Scott Stockburger for Bellingham Schools

The Rookie

I am still on the steep uphill of the learning curve for school board directors.  Here are a few observations from someone with a fresh perspective on the Bellingham School District.

Our community has been blessed with an outstanding administration and staff.  We are very lucky to have such talented people at the Bellingham School District.  They work hard for the District, and I must presume that the biggest motivator for them is that there is truly a commitment to the children of the District.  The more I observe, the more I think that they really have a special calling, a personal mission, to do this work for our kids. 

My fellow board members are likewise remarkable people.  The volume of work done by these volunteers simply can not be adequately acknowledged.  The current President and Vice President of the Board have put so many hours, days, years into this work that I feel I must begin every encounter from a perspective of gratitude and recognition of the work they have done for my children and yours.

Bellingham is often touted as a town that has no trouble attracting talented professionals.  But we have been a bit lucky so far.  There is no guarantee that we will maintain this level of professionalism at the School District, and no surety that we can improve upon our current staff.  Choosing the next Superintendent is likely the most important thing we will ever do as a Board.  With your help, we will choose the right person to lead us into the next generation.

Whatcom Middle School

Today is Back-to-School Day for Whatcom Middle School.  They will be well-served at their temporary homes at Bellingham High School, Fairhaven Middle School, and Geneva Elementary School. 

The Administration has done a super job taking care of these kids.  For Whatcom Middle School, first comes stabilization of the existing structure, an inventory of damages, and then a long-term plan for restoration and rebuilding.

Please let the staff of Whatcom Middle School, and the Bellingham School District, know how much we appreciate their hard work.

Campaign Finances

I'll be publishing here a detailed record of my campaign expenses.  It looks like we spent a total of about $2000 on the campaign,and we received about $1500 in donations. 

Of course, this does not include the hours of work, and the volunteers who put out signs, made phone calls, and sent emails.  Maybe later I'll try to estimate the number of volunteer hours that went into the campaign.  And it is difficult to put a price on the effort of the Whatcom Democrats.  Their party included my name in phone calls, on advertisements, and in mailers and email. 

The biggest donation, $400, came from the Bellingham Education Association, the union representing teachers and some other school employees.  I won't publish the names of individual donors, but those facts are on file with the state Public Disclosure Commission. 

I'm very grateful to all who helped, with donations of money, talent, or time.  We kept the expenses well under the five to ten thousand dollars that some folks speculated would be needed.  Now, one last plea for help:

Please don't forget about the School Board now that the campaign is over.  Give me your input via email, comments on this blog, or phone calls.  Facebook is a great way to tell me what you think.  Come to the meetings and sign up to speak.  And I will start a calendar linked to this blog to show you when and where you can find me or meet with the School Board. 

Thanks.

Whatcom

My prayers this morning are for the children, parents, teachers, and staff of Whatcom Middle School. 

I am thankful for the safety of the firefighters.  Other issues facing our district now seem much less important. 

Please call and write your friends at Whatcom.  Let them know you are with them.  Now is the time for our community to come together to support the District staff and the Whatcom Middle School community as they take the next steps on this unexpected journey.

Thank you!

Thank you, Bellingham voters!

I am humbled by your confidence.  Keep an eye on this website/blog.  I'll keep it updated on a weekly basis, and I am happy for people to post their thoughts here. 

Thank you for all your support.  I know that Bellingham's great schools will only get better.

Superintendent Search

It was a very low turnout at the District's meeting to solicit public input on the search for a new superintendent.  The turnout was so low that I suspect most people were unaware of the meeting.  Obviously there must be more opportunities for public input into the search, but for now, please use the District's on-line questionnaire to give your input. 

Conservation Site

The Carl Cozier parents turned out for the School Board meeting last night to speak up for reopening the Conservation Site.  This unique learning opportunity, where students learn about our pioneer history and local ecology, was a casualty of this year's budget cuts.  Everyone agrees that the site should be available as soon as funding can be restored.  If there is no funding for the site this year, it should be made available for field trips to be funded by PTAs and local citizens.  Thanks to the Carl Cozier parents for bringing this  important issue to the School Board.

Bellingham Herald Questions

The Herald will feature Position 5 in tomorrow's paper.  Since the article will be heavily edited, here are my full and unedited answers to their questions.  Please refer to my website, or email me, for my positions, experience, and goals. 

 1) The school board will be selecting a new superintendent this school year. What qualities do you think the new superintendent should have? How much public involvement should there be in the selection?  

Our new superintendent will need to carry on the open door policy of Dr. Vedra, being willing to meet with parents, teachers, and other stakeholders whenever needed.  S/he will need to be comfortable working outside a traditional hierarchical system, and moving within and between community networks in Bellingham.  S/he will need to be part politician and part salesperson, able to assess the mood and desires of the public and then handle the public relations  necessary to get the community to buy in on issues like budget cuts, new schools, and curriculum changes. 

The public, including voters, parents, and teachers, must have a major role in the selection of the new superintendent.  For our new superintendent to have the support s/he needs in a difficult economy, s/he must have the support of all stakeholders.  The new superintendent can not be seen as someone chosen by the School Board, but must be someone chosen by our larger community.  So a search committee must be large enough to accommodate all interested parties and to command the respect of the School Board.  It will be a tough job, and the chair of the search committee will need our absolute support.

2) Many education leaders in the state expect current budget issues to continue, if not get worse, over the next couple of school years. How will you help ensure that all students are being served while trimming expenses?

In addition to trimming expenses, we must also identify other sources of funding for the school district.  Even if new income for the district can be obtained, we will still face spending cuts for the near future.  To protect students and ensure that all students are being served, we must recognize that different students and different schools have different needs.  It will be necessary to focus resources on schools and students who are not meeting grade level expectations, schools without passing WASL scores, schools with more students on the free school lunch program. As new curricula are phased in, as all-day kindergarten is phased in, as we make choices about buildings and infrastructure, we must first care for the most vulnerable students in our district.

3) Do you think the Bellingham School District has enough schools to meet the needs of all students? Are there too many schools? Do you think the schools are geographically located through the community in a way that makes sense? Why or why not? 

Although we have enough schools to meet our needs for the next year or two, it is predicting the future that is always the problem.  How many schools will we need in the future, and where should they be built? 

For our next elementary school, our priority should be Sudden Valley: an existing neighborhood whose children must currently be transported long distances from home.  There is controversy over the Aldrich Road site, and it may be an ideal spot for a school, in the more distant future.  Immediately, we can get kids off school buses and keep kids in their own neighborhood by moving forward with the Sudden Valley elementary school.

As a community, we have committed ourselves to principles of limiting our suburban growth, promoting infill, and reducing car trips by making our city more friendly to bicyclists and pedestrians.  As we decide where to site new schools, we should support our city's plans.  Rather than building schools on the edge of town, hoping that homes and neighborhoods will be built around the schools, we should approach the issue with innovative planning and construction, supporting neighborhoods which already exist, and promoting the goals of our city planners.

I will also support elimination of our dependence upon “portable” or “relocatable” classrooms. When making decisions about new buildings, we should first get kids out of these inadequate buildings and into permanent schools with restrooms, windows, and covered or interior hallways. A small child should not have to run through the rain to make a trip to the restroom. Bellingham has shown over and over again how much we care for our children. We can do better, and we will do better.

Endorsements

Bellingham Education Association

This endorsement by school teachers and school nurses is most appreciated.

Whatcom Democrats

Technically, this is a nonpartisan race, but I am grateful for their support.  I was the only one of four candidates to receive the endorsement of the Democratic Party.

Whatcom Democratic Womens Club

The Democratic Womens Club endorsed me for Position 5, and issued a joint-endorsement for the two candidates running for Position 4.

Sudden Valley

Sudden Valley should be our top priority for the next elementary school in the Bellingham School District.  If I am elected to the School Board, I will work to put this on the fast track.  Let's get those kids off buses and let them go to a school in their own neighborhood. 

Reality Check

I've just returned from my cousin Amy's wedding.  Amy is a role model, a real hero, one of the finest people I know.  Amy is a New York City Public Schools teacher, middle school, frequently teaching Health classes to children afflicted by extreme poverty, early teen pregnancy, crime, and drug abuse. 

Amy is not so concerned about buildings or class size or contracts.  She is focused on her students.  So her concerns are the safety of her students and the welfare of the children of her students.  She is focused not so much on preparing kids to succeed after high school, as she is focused on helping kids to survive and negotiate a sometimes bleak and dangerous world.

The problems faced by Bellingham Schools are not so bad compared to the difficulties faced by much of our country.  We have a great school system in Bellingham, and it will continue to thrive and improve.  Please vote for me and let's  build on our district's success.

Alfie Kohn

I will be on the East Coast and unable to attend Alfie Kohn's lecture at Whatcom Community College on October 9.  Although the talk is sponsored by two leading private schools, the subjects are hot topics in the  public schools as well.  I recommend Kohn's book Punished by Rewards.  It will force you to think outside the box and question many of the things we take for granted about our educational system.  If you have kids, or care about education, Kohn's lectures and books are worth your time.

Why Neighborhood Schools are Worth Saving

For many voters, and some candidates, this election boils down to the question of neighborhood schools.  Will we close our smaller schools:  Parkview, Birchwood, Columbia, Larrabee; and build another superschool on the edge of town, putting our kids on buses or in cars twice-a-day?  Would this actually save money?  Or would it simply shift costs to other areas?  If it did save money, is it worth the impact on our neighborhoods, removing the school, the playground, the workers, the children that give the neighborhood its character?

The proposals to close our small schools while building bigger, regional schools on the outskirts of town are about much more than saving money in next year's budget.  We are talking about a major shift in the culture of Bellingham:  moving away from walkable neighborhoods and urban villages to suburban sprawl and a more car-dependent city.  I believe there is no consensus for such a shift.  I believe the consensus in our city is to support neighborhoods and smaller elementary schools. 

Help me to keep Bellingham a city of good neighborhoods, good elementary schools, and children actually walking to school every day.  Vote to keep Parkview open, to keep Columbia open, to keep our neighborhoods viable.  Thanks for your support.

Bellingham Teachers Endorse Stockburger for School Board

The Bellingham Education Association announced their support for Scott Stockburger for Position 5 on the Bellingham School Board.  "I am honored to have the support of our teachers.  Our teachers are responsible for the education and well-being of our children, but they are also our friends and our family members and our neighbors.  I look forward to partnering with our teachers to make our schools the best they can be."

Whatcom County Democratic Women's Club Endorses Stockburger

Thank you to the Whacom County Democratic Women's Club, who endorsed me for at their Fall meeting yesterday!  Their confidence in me affirms the larger Whatcom Democratic Party's earlier endorsement.  I am humbled by their endorsement, and I pledge to represent their Democratic values on the School Board. 

I reminded the Women's Club that I am not a professional educator, I am a professional listener.  I don't pretend to know everything about curriculum or testing.  Fortunately, I don't need to know every detail.  Bellingham is blessed with great school administrators, principals, and teachers.  What we need is a School Board that will give them the support they need to do their jobs, without fear of layoffs or school closures. 

As a School Board Director, I pledge to foster communication and build an environment based on cooperation, instead of the current climate of fear and us-versus-them tribalism.  North Side, South Side, big schools, small schools, we can have a school district that meets everyone's needs and takes care of every school and every student.  The budget cuts that we face in future years do not have to drive us into separate camps.  We must seize the opportunity to come together as a community, to work together for everyone's benefit.  This is Bellingham, not Seattle.  We will find the creative solutions to our budget problems.    And if we do it right, we will be a stronger and tighter community than ever before.

I am grateful to the Democratic Women's Club for their vote of confidence.  Thank you for your endorsement.

Stockburger Wins Democratic Endorsement

The Whatcom Democratic Party, at their meeting last night, endorsed Scott Stockburger as the Democratic candidate for School Board.  Of the four candidates considered by the approximately 100 in attendance, Dr. Stockburger was the only candidate to receive the two-thirds majority required for endorsement. 

To be the only School Board candidate to receive the Democratic Party's endorsement is tremendous vote of confidence.   Thank you, Whatcom Democrats.