I don’t think there is any question this campaign for the Modesto City Schools Board has been one for the record books.  Nine people in the race, all four incumbents running to retain their seats, a district in transition and virtually nobody agreeing on anything.  What I find most fascinating and certainly prevalent is the phenomenon of  “if you say it enough times, it becomes the truth”, whether it is or not.  We currently see the same trend at the state level.  According to a recent Field Poll, 57% of Californians believe the state can provide about the same level of services simply by eliminating waste and inefficiencies.  That this perception is patently false seems to have no bearing on its persistent spread.   This attitude is mirrored in our own community by people who seem to believe car allowances for managers and consulting fees are the roots of our fiscal inequity.  While you may not agree these items are necessary district expenses, it really depends on your perspective.  In general, most people will tell you that what someone else is getting is not necessary, but what they ask for is fair.  Perception is one’s reality; evidence to the contrary just gets in the way.

The chants of  “no more cuts” still echo in my mind from the last two years of very long, painful board meetings when people said they understood that sacrifices must be made, but please cut something besides….well, you can fill in the blank.  The emails, phone calls, impassioned pleas at the podium, on the street and in the grocery store all had the same themes:  my program is valuable, my service is critical, my job is necessary.  The sad thing was, those statements were true at the time and still are.  The education, special programs and peripheral services we provide through the district are all important and help children and families.  This is why it is so very difficult to decide how to proceed when you don’t have the money to pay for all the things people ask for and need.  Most people would conclude the public school system can’t do it all, but can’t agree on what they should stop doing.

Discussions of budgets and personalities have obscured the issue that should always be at the forefront of any school board campaign:  the education and welfare of children.  There has been very little discussion about children, their needs and how to best educate them in this campaign.  The questions asked at candidate forums related to children have been few and far between.  People aren’t talking about what kinds of instructional strategies work best for English learners, whether small class sizes really make a difference for children or whether we should be teaching algebra to eighth-graders.  Children have somehow become tangential in the battle for who will prevail in the perceived district power struggle.  It’s time for everyone to stop claiming righteous indignation, pointing fingers and work together to provide the kind of education the children in our community deserve.

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