Washblog

I've been talking to incumbent School Board member Sally Soriano and challenger Peter Maier about two issues that deeply concern me in the Seattle School District: the technology gap and attendance policies.

I haven't drawn any hard-and-fast conclusions about their approaches to these issues, but I do note that, stylistically, they respond differently to problem-solving questions. In the end, I want someone who is impatient with fixable problems and who is tenacious enough to drive at them until there's enough momentum in the district to fix them. I also want someone who recognizes successful programs and who knows how to expand or capitalize on those programs. Finally, I want someone who is knowledgeable about day-to-day impediments that keep teachers from doing the best job they can.

I haven't made up my mind yet about these two candidates. However, I do note that they are open to discussing their views with individuals over the phone. If you care about the future of Seattle Schools, I encourage you to give the candidates a call and sound them out. I especially encourage my fellow teachers to call them. If you want to see improvement in the schools you teach in, you need to do more politically than just vote and pay your union dues.