June 22, 2008
Wolf will decide by Wednesday about write-in campaign; seeks public input
In a comment on North Richmond News, 3rd District school board representative Carol A. O. Wolf writes that she will decide by Wednesday whether to launch a write-in bid to represent the North Richmond community; Wolf failed to submit enough qualified signatures to get on the ballot, and Norma Murdoch-Kitt is currently the only candidate running in the 3rd District.
From Wolf’s comment:
I need to decide by this coming Wednesday whether to mount a write-in campaign or to sit this one out and allow Norma Murdoch-Kitt to have a “walk-on” to serve as Northside’s School Board member for the next four years.
I have already heard from so many of you who have called, dropped by or sent e-mails urging me to battle on for a multitude of reasons. Many of you have offered to help.
Serving on School Board involves far more than simply representing one’s district, therefore I am asking to hear from citizens throughout the city. I would appreciate it if you could let me know what district you live in when you post a comment.
In addition to asking for your help with this decision, I would most appreciate hearing from citizens across the city concerning their thoughts are on what the SB’s priorities should be during the next few months leading up to election.
Please weigh in with what you think of the Richmond School Board and what you would like to see happen to improve the quality of education in the City of Richmond.
Respectfully,
Carol A.O. Wolf
Third District Member
Co-Chair Student Disciplinary Committee
Member, Finance Committee
Member, Legal, Legislative, Policy and Communications CommitteePersonal e-mail: Wolfies@aol.com
I heard Carol Wolf speak at a meeting tonight. I truly hope she does the write-in campaign. She’s to be admired for her courageous work on behalf of the disability rights communities and for her fair-mindedness. She has also held the administrators feet to the fire in asking for the audit(s)! It is a shame that we might lose her voice.
Carol Wolf, lots of good comments going on here http://chpn.net/news/2008/06/17/council-school-board-candidates-redux/ .
Spoke to some PTA moms in your district this week and they said they didn’t want to lose you.
Just say NO! The time for change has come to the City. Please don’t do run. You had a chance to get enough signatures, but, as the incumbent, failed to do so. Clearly, that should speak VOLUMES as to what you should do. As a resident of your district, and as a parent, I don’t want you as my representative. My neighbors don’t want you either. JUST DON’T DO IT!
Read http://saverichmond.com:80/?p=493
Wolf is the posterchild for appointed school boards. Please spare Richmond and our community any further embarrassment. We need a representative who works for us, not the media and attention. Give it a rest, please.
Hey Gray,
I just read it. Sheer and utter foolishness. Richmond needs more combat like it needs another term of Doug Wilder. The time for change has come. Wolf needs to NOT run!
CommonSense, when a child is harmed by RPS or not able to enter a school or expelled for acting like a typical child, who on SB or running for SB do you think will advocate for that child? Let me know who the voices are. Who on board acknowleges loudly that RPS are separate and unequal? If Wolf didn’t fight for ADA compliance, who would have? In the counties and in most cities disabled children can enter their district school but not in Richmond. Tell me, outside of Wolf, who fought for the disabled?
Now commonsense, if you can name some folk on board or running for board who have some backbone, give the information, what they have done or will do. And please do not talk about the low standard of learning scores –we all know that poor high scoring SOL schools are guilty of teaching to the test and high suspension rates, in some cases, out numbering the students enrolled in the school. High SOL scores alone do not impress thinking parents but it does impress Bush, Jr. and his ilk –they want nothing more than an unthinking working poor.
Here are a couple questions I had posted on another blog for School Board Candidates:
1) I would like to know from the SB candidates what would be the first specific thing they would want to fix or change in the RPS system?
2) What made them want to run for School Board?
First - fighting and being a member of the school board is an oxymoron. Clearly, our kids deserve something more than a bulldog - with a limited myopic self-important view of the world. Putting it bluntly, such a view has no place in education. What has Wolf done other than ADA compliance and frequent appearances on TV? Nothing - just be a fighter - that’s a heck of a legacy. Second, why can’t a three term incumbent collect 150 signatures to get on the ballot? Third, wouldn’t you agree, my friend Gray, that a such an incumbent shouldn’t have to scramble for signatures. That such “scrambling” is a clear and loud message of lack of support. Finally, isn’t 3 terms enough?
Commonsense, she has helped countless families, including my own. This counts more to me than signatures.
Again, Now commonsense, if you can name some folk on board or running for board who have some backbone, give the information, what they have done or will do. Instead of blasting Carol Wolf, tell us the other candidate’s platform and why she is running for school board. What is she interested in fixing or changing in RPS?
What I so admire about Obama is that he didn’t blast his opponent Hillary, he instead gave his positions.
And please do not call me a friend unless you mean it –that is typical RPS politician talk.
Well Gray “Wolf” . . . why did it take Ms. Wolf over two years to acknowledge the leaky roof problems in our schools? Where was her voice for those two years? Where was the fight then? Wolf sat silent while the media consistently reported the problem. Again, where was the fight then? Clearly, not heard. More importantly, Gray Wolf, where has Wolf’s antics and grand standing gotten us? She claims ADA success - when her grand myopic standing caused us more than good. She questioned the appointment of a board to find a new super. Why? Because, she wasn’t informed. Get real! Wolf is all about Wolf and the politics of power. Is the City and 3rd District in a better position today than it was 3 terms ago? NO! How many times has she grandstanded her way into causing the Schools harm?
“Fighting and being a member of the school board is an oxymoron.”
Wha……?
When we have proven truancy and dropout problems, a 47% graduation rate, a long-burning separate-but-unequal treatment of the handicapped, an audit that reveals millions in lost taxpayer dollars plus sweetheart contracts with illegal vendors, and a clannish administration that won’t accept responsibility for anything (but can pay off their former CFO with hush money) — that statement right there just says it all about why Richmond Public Schools continue to fail.
CommonSense: Exactly what is a school board member supposed to do when he/she finds problems with the school and he/she finds nothing but dragging feet and shrugs? Give up? Ask politely for change? Deny the problem? Or perhaps you are saying that Richmond Public Schools are perfect and in no need of any change? If the latter is the case, your view simply isn’t supported by the facts in the public record. Either way, I think you owe Gray an answer.
“CommonSense”: I now see your answer but am more confused than ever. Can you detail the “harm” that Ms. Wolf has supposedly caused? From this spiel, it looks to me like someone is a BIG fan of George Braxton and has their panties in a wad that someone dared to oppose him and threaten his turf. Gosh, shame on her…
Carol,
Whatever happened to your petitions doesn’t matter to the parents who see you as their voice. To most of them, I’ll bet, your failure to get on the ballot is being seen as a technicality with little to say about your worthiness.
While most people couldn’t wage a successful write-in campaign, under these circumstances, you could.
Run and win!
You are still blasting Wolf and have resorted to name calling without saying anything about the candidate actually on the ballot. Hell, she could be good but how would we know? We know that you dislike Wolf and will attack anyone who does…that is hardly a good endorsement for the other candidate.
re leaky roof problems, I would give Wolf a call and complain and see what can be done. She will be in office until January.
Didn’t Murdoch-Kitt fail to gather enough signatures last election? I wouldn’t hold that against anyone and nor do I have a problem with a write-in campaign if one chooses to do so like Murdoch-Kitt did the last election.
I agree that school board members should comport themselves with dignity and tolerance. But, what should happen when some members of the SB decide to run roughshod over another? What should happen when Wolf fights for a Northside IB (that would benefit children throughout the city) and Lisa Dawson (2nd District) throws a temper tantrum in the meeting and stomps out? Should Wolf sit there silently? When Dawson and Braxton team up to prevent a second IB middle years program from happening because they have decided they don’t want to work with Wolf — who suffers?
Why blame Wolf because she refuses to back down, when the other members of the board display such a lack of emotional intelligence? I have attended plenty of SB meetings and witnessed this behavior.
I have been a teacher and I know that it takes two to make a fight. Contrary to what many think, I have seen Wolf attempt reason and persuasion only to be cut off and dismissed by Braxton and Dawson. Wolf is the only one who understands that parents, teachers and students need real choice and not platitudes about “Good to Great.”
I may not have children but I have had the opportunity as a nurse to accompany a few special needs children to Richmond City schools. When I perceived things that did not sit well with me with one school in particular..I knew that C. Wolf would actually listen to my concerns and follow up on them. This school actually had a child RESTRAINED in their chair in the lunch room! I even sent an email to our fair mayor via an ” ask the mayor” forum about it and NEVER so much as heard a peep from his office! ( circa 2006)
The Richmond City School system and improvement of its statistics is a painfully obvious uphill battle.
Want to talk truancy, drugs, teen pregnancy, vandalism, curfew-breakers and the like..? Well then cast blame on the parents also..as they must take some responsibility for their “seedlings” that fail to focus and find a path in life that is positive.
I hope that C. Wolf WILL continue to be a mainstay in the school system..as she is not afraid to champion the needs of city pupils that are not globally being met.
I also want to encourage members of the community to mentor their time to kids that need positive role models.
Stop complaining about the inadequacies Richmond and come together as a COMMUNITY to make a change in our little quadrant of the world!
I will gladly ask for signatures for the cause if asked…
marchrva, I too wrote an email of complaint to the Mayor stating problems and abuses I had seen in the RPS and I never heard back from him which hurt b/c he knows my family, step family, and in-laws. Maybe he didn’t read it or maybe it didn’t fit his politics, maybe he is connected to the folk I complained about, maybe he believes me but doesn’t have time for it…I’ll never know.
Like you said, Carol Wolf listens, responds, and takes action.
Wow, commonsense do you actually have any children in Richmond Pubic Schools? Just to give you an idea of what Carol has done: more placements at Maggie Walker, she helped get rid of a special ed. director that harmed over 5000 students according to the feds, held the orperations officer accountable(he was forced to resign and the acting office found 2 million dollars he was fraudalently hiding), ADA and she understands that the Super. works for the families and the school board not vice a versa.
Time is over for bickering but it isn’t time to lay down and let the school system run amuck.