Central Seattle School Board Race

10/29/2009

For the second election in a row, a Capitol Hill mom of Garfield graduates is challenging Mary Bass for her school board seat. The winner will represent central Seattle – where several high–poverty schools have been closed in recent years.

Mary Bass has been on the Seattle School Board longer than any other sitting board member: eight years.

She was the first board member to hold regular meetings with parents in her district.

So it's no surprise she knows that high school students are getting their iPods stolen when they take Metro to school.

Bass: "They're absolutely being targeted by more aggressive gang wannabes. So, these are the things that have to be looked at."

Bass spoke last month at a candidate forum at Garfield High School. A parent who went called it Bass's "last chance" to convince her she should stay on the board.

Bass has become known for voting against the majority of her colleagues.

Bass: "A lot of people want me to go along to get along. I absolutely will not do that if I feel what they're doing is absolutely wrong."

Some of her most high–profile votes against her colleagues were against school closures this year, and in 2007.

The district is already planning to reopen two schools it closed in 2007. Bass said she was skeptical of the data the District used to support the closures. A board member who approved the closures at the time now admits at least one of them was a mistake.

Bass has not been able to convince her colleagues they're making mistakes before they vote. She says that's not her fault.

Bass: "They feel that they're right. They feel that what they're doing is the correct thing. I can spend hours and hours with my colleagues. And not–"

Fletcher: "Have you done that?"

Bass: "Absolutely. And all I can do is offer up what I think is the best thing, and if they don't feel it's a go, then how much more can I do?"

Smith–Blum: "I think that the main quality that I bring to the board is my ability to get things done."

Kay Smith–Blum is running against Mary Bass. She admits she doesn't know as much as Bass. For example, she didn't know kids were getting their iPods stolen on the bus. She says she'd have some catching up to do on policy stuff, and that she's already started working on that. But Smith–Blum says it's time for a change.

A family in Mount Baker held a fundraiser for Smith–Blum at their house. Smith–Blum spoke to her supporters about the way she approaches a problem.

One example was how she changed the fundraising model at her kids' grade school. At the time, the school raised money by having the kids sell wrapping paper. Smith–Blum didn't see the point of raising all that money when the school had to cut a huge check to a paper company in the end. So she met with the principal and she said,

Smith–Blum: "Why don't we, instead of spending all this time and energy and hours as parents and volunteers selling product, why don't we just do an annual fund? And in terms of the money, we'll just ask everybody to write a check!"

She says it changed the fundraising model at the school for the better. It was Montlake Elementary. A school where asking everybody to write a check proved to be realistic.

Smith–Blum says her approach is not limited to that kind of school.

Smith–Blum: "I have an ability as a board member to do the same at the board level for broad policies that will, in fact, affect poor kids in poor classrooms and take a look at all the different funding possibilities."

Like federal Title I money and private grants. Bass points out those things are already happening. Smith–Blum contends they're not happening in a comprehensive, systematic way.

The Public Disclosure Commission says Bass has spent almost $35,000 on her campaign – most of it borrowed. Smith–Blum has borrowed over $7,000, and raised over $35,000 cash. And she has spent over $7,000 of her own money.

All voters who live in the Seattle School District get to vote on school board members. The seat that represents south Seattle is also on the ballot. So is the seat in Ballard. That candidate runs unopposed.

I'm Phyllis Fletcher, KUOW News.

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