Sam Garchik: "What's he stand for?"

A few days ago I had an entry reproducing an email from Sam Garchik regarding his decision to run for the Iowa City Community School District Board as a write-in candidate. Nicholas Johnson,"Blogger Sam Garchik Write-In IC School Board Candidate," August 24, 2006. In response, I got a comment from "Anonymous" asking "What does he stand for?" I answered, "Let's ask him."

Well, here's his answer. Looks good.

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SAM GARCHIK
WRITE-IN CANDIDATE FOR SCHOOL BOARD

Background

Current Teacher and Parent
Alternative ed. Teacher for the Linn-Mar district
Has 6th grader at Longfellow
Editor, Blog for Iowa

Pro-Student

Implement the wellness plan developed by parents and local citizens, not the generic plan developed by outsiders.
This locally developed plan is included as an addendum to the generic policy, which waters down the local plan’s recommendations on PE, Health education, Nutrition, and other school activities.

Allow students to opt into the school directory and military recruitment lists, and not out of them.
Right now, because of the Patriot Act and Now Child Left Behind, military recruiters have access to the school directory—without parents knowledge or consent. Parents deserve to determine who contacts their children and how, particularly during a time when recruiting violations are at an all time high.

Pro-Parent

Make all available reports relating to the district available on the website.
This district’s greatest resources are parents, who ensure their children are doing the work at home necessary to create a good learning environment at school. We can’t advocate for our children if we don’t know what the district knows. Right now, for example, the wellness plan isn’t available to parents on-line.

Develop a plan for possible tax money that helps parents.
Before they vote on the issue of a local option sales tax, parents and community members should know how the school district proposes to spend the money.

Create a mechanism for greater parental input on major board decisions.
To facilitate communication and planning, the board should create mechanisms for parental and community input that are open, non-partisan and public. Getting input in the early stages of planning will help create a stronger school-community bond and encourage proactive, creative solutions.

Pro-Staff

Keep qualified teachers by balancing enrollments.
Within the next 20 years, the district will need a third comprehensive high school. Until then, as the current board has mandated, the district needs to use available resources. A plan that balances student enrollment will help guarantee that qualified teachers and support staff will remain in the district.