I'd love to understand / reconcile the 5Essentials scores and how the Teachers Union decided to pick which candidates it should endorse in the 2023 Board election. There seems to be a huge disconnect.
Welcome Caroline! I find the number of appointed board members interesting. More than half of the current board was appointed before being elected. I wonder if the name recognition / ability to say they're a current board member during campaigns has given them the edge. That would give current members who know they won't be running next term incentive to resign, appoint a person of their choosing and hand that person an advantage in the next election. Though with such dismal voter turnout maybe it's just the diehards who show up anyway.
Some folks have said its like a nefarious thing to give existing people name recognition but I don't know about that - this isn't the white house here. I think it's more like if someone is interested, why not appoint them for a few months and let them try it out?
I think it is completely disrespectful of the voters if you leave before the term is up. Unless something comes up where you need to move out of town or you have some life changing event, resigning is pretty weak.
Why run in the first place if you are not committing to fill out your term?
I served on a city board for a a term. About midway through i had some changes at my job that involved some obligations that conflicted with the long standing board meeting time. I could have just blown off the board, but I juggled my schedule to make it work.
The worst of this in recent years was Weatherspoon who got defeated by the voters and a few weeks later a board opening occurred and they appointed her and she lasted only a year before quitting! Ridiculous.
I'd love to understand / reconcile the 5Essentials scores and how the Teachers Union decided to pick which candidates it should endorse in the 2023 Board election. There seems to be a huge disconnect.
Regarding the voter turnout, 2017 was the referendum year.
Welcome Caroline! I find the number of appointed board members interesting. More than half of the current board was appointed before being elected. I wonder if the name recognition / ability to say they're a current board member during campaigns has given them the edge. That would give current members who know they won't be running next term incentive to resign, appoint a person of their choosing and hand that person an advantage in the next election. Though with such dismal voter turnout maybe it's just the diehards who show up anyway.
Some folks have said its like a nefarious thing to give existing people name recognition but I don't know about that - this isn't the white house here. I think it's more like if someone is interested, why not appoint them for a few months and let them try it out?
I think it is completely disrespectful of the voters if you leave before the term is up. Unless something comes up where you need to move out of town or you have some life changing event, resigning is pretty weak.
Why run in the first place if you are not committing to fill out your term?
I served on a city board for a a term. About midway through i had some changes at my job that involved some obligations that conflicted with the long standing board meeting time. I could have just blown off the board, but I juggled my schedule to make it work.
The worst of this in recent years was Weatherspoon who got defeated by the voters and a few weeks later a board opening occurred and they appointed her and she lasted only a year before quitting! Ridiculous.
She was a personal friend of Horton (wrote one of his letters of recommendation to his gig in Georgia)
That's fair. I could see from a mile away that I would hate being on the board so your take on things hadn't even occurred to me.