I am an American and therefore will be spending tomorrow morning in a pop-up booth stabbing a piece of paper with a blunt object. No discrepancies for my ballot.

What your not registered? Well if you are in Rochester or (Minnesota in general) you can register on the day of just make sure to bring a valid ID with your current address. For my Minnesota voters (Click here to find your polling place and to view a sample ballot for your area). I'll be seeing you between 7am and 8pm!

Now I made my presidential, senator and representative decision awhile ago but what about those 20something other offices I have to make a decision on? So I spent a few hours looking them up while watching snl's presidential bash. Gotta set the mood you know.

In researching The School Board Member Director 7 I came across the meet the candidate questioner for Marcia Matz. I wouldn't want this woman anywhere near a school, let alone leading one. My goal is not to be a reporter if you want the whole story you can visit my inspiration (To see the source and check out your options click here) but I promise you the quotes I'm pulling are real...

Candidate Marcia Matz - Seat 7

1. Why are you running and why should the business community Support you?
I am running because I want to. Why should the business community support me? Never gave it any thought.

Really? Usually people give a reason why they want to...love of children, learning, god woman give me something here. And if you didn't give any thought to the people you have to work with and get funding from you are going to have a real tough 4yrs.

2. What are the four primary issues facing ISD 535 in the next five years? If elected how
would you address these issues?
I don't know, however, common sense dictates that one would address the issues to the best of ones ability and expect to have people mad at me because they disagreed with what I choose to do.

She doesn't know much does she. But even though she doesn't know what the problems are she has enough common sense to fix them. Just look at how much common sense she has in answering these questions.

3-The school district is looking at a several million dollar deficit in 2009 which the school
board will need to tackle soon after the November election. If elected what skills do you
have which will assist in addressing this enormous task?
I have the skills of having lived on a budget and I know that when your income falls short of expectations, you have to cut out the extra things and go with the basic needs. I believe the various booster clubs should hold fund raisers to supplement those programs that have their
funding reduced or cut.

Oh yeah those extra things left over after last years cut. When they reduced the budget by 20%, I'm pretty sure they gave up the gold plated football helmets last year. But have no fear we will just make them sell magazines and cookies door to door. That will raise the 10million.

4-What two specific ideas do you have on reducing the deficit?
Ideas to reduce the deficit, spend less, or hold fund raisers to increase the funding that the budget doesn't cover.

Spend less very specific.

5) We know the landscape of the workplace is changing. We have more people age 65+ in the workforce and we will continue to see our community diversify in race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic background. What do you feel are the three most critical issues we need to
address in regards to workforce?
I don't understand how this applies to schools

Oh shes right community has nothing to do with schools. We shouldn't teach tolerance and acceptance in school. We shouldn't trouble our precious cookie-selling children with responsibilities of an aging community and increased poverty. No the increased gangs, violence, drug use and hate crimes has nothing to do with falling graduation rates or unsatisfactory preparation for college. No sir that outside community world stuff has nothing to do with schools or education. Oh and workforce? I guess we dont send our kids to school to become part of the workforce, and changes in the workforce certainly have nothing the do with staffing the school. Who needs teachers anways... I mean seriously?!

6- What is your opinion of the Districts five year plan to help eliminate the achievement gap?
I know from experience that some students would rather "just pass" than to worry about higher grades. The gap is not very big in Rochester. A determination should be made as to weather the students in this gap are there because they need academic help or by choice.

Um I don't think she read the plan. I think the "just pass" mentality is what they are trying to tackle. And weather it be from lack of motivation (maybe just maybe due to some of that nasty outside stuff that doesn't affect schools) or poor teachers blaming the kids really doesn't fix the problem.

7-Additional comments
I am new to the area, I have not "taken sides" because I don't know what the sides are. I have little sympathy for people who are upset that the re-drawing of district lines may have their child attending a different school than they planned, if you want the child in a specific school, move into that district.

Yeah its just so easy to move with this economy (oops my bad crazy outside and business stuff that doesn't apply just keeps popping up). Also when you moved to the "good side of town" so your little prince or princess could go to the good school instead of the racier parts of town and then the district changes the rules on you...Id be pissed too and I'm not even a parent. Not to mention that education and schooling is more than academic, it is social, it is security.

Anyways what she was supposed to do in this section is win me over with her spirit to have our children succeed. To keep our schools safe. To make changes to education fiscally and curriculum wise.

I beg of you if you are one of those voters who chooses a pretty name amongst a mass of strangers...please please please (I'm literally on my knees here) don't pick this one. And if you don't want to look it up and want a name to remember in this category MICHAEL BAKER was by far my favorite.

Go Obama - Biden

Go Frankin

Go Waltz

Good luck tomorrow kids!

Labels: Advice, Babies, Moral Outrage, Politics, School, Stupid People, Thoughts