Tulsa school board election

[MichaelBates]

Since no one else has started the discussion....

Most of Midtown will have a school board race on their ballot next Tuesday. The current board member, Cathy Newsome, is stepping down from the District 5 seat. Brian Hunt and Radious Y. Guess are running for the seat. You can read their responses, along with those of candidates for other area school board seats and the vo-tech board seat (district 3) in the League of Women Voters questionnaire.

This PDF shows a map of Tulsa County school districts and the election district boundaries for TPS, and here's a JPEG showing the election districts for the Tulsa Technology Center board.

I haven't made up my mind yet between Hunt and Guess. If anyone else has, I'd like to hear who you're supporting and why.

[tim huntzinger]

100% behind Guess. She has specific background and training in the area.  I respect Hunt's experience in non-profits, but feel he should ellucidate his involvement in PTA organizations if he has any.

[swake]

quote:Originally posted by tim huntzinger

100% behind Guess. She has specific background and training in the area.  I respect Hunt's experience in non-profits, but feel he should ellucidate his involvement in PTA organizations if he has any.

Is involvement with a PTA group a negative???

[tim huntzinger]

No, silly! I would want to know that he is an active PTA member or has specific background in education.  Hunt could use this: 'Do not Guess on your vote!'

[cannon_fodder]

I saw some lawyer David Garret Jr. (aka Mitchell) signs littering Yale near 41st recently. Not sure is he is running for school board or whatever else.  But he and Guess are the only signs I have seen around.

I've always wonder why people that are not educators and have no children would want to be on the school board?

[tim huntzinger]

I think Garrett is running for Vo-tech Board.

[RecycleMichael]

Garrett's volunteers have put illegal signs all down 31st street. I liked the guy until that. Now he will never get my vote.

I like Brian Hunt. He coached his daughter's soccer team against the team that my wife coached (she won). I knew him at the Chamber of Commerce and now as a real estate agent he has helped a few groups I am with find space.

I have good friends at Zarrow who say Guess is not worthy of our vote. I won't go into details here, (I don't want to slander on hearsay), but two different sets of parents said the same stuff.

[Gaspar]

I know Brian.  He's a top notch guy!  Honest, hardworking, smart, and compassionate.  He has my vote!

[tim huntzinger]

quote:Originally posted by RecycleMichael


I have good friends at Zarrow who say Guess is not worthy of our vote. I won't go into details here, (I don't want to slander on hearsay), but two different sets of parents said the same stuff.

She must be Satan's daugher for you to say something like that . . .

[RecycleMichael]

You are right. I shouldn't have gone there.

I just ask around. I am not even in that district, but I want to know every thing I can about who is on the school board.

My kids deserve the best.

[PonderInc]

The Tulsa World endorsed Guess, citing her extensive educational experience and training.

On one hand, I want to believe that an education background is a good thing; but on the other hand, I think that many of the problems with our school system (inept teachers, principals, and administrators) are caused by people with education degrees.  

My skepticism increased after taking education classes 10 years ago when I was considering teaching.  I thought: this is the dumbest stuff I've ever heard, who invents this crap?  It led me to believe that the school system would be much improved if everyone had a degree in the subject they teach...instead of a goofy education degree.

So...can an "insider" reform from the inside?  Or is it better to support an "outsider" who might just bring some common sense to the table?

At the same time, I disagree with the pragmatists who think all schools should do is prepare students for the business world.  Education is different from training.  And those who would limit art, music, and theater programs for the sake of more "hard skills" don't realize the importance of creativity, experimentation and imagination.

I don't really know where each of these candidates stands on these topics.  And I'm not sure who to vote for tomorrow.  Looks like I've got homework to do!

[Gaspar]

quote:Originally posted by PonderInc

The Tulsa World endorsed Guess, citing her extensive educational experience and training.

On one hand, I want to believe that an education background is a good thing; but on the other hand, I think that many of the problems with our school system (inept teachers, principals, and administrators) are caused by people with education degrees.  

My skepticism increased after taking education classes 10 years ago when I was considering teaching.  I thought: this is the dumbest stuff I've ever heard, who invents this crap?  It led me to believe that the school system would be much improved if everyone had a degree in the subject they teach...instead of a goofy education degree.

So...can an "insider" reform from the inside?  Or is it better to support an "outsider" who might just bring some common sense to the table?

At the same time, I disagree with the pragmatists who think all schools should do is prepare students for the business world.  Education is different from training.  And those who would limit art, music, and theater programs for the sake of more "hard skills" don't realize the importance of creativity, experimentation and imagination.

I don't really know where each of these candidates stands on these topics.  And I'm not sure who to vote for tomorrow.  Looks like I've got homework to do!

Best thing to do is just listen for who the teacher's union is supporting and then vote for the other candidate!

[RecycleMichael]

Brian Hunt won easily with 77% of the vote.

The Tulsa Tech race is a runoff between Beatrice Cramer and Tim Bradley.

Mitchell Garrett finished a poor third. His littering of illegal signs was bad karma.

[waterboy]

quote:Originally posted by RecycleMichael

Brian Hunt won easily with 77% of the vote.

The Tulsa Tech race is a runoff between Beatrice Cramer and Tim Bradley.

Mitchell Garrett finished a poor third. His littering of illegal signs was bad karma.

In Jenks, Hite had signs all over the easements from 101st south and east of Yale. It looked like he was winning when I retired last nite. His karma was overidden.

[RecycleMichael]

Hidy was an incumbent, in fact, the school board president.

Hard to beat an incumbent.