board members to make sure his whacko agenda never sees the light of day. Then, make sure the voters take his sorry butt out the next election cycle.
I am supporting Bill Combs in Appo. He is a great person, very active in the community and has a level head about him.
Forsten would be a complete disaster. Heck, Julie Johnson had to recuse herself from a feeder pattern vote because it would impact her daycare business. Forsten works for the very developers that would be impacted (in real dollars) by feeder patterns.
We could literally have a vote on changing feeder patterns with just 3 board members.
I am voting for Bill Combs as well.
I voted for Combs today. I would never push a button for Forsten, that little weasel is not only a partner in Saul Ewing and represents horrible developers right in the Appo School District, but he was the counsel for the Developer now in Hot water on the 113 project. Take a look a the Rt 113 report from the Governor and plug in Forsten at the top search box and hit enter…. http://governor.delaware.gov/113properties/FinalDelDOTReport.pdf you get like 15 hits…. Unbelievable! Wright is will have too much conflict with her hubby being on the Board of the AEA! Combs helps run the Odyssey of the Mind program and has been on the Board of the YMCA… a good man with vision and the right person for the Job!
IRSD- Hattier 670 Walters 411
Forsten wins in Appo
http://www.delawarepolitics.net/school-board-elections-new-castle/
Newton wins in Red Clay.
Forsten wins with 34% of the vote while three sensible candidates split 66% of the vote. Forsten, being a teabag, will interpret these numbers to mean that he has won a sweeping mandate and will move to fire teachers and cut programs.
Appo district office is stunned. He certainly hasn’t won any votes with them. Hit pieces in the mail, and the guy has never even been to a school board, or district committee meeting as any type of concerned citizen. Has no clue the work that is done by the district. I hope the board can work with who they got. At least Combs pitched in heavily for the short time he was there. And Czerwinski’s record speaks for itself. No loss in the AEA plant.
Hopefully they’ll be able to hem this bozo in. On a related note: can we get someone to draft a bill which mandates run off in Delaware SB elections if nobody wins a majority?
I’ve been trying to find a useful definition to tell my students when it comes time to discuss “special interests”. So far, the best one that I’ve been able to find is “an interest group that supports your opponents’s views” because no one ever thinks that they belong to a special interest.