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How do you decide who to vote for in your local school board elections?

Do you keep up to date on the different candidates running for the school board?

or do you not care, and don't even vote.

We are talking about democracy here.

by Anonymousreply 36October 22, 2018 4:23 PM

I always vote for any candidate who proposes to bring back naked swimming.

by Anonymousreply 1September 29, 2014 6:19 PM

I only vote for male candidates who display big.......pingas!!!

by Anonymousreply 2September 29, 2014 6:21 PM

I tend to vote against incumbents.

by Anonymousreply 3September 29, 2014 6:43 PM

1. Vote for the Democrat 2. Some races in my city don't show party affiliation. When I don't know the party, I vote for a minority candidate over a white one, a female candidate over a male one and like r3 I'll vote out an incumbent any chance I get unless I know they are a decent person.

by Anonymousreply 4September 29, 2014 6:51 PM

R4 if you don't know the platforms, why even bother voting?

It sound so arbitrary.

by Anonymousreply 5September 29, 2014 6:54 PM

Using r4s criteria people there know why the school system is failing.

by Anonymousreply 6September 29, 2014 9:59 PM

School boards are one way the Christian right-wing has gotten a foothold in local and state politics.

R4 - if you think your strategy gets a more progressive school board you are living in a fantasy land.

by Anonymousreply 7September 29, 2014 10:49 PM

I always vote with my cawk.

by Anonymousreply 8September 29, 2014 11:37 PM

I phone a friend who teaches in the high school and ask for advice.

by Anonymousreply 9September 30, 2014 12:17 AM

Call the local teachers Union and ask. Very important! The NEA is the last bulwark against privitazation of public education by the GOP via Charter Schools and "Vouchers", they will also know of any Scientology Nutters that drift to school boards, or creationist anti science types.

I would really like to applaud you for caring about this issue.

by Anonymousreply 10September 30, 2014 2:16 AM

OP = Stella Johnson

by Anonymousreply 11September 30, 2014 3:27 AM

[quote]School boards are one way the Christian right-wing has gotten a foothold in local and state politics.

We elect school board members at large (as opposed to fixed districts), so the ballot says "Vote for 3" and then the top 3 are elected city wide.

The way the Fundies game the system is that they have one candidate and that's only one they vote for, they don't dilute their vote by voting for 3. It's been very effective.

by Anonymousreply 12September 30, 2014 4:00 AM

r7, do you know of any better way than what r4 does? If not, sit down and shut up.

by Anonymousreply 13September 30, 2014 4:03 AM

R13 how about researching the different platforms?

by Anonymousreply 14September 30, 2014 3:44 PM

R13 - you would have to be an idiot not to know a better way.

Honestly here you are posting on a web site and it doesn't occur to you a simple google search for the local school board election would provide you the information you need to make an informed decision from the comfort of your home?

by Anonymousreply 15September 30, 2014 9:21 PM

My Father was on the local school board for 8 years, and he probably averaged two calls a month, almost all of them parents upset with punishment their children had received. No one came to the meetings, no one called when they negotiated union contracts, approved the construction of new schools, or raised the school's share of the property taxes.

Then the football coach retired, and it was time to hire a new one . . . our home phone rang steadily every evening for 3 weeks, and they had to move the school board meeting to the H.S. Gym to accommodate the crowd.

After that, back to business as usual. We get the schools we deserve.

by Anonymousreply 16October 1, 2014 12:13 AM

Vote straight Democratic!

by Anonymousreply 17October 1, 2014 12:44 AM

[quote] Vote for the Democrat

We have some posters here who won't even vote for Hillary Clinton. What if it was a democrat that was against gay marriage? & you had both candidates who had a anti-marriage equality stance. Then what?

by Anonymousreply 18April 29, 2016 12:37 AM

Whichever one I think will wreck the schools. Why should I pay for it? I don't have kids.

by Anonymousreply 19April 29, 2016 12:40 AM

R19 school boards are a way for fundie politicians to start their political careers in elected office.

by Anonymousreply 20April 29, 2016 12:44 AM

That's how the Tea Party gets a toe hold. They are very dedicated to running people for local offices. You need to check with your local Deocratic Party organization. If you don't know who thaat is, go online and look it up. It is usually done county wide or through the Congressional district. You can also go online and check out your State Dem. Party website. They usually have listings ofthe local groups. School boards have historically been used as a stepping stone for higher office. They are also the cretins who decide about creationism, and censorship.

by Anonymousreply 21April 29, 2016 12:50 AM

I'm not sure how you think that opinion changes my statement, r20

by Anonymousreply 22April 29, 2016 12:54 AM

R22 you want Congress & the Senate both having a majority of Tea Party representatives in 10 years?

by Anonymousreply 23April 29, 2016 12:55 AM

Still not connecting r23. Your crotch fruit are not my problem. You should be texted more and only be able to vote in school board elections.

by Anonymousreply 24April 29, 2016 1:07 AM

I guess R24 doesn't care who gets elected in the Senate or Congress. No probs.

by Anonymousreply 25April 29, 2016 1:13 AM

Here in Seattle, we have a non-partisan voter's book for every election that gives photos and position papers for every candidate for every office.

by Anonymousreply 26April 29, 2016 1:17 AM

All I know is I love Hillary and I think she's just the most fabulous thing ever invented!

by Anonymousreply 27April 29, 2016 1:36 AM

R25, you do know there is a huge difference in a school board and an even more useless government position, don't you?

by Anonymousreply 28April 29, 2016 1:36 AM

School boards are usually non paid positions. The elected board members get a small stipend for attending meetings. But they approve budgets,approve contracts, hire and fire the school superintendent, oversee curriculum, dress code, code of conduct, safety & security, and policy for their school district as long as it is within parameters set by the State board of education. It is not an unimportant position. Conservatives know this. They also have to conduct public meetings and deal with the parents and other interested parties.

by Anonymousreply 29April 29, 2016 2:41 AM

Former GOP NY Governor candidate Carl P. Paladino is now on the Buffalo School Board and is that bully pulpit to get his name out there and to springboard into higher office,

by Anonymousreply 30April 29, 2016 1:11 PM

People have DIED for the right to vote and for democracy, and you guys just throw away your vote for school board as meaningless?

by Anonymousreply 31May 1, 2016 9:05 PM

We have a municipal election today in Toronto and I haven't the foggiest idea who to vote for in school trustee ballot

by Anonymousreply 32October 22, 2018 12:48 PM

R10 is right find out who the union is backing.you who are saying this is how the Extreme Right/Tea Party, etc get a toehold locally, you are absolutely correct. Look at your state board candidates too. The state board of education sets policy for the public school system in your state. just look up NEA endorsements which is national, or check your state chapter of the NEA. The Extreme Right takes advantage of non partisan offices on the ballot to slide their people into place so make sure you look at the boards of regents for the state universities, too. The irony, is that the university board candidates are selected at the state party conventions...even though they run non partisan.

There's another unscientific way to do it: I have a neighbor who is a rabid MAGA/Republican. In fact his wife insists the only way they were able to vote at all was because Sarah Pailin was on the ballot in 2008. They were Tea Party through and through, very active too. So every Fall election season, I would look at all their lawn signs. They had ever single candidate for office on their lawn. State legislature, judges, school board, ballot proposals, etc. and I would vote the exact opposite.

by Anonymousreply 33October 22, 2018 1:01 PM

R21 - I suppose some politicians have used school boards as a stepping stone but I don't think most school board members have done that. That said controlling school boards have been been and are a critical part of the religious right agenda.

My experience has also been when school board elections are non-partisan contests local Democratic and Republican Parties stay far away from the election. There focus is on elections that are partisan.

It doesn't take much time to research the candidates. Look for endorsements. I would argue a union endorsement is often not always a good thing. It depends on the issues in your district and what you think is important. For example teacher's unions will often oppose hiring part-time staff or paying science and math teachers more.

For the trolls who keep insisting they don't care because they have no children - guess what that gets you. Red states.

by Anonymousreply 34October 22, 2018 1:23 PM

Go to your local newspaper, they may have a section for this. Where I'm going to grad school, the local paper has a section online that has the pictures of all candidates and their statements of what they want to do on the board. I vote based on those statements. As much as people make fun of newspapers (and a lot of them deserve it) this is the downside to them dying. No one covers all the local shit anymore. It wouldn't be so bad if we didn't elect ALL these office ALL the time, but that's the weird ass country we are.

by Anonymousreply 35October 22, 2018 2:39 PM

I have two teachers in the family, so I check in with them. I am childless, but I attended public schools, including the local arts high school. When I was a student in the 70s, we knew the school board superintendent hated our school and wanted an excuse to shut it down, despite it being ranked as one of the highest rated schools academically. Other members of the school board opposed him. Today our school is beloved and a point of pride in the city.

Schools matter. They affect the quality of life in your city, whether you know it or not.

by Anonymousreply 36October 22, 2018 4:23 PM
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