PDS Endorsement Meeting for Ward Races Tuesday

[elements.livejournal.com]

The Progressive Democrats of Somerville are holding our first endorsements meeting of this election cycle Tuesday evening. We will be making endorsements in the contested ward races: the Ward 6 Alderman's Race, the Ward 5 School Committee Race and the Ward 4 School Committee Race. (We'll be holding another meeting later on for the at-large alderman race and uncontested races.)

Our website has the answered questionnaires submitted by the candidates in these races.

This is a great chance to learn about the candidates running and ask some important questions, even if you're not a PDS-er. We will also get an update about the PDS Summer Picnic, our continued work on the city budget process and explore some community service projects.

Tuesday, July 28th
6:30 to 8:30
Visiting Nurses Association
259 Lowell Street (walk or take the 88 or 90 bus from Davis down Highland to Lowell St. to get there by public transit)
Community Room (3rd Floor)

Comments

Boooooo to James Norton!

[nvidia99999.livejournal.com]

It figures.

"James Norton (did not respond)"

[tt02144.livejournal.com]

Why would he (or anyone for that matter) respond when everyone knows who the Progressive Democrats will endorse?

[somertricky.livejournal.com]

Wasn't that the argument Bob Trane used? See where it got him.

Even though there's no chance in hell Norton's going to pick up a PDS endorsement, PDS is the only group even attempting to systematically get responses to a list of questions. If they eliminated the throwaway softballs ("Which progressive candidates have you supported in the last five years?"), it would be a serious attempt at compiling the issues. Which no one else appears to be interested in.

Maybe JN could tackle the first four questions off the questionnaire, and answer them here?
----

1. What political or community activism accomplishments are you most proud of during your last term in office (or the last two years if you have not previously served)?

2. What are your top three agenda priorities and how will you take action on these priorities?

3. What would you tell a parent to convince her/him to send their children to Somerville schools?

4. What do you think the City should do with the Powerhouse School?

JN's opponent

[winterhill.livejournal.com]

returned the survey and had pretty great answers. I'll be interested to hear what he says in this forum or elsewhere. If anyone finds a statement, please link to it?

JN's statement:

[nvidia99999.livejournal.com]

Leave me alone, you progressive punks. :)

[elements.livejournal.com]

We invite every candidate to seek our endorsement because we want to hear from all of the candidates in a race. There have been races where we have chosen unexpectedly or chosen not to endorse any candidate at all. There is nothing foregone about who PDS endorses; it's all up to whichever PDS members arrive at the endorsement meeting. Our endorsements also require a 2/3 majority of the vote. In any case, no candidate can count on receiving or not receiving a PDS endorsement in advance, if they participate in the process. We have a pretty diverse membership, and are seeking to endorse candidates who best reflect our values as an organization and who we as a group feel will be best for Somerville.

[jamesnorton.livejournal.com]

good morning - good point tt02144. why would the group that put a candidate up to running in a race, any race, endorse anyone but that very person?

besides that would little nugget of common sense - i seriously never got any questionnaire to respond to, which kind of makes it look even more like a bag job to me (personally).

at the end of the day, i care about how the residents/voters of Ward 4 view me as their elected official - every person has a different idea of what an elected official should do for them and their neighborhood. trying to pigeon hole someone into a certain "philosophy" or political ideology and then basing questions (and a subsequent endorsement) solely on that mind-set, works when you speak to a larger crowd of "segmented" voters who share the same ideology.

but again, i never got any questionnaire, which would have been easy for that group to verify that i received it - with an email, a call to my house, a call to my office...even asking me in person. it's not like i am a hard person to get hold of.

JN

[somertricky.livejournal.com]

JN - what's your take on the fiasco that involved the 6th grade at the Brown School for this upcoming school year? I appreciate the Middle School Initiative that it being pulled together, but feel there could have been more advance notice given regarding potential changes in the future.

[jamesnorton.livejournal.com]

hi tricky -

well, there is no fiasco taking place. as one member of the school committee, i listened to the message that was loud and clear from the brown school community - and i personally spoke with both parents and children the elimination of the 6th grade section would have affected. subsequently, during the budget process, i was one of a couple of members who led the charge to instruct the superintendent to reinstate the section for a number of reasons - first, that it was entirely too little notice given to the people it would have affected; second, while increasing middle grade rigor is a top priority for myself, as well as a long term goal of the school committee and the district, eliminating one section here and there doesn't get the job done adequately; and finally, my suggestion is that over the next fiscal year, the superintendent and the school committee take a long hard look at the possibility of leveling every grade/section across the city.

sorry for the long answer, but this was a very emotional topic with many layers that need to be addressed. at the end of the day, beyond everything else, it's about the kids - and quite frankly, it wasn't right. i am glad i could help put a stop to it and engage discussion on a higher level for future section determination.

JN

[somertricky.livejournal.com]

JN - thanks for the reply, and for your work in this matter - the timing was completely off for a move of this magnitude. That, and the "some of you can go here, some of you can go there, some of you can go way over there". The fiasco was limited to an extent by the actions of the School Committee; still, a couple of sixth grade students wound up transfering to other schools in the midst of the chaos.

I suspect the Brown ultimately becomes K-5 over time as the Middle School mindset sets in; that said, there's going to be a huge mass of students (the two fifth grade classes this fall, for example) that are going to need to be relocated at some point - the SC may need to consider that the majority of students may wish to stick together moving ahead, and not get blown to the wind in any number of random directions.

I gotta meet you one of these years.

[jamesnorton.livejournal.com]

you got it - yeah, there will be a number of issues concerning the brown school composition in the years to come for a number of reasons, most of which i have mentioned previously.

i agree that it would be in the best interest of the 5th graders to keep them together, but, that will be a discussion for another day. i will definitely be bringing up that very issue at some point, when we start looking at the more global question of leveling out the grade/sections.

it is my opinion that to create a more ideal district, we need to think and act more globally. we have taken half the step by embracing controlled choice - now we need to take a look at things from the top - down.

setting priorities as members and as a body with short, medium and long term goals is the best way to effectuate a more systemic approach to quality education and a smooth, efficient and plentiful system/district.

having those priorities revolve, evolve and develop around issues such as enhanced middle grade rigor, earlier introduction to art, music and foreign language, increased afterschool opportunities and inclusion are incredibly important to me as a member of the school committee.

JN

It's free publicity anyway.

[nvidia99999.livejournal.com]

Only an idiot would not use it.