The School Board Election Quandary -- Part 2

They all pretty much say the same thing.  They are all there for the kids.  Of course, they all want to improve our schools.  They all want safe schools, quality education for all our children.

The way they want to get there is the thing.

I wrote in Part 1 of The School Board Election Quandary about the increase in magnet/charter schools and the drain this causes on already limited public school resources.  The nice way to say it is "choice" (which we all seem to like when it doesn't refer to women's reproductive rights) but what it really amounts to is privatization, because once you have a charter school, you need somebody to run it.  Enter the charter school business, which is booming.  You will hear from candidates about spending tax dollars responsibly, but when they promote what is euphemistically called "Achievement School Districts" they are taking responsibility away from local government and handing it over to those who are not bound by state and local rules.  And when you are promoting "pro-business" and "public-private partnerships" you are handing over schools to those who are more mindful of the bottom line than the needs of our children.

There are groups here in the Lowcountry that are pro-charter (read, pro-business), and there are groups that promote true public education.  I think one of the best guidelines for which school board candidates to support is by who these groups endorse.

The Charleston Chamber of Commerce PAC endorsements have all the right buzzwords, as does their statement of educational goals.  It is only when you get to the very last paragraph that they tell you the PAC's real agenda:

The PAC’s mission is to evaluate and support candidates for local and state office who acknowledge, support and actively vote for pro-business policies and legislation.

Which should tell you all you need to know about their endorsements.

Charleston Coalition for Kids is a big player in this year's school board election.  Members include some familiar faces, like Joe Riley, as well as Ben Navarro and Anita Zucker, the latter two who the Post & Courier describe as "among the wealthiest people in the state."  Their slick promotional video shows mostly white men described as business leaders interspersed with African-Americans described as parents.

Let me just say that we all want our kids to have the best possible education.  I can't blame parents for being attracted to the slick promises of corporate education in the guise of charter schools, schools that can be free of burdensome state regulation.  But the sad fact is that too many charter schools shake free of those regulations in order to advance profit.  And I can't say this often enough: they will be draining the public coffers while they do it.

It is important to note that both the Chamber of Commerce PAC and Charleston Coalition for Kids endorse the same four candidates:  Darby, Green, Coats and Mack.  What I also find interesting is that both groups are talking about the need for change, yet three of the four endorsements are incumbents.  So, the group that is complaining about the path of Charleston County Schools is endorsing the same people that got us here.

On the other hand, there are organizations that are truly dedicated to improving education for all children.  They support public schools, and they are aware that we have failing public schools because they have inadequate resources.  They know that funneling tax dollars into specialized schools (magnets) and schools that do not have to adhere to state educational guidelines (charters) have drained public school resources even further than our politicians' craze for cutting taxes has done.  They provide information and evaluations of candidates online.

The Quality Education Project (QEP) has been active in getting communities involved in advocating for better schools, and in community based research to help determine what is needed.  They will be providing within a couple of days evaluations of the school board candidates, which will be invaluable.

The League of Women Voters (LWV) provides at Vote411.org a Voter's Guide which gives you a personalized ballot.  You can click on a race, say, "Charleston County School Board East Cooper" and it will give you the candidates and lots of information for each one, including contact information.

And then there are the candidate Facebook pages and websites.  It is often as easy as googling the name and scrolling to what is obviously the FB or website.  Or you can go to Ballotpedia.org to get a sample ballot, from which you can get website info on a candidate.

That brings us to the voting process.  A candidate must live in the district in which they run, but all of us in Charleston County can -- and should -- vote in each district.  This year, we will be able to vote as follows:


     East Cooper:  Choose up to two candidates of the four who are running.

     North Charleston:  Choose one candidate of the three who are running.

     West Ashley:  Choose one candidate of the three who are running.

Now, this is important.  My friends and I have given this a bit of thought.  While you should vote for at least one candidate for each area, if you are allowed more than one vote but you really like one candidate, I believe that using additional votes dilutes your vote.  In other words, if you vote for two, you will be essentially splitting the vote and taking a vote away from your favored candidate.  Again, this is my take, and I will only be voting for one candidate in each area.

So, who to choose?  You will need to make your own informed decisions, but as you know, I am not shy about endorsing a candidate that I believe in.  So I will end with my endorsements, and encourage you to check out their websites and make your own decision.

East Cooper -- Sarah Shad Johnson

North Charleston -- I will be waiting to see the QEP evaluations to choose between Linda Mosley Lucas and Vivian Pettigrew.  The best info I could find on both was at vote411.org, where you can compare candidates' responses to their questionnaire.

West Ashley -- Paul H. Padron

In conclusion...

I am most specifically making my choices based on each candidate's past involvement and experience in, and commitment to, public schools.  While in 2018 our schools are compelled to work with business to some extent, it is really important that business is not running the schools.  I want candidates who are not afraid to spend money where it is needed:  teachers' salaries, student supplies (including technology and sports), and infrastructure.  It is so important that we have strong board members who are willing to fight for a curriculum that is current in the sciences -- who knew we would have to be fighting for the sciences in 2018?  We need a board that will support teachers who raise difficult questions in order to develop awareness and critical thinking skills.  We need board members who understand how important arts and literature are in growing children into creative and empathic adults.

And we need a board that sets as its priorities not developing special schools, but is determined to make all schools excellent in Charleston County.

One last thing:

School board are the most confusing and muddied races of all.  Some vote haphazardly, some not at all.  It stands to reason that a united effort for a good candidate can make a difference.

If you found these two blog posts helpful, please pass them along.  Spread the word and increase the chances of putting good, pro-public education people on Charleston's school board.