Because People Matter Progressive News and Views September / October 2006 Improving City School Elections Vote Yes on Measures J & K “Passage of Measures J and K will result in representation for every area of the SCUSD.” By Dorothy L. Wake member per trustee area by voters within their trustee This criticism rings hollow, however. It ignores the area of residence. (This is the same model used to elect right for all citizen/taxpayers to have equal representa- magine Sacramento City Council election rules that city council members, county supervisors, state assembly tion. And it disregards the need to (a) provide equal would eliminate representation for a large percent- members and senators, etc.) educational opportunities to all students, (b) eliminate age of residents. Outrage and demands for restoring Passage of Measures J and K will result in repre- “machine politics” from local school board elections, (c) Iequal representation would no doubt ensue. sentation for every area of the SCUSD. And hopefully, promote the emergence of grass-roots candidates who Electing city council members at large rather than grass-roots candidates, who truly represent their specific truly represent constituents within their specific trustee from small representative districts would likely produce districts, will emerge. area, and (d) eliminate expensive, unwieldy, and exhaust- very lopsided results. Council members would be clus- ing school board campaigns. tered within the more affluent areas. The legacy of the “Serna juggernaut” Passage of Measures J and K is a step in the right But wait! This undemocratic model is exactly how The current “machine politics” model of electing direction for managing our local schools more demo- Sacramento City Unified School District (SCUSD) SCUSD trustees needs to be understood within the con- cratically and equitably. Vote “Yes” on Measures J and K. trustees are elected now! Five of the seven trustees live text of the “Serna juggernaut” formed in 1996. Former in the Pocket or Land Park areas. Meanwhile, areas Sacramento Mayor Serna’s coalition of higher elected Dorothy L. Wake is a Sacramento area writer and such as midtown, East Sacramento, and Oak Park lack officials took control of SCUSD school board elections to poet, and author of Mother Jones, Revolutionary Leader representation. ensure political agendas. of Labor and Social Reform <www.xlibris.com> or All public school students and their parents/guard- For example, on June 17, 2004, SCUSD trustees <www.amazon.com>. ians deserve a school board representative who is elected voted to lease the old district facility at 16th and N by, and is accountable to, the constituents living in their Streets to the Capital Unity Center, founded by then specific trustee area. And this is only possible if one Democratic state Assemblyman Steinberg (and others). trustee is elected from each trustee area by only the vot- This helped to boost his political fortunes. It is worth ers who reside within that specific trustee area. noting that the annual lease rate for the old district Inside this issue: Currently, SCUSD trustee candidates must run facility is $1.00, according to some sources. However, costly and exhausting at-large campaigns that cover the confirmation of this rental rate was “unavailable” from entire district. Something is terribly wrong when the SCUSD’s legal office. 9/11 Truth ...............................2 campaign area for school board elections is several times larger than city council campaign areas. And something Why two ballot measures? Opt Out: protect your is surely amiss when school board campaigns can cost When questioned about the necessity of two separate children from military significantly more than city council or even congressio- ballot measures, David W. Gordon, Sacramento County nal campaigns. school superintendent, stated, “Election law splits the recruiters ............................3 questions.” Ballot propositions ..............4–5 November Ballot Proposals can eliminate at-large In other words, only one question can be presented Elections for School Board. in each ballot measure. Measure J addresses the question The Maloof Arena Tax ............6 The Sacramento County Office of Education of establishing trustee areas. And Measure K addresses Education issues .................7–9 resolved that: “An election on the proposal to establish the question of electing one SCUSD trustee from each seven trustee areas and the alternative method of elec- trustee area by only the registered voters in that trustee Black Panthers ......................10 tion shall be held on November 7, 2006” (Resolution No. area. Lebanon and Palestine ..........12 2005-A, 7/1/2005). Gordon cited one criticism of Measures J and K: Measures J and K aim to fix current SCUSD trustee “They would allow people to become too provincial,” Sudan ....................................13 election inequities. Measure J seeks to establish seven whereby “the seven members would all want what other trustee areas in the SCUSD for election purposes (see members have in their districts,” he said in a July 31 trustee area map). Measure K seeks to elect one board phone interview. BECAUSE PEOPLE MATTER September / October 2006 because People Matter Editorial Volume 15, Number 5 Published Bi-Monthly by the Seth Sandronsky, Coordinating Editor for this issue Sacramento Community for Peace & Justice P.O. Box 162998, Sacramento, ity non-white neighborhood) into Sacramento CA 95816 Charter High School. (Use addresses below for Education Matters correspondence) Former National Basketball Association star Editorial Group: Jacqueline ummer is coming to a close. Students and Staajabu, a former Sacramento poet who is Kevin Johnson is involved in this change. From Diaz, JoAnn Fuller, Seth teachers are returning to schools. This issue on the East Coast now, contributes a poem on humble beginnings, he became a star guard at Sandronsky of BPM focuses on education. It is a broad education. Rhonda Erwin tackles the substan- Sacramento High who later lead the University Coordinating Editor for Sfield with many issues that are subject to much dard instruction that some low-income youth of California basketball team and played for the this Issue: Seth Sandronsky Editor-at-Large: Jeanie debate. Our writers weigh in on a variety of edu- face in our schools. Phoenix Suns of the NBA. Keltner cational issues—local, national and global—that In the meantime, on the national educational Johnson is also the head of St. Hope, and was Design and Layout: we hope will expand the debates in a direction of recently appointed as the spokesperson for the Ellen Schwartz and progressive action that puts human needs first. “Endless war is sour news national STAND UP, a campaign launched by the Dale Crandall-Bear Heidi McLean and Dorothy L. Wake look at Gates Foundation to improve US public schools. Calendar Editor: for meeting the needs of Position Open!!! issues involving parents, students and teachers Johnson is a former pro athlete helping Gates to Advertising and Business in the Sacramento City Unified School District. all people, which includes a sell education reform. Manager: Edwina White From high school reform to electoral politics, decent education.” A charismatic man like Johnson is much in Distribution Manager: they provide crucial information and analysis to demand by the business forces that push educa- Paulette Cuilla Subscription Manager: help you better understand what is at stake. tion reform. Consider also his recent appoint- Kate Kennedy Michelle Matisons teaches in the women’s front, top US billionaires are becoming more ment to the board of directors of the California studies program at CSUS, and focuses on man- involved in public schools. Take philanthropist Business for Education Excellence Foundation. HOW TO REACH US: agement, junior professors, and students there. Warren Buffet. Recently, he announced a future The CBEEF backs the increase of competition Subscriptions, letters, punditry: Brigitte Jaensch exposes right-wing censorship multi-billion dollar give-away to the Bill and for public education via the expansion of charter 403 21st Street on college campuses aimed at critics of the Bush Melinda Gates Foundation. schools such as St. Hope in Sacramento. Sacramento, CA 95814 White House. The foundation, launched by the co-founder Why charter schools? Charter schools do 444-3203 Mary Schleppegrell is a former co-editor of the Microsoft Corp. and his wife, seeks to not have to follow many of the regulations and Ads or other business: with BPM who is also a linguist and author of improve US education. Buffet and the Gates rules of community school districts and state 446-2844 many articles and books. She addresses the lan- claim to be interested in helping the nation’s lawmakers. That means respecting the rights of All email correspondence: <bpmnews guage of learning and the learning of language in school kids. They certainly have the personal for- teachers and other school workers to form labor @nicetechnology.com> our classrooms. tunes to do so, but shouldn’t the government we unions. Heather Woodford of Code Pink in Sacra- pay our taxes to pay the bill for education? Against that backdrop, US labor unions are HAVE A CALENDAR ITEM? mento presents what the group has done and Recall that Sacramento’s St. Hope Academy facing extinction. In 1946, 35% of American Send an email with “calendar plans to do to educate local people on issues of was launched with a multi-million dollar grant labor was unionized. Currently, 12.5 % of the item” in the subject line. Make it peace and war. Anie Wilson gives teachers infor- from the Gates Foundation in August 2003. That US work force are members of labor unions. short, and in this order, please: Day, Date. Name of event. mation on progressive Web sites to share with cash successfully changed Sacramento High This is a complicated and complex situation with Description (1-2 lines). Time. their students to supplement assigned textbooks. School (in Oak Park, a working-class, major- unclear solutions.