Replace the Viaduct, Kill the Monorail

Board, District 5
(Central Area, Leschi)

Incumbent Mary Bass is a hero to some longtime critics of the district, and she has indeed offered a critical "no" vote on some things that needed to be stopped. Most recently, she opposed Superintendent Raj Manhas' ill- advised plan to close schools and limit choice. But a habit of saying "no" to a mistake-prone district doesn't give one Cassandra-like powers or the ability to fix the problems one sees. Jane Fellner is a candidate more likely to move the district forward. A longtime involved parent and schools activist, Fellner understands the desperate need to work in a constructive way with staff and parents to find solutions—and that those solutions require compromise. She also has criticized the district plenty in the past and knows that parents have reasons for distrust. Elect Fellner.

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More About

• Seattle Popular Monorail Authority Board
• Ron Sims
• Richard Berkowitz
• Politics
• Local Politics

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Board, District 7
(Beacon Hill, Rainier Valley)

Linda Thompson-Black has yet to articulate a well-formed vision. But she has shown longtime interest in schools and has been a positive force for African-American students. Serving in former Mayor Norm Rice's administration, she helped organize a successful education summit that gave rise to the city's Families and Education Levy. She later co-founded a group called Parents of African-American Students and joined a nonprofit organization devoted to at-risk students. She also knows how to listen and get along—important skills in contentious school politics. A former principal and City Council member, Cheryl Chow also has a longtime interest in education, but her record in previous jobs does not suggest strong leadership. Thompson-Black wins our endorsement.

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Members of the Seattle Weekly Editorial Board are Political Editor George Howland Jr., Editor in Chief Knute Berger, Managing Editor Chuck Taylor, Senior Editor Nina Shapiro, staff writers Rick Anderson and Philip Dawdy, and columnist Geov Parrish. Intern Darby Reed provided research assistance.