School Board Election Coming Up
Scott Booker’s lengthy Jan. 14 Speaking Out piece in the Courier News was headlined, “Howard must be removed as city schools chief.” It set off a minor tizzy on the Star-Ledger’s Plainfield Forum, with writers urging him to come forward and run for school board.
Is this an attempt to showcase a newcomer to the Queen City’s world of politics? Maybe. Is Mr. Booker’s agenda evident, should he choose to run? Darn right.
Paula Howard has both partisans and detractors on the current board, enough of the former to secure her place in Plainfield until 2010 if she still wants to stay. Each year the nine-member school board has three seats up for election, so if the two non-Howard fans got three more allies, they would control the board. The filing deadline is 4 p.m. Monday, Feb. 26, so expect to hear a lot more rhetoric about Howard in coming weeks.
Plaintalker deeply regrets not having enough time or energy to cover both the school side and municipal side of local politics. Lack of coverage only adds to the murkiness of what is going on with the district. When Wilma Campbell, Rev. Tracey Brown and Martin Cox were elected to the board in 2004, less than one-third of the registered voters took part. By contrast, two-thirds made their way to the polls for the general election in November 2004.
Now those individuals will have to decide whether to seek re-election. Other residents will have to decide whether they want to run for a three-year term on the board. Qualifications to run are available at the Board of Education office at 504 Madison Avenue and also online. Winners must commit to a grueling schedule and take mandatory training. If the public is apathetic, politicians are not and will be watching every move of board members as they approve or reject contracts and personnel decisions offered by the superintendent.
Some may say it will not be up to individuals to make the decision to run, but up to the Democratic Party leadership, even though the school board election is supposed to be non-partisan. Coming weeks will tell the tale. Expect more letters to the editor, more forum postings and more rhetoric. Voters will have their say on April 17.
--Bernice Paglia
Is this an attempt to showcase a newcomer to the Queen City’s world of politics? Maybe. Is Mr. Booker’s agenda evident, should he choose to run? Darn right.
Paula Howard has both partisans and detractors on the current board, enough of the former to secure her place in Plainfield until 2010 if she still wants to stay. Each year the nine-member school board has three seats up for election, so if the two non-Howard fans got three more allies, they would control the board. The filing deadline is 4 p.m. Monday, Feb. 26, so expect to hear a lot more rhetoric about Howard in coming weeks.
Plaintalker deeply regrets not having enough time or energy to cover both the school side and municipal side of local politics. Lack of coverage only adds to the murkiness of what is going on with the district. When Wilma Campbell, Rev. Tracey Brown and Martin Cox were elected to the board in 2004, less than one-third of the registered voters took part. By contrast, two-thirds made their way to the polls for the general election in November 2004.
Now those individuals will have to decide whether to seek re-election. Other residents will have to decide whether they want to run for a three-year term on the board. Qualifications to run are available at the Board of Education office at 504 Madison Avenue and also online. Winners must commit to a grueling schedule and take mandatory training. If the public is apathetic, politicians are not and will be watching every move of board members as they approve or reject contracts and personnel decisions offered by the superintendent.
Some may say it will not be up to individuals to make the decision to run, but up to the Democratic Party leadership, even though the school board election is supposed to be non-partisan. Coming weeks will tell the tale. Expect more letters to the editor, more forum postings and more rhetoric. Voters will have their say on April 17.
--Bernice Paglia
posted by Bernice at 9:28 AM
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