I attended the candidate forum Sunday evening, and here are my thoughts.
First, the organization that put on the event was great. Up North Advocacy works to inform and assist communities in northern Lower Michigan and the eastern U.P. They have provided Onaway School District voters with advice and support over the past two years, helping to define what is legal for a school board to do, what is ethical behavior for school board members, and helping to assure that Onaway's board acts legally and ethically.
Second, the moderators, Community Mediation Services, were also great. They were completely neutral while being encouraging and supportive.
Now the candidates.
Four did not attend: Jim Rieger, Joe Bonnard, Kathy Christian, and Sherri LaFave. They announced on Facebook that the event was "woke," so they will be having their own. I addressed that in an earlier post, but their decision tells me all I need to know about how they plan to operate if elected, so NO to them.
Below are my insights, not to be taken as representative of any group. I speak for myself.
Jim Gibson said little, but he has had the courage to come before the board at meetings and try to make the angry board members see that their behavior is detrimental to our school's progress. He knows the town and the people, and I sense he would do his best as a board member.
John Kaszonyi is a retired teacher and administrator who knows a lot about how schools run. John has shown up frequently at board meetings, and he's pointed out to the angry board members that they often act illegally and unethically. I don't know him well, but an uninvolved outsider who recognizes that our school board has been hijacked is a powerful indicator that it isn't just the "Old Teachers" who see what's going on with this small group of malcontents.
Lorrie Kowalski showed courage by showing up and trying to defend her record as a board member. However, when she expressed how wonderful the new administration is, I recalled her saying at the candidate forum two years ago that Mindy Horn was doing an "awesome job." What will happen when the new superintendent has to say, "We can't let you wander through the hallways or hang out in classrooms looking for things you disapprove of," or "We won't share confidential information with you about how an incident was handled" because that's illegal? Will everything be peaceful and wonderful then, or will our angry board members continue those expensive calls to Thrun Law to try to get their way?
Tom Moran was plain-spoken and convincing. He claims to have no agenda and only wants what's best for the school he attended and still cares about. It's hard to know what he's thinking, since he's been quiet until now, but he did say that a charter school in Onaway is a bad idea.
Annette Porter has shown herself to be a strong board member who takes on the liars and resists manipulation. She always speaks politely but makes a firm case. She has a strong background, both in education and experience, in working with kids.
Stacey Porter didn't say much, but she is a fierce fighter for justice. She has defended our school, our teachers, the school board minority members, and our administrators against the barrage of untruths of the last two years. People are able to watch school board meetings at home because she streams them, and she demonstrated her organizational skills by accomplishing the recall of one board member.
Taed Price is a passionate, intelligent advocate for bettering our school by treating everyone fairly. He knows a lot about school issues, and he's always open to learning more. He listens to all viewpoints and finds ways to be polite when I fear I would be screaming in frustration. He sees himself as a servant to the community, not a boss who can push teachers and principals around.
Jeremy Veal is another one who doesn't say a lot, but when he speaks, it's from deep conviction. He has often faced down the unethical behavior of certain board members, asking questions like, "Where did you get the authority to make that decision, Mr. President?" He also has a strong sense that he is on the board to serve the school and the community, not to impose his will.
RECALL NOTE: Here we need a clarification. By the efforts of community members, school board member John Palmer was recently recalled. What that means is that 25% (I think that's the number) of the voters signed petitions to indicate they didn't like the way he operates as a board member. When that number was reached (actually there were far more than enough signatures), the recall was successful. What that means is that his name was added to the ballot. You can vote for him to retain his seat and finish the final two years of his term, or you can vote to replace him with Lain Veihl. Unlike the other seats, this change is immediate. If Palmer doesn't receive a majority of votes, he is immediately replaced on the board.
Lain Veihl is running against Palmer. Lain has many times stood before the board and asked them, politely and with careful logic, to stop breaking the rules, stop harassing the staff and other board members, and operate in a way that promotes cooperation. He also advocates something I'd like to see, board members refraining from discussing school business on FaceBook. Lain is never angry or nasty. He never shouts or swears (as certain board members do). He listens to others and makes decisions based on what's best for the situation.
You must of course vote as you see fit, but that's my take from two years of attending board meetings.
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