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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Same |
6. Is the office sought partisan or nonpartisan? Partisan Nonpartisan
CAMPAIGN CONTACTS
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Campaign Name: |
Peter Maier for School Board |
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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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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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Strong public schools are essential to our city and to our nation's future. This I know from my own education in Seattle Public Schools and that of my two children who also went to Seattle Public Schools.
My goal -- one that I’m sure you share -- is to give every child in every school the opportunity for a quality education.
The ultimate responsibility for reaching this goal rests with the School Board, which should provide leadership that is steady, responsible and focused. By “focused” I mean setting long-term priorities and sticking with them.
In the past four years, too often the School Board hasn’t provided this type of leadership. We can do better. Working together with the new Superintendent, a new Board has an opportunity for change that will restore public confidence in our schools.
I believe the Board, working as a team and together with the Superintendent and the Chief Academic Officer, should identify and agree upon a handful of long- term priorities. The Board and Superintendent must be aligned and point in the same direction. Once the Board sets these priorities and provides the necessary resources, it should hold the Superintendent accountable for reaching them( with periodic public reports on progress to date). These priorities also would provide a clear way for the Board itself to be held accountable.
Possible priorities for the Board include initiatives on:
- Long term fiscal health of District, with twice-yearly Board budget reviews; - Turn around plans for low-performing schools to help struggling students and close the achievement gap; - Focus on mathematics, especially classroom implementation of the new math curriculum; - 9th grade, to help students make the transition to high school and prevent dropouts; - Review of student assignment and transportation programs.
As volunteer President of Schools First I led successful levy/bond campaigns in 2007 and 2004. I have been a leader in several PTSAs and organized three playground construction grant projects. Twice I have received the PTSA “Golden Acorn” award. I worked hard on the I-728 “class size” initiative, personally gathering more than 1,000 signatures to put it on the ballot. In my day job, I am a consumer protection attorney.
I can help provide the leadership the Board and our schools need. |
2. Describe your most important personal characteristics or traits as they relate to the office you seek.
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As my record shows, I have a strong skills in bringing people together to find solutions to difficult issues of public pollicy. I am known as a self-disciplined, hard working leader who works well with others. I know that no one person alone can find or achieve solutions, as well as the importance of planning ahead and sticking with an issue until the end.
Through my work with Schools First, PTSAs and the League of Education Voters I have gained a considerable knowledge of the issues facing Seattle Public Schools and K-12 public education in general. Over the years I have visited easily dozens of Seattle schools and know many of the principals, teachers and administrators in SPS. I also recognize that there are aspects of the complex public education system about which I need to know more. Through my years of working in Washington D.C. and my activity in Seattle politics (e.g. 36th District Democrats) I have gained significant political skills and contacts that would be helpful for a School Director. For example I have testified several times before legislative committees in both the U.S. Congress and State Legislature and I know many local civic and political leaders.
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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.
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- As President of Schools First, in 2007 and 2004 I led successful campaigns to pass Seattle Public Schools bond/levy measures. Each of these campaigns required hundreds of my volunteer hours and involved leading a coalition of citizens across the city to support these vitally important school funding measures. These efforts complement my work with PTSAs in my kids' schools and with the League of Education Voters in securing stable financing for public schools statewide.
- I am a widely respected attorney who specializes in representing individual consumers in Lemon Law cases. I have built and run my own small law firm and have been recognized by my peers as one of Seattle's "Top Lawyers" and one of Washington State's "Superlawyers".
- I am the proud parent of two children, Anna and Stephen. Anna is a public school teacher in Oakland, CA. Stephen is in his last year of college. Both went through Seattle Public Schools K to 12.. I am also delighted to be married to my wife Liz Tennant, who works for the regional hazardous waste program. |
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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President of Schools First Coalition, 6/02- 3/07
Led successful levy and bond campaigns in 2004 and 2007 to ensure public funding for Seattle Public Schools.
Leadership role in PTSAs at Ballard High School and Loyal Heights Elementary School.
PTSA Board Vice-President and member Site Council, Ballard High. Twice awarded PTSA “Golden Acorn” in recognition of outstanding volunteer service to the school (Ballard High and Loyal Heights Elementary). Led several playground construction and grant projects.
Board member, Alliance for Education, 6/02-3/07
Active in I-728 Initiative campaign to reduce class sizes, 2000. Personally gathered over 1,000 signatures.
Active in 36th District Democrats. Long-time Precinct Committee Officer.
Former CASA volunteer, serving as adviser to the court in child custody cases.
Attorney, Maier & Severance, P.C. since 1981. Manage small law firm business. Specialize in consumer protection, for example representing consumers in Lemon Law vehicle cases.
Recognized by legal peers as one of Seattle’s “Top Lawyers” (2001 and 2007) and one of Washington State’s “Superlawyers” (2007).
Serve as an arbitrator for King County Superior Court’s Mandatory Arbitration Program (15+ years).
Taught Consumer Law courses at Edmonds Community College paralegal program (1980s).
Teach continuing legal education courses (since 1980s)
Before becoming a lawyer, worked in Washington D.C. for several years as Special Assistant to Chair of U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and for independent consumer organizations, 1974-1979. Testified before Congressional committees, wrote investigative reports that received national press attention, helped manage a public agency.
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The School Board's role is to set policy in a steady and consistent manner. This leadership should be focused, by which I mean setting long-term priorities and sticking with them. To be effective, the Board members must work together as a team and must be aligned with the Superintendent. It is critically important that the Board and Superintendent agree on priorities. The Board can then hold the Superintendent accountable for carrying them out but not micromanage the District's operations.
The Board is also responsible fo listening to and gathering information from parents, teachers and the wider community. The Board can help the District succeed by rebuilding public support for our city's schools and by strengthening its relationship with civic, business and political leaders |
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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Nathan Hale High, 1970 (also attended John Rogers, Laurelhurst and Maple Leaf Elementaries; Jane Addams Junior High); B.A. Oberlin College, 1974 (with highest honors in economics); J.D. Harvard Law School, 1981 (cum laude) |
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 (cec@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: Jason Thibedeau
Seattle, WA 98104-1614 Fax: (425) 671-0506 Website: www.munileague.org