Questions to Ask Your School Board Candidates
I originally wrote this article on November 1, 2015.
I am voting on November 3rd.
As a parent and taxpayer, I have the following questions:
What/how much federal funding has <my city> schools accepted, or will be accepting, and what specifically is the funding for? What has <my city>, in turn, agreed to do for said funding?
What percentage of <my city> schools’ curriculum is Common-Core based?
What is your opinion on the Common Core curriculum?
Do you believe parents should have a say in allowing or refusing this curriculum?
How do we go about requiring <my city> schools to list, online, all the curriculum used in each of the schools for parents and taxpayers to review and approve?
What is your opinion about <my city> students doing most, if not, all of their work on computers?
Do you believe parents and students should have the option to use hard-copy textbooks instead of computers?
What is your opinion about students’ wi-fi and cell phone exposure—is this harmful to children?
Do you believe parents and students should have a say about their being exposed to wi-fi and cell phone electromagnetic fields and radiofrequency radiation?
Is anyone on the board willing to petition for Ethernet-wired internet connection in the schools instead of wi-fi?
Do any of the <my city> schools have cell phone towers on school property? Are there plans for cell phone tower installation?
Are teachers required to be union members? If they are, is anyone on the board willing to petition for union membership to be optional and for non-members to be allowed all the rights of members (i.e. not being penalized for being a non-member)?
What are your beliefs about <my city> schools’ funding—do you believe more money is needed within the school system? If so, where would you like this money to go?
Do you believe the school system is owned by tax payers?
How do we go about requiring <my city> school expenses and financial distribution to be posted online for all <my city> residents, tax payers, to review?
Warmly,