District 150 School Board president Debbie Wolfmeyer is up for reelection this year to another five-year term. You may recall that during her first term she sent a rather infamous e-mail to concerned parents.
In May 2008, Ms. Wolfmeyer told a concerned parent via e-mail, “I must respectfully decline your invitation to meet with you. It is not my role as a Board member to meet with individuals or groups. None of us as an individual Board member has any authority. Our authority comes as we work as a body. Also, I am not an educator. Therefore, it is important that any ideas, solutions, etc that are presented go through the administration so that they can assess them and report to us.”
At the Uplands candidate forum Thursday night, I asked Wolfmeyer if she would be accessible to her constituents were she to be reelected, and if she saw her role as representing her constituents to the administration, or vice versa.
Wolfmeyer said, first of all, that even though she’s elected from the second school board district, she sees her role as representing the whole school district (meaning all of District 150, not just the second board district), and specifically the children of the whole school district. Secondly, she said she will not “negotiate” with parents or constituents because she’s only one board member and cannot make any decisions unilaterally. She’s willing to sit down and listen to the concerns of her constituents, but in the end, she has to do what’s in the best interests of the children. I mentioned that many of these constituents of whom she spoke are parents who also have the best interests of their children in mind. Wolfmeyer said yes, but there are always parents and other constituents on both sides of an issue.
It doesn’t sound to me like Ms. Wolfmeyer’s views have changed significantly over the past three years. But second board district voters who disagree with her views don’t have many alternatives this election. Wolfmeyer’s only opponent is Mike Mitchell, whose appearances at recent candidate forums do not inspire confidence in his ability to do the job. He is a pleasant and sincere person, but doesn’t display an understanding of the issues facing District 150 or articulate any solution to them. He admits that he’s not a good public speaker, but invites everyone to sit down with him over a beer to discuss his ideas about District 150. I can only presume that he means he’s better able to communicate in a casual setting, not that his views make more sense when heard under the influence of alcohol.
“Mike Mitchell, whose appearances at recent candidate forums do not inspire confidence in his ability to do the job. He is a pleasant and sincere person, but doesn’t display an understanding of the issues facing District 150 or articulate any solution to them”
Does Wolfmeyer? Or anyone else. #150 is so disconnected from the public it is sad. Red ink still flows like the river even after all the closings and cuts. Same problems just differnt people,new schools and overpacked class sizes. CJ, remember our President Obama brokered a sit down with him over a beer meeting ,so if it is good for the President of the United States I think it is ok for Mike Mitchell.
I don’t think Wolfmeyer has an understanding of the issues facing D150, nor offers any solutions to them either. Admittedly, I would have liked to have had a better slate of contenders to choose from. We already know where we’re going with Wolfie – down that same dead-end road. One can only hope that Mitchell would be able to listen and learn.
How unfortunate.
I have gotten to know Mike after meeting him at board meetings, and he has also come to District Watch meetings–but never over a beer. I like Mike as a person. I know that he is not well versed in things District 150. He is willing to listen. His Tea Party and its agenda concern me–maybe Mike can be his own person inspite of that affiliation. 🙂 Or maybe that affiliation will get him votes. Others on the board may or may not be good public speakers–I find that most of them say little except “yes” or “no” on votes anyway.
Certainly, we have no reason to believe that Debbie Wolfmeyer will be any better the second time around than she was the first. The total trust she places in administrators seems to be the wrong stance for a board member whose job it is to watch over the district. All of her misgivings (which she sometimes has stated) never seem to affect her final vote.
I have been incredibly aggravated at Kevin Lyons for taking General Parker off the ballot. He would have truly been a voice for children. He walks the walk and talks the talk, and between him and Rachael, it was apparent that they have acted with only the interests of children in mind. Now that Kevin has taken it upon himself to remove General Parker from the ballot, it appears we will be STUCK with Wolfie. Kevin must not have a lot of faith in the judicial system [that he serves] ability to rehabilitate. Sad.
The only comforting thought is that some of the write-in candidates for the #3 District, along with some of the more recently elected intellect on the board, could be enough to render her irrelevant.
Opinion,
I agree in part with you when you said “The only comforting thought is that some of the write-in candidates for the #3 District, along with some of the more recently elected intellect on the board, could be enough to render her irrelevant.” There is no question that with her life experiences, lengthy career in education and her 10 years prior service that Jan Deissler is by ad far the best write in candidate for District 3.
You are right. There needs to be major changes on the board. At one forum Rick Cloyd spoke but never mentioned the children. All he talked about was his abilities at Keystone and at Cat to deal with the financials and stop people from moving out of Peoria to the other communities. We need some one to do just that, but do it with the children in mind. Never mentioning children and you are running for school board seems odd. But he is a pick of the Chamber so what do we expect
I agree about Cloyd–if all he has to offer is business experience and if he can’t come up with solutions to the exodus from Peoria and District 150, then he certainly won’t have anything to add to the current board. I do believe Jan Deissler is the best choice for District 3–she has already had experience as a board member, is willing to do her homework, and is willing to listen to the public, teachers, etc. The fact that she was a teacher herself (first at Manual where I taught with her and next at ICC) certainly makes me feel that she know what the children of District 150 need.
Its all about the children when it comes to education except when it is usually about the money.
Sharon,
Anybody who could solve the exodus of Peoria and the city school system will not be running for a school board seat, they will be crowned emperor of Central Illinois.
The only way to stop the exodus is to remove the option to change school systems. Make all the schools in the county under one superintendent. (one school board ) elected county wide. IE moving to Brimfield would still be in the same school jurisdiction.
the only boundary would be to balance students in each school building.