Seattle School Director Pos. 4

Sue Peters

Overview
Issues

Persona

Sue Peters: The people's candidate who will protect public schools from corporate control.

Suzanne Dale Estey: Longtime government-affairs official who can get things done.
Big idea

Sue Peters: Make Seattle a national leader in “visionary teaching and learning” by drawing on its already-successful programs in music, video production, marine biology, language immersion and, in some schools, math.

Suzanne Dale Estey: Make Seattle a national leader in early childhood education with a major new investment.
Residence

Sue Peters: Queen Anne

Suzanne Dale Estey: Magnolia
Stump speech quote

Sue Peters: Corporate education reform is not the way to go.

Suzanne Dale Estey: I want to work with anyone and everyone who wants to improve public schools.
Conventional wisdom

Sue Peters: Activist roots may prove more important than money.

Suzanne Dale Estey: With nearly $95,000 in contributions, she has the cash and support to win.
Baggage

Sue Peters: She's so aligned with one side of the education-reform debate that she might not play well with the other side, which includes many foundations and business leaders.

Suzanne Dale Estey: Adamantly opposes charter schools, but is taking a lot of money from uber-wealthy donors who support them.
Family

Sue Peters: Married to Gregg Williams; two sons, one at APP@Lincoln, one at Garfield High.

Suzanne Dale Estey: Married to Mike Estey; two sons at Blaine K-8.

Compare:
Testing
Where new money should go first
Role of the school board
Short-term solution to overcrowding

Testing

Sue Peters: Strongly opposed to what she sees as excessive testing, and supports “meaningful, accurate assessments created by teachers.” Several years ago, she wrote “15 Reasons Why the Seattle School District Should Shelve the MAP Test – ASAP,” which she said inspired Garfield High teachers to start this year’s MAP protest. Wants to eliminate use of MAP all together.

Suzanne Dale Estey: Agrees with opponent Sue Peters that Seattle students are tested too much. Says MAP exams, which hundreds of Seattle teachers, students and parents protested this year, should not be used to evaluate teachers or to test high-school students. Supports some testing as a tool to help teachers and students, but stresses that tests should be more like physicals than autopsies.

Where new money should go first

Sue Peters: Hire more school counselors and other support staff.

Suzanne Dale Estey: The classroom. Also wants to “grow the pie” by working with legislators in Olympia

Role of the school board

Sue Peters: Authentically represent constituents, be a good steward of public resources, ensure as many dollars as possible reach students and classrooms, create sound policy, oversee and assist the superintendent, serve as district ambassador.

Suzanne Dale Estey: Create policy, provide oversight and accountability, be the eyes and ears of the community, help form partnerships with other government entities. Compared with her opponent, she asserts she would bring “more diverse array” of people together to help improve schools.

Short-term solution to overcrowding

Sue Peters: Wants to avoid unnecessarily dividing or uprooting school communities. Wants district to try to make existing schools work until new locations are ready, sometimes by adding portables. Supports placing whole schools in temporary quarters, but not a single grade level.

Suzanne Dale Estey: Use portables, and minimize boundary changes to avoid jerking families around. Believes younger siblings should be able to enroll in schools that older brothers and sisters already attend.