Scott Stockburger for Bellingham Schools

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.