Patu and Smith-Blum Take the Lead in School Board Races

11/04/2009

Betty Patu and Kay Smith–Blum have taken the lead in their races for Seattle school board.

Betty Patu would represent southeast Seattle. She says she's ahead because people didn't evaluate her as a politician.

Patu: "People saw my heart. They know what I'm all about and, you know, that's why I won tonight. They saw my heart instead of looking at my outside."

Patu worked for Seattle Public Schools for 32 years. Her opponent was Wilson Chin. Chin said during his campaign that he and Patu were both solid people who'd be good on the school board.

Kay Smith–Blum would represent central Seattle. She says she's winning because voters are ready for change.

Smith–Blum: "They really understand we've really gotta give early learning to these kids who do not have it, and they really understand that we've got to transform the way we're educating our kids."

Smith–Blum has three sons who went to Garfield High School. She appears to be unseating two–term incumbent Mary Bass.

Bass' former colleagues sometimes criticized her for voting against policies they wanted to adopt.

Betty Patu says one of the first things she wants to do on the board is look at reversing some aspects of the new Student Assignment Plan.

Board member Michael DeBell ran unopposed for his second term. He'll continue to represent Ballard, Magnolia, and Queen Anne.

I'm Phyllis Fletcher, KUOW News.

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