School Board Has Surplus of Candidates, Dearth of Platforms
by Robert Russo
This election day nineteen candidates will vie for seats on the Richmond School Board, including five competitors for the 5th District seat alone (vacated by Chairman Stephen Johnson last April over possession of marijuana at Richmond airport).* And yet once again, looking at this myriad of choices most of them seem to be cut from the same political cloth, leading one to wonder if they’ll all be spending election night at a restaurant together rather than separate camps. Here is a short review of the contenders from the perspective of a Libertarian antiacademic.
The format for the profiles submitted by each candidate visible on Richmond.com begins with the heading of Family (which is meaningless in gauging a job candidate), then Place of Employment, Educational Background and Civic Involvement (all of questionable relevance). Twelve of the candidates list where their children are enrolled or will be enrolled (to ensure the age factor does not preclude their enduring loyalty to this institution). Among their qualifiers two candidates list heredity, three list loyalty to the school system, and four consider being a parent qualification to hold public office.
Seven of the candidates name poverty as their primary platform. Now poverty is certainly one of Richmond’s most immediate problems and if one wants to battle it they should either roll up their sleeves and help people directly or run for government office in which neighborhood conditions fall under their jurisdiction, but what does being on the school board have to do with this? Several attempts to explain this connection are made, the most common being the idea that public schools are a person’s only vehicle to getting a better job and therefore get out of poverty. This simplistic view is like helping a stranded motorist by telling him to get a better insurance policy. It assumes that public schools are the only source of knowledge for the workplace, and that jobs are a reliable way to get out of social situations. If I were on the school board I would not be trying to manipulate society, but pass on education for education’s sake. Others suggest that poverty is merely a crime against the school system by distracting students from program, with words like "When students with issues enroll in school, they bring those problems with them into the classroom, thus taking away much needed instructional time and misuse of talented teachers."** Out of curiosity, what wouldn't be a misuse of teachers?
Candidate Gregory Day of 5th District names truancy as his first platform, writing "Everyone should watch out for children not in school, it is a coordination and responsibility of churches, community organization, police, libraries, area businesses, etc., to be vigilant and to be of service to determine and correct the problems for their not being in school.".** He rounds out his argument with the rather idiotic "I view the solutions to RPS concerns in S-T-E-P-S which means safety, truancy, education, and parental involvement which equals success."** Carol Wolf who runs unopposed in 3rd District believes in "assisting those citizens outside of the school by eliminating one of the possible reasons that a child would be 'legitimately' not in school."*** Hopefully the anticipated homeschooling boom, if not the election itself, will disrupt the plans of a single business trying to recruit the entire city to round up its non-customers. Donald Coleman of 7th District plainly states "Reality stares at us declaring: 'You can't educate a child that is not in school!'"**** We can and we are.
Asking the candidates to identify the biggest problem schools face is like pulling teeth. Three candidates name "perception" as a major concern. Art Burton of 6th District is fighting "the perception that the school system is unfit for our children, that our leadership does not listen to our community and does not care about the hardships of the disadvantaged".***** How about actually making it care about those things and let people judge for themselves? Coleman says flat-out "Community perception can be changed by a positive marketing campaign to tell the story of what is good about RPS. Developing quality slogans and brand identity would be a part of this campaign.".****
Loyalist agendas such as these seem like competition for positions the board itself is appointing, not the variety of approaches and directions the electoral process is supposed to offer. Kim Bridges who is unopposed in 1st District with a background that includes the RPC Attendance Zone Task Force writes "we can leverage community and family involvement to overcome the obstacles to academic success."****** Really, leveraging the community to service the school system. Lisa Dawson who is unopposed in 2nd District when asked what is the most pressing issue replies "we are continuing to determine the appropriate qualitative and quantitative level of ongoing assessments, as well as supporting the programs which make that school so well loved by its stakeholders."******* What does that mean? George Braxton of 4th District cites an interesting problem, "Lack of consistency in the leadership of our school system. This is a problem that plagues many urban school districts. There is often a constant turnover of elected school boards due to the political aspiration of the candidates and the dissatisfaction of the residents. Too often, fledgling politicians and rudderless activists seeking elected office and public notoriety gravitate to a job that should involve minimal politics and activism. This leads to turnover of Superintendents and the constant change of educational strategy in the system.".******** So it is the democratic process itself that is objected to; too impractical. As Dawson puts it, "The bottom line is that we all want the same things and as long as we focus on that we should be able to handle how to get there."******* If this is true why bother having debates?
There do appear to be some exceptions however. The 5th District incumbent Betsy Carr who was appointed, not elected to that seat, admits "Choice of academic and other opportunities are essential for our children. ...Magnet schools for math and science, the arts, leadership development, Montessori learning, and vocational training deserve full consideration. Regardless of where children live, they should have access to the programs that best suite their unique interests and needs."** To the question School board members must not only work with one another and with the superintendent, but also with Richmond City Council and Mayor Wilder. How would you balance all of these relationships? challenger Raymond Gargiulo responds with "I would be guided only by the essential welfare of the students as expressed by their parents and citizens of the Fifth District. These are the issues I would first fight for. Issues that promote the comfort, convenience, and business advantage of mayor, superintendent, city council, and school board; I will fight against."** Keith West of 7th District tackles it succinctly as well with "Balance implies harmony. I'm not sure balancing these relationships is the goal. The school board's first duty is to the students by way of the voters. It needs to be a strong advocate for the children in our schools."****
Ronald Bond of 7th District advises "more patience and a more effective way to teach. Thus, giving the child an opportunity to learn not at a pace, but rather the way he or she may learn best."**** West states a refreshing "These reports outline a failed organization. Any time an organization is failing, the problem rests with the leadership. What needs to be done is not rocket science."**** Alfred Goodwein of 8th District hits the nail squarely with "Good district representation beyond 'hobby representation' where a school board representative supports the aims of education and not the self-serving interest of the school administration."********* ('Hobby representation' is synonymous with 'parental representation' in my view.) West makes a rather startling admission, "I had no choice but to attend public schools. Seven of my school years were spent in inner city schools of poor quality. Having experienced the feeling of injustice at being trapped in under-performing schools, it's not an experience I would wish on anyone."****. One would think this would lead someone to be antiacademic, but every one of these candidates still has one foot in the academic pool. Poor facilities and closing schools top the biggest concerns. Hopefully each voter can derive the glimmers of awareness of the greater educational spectrum that trickle through and not allow the usual monopoly of academicians to hold every seat. For details on all the candidates go to http://www.richmond.com/education/output.aspx?Article_ID=4385941&Vertical_ID=11&tier=3&position=8.
*http://www.richmondtimesdispatch.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=RTD%2FMGArticle%2FRTD_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1149191426341&path=%21news&s=1045855934842
**http://www.richmond.com/education/output.aspx?Article_ID=4385941&Vertical_ID=11&tier=3&position=8.
***http://www.richmond.com/election/output.aspx?Article_ID=4369718&Vertical_ID=175&tier=2&position=1
****http://www.richmond.com/election/output.aspx?Article_ID=4395934&Vertical_ID=127&tier=1&position=1
*****http://www.richmond.com/election/output.aspx?Article_ID=4392816&Vertical_ID=127&tier=1&position=2
******http://www.richmond.com/election/output.aspx?Article_ID=4350838&Vertical_ID=175&tier=2&position=1
*******http://www.richmond.com/election/output.aspx?Article_ID=4360436&Vertical_ID=175&tier=2&position=1
********http://www.richmond.com/election/output.aspx?Article_ID=4377825&Vertical_ID=175&tier=2&position=1
*********http://www.richmond.com/education/output.aspx?Article_ID=4409527&Vertical_ID=131&tier=1&position=2
Question of the Week: If the Libertarian Party were to run a successful district takeover, what changes in the school system would you like to see? Send your opinions to henrico@richmondliberty.org.
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