1. Name as it will appear on the ballot
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First Name |
Middle Initial or Nick Name |
Last Name |
2. Office sought (include office, jurisdiction, position/district number):
3. Are you the incumbent? Yes No
4. How long have you resided in this district/city?
5. How long have you resided in King County?
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46 years |
6. Is the office sought partisan or nonpartisan? Partisan Nonpartisan
CAMPAIGN CONTACTS
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Campaign Name: |
Committee to Re-Elect Mary Bass |
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Address: |
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1. Beginning with the most recent position, please list public offices which you have held. Include positions on appointive Boards or Commissions.
Public Office |
Elective or Appointive? |
Dates Held |
Leadership Role (if any) |
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Seattle School Board Dir., Dist. 5
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2. If you ran for public office but were not elected, please list those races below:
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In this section, we are seeking responses that reflect the four ratings criteria: involvement, effectiveness, character, and knowledge. These are defined as follows:
1. In a page or less, why are you running for this office? (Note: the interview committee will be given a copy of this statement before your interview; at the beginning of your interview you will have the opportunity to expand on this statement in any way you wish.)
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I want to make a difference. I have made [some] difference. And I will continue to MAKE A DIFFERENCE! I must be at the decision-making table to effect badly needed policy changes in Seattle Public Schools.
I bring a unique set of assessment tools and experience to the Seattle School Board as well as a very unconventional approch to race/race-based policies. The our public school system is experiencing a "philisopical inversion". I have the insights and understanding to work through this situation without breaking the very system that I fight to protect.
My efforts to bring people to a new/different way of thinking and empowering them to speak out and take action has absolutely come to fruition -- yet there's a lot more to be done. I have the skill, strength, and experience to continue to help move the District forward.
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2. Describe your most important personal characteristics or traits as they relate to the office you seek.
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Integrity. I recognize that strong leadership can require compromise and flexibility, but I also believe that a commitment to ones ideals is an essential component of leadership. Although I have been pushed and pulled in many directions over the past four years, I have never strayed from core beliefs and fundemental principles. At times, this has left me on the short end of lop-sided Board votes. However, in the long run my integrity has earned me the respect of many I represent and assures that I remain grounded in my roots.
Grace. Saying 'no' does not have to be "in-your-face". I have strong opinions and have not been shy about sharing them in public. However, I have also recognized that change can only occur if disparate groups learn to work together and find common ground. Therefore, issues have never been personal for me and I have remained open to working with those with whom I may have disagreed in the past. Differences on policy exist and need to be articulated, but once decisions are made we must be ready to move on graciously to implementing solutions and/or considering the next isssue.
Tenacity. At times, I have found myself in rather lonely positions on the Board. I have faced criticism from some who thought that I was too critical and was not willing to be a 'team player'. But, I am a team player -- I just don't like the game. Throughout it all, I did not give up and did not sacrifice my ideals - nor will I in the future. I believe significant change is needed in a variety of District policies and I recognize that a tenacious dedication to change will be needed to effect the kinds of improvements that I believe are crucial. |
3. Please describe in sufficient detail, one to three accomplishments or contributions of which you are most proud. These examples should illustrate effective skills and capabilities you think apply to the office you are seeking. These accomplishments may have occurred at any time in your personal, professional, or public life.
4. Please list or describe your current and past activities in the community in which you have acquired skills that relate to the office you seek. Include your role in the activity and the year(s) in which you were involved. Involvement consists of many areas such as family, neighborhood, community, employment, or public life.
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Recent Recognitions: Leading the Struggle for Social Justice, 2002. Present by Washington State Jobs With Justice. For standing up for low-wage workers and workers of color, members of the Teamster and Machinists.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Unsung Hero Mahalia Jackson Spiritual Award, 2003. Presented by the Seattle Medium news consortium. For standing tall in the face adversity.
Talented Tenth Award, 2004. Presented by the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Delta Upsilon Omega Chapter, Seattle, WA. Those who receive great opportunities are expected to serve and help others achieve.
This question is the most difficult for me to address. How can I chomicle a life-time of community involvement, civic participation, and activism. As young as elemetry school I remember volunteering at to work at school events and helping Dad stock classrooms in schools where he was the Principal; helping Mom practice science experiements before her students had to do them; working in the lunchroom as a helper, dishwasher, milk monitor; and volunteering at Northwest Center for the Retarded. These experiences help me to understand what it takes to keep a school running -- to keep children engaged. Watching my parents see to it that all chilren in their care were taken care of: given a ride home when they missed the bus; calling on households to find out why a child wasn't in school and following up to see what they (Dad/Mom) could do to assist. And how can I forget the marches for justices and campaigns for school levies.
As a teenager, I was class president at Catherine Blaine Jr., Class President at Nathan Hale High School, and Student Body President at Garfield High School all the while partici[pating in maraching band, stage band, and orchestra, other school events, and maintaining goods grades. My brothers and I have always been encouraged by to "go for it".
As a young adult I worked at the P-I as a Copy Aid in the newsroom. This was an eye-opener for me because the newspaper world is very competitve and political. I gained at lot of life- and people-skills there: how to work in a fast-paced environment with emotionally-charged people. Joined a Community Band and performed at prisons, local events, and parades.
Next, I finally decided full-time school was for me -- I had and idea what I wanted to do - Economics.
After the UW, I made a living as an independent consultant working in Southeast Seattle on transportation, housing, and workforce issues. I made many connections with families in the Rainier Valley especially at Rainier Vista were I was heavily involved in Hope IV.
Volunteer Tutor; Community Relations Planner, King County DOT; Program/Project Manager, King County DOT, School Board Member, member of Audit and Finance Committee, Seattle School Board, School Board President, and member Policy and Legislative Committee.
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Vigilant care of the children. The quality of a child's education is perhaps the single most imporant factor in determining their future success. Thus, with over 40,000 children in the Seattle schools, the District has an awesome responsibility. Given the potential impact that we can have, the Board must be constantly pushing for better quality education, that offers opportunties for all children, no matter where within the District they live.
Incouraging Public Involvement. While active civic involvement is necessary to keep any public instituation vibrant, it is absolutely essential for the School District. Active parents, involved neighbors and enthusiastic business support are all needed if the District is to succeed. I believe that the Board has key role in encouraging this involvement and identifying meaningful ways to draw the public into our work. My public meetings are one example. Parental involvment in principal selection and the Supertindent's appointment for advisory Committee on school funding are examples of more focused involvement.
Fiscal Oversight of the Public's money. The School District's financial troubles have significantly weakened the public's trust in our local education system. The Board has taken important steps toward establishing a system of checks and balances that will prevent a repeat of past problems. However, this is area that requires constant vigilance. As a public entity we depend on the financial support of local taxpayers, turning to them again and again for operational and capital levies. If they cannot trust the District to use their tax dollars wisely, they will not be as generous in the future as they have been in the past. |
EDUCATION BACKGROUND SUMMARY
The Municipal League’s Candidate Evaluation Report is distributed to voters in print and/or on our website. It includes a summary of the candidate’s education. Please summarize your education in 120 characters (letters, punctuation, and space all combined). The League will delete material that exceeds the space limit by beginning with the last entry. Suggested order is (degree) (subject) (school) (year, if desired).
Note: If this question is left blank the League will not include education information in your candidate profile.
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BA Econ and MPA Public Admin, UW; Certif. of Group Facilitation; Certif. of Community Action Training |
FOR PUBLICATION IN CANDIDATE EVALUATION REPORT
The Municipal League’s Candidate Evaluation Report also includes a summary of each candidate’s civic involvement. Please summarize your civic involvement in the space below. We will make every attempt to include the information in the Candidate Evaluation Report as submitted. Due to space restrictions in the Report, your response is limited to 500 characters (letters, punctuation, and spaces all combined). It is important that you list your involvement beginning with the most important and ending with the least important. If you exceed the length of response permitted, or if the League should find it necessary to shorten responses for publication purposes, deletions will be made beginning with the last item listed.
Note: This information will appear verbatim on the League’s Candidate Evaluation Report. If this question is left blank, the Municipal League will not include information on your civic involvement in the Report.
Check here if you would like the Municipal League to copy the first 500 characters from Question 4 to paste into this section.
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Finished!
If at all possible, send your response to the Municipal League electronically as an attachment, or insert it into an e-mail message (rebecca@munileague.org). Mail and fax numbers are listed below. If the League has not contacted you to schedule an interview, please call the League office at your earliest convenience.
Don’t forget to send the following to the Municipal League: a resume, a photo, campaign literature, and, if you are an incumbent, constituent newsletters and other materials. Please use the check-off list on the cover sheet of this packet to indicate which items you have sent.
Candidate Evaluation Coordinator: Rebecca Cooper
Seattle, WA 98104-1614 Fax: 425-671-0506 Website: www.munileague.org