On May 12, the election for school board positions for Districts 1, 3, and 9 will take place. You may remember that last year, there wasn’t an election, because there was only one person interested in running for each position. Apathy in school board voting is so high that it takes merely a few hundred votes to win a position (if an election even takes place). I’ve run into a few people in the past year who’ve thought that’s unacceptable. They’ve made it their goal to ensure people are not only running for school board positions, but that people are getting out to vote. One such group is the Chamber’s EducateDallas, which has endorsed Elizabeth Jones, Dan Micciche, and Bernadette Nutall in the upcoming election. Another group is Dallas Kids First. To learn more about them, check out their video. They’re finalizing their scorecards and will release who they’re endorsing in a week or so. The teacher’s union has already released its endorsement, which included praise for a 20-year-old Lincoln High graduate, which has resulted in at least one unhappy person.
Our friends at TEDxSMU recently approached us and asked what we could do to help spread the word about May’s vote. So we decided to host an education forum at the Kessler Theater on April 10. All the candidates (yes, all eight of them) have agreed to be there. We’re going to give each of them three minutes to answer a question pulled from a hat. We’ve asked all of them to stick around and mingle, in case we miss a question or two. It’s free. (Though bring money for the cash bar.) And you’ll be taking part in something that can make a huge impact on the city. Go here to register.