What? The Election is Today???

(Hi friends. Not interested in my witty banter but just want to get a quick link to the candidates profiles? Here it is: Link to Candidate Profiles . You're welcome.)

There is an election going on right now? How did I not see this coming?

Okay, so there isn't exactly an election today. But there sort of is. And it caught me off guard too, so don't feel bad.

With Washington's mail in voting system, almost every day is election day somewhere.  And right  now Franklin County is where it's at. And the school board is what's being voted on.

But wait! I thought that election was in November?

It is. But it's also happening right now.

It's called a primary.  They happen all the time in big races that lots of people care about. We just don't usually see them happen in little ol' school board races.

What does this mean for Pasco?

It means that so many people want to be involved in our schools that we now have to run primary elections to narrow down the pool of candidates.

Wow! That's exciting!

I know right!

So how can I help?

There are two things you can do. 1- Vote. 2- Remind all your friends to vote.

That sounds easy enough.

It is! It really is!  You have the power to change the course of education for thousands of children in Pasco, and all you have to do is fill out a quick ballot and drop it off. Ten minutes of your life could mean four years of positive gains for Pasco schools.

Cool! Let's do it!

Uh oh, wait. One problem. How do I know who to vote for?

Great question.  First you need to be aware of who is running.  You can check out this link to the Candidate's Profiles. To find out who they are and what they claim to support.

My phone keeps freezing, and I can't click on the link and read for myself. Can you just tell me who the candidates are and who I should vote for?

Wow. That's pretty weak on your part, but lucky for you I'm an enabler, so I'll give you what you want.

Position 3 is currently held by Steve Christiansen. He is being challenged by Debi Maxwell and Brian Griffith. In this race I prefer anyone but NOT Steve Christiansen. He has proven to be combative with the community and other board members and ineffective in listening to his constituents.  He has not served to students of Pasco effectively and I would be happy to see him gone. But that's just my opinion, you're welcome to vote for the status quo if that's what you like.

Position 5 is currently held by Amy Phillips. She is being challenged by Jeff Peterson. *Note* Marlando Sparks is no longer running. He had to drop out. In this race I highly endorse Jeff Peterson. Despite good intentions, Amy Phillips has not proven that she can effectively make positive changes for our kids.  Three years of public records show any improvements to our schools have happened in spite of her, and not because of her. If I were a real human with the ability to vote, I would vote for Jeff Peterson.  But again that's just my opinion. Please feel free to vote for Amy Phillips if you think things in Pasco are perfect just the way they are.

So there you have it, my opinion in a nut shell. Now go out an use your power for good.

School's out. Now the real work begins!

It's summer!
Hooray!

School's out! No more reading logs to remember or lunches to pack. We've got two months of sleeping in late and lounging at Memorial Pool.

Just kidding. There's some serious work to get done, so let's get busy.

I'm not talking about mowing your lawn or finally cleaning out that mess of a garage you've got.

Nope. I'm talking about REAL work. IMPORTANT work.

In twenty years will anyone care that you repainted the kids' bedroom this summer? Nope. No one but you. Sorry.

So what will matter? What can you do that will have lasting affects on the community in which you live?  Who has the power to shape the destiny of thousands of school children?

The answer is YOU by electing competent and qualified SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS.

Yup, it's that time again. We've got another school board election just around the corner, and three- that's right THREE- current members are up for reelection.

I don't need to remind you what happened at the last school board election when Dr. Aaron Richardson unseated the board president and consequently changed the whole culture of the board. Meetings are now televised. Community members are not only allowed to speak now, but are actually encouraged to speak and are really listened to. There is now healthy debate among board members instead of just five glossy eyed faces nodding along to whatever agenda the district places in front of them.

Things have gotten so much better in the past two years, it's hard to believe how far we've come. But there is still a long way to go.  This is our chance as a community to make lasting changes to the culture of Pasco schools.

Unlike the last election where only one new (but totally amazing!) candidate was available, this time there are many, MANY candidates to choose from. I don't know them all yet, so I can't say if I support them or not.  However, I do know a lot about our current board members. And what I do know about them makes me very inclined to want to see them leave.

For those of you who are forgetting, let's just take a quick moment to remember that our current board members up for reelection (Sheri Lancon, Steve Christiansen, and Amy Phillips) were all on the board when:

The school district spent tens of thousands of dollars on a legal fees to defend the former superintendent on charges of misappropriation of school funds. She was eventually found guilty.

The school district denied that there were any gaps in our curriculum and forced our community into a two week strike. Then our board filed charges in court against our teachers trying to force them back into the classroom without curriculum and basic supplies. Of course the district was eventually found to be in the wrong despite the boards attempts to deny our students the basics of a quality education. (remember that time Mr. Christiansen was quoted as saying, "I wish we could afford pencils, but we just can't have everything we want." Good times.)

But enough about the current board, let's talk about who could replace them!

Here is a quick list of the current candidates and what I could uncover about them by facebook stalking. I apologize for any inaccuracies, and am more than happy to receive corrections.

Jeff Peterson- Father of several Pasco students, at least one with special needs. Does not appear to have a long involvement in school politics, but certainly has a vested interest in their success.

Erin Lewis- Mother of many Pasco students, and has attended more board meetings than anyone in the history of Pasco schools. Honestly if you've ever been to a school board meeting, you've seen this gal. She is always always there, and has more than proved her willingness to fight for Pasco kids.

Debi Maxwell- Mother of two former Pasco students, and has been involved with the district in the past working to improve conditions. You'll see her name in past meeting notes as she has a history of involvement and speaking out.

Brian Grifith- No children in Pasco schools, but works for GESA, and is a PEAK partner with the district. The only candidate without children in the district, but with a history of involvement in our schools.

Okay, so that wasn't really a lot of info.  I guess Facebook stalking isn't all it's cracked up to be.

But that's where you come in. Please tell me what you know about these candidates. And as more information emerges, I'll be sure to pass it along.

While your lounging beside the pool feeling guilty about not cleaning out your garage, just remember there's an election going on, and your vote will make a difference.  Our kids are counting on you, the voters, to stand guard over our schools!

Happy summer.