Leah Culver’s Neighborhood

In mid-October, I received an e-mail from the League of Women Voters asking that I complete their voter guide questionnaire.  When I followed the link provided, it brought me to a Web page that asked me to state my name and contest.  When I did, I wasn't recognized and was asked to provide further identifying information.

I submitted a short form of personal information and received an "initial password" in return.  Only the password didn't work.  I was prompted to submit identifying information.  I went through the routine again.  Another password arrived and I tried it.  Not recognized.  Prompted to resubmit name, email and contest. 

It had been several days since LWV first sent out its request, other priorities came up, I answered other questionnaires and never got around to trying to log on again.

In wrapping up some campaign tasks, I saw that the City of Bloomington election Website provides a link to the LWV site.  It's three days after the election, but I figured, "Why not take a look again and maybe put up a response just for the record."  Clicked on link from the city. Clicked on the candidate log-in.  Entered my email address and the LWV-provided password.  Unrecognized.  Asked again to provide personal data so an initial password could be sent.

And that's why I'm not included in the LWV profiles. 

Tuesday was Election Day and I managed to pull enough votes to win a seat on the board again.  Since then, I've been sure to get back all my "Re-elect Tim Culver" lawn signs back, send out several notes and revise my supporter data base. This afternoon I sent e-mailed a letter to the editor of the Sun-Current to thank supporters and voters.  This is it:

To the Editor:

I want to personally thank all those who supported my campaign for another term on the school board.  I especially appreciate the work of friends and family who helped me communicate with voters. 

To voters who filled in the bubble next to my name:   Thank you for trusting me to serve four more years.  Please support Bloomington students, staff, and schools as well and as often as you can.   They are important to our future. 

And thank you, Sun-Current, for again providing readers with real insight into issues and candidates with your profiles.  I often heard from voters that your election issue was essential reading.  

Election campaigns aren’t only about voters choosing among candidates.  They’re a chance for candidates to learn about voters, too.   Campaigning got me back in touch with old friends and introduced me to people who care about schools and education.  I’m thankful for the frequent reminders of how lucky I am to live in such a caring community.

I hope there's room for the letter in next week's election results edition.  Thanks, everyone!

The Bloomington Channel (Comcast Cable 14) is replaying the LWV and PTSA Council forums.  The School Board candidates may be heard from at these times:

LWV:   Thurs., Oct. 29 at 9 p.m. and Fri., Oct. 30 at 3 a.m., 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.

PTSA:  Sun., Nov. 1 at 2:30 a.m., 8:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.

Bloomington Educational Channel (Comcast 15) is replaying the PTSA forum

PTSA:  Thurs., Oct. 29 at 7 p.m. and Fri., Oct. 30 at 1 a.m., 7 a.m. and 1 p.m.

If I want to learn more about local candidates, I've always found the Sun-Current's candidate profiles to be a good start.  I know I'm not alone.  Each election, a significant number of the people I talk to tell me they want to see what the Sun-Current has to say before making up their minds, particularly about new candidates. 

Here the link to Sun-Current profiles.

Because of their deadlines, the S-C write-up on me was based on my answers to questions e-mailed to me:  It follows here, so you don't need to search for it in the longer article.  But go ahead and read about other candidates, too.  You get to vote for four!

Address: 9866 Edgewood Road, Bloomington
Family: Wife, Sue; 3 daughters
Education: BA in English, Macalester College; Secondary Arts Language teaching license; master's coursework in educational leadership
Occupation: Teacher
Years in city: 29
Community involvement: Founding president, Bloomington Community Foundation; education team chair, Normandale Hylands United Methodist Church; member, Bloomington Breakfast Optimists Club
Information: culverforschoolboard@gmail.com

Culver said he's ready to re-enlist for four more years of service on the Bloomington School Board. The only educator on the board, Culver said he's running for re-election because he has more work to do.

"The coming years of limited funding will require creative solutions, strong advocacy, and tough maybe unpopular decisions," he said. "I'm the only board member with teaching credentials and professional experience in education."

Culver has worked in higher education for a decade, serving as director of admissions and financial aid for a Bloomington private school and a classroom teacher in both public and charter schools.

"It's important that Bloomington schools have strong, steady leadership that is prepared for the type of planning and public engagement it will take to take to get us where we need to go," Culver said. "I know the issues and challenges."

Culver sees several challenges for the district, including affordable, new curriculum options for all students, more opportunities and rewards for professional development and ensuring early childhood education enriches every student's individual educational path.

"Closing learning gaps among children due to income and educational differences among families is the most effective way to help every child succeed," he said. "Research and experience have proven the value of early childhood education. Bloomington schools have made a start on pre-kindergarten skills training. It's time to move beyond these limited efforts and expand opportunities for all Early Learners as needed."

Culver also wants to see the district look at more educational options, whether it's language immersion, magnet schools, gifted and talented, career and technical programs, fine arts or science and math curriculum.

"Bloomington schools can't afford to slack off on timely and challenging new curriculum options because 'there's no money,'" he said. "We need to do what must be done to make education better for all, including finding necessary funding."

However, Culver recognizes that public education has limited resources that aren't going to grow much anytime soon.

"Teachers are stretched to the limits, there aren't empty classrooms to accommodate lowered class sizes and our 'neighborhood schools' philosophy means that there will be economic differences in student populations because of where schools are located," he said. "A real action plan will include families, churches, schools, city government and other interest groups. There are successful model projects out there that involve all these 'players.'"

Culver sees providing continuing educational opportunities to staff in all units at all levels as also vital to student success.

"Effective and accessible training must be rewarded with opportunities for increased responsibility and internal advancement," he said. "If Bloomington as a community is serious about closing the gap, we need to be honest about what it really takes and be committed that we're going to get it done."

The Bloomington Federation of Teachers had candidates check off where whey stood on ten questions, then asked for brief campaign statements.  Eleven replied to the survey, which is actually kind of revealing.  Check it out here. If you're not inclined to read all eleven statements, here's mine in 200 words or less:

I’m running for re-election to remain intimately involved in improving Bloomington residents’ lives through first-class public education.

As an educator with teaching, college admissions, and program management experience, I’m the only board member with personal experience in some issues we address.

I will apply professional and practical experience, commitment to excellence, and critical skills to the job. I’ll be a knowledgeable advocate for education during the coming years of increasing needs, tightening budgets, and intense political resistance.

GOALS:

I have a campaign e-mail address.  It's culverforschoolboard@gmail.com.  Give me your feedback and questions, send me ideas, tell me what you know about what's going on in Bloomington! 

This blog will not be open for public comments because negative campaigning has already shown up this fall.  I'm not going to help Web trolls spread their misery around by giving them a forum here.  Again, if you have something to share with me, send me an e-mail!

SEIU, the union representing transportation and custodial workers, held a School Board candidate screening October 7^th.  SEIU mailed us a questionnaire in advance of the interview, then gave those of us who wanted to meet with them 15-20 minutes to respond to questions from a half-dozen members.  It’s unclear if SEIU will formally endorse favorites and whether its members will get involved in the campaign.

Here’s the letter I wrote to SEIU which was shared with members before our conversation:                             

Thank you for the opportunity to give SEIU members some information about my reasons for running for re-election to the Bloomington school board.  I look forward to the Wednesday, October 7 screening.  I would be happy to provide further details about my background if it would be helpful to your membership.

I am looking forward to applying my perspective as a professional educator and experienced school board member to advocate for best practices in Bloomington schools during these times of tight money and demanding professional issues.  My personal vision will continue to be valuable and unique on the board because of my classroom teaching experience and professional training.

As a credentialed teacher, a parent of three, a community volunteer and an issues advocate, I have three concerns I carry into the 2009 election:

1. ISD 271 must follow through on commitments to provide options for students and families.  The answers to improving educational choices may be in language immersion or in magnet schools, in gifted or career tech programs, or in fine arts or in science-focused initiatives.  There are numerous ways we might improve what we do.  Bloomington can’t afford to slack off on timely and challenging new curriculum options because “there’s no money.”  We need to do what must be done to make education better for all, including finding necessary funding.
2. With continuing changes and improvements in workplace technologies and the evolution of new job responsibilities and methods, ISD 271 must provide opportunities and rewards for professional development and continuing education for staff in all units at all levels.  Effective and accessible training must be rewarded with opportunities for increased responsibility and internal advancement.
   
3. Closing learning gaps among children due to income and educational differences among families is the most effective way to help every child succeed.  Research and experience have proven the value of early childhood education.  Bloomington has made a start on pre-kindergarten skills training.  It’s time to move beyond these limited efforts and expand opportunities for all “Early Learners” as needed.

With 15 years experience on the Bloomington board, I have had numerous chances to get to know and be known by district staff.  I have a reputation of independence and reasonableness, with a willingness to listen to all points of view.  When going against the grain seems called for, I’ve done it.  I’m no rubber stamp.

It is my responsibility as a member of the board of directors of the Bloomington Public Schools to use my best judgment--based on my experience, knowledge of schools and community, and information brought to the board as a whole--to advocate for the highest quality education.  I can only do my job well if I initiate and respond to input from district employees and others with an interest in what comes before the board. The role of a school board member is not always visible to the public.  Most of the hard work is done behind the scenes and in workshops.  It is done by reading and research and school visits.  During this learning process, input from staff is especially valuable.

To do this job right, an elected official must be open and honest, maintaining lines of communication with all stakeholders:  staff and administrators, parents and students, volunteers, businesspeople, homeowners and other taxpayers, and many other interest groups.  In my opinion, I have been elected and re-elected to the school board because I am known to be a caring and informed advocate for the best interests of our children and the Bloomington Public Schools which serve them.

The first of two scheduled televised candidate forums was held last night in the City Council chambers.  The League of Women Voters (LWV) sponsored and ran it, with one next Tuesday evening to be held by the PTSA Council.  Although I had phoned most of the challengers to get acquainted, last night was my first chance to learn what they felt about current issues and educational philosophy.  It felt like the true kick-off of this election.  Several candidates had prepared brochures, some announced their Websites or e-mail addresses.

Wednesday's forum gave each of the 12 (of 15) candidates who participated opportunities to show their "true colors" on several issues.  I expect that the two "debates" (we don't really debate, we answer a question in 1 minute sound bites) will be rebroadcast frequently in the next three weeks.  I know from the response I've received in the past that a significant number of voters find these programs to be very revealing!  If you haven't yet made your four choices for November 3rd, I recommend watching.  

With my household chores out of the way, the Vikings game over (big victory), and the Twins' game just starting, I've been reading some news and opinion on-line, and thinking about School Board stuff.  Tomorrow we have a meeting which will receive the "final" Facilities Plan report.  In reality, the Board needs to bat it around a bit more.  Besides its recommendations about special education, the report is vague about facilities changes (stadium upgrade maybe?) and timelines. 

I'm mentally going over the candidate questionnaires that arrived from three groups last week.  In the last few elections, only the Sun-Current and the League of Women voters asked candidates questions.  The S-C endorses, the League runs candidate forums but doesn't take sides.  With more than the usual number of candidates in 2009, we're being quizzed by more groups this year.  Last week I wrote a letter to SEIU, the union representing some of our employees, to reply to their questions.  Now I have some homework due to the PTSA Council and others this week.

These interviews and endorsements have always gone well for me:  I was endorsed by the Bloomington Federation of Teachers (BFT) when I first ran for School Board, and  The Sun-Current always has had nice things to say about me.  With more groups getting into the candidate information biz this year, I hope to come across as informed and thoughtful, but mostly I hope I don't mess up a question on TV!

[Edited:  Because the BFT hasn't endorsed candidates for many years, and won't endorse this year, some members object to my mentioning that I was union-endorsed back when they used to make endorsements.  The Sun-Current has also chosen not to endorse this year.]