Laura and Judd write in with a link to Rob Pope’s newly launched campaign website for the at-large seat on the city’s school board.
On the site, not only will you find the truly great pic above, but also Rob’s bio and his stated goals. Improving communication between the city commission and school board, along with wider implementation of surveys, top his list of specific action items.
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Hey, nice. Rob should be commended for spelling out so clearly what he’s about and how he’d approach the job. We the people only benefit when that happens.
Most everything made sense but I’d love a little more info as it relates to two items:
The first is the suggestion that there are no longer obstacles to issuing broad-based surveying whenever the system is confronting big issues because the technology is readily available. I agree that administration both in print and online is easily doable. My question is about the value of the data. Surveying needs to be approached carefully and scientifically in terms of both who participates and what’s asked to make the results valid, and that costs money. Otherwise, you end up with data that doesn’t necessarily support anything or is open to valid criticism, yet it required a fair amount man hours to collect. That wouldn’t be a wise use of resources.
I’m not saying it’s not a cost that should be incurred. Perhaps it is. But it would be nice to acknowledge up front that it’s necessary so the value of broad-based surveying can be better evaluated. Maybe parents talking to leadership teams talking to schools talking to the Board provides the necessary opps for input. Maybe not. I’d like to know more.
Second is a suggestion that a member of the school board could sit on the Planning Commission. I think Rob’s on the right track intentions-wise and 100% support the school system weighing in on annexation issues (and I think we made a little progress there with DeVry) but the Planning Commission is a citizen’s board. Politicizing it with elected officials is not in anyone’s interest, IMO. CSD should be brought into planning/development/annexation issues when their input is relevant, and there are better ways to structure that.
My two cents, anyways. Anything anyone could offer would be appreciated. Thanks.
Decatur mom spots one of her offspring in that picture (Rob is a great coach!). Off to check out his website…
Yay for new blood on the school board!
Hi Scott,
Thanks for the feedback. Regarding surveys, I agree that care must be taken to analyze the information and craft the survey accordingly and that this is no small task. However, I do believe that it is one way of information gathering that can and should be used more by CSD when major decisions are being made. I also do not mean to imply that all decisions should be made by survey results. Just like listening sessions and public comment, surveys would provide another important data gathering device to better inform CSD and the school board regarding parental and even citizen input.
For the Planning Commission, your point is well taken. I agree that the Commission is a citizen board. I do think a having a CSD person or School Board member present to advise or provide input is advisable, especially for the annexation issues and other issues that impact the student population.
Decatur Mom – thanks for the vote of confidence!
CSD Mom – I agree we need some new blood. I sincerely hope others step forward to run for the other spots on the board. Or even the at-large position. Engaged discussion is truly needed for all these positions.
Please keep the feedback coming. I appreciate all the thoughts and will listen and try to provide my input and will definitely be a better candidate for it.
Thanks,
Rob Pope
Vote for Rob Pope, CSD School Board
http://www.robpope.org
I have known Rob for a very long time. He is mature, respectful, thoughtful, and a good listener. He is probably as objective as any human can be, and I believe he will think about the good of all Decatur children before taking any position. I’m sure I will not agree with him on every position he will take, but I will vote for him because he embodies the best of what we should look for in our representatives.
A couple of questions:
(1) Is Valarie Wilson running for re-election? If so, why does she deserve to be “fired?”
(2) Does Mr. Pope support the reconfiguration and re-opening of Fifth Avenue as the city’s 4-5 Academy?
Not sure about how many are running for this position this year. But having a real election with more than one candidate is not “firing” someone. In fact, it makes democracy better to have a contest in which candidates must describe their stands on issues, listen to the voters, answer questions, and the voters must review and evaluate the candidates. If someone is re-elected (and incumbents usually have the advantage), then they are all the stronger as an elected official. If they are not, then someone else has a chance to prove themself and the incumbent can always try again another year. It seems to be a Decatur tradition to have a lot of uncontested elections as though it’s mean to run against nice people. Actually, campaigns and elections are usually more dynamic, content-driven, and well-attended if there’s at least 2 candidates.
I agree with you 100% CSD Snowflake. I agree that the threat of contested elections makes our public officials more responsible to the people and am glad that it appears several new people are running for office for various positions this year.
But I also know enough about elections that if you are challenging an incumbent elected office holder, that usually the only way you can win is to essentially argue that the incumbent has not done their job well and should be replaced and/or the incumbent is involved in some sort of scandal. If Ms. Wilson is running for re-election (and I don’t know that to be true, I have heard different accounts) I was just wondering what his argument is as to why she should be replaced?
I believe that Valarie has already announced that she is not running again.
Is it possible that Decatur is just dink enough, civilized enough, wise enough that we could have an election that is about what each candidate has to offer rather than what’s wrong with the other candidates? The good thing about School Board elections is that the glory to workload ratio is low enough that it almost isn’t worth politicizing it. And now that School Board members are giving up their stipends because of the budget woes, there isn’t even a hint of financial gain.
I think that would be nice. But I think all elections in Decatur have been “nice.” And guess what? The incumbent always wins. It is, unfortunately, just basic politics 101 – if a challenger to an incumbent is to have a chance to win they need to win the argument to the voters that the incumbent deserves to be replaced. Sorry, but Decatur might be different, but we still live in the same universe.
Reality is so darn annoying sometimes. I keep confusing Decatur for Mr. Rogers neighborhood….
I hate to be this way (no, actually I don’t), but if one hopes to improve schools by running for a school board position, one should make sure to check website copy for an invasion of the Random Capitalization Demon. As a former full-time professional writer & editor and current occasional one, the Random Capitalization Demon is my darkest enemy and bitterest combatant. I truly hate it when grammar trolls make a big deal of grammar issues on forums like this- who freaking cares? But this sort of thing- not so sure it doesn’t affect my opinion.
Examples please, Nellie. My cursory look does not compute…
The Pope family moved to Decatur for the great quality of life, the proximity to mass transit, the walkability and bike-ability of Decatur, and most of all, for the Great Schools.
The SLT also provided Rob the opportunity volunteer to serve as the Coordinator
I will push to have at least one regular joint meeting of the City Commission and the School Board every year.
As a future upper grades parent, I care directly about the changes we are making to the Middle School and the High School and how they will impact the students now and in the future
Random Capitalization Demon.
I told you I was picky. I do thing the website is adorable, though.
[...] Shared Rob Pope Launches Campaign Website For School Board Run [...]
What about the Random G’s for K’s Typo Demon?
I did that on purpose
Nellie, I call it Capitalization Tourette’s. But that’s probably unPC.
I think one of the important things here is that we actually get people out to vote in this election.
Given its potentially pivotal nature, maybe we should refer to it as the Election. ;^)
Snowflake, why don’t you run?
Um, too busy posting?
Is that a serious question? (I’m incurably gullible and many jokes go right over my head). If so, I might respond that between part-time to full-time work, 2 kids with lots of activities, school volunteering, house, lack of near-by family with either home repair or child care skills, never mind a little time to put on my own oxygen mask before I help others with theirs, I just can’t fit it in. But the truth is that I don’t think I have that polished, electable quality that the current Board members and Rob Pope have. Even low-key campaigns take some financing and energy and I’d hate to waste the time and money of friends and foes.
Very well said. Every time I don’t make it to a school board meeting because of a prior commitment to my four kids (swim meet, ballet class, general running-around, just wanting to be there to feed them dinner and put them to bed) I wonder how you can be really involved and committed on a school board level and still be really engaged in your children’s lives. I know that one of the school board member’s husbands is currently a stay-at-home dad. I wonder if the other members also have stay-at-home spouses.
I get the feeling, however, that Rob Pope can strike that balance. He seems to be energetic enough. I know I’m certainly not!
No, Snowflake, I was serious (at least as much as the current medication allows). You seem to be well-informed and logical. You also seem to really care.
Nelliebelle,
You are right. I must hang my head in shame for falling victim to the random capitalization demon. :-0
In my line of work, I put together so many powerpoints and bulleted fact sheets for managers that I often use caps in a non accepted manner for normal writing to try and get the point across. Thanks for pointing it out. I will try to get with my web guru to edit the web page. I probably should have consulted with an editor, but I’m doing this on a shoestring. ; – )
Tyler,
I originally thought that Valerie Wilson was not going to run and that I would be running for a vacant position with other new candidates. I still do not know for sure if Valerie Wilson is running or not, but I feel strongly that there is a need for some new voices on the board. While I have not ageed with every position that Valerie Wilson has taken or every decision the board has made in the past, I’m sure she has done what she thought was best for the students. I do think Decatur is different and I’m not going to go down the road of denouncing any other candidates.
Regarding the current Reconfiguration decision, I have to admit it was not my first choice. However, it was my second choice and I agree that re-opening 5th Ave. as a 4-5 academy seemed to have the most support among parents and teachers and I am appreciative of all the hard work that was done by the Committee that made the recommendation. I am wary of the costs (as were at least a couple of the current school board members) and I am not convinced that we will not need to open another K-3 if the student population continues to rise. I have child at Clairemont and the K-3 Expeditionary Learning model has worked well for my children. My son is at Glennwood and he seems to be enjoying the IB program. However, I think an IB diploma from the high school is more important than having IB at the 4-5 level. I am glad to see the system is making headway in moving that direction.
Thanks,
Rob Pope
Vote for Rob Pope, CSD School Board
http://www.robpope.org