A School Board candidate emerges
With the news that 4th District rep George Braxton wouldn’t be returning to the School Board after his current term is up, we wondered who would be best for the 4th District. The first candidate has stepped up in the form of local blogger Bert Berlin. We’re hoping to catch up with Bert for a brief Q&A regarding his candidacy (and if you have any burning questions, shoot ‘em our way).
This begs the question: will Bert run unopposed, or will other hats be thrown into the ring?
Adria Graham Scott is putting together a strong list of endrosements, with REA, the Crusade for Voters, the Coaliton for Great Richmond (business group), Council members Chris Hilbert, Ellen Robertson and Kathy Graziano. The 10/16 Times Dispatch also reports another group (GREATT) endorsing her as well.
…and she has her faithful supporter Ron, posting to Hills & Heights. Does Ms. Scott plan to participate as well? When is she going to put forth some opinions of her own as opposed to her list of endorsements and qualifications?
With Scott’s big list of political endorsements it seems the School Board seat is nothing more than a mere stepping stone.
Richmond neighborhoods are ready for some grass roots action. We’re tired of the old system. I’m hoping we have SB members ready to embrace progressive new ideas, make some radical changes, and give parents more power. We don’t need leaders just listening to us politely and that is all. We don’t want to hear the same slogans pumped from the political swamp. I never want to be told again by a single elected official or RPS employee that what we see, witness, hear is only a “perception” -they are telling us not to trust our own senses or experiences.
I just want the next SB members to realize that you work for us, not the political organizations that can give you a boost to the next level.
Jonathan Mallard is an engineer by training and smart as can be. We need SB members who can read budgets and find money for the things that are needed in the city — not candidates who will be beholden to the various groups that endorse them.
The only real endorsements that matter are the ones that are delivered on election day when people vote.
Hang in there, Jonathan! There are a lot of people who have noticed you and what you offer to this city.
I’m far more impressed by someone leaving a little campaign postcard in my door (with a personal, handwritten “Sorry I missed you” even) or stumping at the Farmer’s Market, the Folk Festival (Goldman) or a neighborhood picnic than I am by an expensively glossy, photo-heavy CV showing up in my mailbox that says absolutely nothing about the candidate other than listing the political organizations who think I should vote for her. Every other one of the candidates, including the write-ins, has put something personal into words where I could see them, except for Ms. Scott.
Gray’s right – our children are not stepping stones to Greater Things. They are the most precious resource our city has, and I’m not interested in electing someone whose apparent aim is higher office.
Let’s recognize one thing about endorsements. All the endorsements Adria received were based on guessing the right answers on a questionnaire and/or smiling the right way at a half-hour interview. And has become apparent, the public endorsements start to have a bandwagon effect.
I too have endorsements. And I am proud of them because they are from people who have worked with me on school issues since I have been in Richmond. There are many other people who would endorse my candidacy if they didn’t work for RPS.
My endorsers: George Braxton, School Board chair; Erin Bishop, President of Friends of Fourth District Schools; Mieko Manuel Timmons, City-wide coordinator of the Micah Initiative; Rev. Benjamin Campbell, Pastoral Director at Richmond Hill; Tom Klein, Chair of the Richmond Business Council of the Greater Richmond Chamber of Commerce; and Tichi Pinkney-Epps, former President of the Richmond Council of PTAs.
If you want to see what they say about me, go to http://www.bertberlin.com/endorsements.html.
Bert, endorsements aren’t a bad thing, but they shouldn’t be the ONLY thing. I’ve seen you out in public on more than one occasion, and I know you’re stumping in the neighborhoods. I wouldn’t know this lady (aside from the Large Glossy Color Photographs included in the Deluxe Mailer) if she came up and kicked me in the shins. Maybe I’m just completely missing some huge push she’s made – has anyone else seen her? “Ron” doesn’t count.
I’m sure there are some of you who are asking why you never see any of my campaign signs. Well, let me tell you. There is a supporter of one of the other candidates who thinks it is his job to remove every Bert Berlin 4 School Board sign that I put up. This deprives all of you of the right to see my message. It also has cost me a lot of money. So far, I do not believe that the perpetrator has actually gone onto private property to remove signs. So, if any of you live along a major thoroughfare and would like to help me get my message out, please call (233-3738) and I’ll bring you a sign.
Bert, Many of your endorsements come from grass roots type iniatives and groups -Micah, Richmond Hill -people that really care about Richmond’s children. Organizations like the REA seem more concerned with keeping all the control and power. I’ve heard that the REA has been passing out the same questionaire for years…the questions are as stale as the organization.
I’ve had the opportunity to meet all the candidates, and have been to both forums of SB candidates in the 4th District. I support Adria, but the truth is, all four of these candidates are superior to what we see in other districts. Three of the four have been going door to door, been at the Farmer’s Market and at Sunday in the Park. All have addressed crucial issues at the forums, and have been specific in favor of Patrick Henry, public-private partnerships, parental involvement and neighborhood schools.
Berlin then Mallard followed in publishing their answers to the REA questionaire online. Would the other candidates be willing to do the same?
I admire Berlin and Mallard’s openness. I like seeing their work from educational research, stances on issues, to spread sheets online for all to see. They are not afraid of showing us the nuts and bolts of their individual thought processes, findings, and decision making. It is a tough decision between the two. But like Berlin, I’m working to make the neighborhood school a place neighbors will send their children and I like his constant research into all the types of progressive schools and movements in education and his suggestions of trying them.
Berlin, you can place a sign in my family’s yard but it’s not on a major road.
David,
Question for you:
I’ve posted a guess at the shortfall from the city. Mr. Black has proposed $15.8 million in cuts in addition to the $6 million required to balance the budget.
How much does your office anticipate asking the schools to reduce?
There are only two candidates who have proposed concrete ideas for improving RPS, Jonathan and me. As I have said the major difference between us is that I have a big-picture mind and Jonathan loves the minute details. Also, I have been in classrooms for the last three years and understand the problems teachers and principals face.
As for Adria who gets all the big endorsements, her “Comprehensive Plan” is a bunch of slogans (Passionate about education, Passionate about parental choice. Great schools build great communities) with no substance. Much of what she says she seems to have gotten from my blog. For example:
Promote excellence: I have spoken about the need to prepare our children for the 21st century. Go to my website, click on The Issues and then “Broadening the Debate.”
Build coalitions: I started building coalitions before there was a vacancy on the school board. I already have connections to the business community, the faith community, civic groups. I have also been working for Friends of Fourth District schools to make our neighborhood schools work. Adria talks, but Bert does.
Give parents options: I am working hard to give parents the option that they pay taxes for—QUALITY NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOLS.
Account for every tax dollar: Take a look at “Hey! That’s Our Money!” on my blog, jamesrivermaven.blogspot.com. I spent most of my career dealing with government accountability. I know how to bring accountability to Richmond Public Schools.
Save $25 million: Is this the same $25 million that Bill Pantele claims he has already saved? If Adria had been paying attention she would know that the School Board is already implementing the recommedations of the city auditor.
Embrace innovation: Take a look at my latest post blog post, From Outside the Box, at jamesrivermaven.blogspot.com. I don’t know whether any of those are politically possible or even the right ideas, but we have to at least discuss everything. It’s great to talk about innovation but I understand what has worked elsewhere.
Bert’s “big picture -small details” comment seems a reasonable summary of the apparent differences between Mallard and Berlin. My only comment is: there are more than enough “big picture” guys and a paucity of those who are willing to dive into the details to make sure it’s going right. The Devil etc., etc.
Bert, you sound like an apologist for the RPS administration. You should take a look at Mallard’s spreadsheet. Those schools are not only separate, they are not equal. There appears to be a whole lotta money NOT MAKING IT to the classroom.
I agree with “tlm.” We need a guy like Mallard who is patient enough to sift through the details, most especially as the economy tanks on bothe the federal and state levels.
And what is up with Bert smacking Carol Wolf? If Wolf had not dogged the last finance director of RPS, we would still have that guy on board wasting money. More than any other board member, she has led the charge for financial accountability for RPS. Thank goodness she didn’t compromise on that.
And just where does Bert think Wolf start compromising on the ADA issue?
We are talking about the law. As a parent of a child with a disability, I am really curious who legal rights should be compromised?
Hi all,
I don’t have kids, yet. Naturally, I have never paid much attention to school board elections. Monday evening I arrived home from work and met Jonathan Mallard in my driveway. I had a very brief conversation with Mr Mallard. I told him I didn’t have kids… and he responded, “but you still pay taxes”.
It was pretty chilly monday evening and I notice Mr Mallard was a bit under dressed for the evening weather. I remember thinking, ‘he’s gotta gettin cold’. After we spoke he kept on down the street to my neighbors houses. I gotta say, this impressed me. I decided it was time to do some research on my school board candidates.
I had told Mr. Mallard he was already my front runner when he walked away. I can say today, he has my support! Mr. Mallard is obviuosly a man of principal. He got out, hit the beat, and went old school…going door to door. I find Mr. Mallard to be down to earth, and his greatest attribute is…common sense vision. We need detail oriented people making decisions with our tax dollars. I support charter schools. Competition drives progress.
Thank you, Mr. Mallard for stopping by my home and introducing yourself to me. Had it not been for our meeting I would have simply not voted in the school board race. Thank you for sparking my interest. It made me stop and think. I need to be involved. One day soon, when I have kids, the policies set in place today will affect my kids in the future. I encourage all to give their support to Jonathan Mallard.
Thanks again, Mr. Mallard
His association with the troubled Forth District Schools suggests to me that Bert Berlin has been part of the problem all along. If you’re happy with the current quality of education, and the way school financial records are maintained, then vote for Mr. Berlin.
If you want reliable fiscal records and improved education funding in the Forth District School System, then Mr. Mallard is the candidate of choice.