James's Journal
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05/10/2009 20:47 #48642
WWJD if he were attacked by polar bears?05/07/2009 10:03 #48613
John LacataHere is the artvoice interview with John Lacata, the man who came in first in the school board race. I am proud and excited that he will be serving on this board and taking it in a new direction.
Sorry, I know I haven't posted much in the last few weeks. But I still have the warm glow of victory.
kisses!
Sorry, I know I haven't posted much in the last few weeks. But I still have the warm glow of victory.
kisses!
05/06/2009 11:31 #48601
School Board Election ReduxHeidi requested that I sum up the school board race and its implications here. I am a little drunk with victory right now, so please forgive my wide-eyed optimism.
The school board currently is dysfunctions. How does less than 30% of elementary school kids pass the English and Math state exams and less than 46% of students graduate while we spend a whopping $18,000 per student? It isn't the teachers. It is tough to get and retain good teachers when they have pay freezes for five years at a time and we micromanage their classrooms (administrators dictate that you only have x-amount of time to teach a particular subject and then you must move on or face disciplinary action). We have good and dedicated teachers who are working with what they have.
I wrote out the many problems that originate in the school board with explanations - travel, spending on untested and ineffective programs, school closings, living-wage, James Williams (Superintendent, weiner), Phil Ramore (Teatcher Union president, weiner), charter schools - but this post would take an hour to read.
The current school board looks like this. There are a total of 9 members. 5 of which hold a majority and are pro-Williams which includes the three incumbents who were up for reelection. If there could be a single issue that is most important for our schools it is Williams. Here is why.
Williams was not hired. The board barely had time to read his resume. They did not have time to call references. They did not have time to look at his track record. They did not have time to deliberate. The five members received a phone call and at the next meeting Williams was hired. Had they checked up on him they would have seen that he has been a complete failure in each school district he has ever worked at. For example: in Buffalo a student was wrongly suspended by principle Crystal Barton (you can search Buffalo News for details). Williams chose not to discipline her and the school board voted to do nothing as well.
Williams's contract is up next year and if the incumbents won we would have another four years of failure.
But let's talk about the actual race.
Incumbent Chris Jacobs comes from money. He travels in the Saturn Club circle and if you prick his finger blue blood pours out. And he ran his race in a fitting way. A seat on the board pays $5,000 a year. To retain that seat Jacobs spent about $100,000. To put that in context, historically, an expensive school board race costs $5,000. According to financial disclosure reports he spent $30,000 on mailers alone which does not include all of the mailers, robodials, and paid staffers on reports yet to be filed and all of the money he funneled through a bogus organization called Student's First (you can read about that in art voice). He tried to carry his two incumbent friends with him and he failed in that.
How can an average citizen afford to run for school board with money like that?
The way we won is how we win every race: hard fucking work. We held only a few fundraisers to pay for the few mailers we did. We didn't robodial, we got volunteers (unpaid) to phonebank (thanks Janelle!). Our candidates didn't throw money at people to go door to door, our candidates went door to door. We made this race real. Not about glossy mailings and pictures of politicians. Just parents with children in the system (something the incumbents are not. If they have kids they send them to private schools).
Here is what this means.
The board has been dysfunctional. I wish I could find it but there was a youtube video from a news report on a fight between school board members. Apparently, one threatened the other with violence in private. They interviewed the threatened candidate. Then they talk to the one accused of the threatening. She did the interview in a towel. Before the news. WHAT! The school board is full of assholes and now there are two less assholes.
We can expect the perks for school board members to go away. Travel will be greatly reduced and no more catering. If school board members need a meal, they can have a school lunch. The school board wont be meeting in a tiny room in city hall with limited public access. They will meet at different locations in the community or in council chambers so the public has more access. James Williams no longer has a free hand to suck. He has a year left on his contract and unless he doesn't turn the entire school system around, we will have a new, competent superintendent soon.
I am not intimately familiar with all the details on the board. But I do know that John Lacata is the very voice that was needed on the board. He is not beholden to anyone other than himself and his five children in the system; not the superintendent, not the BTF. He is familiar with the issues. And over the coarse of the race he has done research and developed sophisticated positions on issues. Of all the candidates I am most excited he is now on the board. Bryon McIntyre also won. He is a good man and is not a member of the Saturn Club. He is very familiar with the issues of people who cannot afford to send their children to private schools and have to live with a terrible school system. He will be a great voice for a large portion of the city, and a portion that is often ignored.
But, I knew I was working for the right people when the mailers started coming in. Chris Jacobs was endorsed by Byron Brown, Brian Higgins, Joe Golombeck, Sam Hoyt. He was endorsed by the status quo and the status quo endorsed the entire slate.
With a 6-3 majority, the school board might actually make our schools better. Thank god!
Let me end with the best TV ad in a school board race, EVAH
The school board currently is dysfunctions. How does less than 30% of elementary school kids pass the English and Math state exams and less than 46% of students graduate while we spend a whopping $18,000 per student? It isn't the teachers. It is tough to get and retain good teachers when they have pay freezes for five years at a time and we micromanage their classrooms (administrators dictate that you only have x-amount of time to teach a particular subject and then you must move on or face disciplinary action). We have good and dedicated teachers who are working with what they have.
I wrote out the many problems that originate in the school board with explanations - travel, spending on untested and ineffective programs, school closings, living-wage, James Williams (Superintendent, weiner), Phil Ramore (Teatcher Union president, weiner), charter schools - but this post would take an hour to read.
The current school board looks like this. There are a total of 9 members. 5 of which hold a majority and are pro-Williams which includes the three incumbents who were up for reelection. If there could be a single issue that is most important for our schools it is Williams. Here is why.
Williams was not hired. The board barely had time to read his resume. They did not have time to call references. They did not have time to look at his track record. They did not have time to deliberate. The five members received a phone call and at the next meeting Williams was hired. Had they checked up on him they would have seen that he has been a complete failure in each school district he has ever worked at. For example: in Buffalo a student was wrongly suspended by principle Crystal Barton (you can search Buffalo News for details). Williams chose not to discipline her and the school board voted to do nothing as well.
Williams's contract is up next year and if the incumbents won we would have another four years of failure.
But let's talk about the actual race.
Incumbent Chris Jacobs comes from money. He travels in the Saturn Club circle and if you prick his finger blue blood pours out. And he ran his race in a fitting way. A seat on the board pays $5,000 a year. To retain that seat Jacobs spent about $100,000. To put that in context, historically, an expensive school board race costs $5,000. According to financial disclosure reports he spent $30,000 on mailers alone which does not include all of the mailers, robodials, and paid staffers on reports yet to be filed and all of the money he funneled through a bogus organization called Student's First (you can read about that in art voice). He tried to carry his two incumbent friends with him and he failed in that.
How can an average citizen afford to run for school board with money like that?
The way we won is how we win every race: hard fucking work. We held only a few fundraisers to pay for the few mailers we did. We didn't robodial, we got volunteers (unpaid) to phonebank (thanks Janelle!). Our candidates didn't throw money at people to go door to door, our candidates went door to door. We made this race real. Not about glossy mailings and pictures of politicians. Just parents with children in the system (something the incumbents are not. If they have kids they send them to private schools).
Here is what this means.
The board has been dysfunctional. I wish I could find it but there was a youtube video from a news report on a fight between school board members. Apparently, one threatened the other with violence in private. They interviewed the threatened candidate. Then they talk to the one accused of the threatening. She did the interview in a towel. Before the news. WHAT! The school board is full of assholes and now there are two less assholes.
We can expect the perks for school board members to go away. Travel will be greatly reduced and no more catering. If school board members need a meal, they can have a school lunch. The school board wont be meeting in a tiny room in city hall with limited public access. They will meet at different locations in the community or in council chambers so the public has more access. James Williams no longer has a free hand to suck. He has a year left on his contract and unless he doesn't turn the entire school system around, we will have a new, competent superintendent soon.
I am not intimately familiar with all the details on the board. But I do know that John Lacata is the very voice that was needed on the board. He is not beholden to anyone other than himself and his five children in the system; not the superintendent, not the BTF. He is familiar with the issues. And over the coarse of the race he has done research and developed sophisticated positions on issues. Of all the candidates I am most excited he is now on the board. Bryon McIntyre also won. He is a good man and is not a member of the Saturn Club. He is very familiar with the issues of people who cannot afford to send their children to private schools and have to live with a terrible school system. He will be a great voice for a large portion of the city, and a portion that is often ignored.
But, I knew I was working for the right people when the mailers started coming in. Chris Jacobs was endorsed by Byron Brown, Brian Higgins, Joe Golombeck, Sam Hoyt. He was endorsed by the status quo and the status quo endorsed the entire slate.
With a 6-3 majority, the school board might actually make our schools better. Thank god!
Let me end with the best TV ad in a school board race, EVAH
metalpeter - 05/07/09 19:21
The Social Problems are very tough to deal with. The reason being is that it can often be racist or appear that way. Some times poverty follows racial lines. But the other problem with talking about it is that it is very easy to sound like you are saying that you are better then someone else. I just hope that things get better in the schools, it will be tough with not very much money though.
The Social Problems are very tough to deal with. The reason being is that it can often be racist or appear that way. Some times poverty follows racial lines. But the other problem with talking about it is that it is very easy to sound like you are saying that you are better then someone else. I just hope that things get better in the schools, it will be tough with not very much money though.
jason - 05/07/09 08:23
PS - Peter, that's one of the things Rebekah Williams talked about in the questionnaire. Honestly I was shocked. People almost never want to address the social problems because it's too ugly to talk about.
PS - Peter, that's one of the things Rebekah Williams talked about in the questionnaire. Honestly I was shocked. People almost never want to address the social problems because it's too ugly to talk about.
jason - 05/07/09 08:22
Congratulations on the good news, James. Although I didn't vote, I'm happy that there is some fresh blood in the mix.
Congratulations on the good news, James. Although I didn't vote, I'm happy that there is some fresh blood in the mix.
metalpeter - 05/06/09 19:40
Maybe having better people on the board will make things better, but no offense I doubt it will. Here is the reason why. Yes kids are different and learn differently and some kids pick things up quick and some move slowly and those facts need to be factored into how schools teach. But I think most bad students are that way because of things out side of schools. How they are brought up and how education is stressed. Hey most kids if mom is at work will play video games over school work. Sometimes video games is football out side or all sorts of other things other then studying. As much as I like those TV shows about schools I don't think the best teacher in the world can get a kid to learn where it isn't important at home. Yes a teacher can get a kid interested but at school is different then away from school. Also is it worth it to save 2 kids if it holds the rest of the class back? hey I was lucky I went to a good city school but a lot of people don't. If someone wants to learn they will even with a bad teacher.
Maybe having better people on the board will make things better, but no offense I doubt it will. Here is the reason why. Yes kids are different and learn differently and some kids pick things up quick and some move slowly and those facts need to be factored into how schools teach. But I think most bad students are that way because of things out side of schools. How they are brought up and how education is stressed. Hey most kids if mom is at work will play video games over school work. Sometimes video games is football out side or all sorts of other things other then studying. As much as I like those TV shows about schools I don't think the best teacher in the world can get a kid to learn where it isn't important at home. Yes a teacher can get a kid interested but at school is different then away from school. Also is it worth it to save 2 kids if it holds the rest of the class back? hey I was lucky I went to a good city school but a lot of people don't. If someone wants to learn they will even with a bad teacher.
heidi - 05/06/09 17:03
Thanks for the summary, James. Congratulations on your win!
The Knight ad is hysterical!!!
Thanks for the summary, James. Congratulations on your win!
The Knight ad is hysterical!!!
libertad - 05/06/09 13:36
Interesting stuff about Chris Jacobs. I found this on him from the Beast, the most trusted name in news:
-----------------------------------------------
19. Chris Jacobs, school board member
Misdeeds: Chris Jacobs is the political heir to throne of the Delaware North/ Jacobs family dynasty, which is involved in gaming and concessions through its well known subsidiary Sportservice. As one of the largest privately held corporations in the world, they could certainly invest a lot of money in Buffalo in a lot of positive ways. Instead, Chris Jacobs is acting as a point man in the right wing charter school movement. If you think there's a lot of money in gambling, and monopoly concessions contracts, think about how much money can be made through the privatization of public education. New Buffalo Schools Superintendent James Williams was brought to Buffalo by these interests to act on their behalf.
Aggravating Factor: Now related to Carl
--------------------------------------------------
I'm not a big fan of Charter schools even if they appear to be successful on the onset. I certainly would question what this guys motivation is to be on the Buffalo school board.
I didn't vote for Bryon but I am glad that you are happy with him. The reason I didn't was I didn't have much to go on and his anwers on the questionnaire were way too brief, it seemed he didn't even want it. So maybe he was just busy or something but again that is all I had to go by really.
Interesting stuff about Chris Jacobs. I found this on him from the Beast, the most trusted name in news:
-----------------------------------------------
19. Chris Jacobs, school board member
Misdeeds: Chris Jacobs is the political heir to throne of the Delaware North/ Jacobs family dynasty, which is involved in gaming and concessions through its well known subsidiary Sportservice. As one of the largest privately held corporations in the world, they could certainly invest a lot of money in Buffalo in a lot of positive ways. Instead, Chris Jacobs is acting as a point man in the right wing charter school movement. If you think there's a lot of money in gambling, and monopoly concessions contracts, think about how much money can be made through the privatization of public education. New Buffalo Schools Superintendent James Williams was brought to Buffalo by these interests to act on their behalf.
Aggravating Factor: Now related to Carl
--------------------------------------------------
I'm not a big fan of Charter schools even if they appear to be successful on the onset. I certainly would question what this guys motivation is to be on the Buffalo school board.
I didn't vote for Bryon but I am glad that you are happy with him. The reason I didn't was I didn't have much to go on and his anwers on the questionnaire were way too brief, it seemed he didn't even want it. So maybe he was just busy or something but again that is all I had to go by really.
05/05/2009 23:54 #48597
HA HA HA HA HA HAHA HA HA HA HA HA HA
EAT IT!
You spent 100,000 to come in second place.
Your Saturn club friends couldn't help you either.
We won and you couldn't cary your team.
HA!
note: I am not drunk with anything other than WIN!
EAT IT!
You spent 100,000 to come in second place.
Your Saturn club friends couldn't help you either.
We won and you couldn't cary your team.
HA!
note: I am not drunk with anything other than WIN!
libertad - 05/13/09 23:36
what? That is insane!
what? That is insane!
james - 05/13/09 23:28
ya... I heard a little while ago. Oh well, I am working on two new campaigns right now so I am over it :)
ya... I heard a little while ago. Oh well, I am working on two new campaigns right now so I am over it :)
mike - 05/13/09 23:13
sorry i just heard with the absentee ballots , two incumbents kept their seats. sorry : (
sorry i just heard with the absentee ballots , two incumbents kept their seats. sorry : (
james - 05/06/09 10:16
Chicky, gloating? I am a humble hack.
Jason, we won two seats on the school boars.
Chicky, gloating? I am a humble hack.
Jason, we won two seats on the school boars.
jason - 05/06/09 09:56
?
?
museumchick - 05/06/09 01:13
Not that you're gloating or anything like that:).
Not that you're gloating or anything like that:).
05/05/2009 00:23 #48593
napI have been at work since 9AM and I am just getting home at 12:15. I need to be up in four and a half hours for election day, then go to work all day, and then finish up the election.
me sleepy.
me sleepy.
james - 05/05/09 09:04
oh ya, I almost forgot.
Everyone should go vote today.
I think John Licata and Rosalind Hampton will make great School Board members. Who the third person is. Well... anyone but Chris Jacobs.
oh ya, I almost forgot.
Everyone should go vote today.
I think John Licata and Rosalind Hampton will make great School Board members. Who the third person is. Well... anyone but Chris Jacobs.
janelle - 05/05/09 08:19
Argh. I almost forgot to vote. Now, I have to wait until after work.
Argh. I almost forgot to vote. Now, I have to wait until after work.
Hahaha Outnumbered is hilarious. I especially like Karen and all her "Satanist" conclusions and drawings. :)
That is pretty funny. But that is a perfect example of why kids shouldn't go to church. I'm not saying church is bad. But when you teach kids some kind of faith before they go to school and then during school it is like teaching them math, and they really don't get it.