Pick Me! Pick Me!

Well, treasured reader, I found out that I will have an opponent in my school board race. So it is time to explain why the voters of the fourth district should vote for me rather than “the other guy.”

1- I have life experience. I have raised three children, all of whom are products of public schools. I’m not sure that aging necessarily brings wisdom, but I’ve had lots of years to learn.

2- I am deeply committed to public education. It is the great equalizer. It is the one institution in our country that is designed to assure that all of our young people have an equal chance to see their life goals fulfilled.

3- I have two granddaughters who live in Richmond and who will be students in Richmond Public Schools. I thus have a personal stake in assuring that RPS becomes a world-class school system.

4- I have spent lots of time in Richmond’s schools. I have worked with principals and teachers and students and I understand the issues they deal with every day.

5- I spent most of my career working for the federal Government Accountability Office (GAO). The concept of accountability to the taxpayers has become part of my being. I will instill a sense of accountability in all RPS officers and employees.

6- I’m retired. This will enable me to devote most of my time to RPS. If you elect me, you will be getting a real bargain.

7- My faith has given me a strong commitment to social justice. I see providing a quality education to all our children as something worth fighting for.

8- I am a uniter. I will work to get all the stakeholders in RPS—teachers, parents, civic and faith groups, the business and academic communities—to understand that they are all in the same boat and must work together for the good of our children. I will convince parents in all economic circumstances that they are not adversaries fighting for a limited piece of the education pie.

9- I have no higher ambitions. I am not running for school board as a stepping stone to City Council or mayor or the General Assembly. Providing a world-class education for all our children is my only goal.

10- I have come to love the City of Richmond. I have no desire to move anywhere else. I understand that Richmond can never be a great city unless it has great schools. Therefore, I dedicate myself to achieving that goal.

11- I understand that politics is the art of getting things done. The word “compromise” is part of my vocabulary. I also understand that I do not have all the answers. I will work well with all the members of the school board.

12- I am impatient. I am tired of continuous discussions and planning. We know what has worked in other schools systems. It’s time to stop planning and start acting.

So, there is my not-so-dirty dozen. I hope that the citizens of Richmond will see that I am clearly more qualified for the school board than Brand X. I urge them to join me in my campaign for our children.