Despite student performance, voters have so far stuck with school board incumbents

While most of the attention during the Democratic primary and in the last weeks leading up to the general election has been on the twists in the mayoral race, there’s been something equally unexpected about the city school board race. With such dismal performance of city students by almost every standard, the dissatisfaction with school officials has been intense. Yet all the school board incumbents won their primary races.

The outcry from parents and business and community leaders seemed to suggest that the three incumbents – Jose Cruz, Cynthia Elliott, and Van White – were in trouble.

It’s not as if voters haven’t had alternatives. Incumbent school board members faced more competition in this election than in most. Some of the challengers have been quite strong, too. And the Democrat and Chronicle pushed a “throw the incumbents” out agenda — refusing to endorse any of the school board vets.

But that’s not what happened in the primary. The dramatic upset that most people expected in the school board race occurred in the mayoral race instead. And though there is still an opportunity for more surprises with today’s general election, you have to wonder what’s really on the minds of voters when it comes to the school board seats.

This is a wild guess, but voters may be seeing a glimmer of something positive in the district and maybe they want to give it a chance. The in-fighting between some board members has not been as acidic or as public. Discussions about some key issues have been more deliberative and less rancorous.

And Superintendent Bolgen Vargas seems more comfortable and confident after having made some dramatic changes to the district. When asked recently whether his relationship with the board has improved, he said he thought it had. And he said that he also believes that the public has generally approved of some of his biggest initiatives, which also had the support of the board.

“I think there is some acceptance, a growing community acceptance about the need for expanded learning,” he said.

Vargas said that Wilson Magnet High School will bring the total number of schools with expanded instruction time this year to 21. And he said that he’s trying to get the funds to start full-day universal pre-k in January 2014. And his drive to increase attendance and reading, he said, are showing signs of working.

Maybe voters aren’t thrilled with Cruz, Elliott, or White, but they’ve had their fill of contentious board members and drive-by superintendents.

This article appears in Oct 30 – Nov 5, 2013.

http://www.democratandchronicle.com/articl…

Dear Brothers and Sisters

It has been a long race.

First, and foremost, I would like to thank all of those who supported our campaign, especially Ms. Carla Williams, Ms. Kashima Morrison, Mr. Mark Friedman, Mr. Tim Adams, Ms. Dominique Thomas, Mr. Dana Bratcher, Mr. Jerry Hunt, Mr. John Rouse, Ms. Olivene Adams, and of course my running-mate, Mr. Ronald Hall, as well as many others who supported us financially, and in other ways. I thank my family for their tremendous patience, and understanding. We are humbled by the support of two-thousand-plus voters who backed us at the polls on September 10th, and again on November 5th. WE SINCERELY THANK Y’ALL!

Apparently, the majority of the relatively small percentage of eligible voters who came out for the General Election are not ready for change in the Rochester City School District. Because the majority of this relatively small group of participants have chosen to go with the status-quo (again) — this virtually guarantees that conditions will not improve substantially within the Rochester City School District.

PLEASE DO NOT VIEW MY LATTER STATEMENT AS REPRESENTING SO-CALLED “SOUR-GRAPES,” OR ANY OTHER SUCH SILLY IDEA. Brothers, and sisters this is very serious business, and I’m asking you to think — I mean really THINK. The three incumbents — whom were just returned to the Board for four(4) more years — have (collectively) been part of the leadership of the worst performing school district in all of New York State, and much of the nation for eighteen (18) years (eight, six, and four years respectively). Have conditions improved over the past eight, or six, or four years? Of course this is a rhetorical question. We all know the answer. So, what would make us think that these Board members will suddenly gain the knowledge, commitment, expertise, and intestinal fortitude, which will be necessary in order to produce widespread, fundamental change, and improvement? Precisely because it is crystal-clear that conditions will not improve, and are in fact, likely to get worse under the current “leadership” — we will begin preparing for two years from now (2015) when four Board seats (the majority) will be up for re-election. It is our hope that by 2015, even many so-called “prime” -voters, and staunch supporters of the status-quo will come to their senses, and realize that in order to produce substantial change, and improvement — new, bold, knowledgeable, committed leadership is necessary.

Of course, a major task for us will be figuring out how to produce more involvement on the part of massive numbers (the clear majority of eligible voters) who currently (for many reasons) choose not to participate in the electoral process.

Brothers and Sisters, so-called “democracy” in Rochester is not healthy. When the vast majority of the electorate are not participating (for decades) — “democracy” is not healthy. When an incumbent school board member who has been part of the leadership of the worse performing school district in the State, and much of the nation for six years — out-polls the next Mayor of the City by almost 3,000 votes — that’s a clear indicator that something is wrong with the health of democracy. When two novice candidates for school board who have no real, in-depth knowledge, or understanding of educational issues, and no real records of service to Rochester City School District students, and families, out-poll two committed, veteran educators with long records of service (at the level where the rubber hits the road i.e., the classroom) that’s a clear indication that something is very wrong with the health of democracy.

WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO, AND WE HOPE THAT OVER THE NEXT TWO YEARS Y’ALL WILL JOIN WITH US TO HELP PRODUCE WAY-OVERDUE, MUCH-NEEDED CHANGE, AND IMPROVEMENT, WHICH OUR CHILDREN, AND FAMILIES SO RICHLY DESERVE.

The Struggle Continues…

Thank you,
Howard
————

THIS ARTICLE BELOW (FROM CITY NEWS PAPER) IS VERY, VERY INTERESTING:

“What this means for the school district is hard to say.”

NO IT ISN’T. I’VE JUST SAID WHAT IT MEANS (ABOVE).

CITY NEWSPAPER

ROCHESTER SCHOOL BOARD

Despite the Rochester City School District’s abysmal academic performance — something that has dragged on for years, marked by a declining enrollment and increasingly disengaged parents — voters tonight returned the three school board incumbents for another term.

Board members Jose Cruz, Cynthia Elliott, and Van White, all Democrats, have beaten their challengers in the general election, and they’ve done so with fairly wide margins.

Led by White, the incumbents grabbed the lion’s share of votes — well more than 60 percent. And even though candidate Candice Lucas came extremely close to overtaking Cruz in the Democratic primary, she was no threat to him tonight.

What this means for the school district is hard to say except that a strong majority of the voters who turned out tonight passed at the opportunity to remove nearly half of the school board.

And while voters also showed their support for Lovely Warren as the city‘s next mayor, who incidentally campaigned heavily on an education platform, they weren’t necessarily giving her a green light to make big changes.

3 replies on “Despite student performance, voters have so far stuck with school board incumbents”

Howard J. Eagle says:

November 5, 2013 at 5:46 pm

Tim Macaluso, and City Newspaper are literally making stuff up about the Rochester City School District:

“…you have to wonder what’s really on the minds of voters when it comes to the school board seats. This is a wild guess, but voters may be seeing a glimmer of something positive in the district and maybe they want to give it a chance.” WHAT??? WHAT??? !!! IT SURE IS A “WILD GUESS” REAL WILD!!!

“And Superintendent Bolgen Vargas seems more comfortable and confident after having made some dramatic changes to the district.”
“DRAMATIC CHANGES”??? WHAT??? WHAT???
swk says:

November 5, 2013 at 6:19 pm

Anyone who sees a glimmer of something positive is not really looking, but rather are simply buying the rhetoric being fed to them by RCSD administration & board. Unfortunately, I too have only wild guesses as to why voters haven’t voted these incumbents out. What I do know is that RCSD is in the worst shape it has ever been in, at least in the 10+ years I’ve been in a position to know. Moral is at an all-time low. The extended learning program Vargas is touting is a joke & a huge waste of money – at least the way it’s being implemented. Cutting Student Support Centers? Foolish. Attendance blitzes? Ineffective and only for show. Let’s remember this superintendent has NO experience as an administrator – at ANY level. Nor does he have ANY experience working in an urban setting. Wake up Rochester!!
Howard J. Eagle says:

November 6, 2013 at 8:32 am

http://www.democratandchronicle.com/articl…

Dear Brothers and Sisters

It has been a long race.

First, and foremost, I would like to thank all of those who supported our campaign, especially Ms. Carla Williams, Ms. Kashima Morrison, Mr. Mark Friedman, Mr. Tim Adams, Ms. Dominique Thomas, Mr. Dana Bratcher, Mr. Jerry Hunt, Mr. John Rouse, Ms. Olivene Adams, and of course my running-mate, Mr. Ronald Hall, as well as many others who supported us financially, and in other ways. I thank my family for their tremendous patience, and understanding. We are humbled by the support of two-thousand-plus voters who backed us at the polls on September 10th, and again on November 5th. WE SINCERELY THANK Y’ALL!

Apparently, the majority of the relatively small percentage of eligible voters who came out for the General Election are not ready for change in the Rochester City School District. Because the majority of this relatively small group of participants have chosen to go with the status-quo (again) — this virtually guarantees that conditions will not improve substantially within the Rochester City School District.

PLEASE DO NOT VIEW MY LATTER STATEMENT AS REPRESENTING SO-CALLED “SOUR-GRAPES,” OR ANY OTHER SUCH SILLY IDEA. Brothers, and sisters this is very serious business, and I’m asking you to think — I mean really THINK. The three incumbents — whom were just returned to the Board for four(4) more years — have (collectively) been part of the leadership of the worst performing school district in all of New York State, and much of the nation for eighteen (18) years (eight, six, and four years respectively). Have conditions improved over the past eight, or six, or four years? Of course this is a rhetorical question. We all know the answer. So, what would make us think that these Board members will suddenly gain the knowledge, commitment, expertise, and intestinal fortitude, which will be necessary in order to produce widespread, fundamental change, and improvement? Precisely because it is crystal-clear that conditions will not improve, and are in fact, likely to get worse under the current “leadership” — we will begin preparing for two years from now (2015) when four Board seats (the majority) will be up for re-election. It is our hope that by 2015, even many so-called “prime” -voters, and staunch supporters of the status-quo will come to their senses, and realize that in order to produce substantial change, and improvement — new, bold, knowledgeable, committed leadership is necessary.

Of course, a major task for us will be figuring out how to produce more involvement on the part of massive numbers (the clear majority of eligible voters) who currently (for many reasons) choose not to participate in the electoral process.

Brothers and Sisters, so-called “democracy” in Rochester is not healthy. When the vast majority of the electorate are not participating (for decades) — “democracy” is not healthy. When an incumbent school board member who has been part of the leadership of the worse performing school district in the State, and much of the nation for six years — out-polls the next Mayor of the City by almost 3,000 votes — that’s a clear indicator that something is wrong with the health of democracy. When two novice candidates for school board who have no real, in-depth knowledge, or understanding of educational issues, and no real records of service to Rochester City School District students, and families, out-poll two committed, veteran educators with long records of service (at the level where the rubber hits the road i.e., the classroom) that’s a clear indication that something is very wrong with the health of democracy.

WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO, AND WE HOPE THAT OVER THE NEXT TWO YEARS Y’ALL WILL JOIN WITH US TO HELP PRODUCE WAY-OVERDUE, MUCH-NEEDED CHANGE, AND IMPROVEMENT, WHICH OUR CHILDREN, AND FAMILIES SO RICHLY DESERVE.

The Struggle Continues…

Thank you,
Howard
————

THIS ARTICLE BELOW (FROM CITY NEWS PAPER) IS VERY, VERY INTERESTING:

“What this means for the school district is hard to say.”

NO IT ISN’T. I’VE JUST SAID WHAT IT MEANS (ABOVE).

CITY NEWSPAPER

ROCHESTER SCHOOL BOARD

Despite the Rochester City School District’s abysmal academic performance — something that has dragged on for years, marked by a declining enrollment and increasingly disengaged parents — voters tonight returned the three school board incumbents for another term.

Board members Jose Cruz, Cynthia Elliott, and Van White, all Democrats, have beaten their challengers in the general election, and they’ve done so with fairly wide margins.

Led by White, the incumbents grabbed the lion’s share of votes — well more than 60 percent. And even though candidate Candice Lucas came extremely close to overtaking Cruz in the Democratic primary, she was no threat to him tonight.

What this means for the school district is hard to say except that a strong majority of the voters who turned out tonight passed at the opportunity to remove nearly half of the school board.

And while voters also showed their support for Lovely Warren as the city‘s next mayor, who incidentally campaigned heavily on an education platform, they weren’t necessarily giving her a green light to make big changes.