To: Seattle School Board
From: Nancy Eitreim, President LWV Seattle
Date: December 5, 2006
To the Seattle School Board members,
The League of Women Voters of Seattle supports an elected school board. School Board directors represent their constituents who are the residents of Seattle. School Board directors make policy and have final decision making powers. The League believes that a position should be an elected one when representation is of primary importance as is the case with school board directors. When specialized training is of primary importance, the position should be appointive.
While we support an elected school board, we also believe there needs to be an examination of the current system of citizen volunteers. No staff and little compensation are provided to members to whom the responsibilities of governance and policy making are given. Board members are dependent on the district staff and members’ own resources to carry out their responsibilities. This arrangement may deter many candidates who might otherwise seek election to this office and may make it more difficult for those elected to serve. We believe that we need to begin a constructive discussion on this issue.
In spite of the challenges, the record of the Seattle School District is impressive.
o The district has developed a strong financial base and taken tough actions to ensure financial stability.
o Only two large cities in Washington have better reading scores than Seattle. (Bellevue and Federal Way)
o Recently hired Chief Academic Officer Carla Santorno has generated great support in the community.
o The district established a strategic framework and clear benchmarks by which citizens can hold the district accountable.
o There are an increasing number of schools who have had success in raising academic achievement for children of color.
The major crisis the district faces is lack of sufficient funding from the state. The state is 42nd in per student funding and 46th in class size. Adequate funding is the issue that needs full community attention and energy. While there may be things we can do to strengthen the electoral process for school board members, our focus should be on providing the district with financial and community support to enable the district to focus on educating every student to his/her highest potential.
Sincerely,
Nancy Eitreim, President
The League of Women Voters of Seattle
cc: Mayor Greg Nickels
Seattle City Council Members
Superintendent Raj Manhas
Seattle State Legislators
Jessica Blanchard, Seattle P-I
Bob Young, Seattle Times