Seattle's Child: Educating Mom: The Most Important, Lowest-Paying Job in Seattle

August 2007

Educating Mom: The Most Important,
Lowest-Paying Job in Seattle

Who would want this job?

Duties: Face an often hostile public twice a month in televised board meetings.

Solve problems including – but not limited to – student achievement gaps, low test scores, overcrowded classrooms and budget constraints. Assume responsibility for 46,000 students in 97 schools while working with and evaluating the new superintendent.

Hours: Every waking/breathing moment of your life for the next four years.

Compensation: $50 per day up to a maximum of $4,800 per year, and possibly the fuzzy feeling of knowing you’re helping the community.

Required skill: The ability to raise about $70,000 for an effective political campaign.

Fortunately for students, teachers and parents, 13 people are stepping up to the challenges of the job and are running for a position on the Seattle School Board. Four of the seven Director Districts (listed below) are up for election this fall. Only two candidates are running in Districts I and III, and they will face off in the general election on Nov. 8. Five people are running in District II and four people in District VI, and they will be on the Aug. 21 primary ballot.

I’ve had a chance to interact with each of the candidates through a reader blog I wrote for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer called “Educating Mom.” As I share what I’ve learned, keep in mind that these are not endorsements. My view is more of a playground chat between parents that starts with an “Isn’t the weather great?” comment and turns into a “So, what’s the deal with the Seattle School Board candidates?” conversation.

District I – North Seattle
Sally Soriano, Peter Maier

Incumbent Sally Soriano will face challenger Peter Maier in the Nov. 8 General Election.

Both Soriano and Maier grew up in Seattle and attended public schools here. It’s too bad they’re running against each other because both are highly qualified for the school board.

Soriano has a master’s degree in education. During her term she’s focused on promoting smaller class sizes, demanding oversight of district spending and working on district issues with a community-based approach. Maier is an attorney with a record of success. He led Seattle school levy campaigns that passed in 2004 and 2007. One of his priorities is the “long term fiscal health of the district,” and he recommends twice-yearly budget reviews.

District II – North of Lake Union and
Green Lake to the Northgate area
Darlene Flynn, Sherry Carr, Lisa Stuebing,
Patrick Kelley, Courtney Hill

Five candidates are on the ballot in the Aug. 21 primary. The two winners will face each other in the Nov. 8 general election.

Another incumbent seeking re-election, Darlene Flynn, had a hand in district accomplishments over the past four years. Seattle Schools have gone from being $35 million in debt to having a $20 million reserve and a balanced capital budget. She was also partly responsible for hiring Dr. Maria Goodloe-Johnson, our new superintendent.

Sherry Carr is the kind of candidate I wish we could clone. A Boeing employee and finance leader, she’s been active in her school community. The word “active” is used a lot to describe parents. I’m the kind of active school mom who contributes cookies (purchased, never homemade) to bake sales. Carr is seriously involved. She worked with a team of parents to transform Bagley Elementary School from a failing program, threatened with closure, into a strong community school with a waiting list.

I admire three of the candidates who want to help struggling students: Lisa Stuebing has a top priority that seems obvious – yet no one else mentioned it – reducing the drop-out rate; Patrick Kelley works with United Way of King County and sees what happens to kids when the public education system fails them; Courtney Hill, 21, is the youngest candidate and wants more programs to help pregnant teens stay in school.

District III – Northeast Seattle
Harium Martin-Morris, David Blomstrom

In third grade, I had a teacher who got students’ attention by slapping a ruler on their desks. I still remember the sharp, whacking sound, which compelled me to focus on Mrs. Blunt’s commands. To parents in Laurelhurst, View Ridge, Maple Leaf, the U-District, and Montlake – thwack! The entire school district needs you to be alert and vote in the November election.

Remember the name Harium Martin-Morris. He’s a Boeing employee involved with maintenance software for the 787 and other airplanes. He’s also been a teacher, PTSA president and national education consultant. Martin-Morris is a sincere, intelligent leader who wants “every child to have a quality school and quality teacher no matter what neighborhood they live in.”

A few quotes that David Blomstrom posted on my blog and on his Web site might give you a sense of his candidacy: “I’m gunning for the seat … currently occupied by a lying, conniving whore;” “We need to say no to Bill Gates’ phony philanthropy;” and “How about decent food, instead of the pig slop they fed the kids when I worked at Rainier View Elementary?”

District VI – West and South Seattle
Steve Sundquist, Danaher Dempsey Jr., Maria Ramirez, Edwin Fruit

This primary contest now has four candidates. Zeinab Ahmed, representing the Somali community, withdrew from the race.

Steve Sundquist would bring a broad range of skills to the school board. He was a manager with the Russell Investment Group. He helped establish the International Baccalaureate Program at Chief Sealth High School and chairs two nonprofit boards.

A classroom teacher for 32 years, Danaher Dempsey Jr. currently teaches at West Seattle High School and serves on the state’s math advisory panel. Maria Ramirez is a community activist and co-director of a nonprofit group that advocates for Latino children in Seattle Schools. Edwin Fruit is campaigning to raise awareness of the Socialist Workers Party, even though the school board positions are nonpartisan.

Four candidates from the Aug. 21 primary will join the other four candidates in the Nov. 8 general election. And since they’re willing to take on the most important, lowest-paying job in Seattle to help our children, the least we can do is vote.

Follow the campaigns, do your own research, and vote!

Linda Thomas is a Seattle-based freelance journalist. Her children attend Seattle Public Schools, and she’ll be an “active” classroom volunteer until her youngest graduates in 2018. linda@lindathomas.com.

Can I Vote in this Election?

In order to vote in the Aug. 21 school district primary, you would need to have been registered 30 days beforehand (by July 21). The exception is if you are a new state resident. You may then register in person at the King County Elections Office, 500 4th Ave., Room 553, in downtown Seattle, up to 15 days before the election (by Aug. 6 for the Aug. 21 primary).

To vote in the Nov. 8 general election, you may register by mail by Oct. 8, or if you are a new state resident, you may register in person up to 15 days in advance. For more information, including how to vote absentee, call 206-296-VOTE (8683) or visit www.metrokc.gov/elections.

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