Busting More Pencils
As I set out to write this book, it wasn't just about recounting my personal journey through the trenches of local school board elections. Far from it. This narrative dives deep into the heart of what it means to advocate for change within our education system, blending personal anecdotes with broader reflections on the state of public education today. From the spark that ignited my passion for educational reform to the countless conversations with parents, teachers, and community members, this story is a mosaic of collective concern and individual action.
Through these pages, I invite you into my world—not just as a candidate, but as a concerned citizen, a parent, and an advocate for a system that nurtures every student's potential. This isn't a solitary tale of political aspiration; it's a call to arms for those who believe in the transformative power of public education and the critical role of engaged citizenship in shaping our children's futures.
With a mix of humor and gravity, I share the insights gained from my experiences, the challenges of navigating political landscapes, and the profound moments of connection that remind us why we fight for change. This book is a reflection on the journey of advocacy, the lessons learned, and the hopeful path forward. It's about our collective responsibility to foster an education system that serves all students equitably and prepares them for a world that awaits their contributions.
So, as you turn these pages, I hope you find not only a story of personal endeavor but a reflection of our shared stakes in the future of education. May it inspire, challenge, and motivate you to take up your own cause, whatever that may be, in the service of a better future for our schools and our children.
My Adventure Running for Schoolboard.
https://bustedpencils.com/2011/05/my-adventure-running-for-schoolboard/
Preface: The election was last Tuesday. I made the ballot by one vote.
Yes. I am running for school board. Why? Because, once again I have to back up my rhetoric with actions. Plus, I am no longer willing to watch my local community-school get squashed by the market driven reforms being thrust upon it. If our school goes down I want to go down with it.
There is a quick story as to how I became a candidate. In the winter, two of our board members stepped down, creating temporary vacancies. A call went out to the local community for volunteers. I got a little nudging from “friends” but I made the decision to put name in pretty much on my own. Walk the talk.
The process for replacing board members that step down is relatively simple. You submit your name and resume and explain your desire to be considered. You then appear in front of the current board and answer some school board-related questions. If the current members find you acceptable and they vote for you, you’re in. I completed all the necessary paperwork and received confirmation that I would be considered as a candidate.
The following week I was at the elementary school dropping off some materials for my daughter when I was stopped in the hallway. According to this person there were a lot of people supporting me. The term would only be for four months until the general election, and considering my background as an educator, I felt relatively confident in my chances of being selected by the remaining board members.
However, one week before the interviews I was informed by a friend that I was not going to be selected. “How could that be? I hadn’t even had my interview,” I thought. The current board didn’t really know anything about me except for what was on my resume — or so I thought. I pressed my friend for information: “Why? What was the problem? How was it possible to be eliminated before even interviewing?”
That’s when living in a small, conservative (and I don’t necessarily mean that in a derogatory manner) town smacked me upside the head. According to my friend, even though some community members liked my background in education, I had a major problem. You see, according to some in the community, along with being involved in little league baseball and football and being a member of the PTO, I am also a liberal college professor, most likely an atheist, and I probably have plans to get rid of the Christmas play. I looked at my friend in disbelief.
He then told me how he launched into an hour-long promotion of my education related qualifications and how I actually have really great ideas when it comes to public education. But he said his listeners had serious hearing problems. In truly conservative towns, right wing rhetoric is typically viewed as unbiased news — absolutely factual! Therefore, since I actually do work at a college as a faculty member, I must be an unabashed liberal, atheist, and Christmas warmonger (according to the leading news agencies — right wing radio).
Anyway, after pondering this new professional reputation, I attended the interview process the following week. I gave great answers related to public schools and what’s best for children and communities that value public schools (I kept my disdain for Christmas a secret), but in the end I only received one of the four votes needed to be selected to finish out the terms of the vacating school board members. Oh well. It wasn’t like I didn’t have enough to do at my university job — advocating socialism and the destruction of all religions.
However, after a month I received a strange call one morning from a standing school board member (a no vote for me). He told me that he had just filed his paper work for re-election and found out that I wasn’t running. He wondered why. I told him very simply that since my “interview” with the board and finding out my reputation in the community, I was not going to run in the election. I told him I did not stand a chance at winning. Then it happened again (small town politics). According to this person, he now wished that he had voted for me and that “other community members” were hoping I was going to run. I just listened and thought, “Really? What about Christmas?”
The caller also volunteered to help me file paper work, collect signatures and “not hold it against” me that I was registered Democrat. My new supporter lived up to his word and within three days we had collected all the necessary signatures. I took all my paper work to the courthouse and filed it with the elections office and in five days I received confirmation that I was an “official” candidate for school board. Now what? Hand-shaking? Baby-kissing? Christmas in April celebration?
No. My next experience came in an official looking envelope addressed to “school director candidate Timothy D. Slekar.” I didn’t take the time to look at the return address so when I opened the letter I was a bit surprised. The letter was from the local Tea Party. According to the letter, the Tea Party was gathering information on all local candidates for school board. Along with this letter was a questionnaire. The Tea Party wanted me to answer their questions concerning my ability and desire to run for school board. If I answered the questions the Tea Party would post my responses to their website so community members could make some kind of judgment concerning my candidacy for school board.
After reading the questions it was obvious that the Tea Party had no objective intention to “gather information.” They were looking for certain answers to their loaded questions. Considering that my reputation as an intolerant atheist was already known, I decided to answer their questions anyway. I’m sure they were looking for me to proclaim my hatred of taxpayers, my love of unions, and to finally come clean about my intentions for the Christmas play. However, I decided to play my own game and below are my answers to the Tea Party school board candidate questionnaire. I also decided that since I had taken the time to answer their questions that they should answer some questions for me. So after you read my responses you can see my questions to the Tea Party.
What are the main responsibilities of a school board, and what would your priorities be?
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