I am impressed by Brandon’s critical thinking skills, emotional maturity and empathy. It’s brains and heart in one package. I’m grateful that someone with his talent wants this job, but since he does, I am happy to vote for him.
"BR will fit!" - I love that enthusiasm and the thought and sentiment behind it. It indeed shows problem solving, solution finding and empathy for our children. I love the idea of moving our Bessie Rhodes community to King Arts!
I've noticed a pattern among many of the current board members where the only motivation I can discern is seeing their post as a springboard for future political or consulting opportunities. Meanwhile their responsibility to the children of our community is noticeably absent. It comes through in the uninformed comments they make in meetings, the unpreparedness to deal with the consequences of poor decisions and unwillingness to confront the administration on both academic outcomes and financial responsibility.
I've had the pleasure of getting to know Brandon first hand in our efforts to preserve our school and can vouch that his motivations come from being a concerned parent and civic-minded citizen. Kinda like the author of this blog. I've been very impressed with his willingness to do deep research and invest the time in both understanding the issues but also outreach to the community and invested parties. He'd make a great and conscientious board member.
Thank you so much. I have not received my absentee ballot yet but when I do your Substack will be my guidance. In the 2024 election it took me almost one hour to research all the judges we needed to vote for or against. My children are adults now but I have neighbors who are very upset about District 65.
I just want to add another testimonial in support of Brandon. Every time I’ve met him, I’ve been blown away by his depth of knowledge on the various challenges our district faces, from school consolidation to over-reliance on technology in the classroom and everything in between. He has interesting and thoughtful solutions in mind for many of these problems and takes a growth mindset approach rather than just accepting decreasing enrollment as an inevitability. He is absolutely committed to listening to the community and not making decisions behind closed doors. He promises to hold “office hours” as a board member, something that speaks to his willingness to be available and transparent. I cannot speak highly enough of him as a person and a candidate.
I met Brandon at a recent D65 candidate meet and great. I knew nothing of him before this, but came away super impressed. He is extremely data-driven, with heart. He is empathetic to what parents will experience when it is their child's school that is selected to close, as he has experienced this himself. His is a voice and perspective I want on the future board.
This is not directed to this candidate but is a general observation. The elephant in the room is discipline— or lack thereof. You can only do so many peace circles before the kids figure out who is running the show. It’s like Lord of the Flies. So many families I have spoken with left due to the chaos in the classrooms.
I don’t know how board members can help with this but it is one of the biggest issues surrounding declining student enrollment at D65.
Brandon, One of the key jobs of the board is to hire a superintendent. After decades of conducting open searches where finalists were announced to the public and the district held open meetings with finalists, the current board conducted searches entirely in the dark, without public input.
Would you vote to continue this practice? Or go back to a public-facing superintendent search for the next vacancy?
Mr. Utter says that if a given school costs $X to run with 500 kids, it will cost the same $X to run with 400.
That’s not quite right, since this would lead to fewer staff at this given school, which would reduce costs there (maybe not proportionally, but it would still be lower).
The costs pet student at that school would go up, yes. But for the district as a whole the costs would be negligible - assuming those other 100 kids go instead to a different, established District 65 school.
But that’s not the situation we face. We’re talking about moving those kids to a newly constructed school. That, it seems to me (unless I’m mistaken) is where the costs increase dramatically. Building a new school in a district with dramatically declining enrollment is the height of financial folly.
Mr. Utter I’d like to ask why you are still in favor of building this new school given these realities?
Hello and thanks for the comments and questions. I agree, the costs will not be *exactly* the same if you relocate a portion of the students from a school. But the differences do not seem large enough (I calculate 4% or less decrease in total overhead costs) to invalidate this approach due to all the expenses that would stay the same (building/grounds/utilities/maintenance, administration, specials teachers, before/after programs, the vast majority of educators and support staff).
With regard to the construction of the Foster school, I do not agree with the funding strategy used to build the school nor with the decision to accrue high risk debt for the District. I believe that passing a referendum for the school would have been a better approach- this is how new schools are supposed to be built and it would have ensured that all costs were covered. I also do not agree with the way in which Bessie Rhodes was included/treated in these decisions. The question Board members will always have to ask themselves is “what is best for the District at this time?” By the time new Board members are sworn in and making decisions, more bid packages will be complete on the construction project. To reverse it at this phase would be wasting millions with nothing to show for it. It would also be incredibly divisive for the community. At a time when we need to focus on repair and already have a series of difficult decisions in front of us, I am wary of moves that would inject further instability and enlarge harm. Further, the district does need newer schools. Overall I think opposing and trying to reverse the construction of the Foster school would cause more harm for the District than benefit at this point. I am happy to talk more about this too. Please feel free to contact me through my website!
Thanks for the thoughtful reply. It's refreshing to see folks actually willing to engage on these issues rather than use intimidation and gaslighting to attempt to silence those they disagree with.
You make strong points. The 5th ward school is really the sticking point for me. If we did not need to follow through on that plan we could avoid closing (more) schools with the requisite transferring students. In addition, we'd hopefully escape from at least some of the damaging financial arrangements that taxpayers never agreed to.
I do wonder if, given the highly dubious (at best) legal strategies used to approve and fund this school, there might not be avenues to withdraw from the plan and regain at least some of the already spent funds. Continuing just to continue feels a little like falling into the sunk cost fallacy.
It might be divisive to abandon the new school (for now), but no more so than closing more schools, adjusting attendance boundary lines and expecting students to move to new buildings in the middle of elementary school. That would likely lead to a further exodus from District 65 schools, which would exacerbate the district's financial crisis.
The fixed costs would remain generally the same unless there was such a significant change in enrollment that entire teaching positions were eliminated. Otherwise, removing 2-5 kids from any grade level doesn't change the number of teachers required. The other fixed costs are unchanged.
Thank you for your question. This is an excellent question that gets to the heart of so many important matters surrounding the goals/vision we have for District 65 as well as how we as a community should approach managing the challenges we face. At the core, a school is a place where our children gain academic knowledge and skills under the guidance of their teachers. Our ultimate focus should be on nurturing the relationships between our students and teachers to promote academic excellence. Over time, schools have been asked to do much more than their core function including providing childcare, providing nutrition, offering community gathering spaces including green space and parks, among many other things. I worry sometimes that we ask our schools (and especially our teachers) to fill in gaps in our safety nets and social structures without adequately supporting them or recognizing that we are trying to address problems that have their root cause outside of the school system itself. This doesn't necessarily mean we should not try to solve or ameliorate some of these problems, but it does complicate the picture. I see many parallels to this on a daily basis in the healthcare system. I appreciate this question and could definitely go on- I would be happy to talk to you about this more at any point. Please feel free to contact me through my website: www.brandonutter.com
Three part question here: Do you support a full and complete & independent financial “forensic” audit of D65, going back to when the last referendum was passed—in order to get a handle on what has happened in D65 financially? And then, importantly share the findings with the community via open house two way Q&A forums? If you support, can we get your commitment to call for this at the first BOE meeting you attend as a new BOE member?
How comfortable are you with the rhetoric in the online parent community? It’s been concerning to see the level of bullying and attacks that play out.
For instance one of your prospective board colleagues Maria was skewered online by the sheer fact their spouse is a homeland security employee. We don’t know the spouses actual position or views, but immediately Maria was deemed to be a terrible person and crucified in a parent group. Ironically this rhetoric is led by a District employees spouse.
How can we stop the extreme outbursts and attacks, and find ways to be respectful and have constructive dialogue and ask questions not just rushed judgements and outlandish attacks.
How comfortable are you with this rhetoric and how do you assure voters that you will not support this tyrannical behavior?
Thank you for your question. I think the best way for us to promote respectful and constructive dialogue is for us to speak directly to each other, in person, on a regular basis, either through community meetings or through informal one-on-one or small group gatherings. This is why, if elected, I pledge to make myself available to the community by holding regular office hours and being available via phone calls. The more we can speak directly to each other about our concerns, needs, and goals for our children, the more we can work together to pursue a shared vision of a school district that promotes academic excellence and belonging for our students. If you want to speak further with me about this or any other concern, I encourage you to contact me directly through my website, https://www.brandonutter.com/
I am impressed by Brandon’s critical thinking skills, emotional maturity and empathy. It’s brains and heart in one package. I’m grateful that someone with his talent wants this job, but since he does, I am happy to vote for him.
"BR will fit!" - I love that enthusiasm and the thought and sentiment behind it. It indeed shows problem solving, solution finding and empathy for our children. I love the idea of moving our Bessie Rhodes community to King Arts!
I've noticed a pattern among many of the current board members where the only motivation I can discern is seeing their post as a springboard for future political or consulting opportunities. Meanwhile their responsibility to the children of our community is noticeably absent. It comes through in the uninformed comments they make in meetings, the unpreparedness to deal with the consequences of poor decisions and unwillingness to confront the administration on both academic outcomes and financial responsibility.
I've had the pleasure of getting to know Brandon first hand in our efforts to preserve our school and can vouch that his motivations come from being a concerned parent and civic-minded citizen. Kinda like the author of this blog. I've been very impressed with his willingness to do deep research and invest the time in both understanding the issues but also outreach to the community and invested parties. He'd make a great and conscientious board member.
Thank you so much. I have not received my absentee ballot yet but when I do your Substack will be my guidance. In the 2024 election it took me almost one hour to research all the judges we needed to vote for or against. My children are adults now but I have neighbors who are very upset about District 65.
I just want to add another testimonial in support of Brandon. Every time I’ve met him, I’ve been blown away by his depth of knowledge on the various challenges our district faces, from school consolidation to over-reliance on technology in the classroom and everything in between. He has interesting and thoughtful solutions in mind for many of these problems and takes a growth mindset approach rather than just accepting decreasing enrollment as an inevitability. He is absolutely committed to listening to the community and not making decisions behind closed doors. He promises to hold “office hours” as a board member, something that speaks to his willingness to be available and transparent. I cannot speak highly enough of him as a person and a candidate.
I met Brandon at a recent D65 candidate meet and great. I knew nothing of him before this, but came away super impressed. He is extremely data-driven, with heart. He is empathetic to what parents will experience when it is their child's school that is selected to close, as he has experienced this himself. His is a voice and perspective I want on the future board.
This is not directed to this candidate but is a general observation. The elephant in the room is discipline— or lack thereof. You can only do so many peace circles before the kids figure out who is running the show. It’s like Lord of the Flies. So many families I have spoken with left due to the chaos in the classrooms.
I don’t know how board members can help with this but it is one of the biggest issues surrounding declining student enrollment at D65.
Brandon, One of the key jobs of the board is to hire a superintendent. After decades of conducting open searches where finalists were announced to the public and the district held open meetings with finalists, the current board conducted searches entirely in the dark, without public input.
Would you vote to continue this practice? Or go back to a public-facing superintendent search for the next vacancy?
Hello and thanks for the question. I am in support of open hiring practices and transparency in the decision making process.
I’m a bit confused by this.
Mr. Utter says that if a given school costs $X to run with 500 kids, it will cost the same $X to run with 400.
That’s not quite right, since this would lead to fewer staff at this given school, which would reduce costs there (maybe not proportionally, but it would still be lower).
The costs pet student at that school would go up, yes. But for the district as a whole the costs would be negligible - assuming those other 100 kids go instead to a different, established District 65 school.
But that’s not the situation we face. We’re talking about moving those kids to a newly constructed school. That, it seems to me (unless I’m mistaken) is where the costs increase dramatically. Building a new school in a district with dramatically declining enrollment is the height of financial folly.
Mr. Utter I’d like to ask why you are still in favor of building this new school given these realities?
Hello and thanks for the comments and questions. I agree, the costs will not be *exactly* the same if you relocate a portion of the students from a school. But the differences do not seem large enough (I calculate 4% or less decrease in total overhead costs) to invalidate this approach due to all the expenses that would stay the same (building/grounds/utilities/maintenance, administration, specials teachers, before/after programs, the vast majority of educators and support staff).
With regard to the construction of the Foster school, I do not agree with the funding strategy used to build the school nor with the decision to accrue high risk debt for the District. I believe that passing a referendum for the school would have been a better approach- this is how new schools are supposed to be built and it would have ensured that all costs were covered. I also do not agree with the way in which Bessie Rhodes was included/treated in these decisions. The question Board members will always have to ask themselves is “what is best for the District at this time?” By the time new Board members are sworn in and making decisions, more bid packages will be complete on the construction project. To reverse it at this phase would be wasting millions with nothing to show for it. It would also be incredibly divisive for the community. At a time when we need to focus on repair and already have a series of difficult decisions in front of us, I am wary of moves that would inject further instability and enlarge harm. Further, the district does need newer schools. Overall I think opposing and trying to reverse the construction of the Foster school would cause more harm for the District than benefit at this point. I am happy to talk more about this too. Please feel free to contact me through my website!
https://www.brandonutter.com/
Thanks for the thoughtful reply. It's refreshing to see folks actually willing to engage on these issues rather than use intimidation and gaslighting to attempt to silence those they disagree with.
You make strong points. The 5th ward school is really the sticking point for me. If we did not need to follow through on that plan we could avoid closing (more) schools with the requisite transferring students. In addition, we'd hopefully escape from at least some of the damaging financial arrangements that taxpayers never agreed to.
I do wonder if, given the highly dubious (at best) legal strategies used to approve and fund this school, there might not be avenues to withdraw from the plan and regain at least some of the already spent funds. Continuing just to continue feels a little like falling into the sunk cost fallacy.
It might be divisive to abandon the new school (for now), but no more so than closing more schools, adjusting attendance boundary lines and expecting students to move to new buildings in the middle of elementary school. That would likely lead to a further exodus from District 65 schools, which would exacerbate the district's financial crisis.
The fixed costs would remain generally the same unless there was such a significant change in enrollment that entire teaching positions were eliminated. Otherwise, removing 2-5 kids from any grade level doesn't change the number of teachers required. The other fixed costs are unchanged.
Hi Brandon,
Thanks for running for school board.
A question I have for you:
What is the purpose of a school?
Thank you for your question. This is an excellent question that gets to the heart of so many important matters surrounding the goals/vision we have for District 65 as well as how we as a community should approach managing the challenges we face. At the core, a school is a place where our children gain academic knowledge and skills under the guidance of their teachers. Our ultimate focus should be on nurturing the relationships between our students and teachers to promote academic excellence. Over time, schools have been asked to do much more than their core function including providing childcare, providing nutrition, offering community gathering spaces including green space and parks, among many other things. I worry sometimes that we ask our schools (and especially our teachers) to fill in gaps in our safety nets and social structures without adequately supporting them or recognizing that we are trying to address problems that have their root cause outside of the school system itself. This doesn't necessarily mean we should not try to solve or ameliorate some of these problems, but it does complicate the picture. I see many parallels to this on a daily basis in the healthcare system. I appreciate this question and could definitely go on- I would be happy to talk to you about this more at any point. Please feel free to contact me through my website: www.brandonutter.com
Thank you Brandon for your thoughtful reply. It's clear you've been pondering this essential question for a while.
Three part question here: Do you support a full and complete & independent financial “forensic” audit of D65, going back to when the last referendum was passed—in order to get a handle on what has happened in D65 financially? And then, importantly share the findings with the community via open house two way Q&A forums? If you support, can we get your commitment to call for this at the first BOE meeting you attend as a new BOE member?
How comfortable are you with the rhetoric in the online parent community? It’s been concerning to see the level of bullying and attacks that play out.
For instance one of your prospective board colleagues Maria was skewered online by the sheer fact their spouse is a homeland security employee. We don’t know the spouses actual position or views, but immediately Maria was deemed to be a terrible person and crucified in a parent group. Ironically this rhetoric is led by a District employees spouse.
How can we stop the extreme outbursts and attacks, and find ways to be respectful and have constructive dialogue and ask questions not just rushed judgements and outlandish attacks.
How comfortable are you with this rhetoric and how do you assure voters that you will not support this tyrannical behavior?
Thank you for your question. I think the best way for us to promote respectful and constructive dialogue is for us to speak directly to each other, in person, on a regular basis, either through community meetings or through informal one-on-one or small group gatherings. This is why, if elected, I pledge to make myself available to the community by holding regular office hours and being available via phone calls. The more we can speak directly to each other about our concerns, needs, and goals for our children, the more we can work together to pursue a shared vision of a school district that promotes academic excellence and belonging for our students. If you want to speak further with me about this or any other concern, I encourage you to contact me directly through my website, https://www.brandonutter.com/
Tom, on your candidate posting schedule you had Lionel Gentile for Mar 7
Did I miss his post?
He rescheduled to the 10th, I just didn't want to blast out an update announcing that.