My busy day gave me a chance to research but not to begin the writing this subject deserves. I’ll work on that tomorrow but for this beginning I will share the thoughts of others who read the editorial I so object to.
First up, Andrew Slade, the most reasonable person in the world who gave serious thought to running for the Board himself and who perfectly echoes the concerns of Denfeld parents who see their children’s educational options shrinking compared to those being offered at East High School. Andrew has taken on the role of Alanna’s Treasurer. He quite accurately describes the Trib’s editorial as being a “passive-aggressive hit. From the email buzz I’ve been reading it has prompted a number of Alanna’s supporters to redouble their efforts to campaign vigorously on Alanna’s behalf. That includes me.
Here’s Andrew’s take:
Alanna, you’ve got this. And we’ve got your back. Sign me up for doorknocking, I’ll be honored to walk with you.
The DNT piece was nothing but a passive-aggressive hit job on people who are working on the actual hard problems the district is facing. Anyone can see that you have all the qualifications and experience they touted for Renee, plus so much more.
Everyone on this email needs to go to their typewriters or whatever and write a letter to the editor sharing your support for Alanna. Let the readers of the DNT know the real story, even when the paper won’t acknowledge it themselves.
Three weeks to the primary. All the time in the world.
And from my old eminently fair minded young acquaintance, Karl Schuettler, who doesn’t much care for Art Johnston and who says of me that he takes me with a “grain of salt.” He is mystified by the Editorial’s conclusions based on the video interview of Alanna. His piece has a link to Alanna’s interview.
Karl’s post offers a balanced view that put’s the Editorial Board to shame. Although I’ve not talked to Jana Hollingsworth, the Trib’s education reporter, about the editorial I’d hazard a guess that was astonished and appalled at the Editorial Board’s conclusions. I’ll offer much more evidence of Alanna Oswald’s talents and influence tomorrow. In my view her efforts over the last year, although unheralded, have been so helpful as to almost offset our disastrous school board’s antics. Here’s a sample of Karl’s analysis but I strongly urge you to read the whole thing:
I always read Harry with a grain of salt, so I watched the video of Oswald’s interview with the DNT to see if it was an accurate assessment. If this is the editorial board’s idea of divisiveness, I shudder to think of what would happen if its members were ever to actually meet a divisive person. I wouldn’t say we agree on everything, but she seems like an eminently reasonable west side lifer with admirable commitment to achieving results in education. Her take on Art Johnston, a “guy with an obnoxious tone with whom she sometimes disagrees, yet sometimes has good ideas that the rest of the Board ignores because they come from Art Johnston” couldn’t be more accurate. It’s the least divisive, most balanced view you’ll hear about Johnston from anyone in the world of ISD 709 (in public, anyway).
