Annapolis Capital Punishment

...continued to educate CP and perhaps the others in attendance--who mainly appeared to be the core supporters of the candidates. It's a shame it was in the high school auditorium but it made it look empty. Thanks to Pam Bukowski and the PTSA for doing this, but I think the last week of August is beach time. Cordle, Cohen and Fox were unable to attend and each had a representative read a statement.
Yes, we all care deeply about our children. Yes they are our future. Yes the mayor can and should be involved and yes as mayor you will meet regularly with the superintendent and you will be involved in the schools etc., etc.

Zina Pierre graduated from Annapolis High, and Wayne Taylor has kids in our public schools. Not sure about all the other candidates but it would have been nice for them to tell us. McFall and Shropshire do not have school-age children, don't know where Sear-Deppa's are in school. I think Renaut's kids went to private schools but not sure. CP has two children in the public schools, including AHS and so, yes, I want the mayor and city to take some kind of role, but what? At the county level, there is a council with an executive and there is a school board and the budget control is, well, problematic. Disagreement and lack of cohesiveness is systemic to the way it is set up and somehow the mayor who oversees a city whose taxes do not even go to schools is supposed to have a role? I don't get it. How?

It seems to me that the overwhelming problem in the schools is simply this--there is a huge division between those children who have and those who have not. Those who have are generally prepared for school, are given a good breakfast, are encouraged to behave and do well, are supported by their home life to become successful. Those who do not have, generally become the disruptive ones and the ones least prepared to learn and contribute to an atmosphere of learning.Yes, this is a generalization, but I have observed enough and talked with teachers, administrators, my children and other students to speak with some degree of authority.

What can the mayor do about that?

I wish the discussion really focused on that (despite Rob Eade's impertinent and rambling "question"), and while it did to a certain extent, I must say that Wayne Taylor stood out last night as the most "in his element" and the most aware of and committed to this ideal and willing to stand up to Eades (Who you may be hearing more about...). Sears-Deppa urged voluntarism and mentoring and McFall made it clear that she would take the schools seriously. They all did well in many respects, offering their abilities as collaborators, mediators, compassionate persons etc. Shropshire pounded home his opposition to the tax cap but did not quite connect the numbers to show why that would hurt the schools. Our city taxes do not go there anyhow.  What we enjoyed most was seeing Shropshire say to Gil Renaut (after he made some rambling quasi-statement about some study or consultant in Baltimore...), seated next to him,"That's bullshit" or maybe he said "That's BS".  Hey wait a minute Sam!  That's my job to call out the bullshit. Who do you think you are? That's bullshit! Besides, that's not appropriate behavior for a candidate or a mayor. That's why I am not running. No bullshit.  And Gil don't let him get away with that or you appear like a weenie! Sam, you should apologize.

Best of all was when Laurie Sears Deppa welcomed the audience in Spanish at the beginning to let us know she speaks la idioma, but then at the end, had to beg out early, saving herself maybe five or ten minutes, because "I have an autistic child alone in Severna Park" and because she was in a car accident last night.  Huh?  At the beginning, she also told us that she would have ridden her bike there that night, but she had a car accident the night before. Huh? Did her car run over her bike? Always crisis mode. This seems to be a theme with her. If she is elected mayor, I can imagine the conversation:

"Madame Mayor, sea level rise will cover up City Dock in about nintey years"

"Take it to DefCom1 and meet me in the basement situation room"

We have had three professional educators on City Council--Moyer, Hoyle and Finlayson. Finlayson credits herself as being a big advocate for education, a union official for teachers, as was Moyer. Certainly with all their connections, pull, relationships, background and automatic "in" with the teacher's unions, one might think they could have had a major impact on city schools. Have they? I don't know. Maybe Finlayson should have represented Cohen last night. After all, she has endorsed him! You would think with all that educational firepower we might have been able to work out the polling place situation with the schools. You might have thought that. Maybe it was Finalyson's position with the union that thwarted that? Oh well,  ask Finlayson, who is assured a spot on the next council..where she hopes to be seated along with...well, guess who?

FINAL THOUGHT--Dear mayoral candidates....the issue is only partially about money and more money...if that would solve everything, the teacher's union would disband and give their funds over to the school board to pay teachers more and take back their dues. What the next mayor can and really should do is help the impoverished families in Annapolis to get lifted out of poverty. That will help our schools more than meetings with officials or unions.

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