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View Full Version : Maybe a '13/'14 run for school committee in my hometown?




Massachusetts
03-08-2012, 06:22 PM
I've been thinking long and hard about running for school committee in my hometown. I'd like to give myself time to develop a plan, do the research and develop the skills and team necessary to make such a run. It's a small position in the grand scheme of things, but as of right now I am a nobody and I'm just 20 years old. If I'm going to spread the message of liberty, I need to start somewhere and I know I can count on you guys to help me out and I know I can count on my friends and family.

We have a very strong-minded superintendent that seems to have the school committee by the balls and nobody is willing to stand up to him. His previous record shows that he doesn't stay in one place for too long, and I want to run on the platform of challenging him and his actions. He started off very popular, but has gone down the tubes after firing a well-liked assistant principle and verbally belittling students at a meeting regarding the firing.

What I'm asking for is some ideas, strategies, suggestions and some brainstorming from you guys on the best possible way to take my message of liberty to this local elected position.

By the way, I will be in Worcester at the Liberty Clubhouse on Saturday, so it is a chance for me to meet all of you and I'm really excited about that.

Aratus
03-08-2012, 06:53 PM
good luck! try to see if an online format can be integrated into the traditional classrooms
and if it can be done with less disruptions for middle school and highschool kids. the future
holds out the promice of mixing the traditional with the new. you are going to see an inertia
reaction if you challenge old habits. if students are given more resources and incentives, and
if the textbooks can be open access there is less of a need for any 20 or 30 pound backpacks.

zeloc
03-08-2012, 09:15 PM
Is the school committee position part of the local government? If it isn't, I would consider running for your town office or for one of the Republican positions, that way you would have more influence.

Massachusetts
03-08-2012, 10:17 PM
Is the school committee position part of the local government? If it isn't, I would consider running for your town office or for one of the Republican positions, that way you would have more influence.

It is part of the local government, yes.

J. W. Evans
03-15-2012, 10:53 PM
M,
Is your school district for the whole town or is it regional?
If it's regional, you might have the choice to try and pick at a single year seat. You might have better luck with a single year seat, as the three year seats require more of a commitment that people might consider and then use to discriminate against you since you're young.

Massachusetts
03-16-2012, 06:25 PM
M,
Is your school district for the whole town or is it regional?
If it's regional, you might have the choice to try and pick at a single year seat. You might have better luck with a single year seat, as the three year seats require more of a commitment that people might consider and then use to discriminate against you since you're young.

It's for the whole town..sorta. We have one district that is dedicated to a technical/vocational school and one that is dedicated to all the other public schools in the city. The one dedicated to all the other public schools in the city is where I would plan on running.

I've actually thought about running for city councilor as well. The guy in my ward is in his first year on the job. Not sure if that's a bad thing or a good thing if I plan on challenging the seat.

ItsTime
03-16-2012, 06:26 PM
Attend every meeting in town you can. Get your name out. Don't talk much, let people talk to you. Really people just want you to be a sounding board. They will remember that and vote for you.

MelissaWV
03-16-2012, 09:00 PM
I wish more people were doing this.

J. W. Evans
03-18-2012, 08:10 AM
Interesting.
When I said that, I meant regional in the sense that Berlin-Boylston or Charlton-Dudley are regional. Berlin residents only get to vote on the Berlin seat, Charlton on Charlton, Dudley Dudley, etc. From what I've experienced, a town who has more students invested in the district gets an additional one year seat for proportional representation (one year because who knows when it'll be the other town with more next year). Unless that seat is looking to be a hotspot, if you have a chance to run for that one, I encourage it.
As for districting, I didn't know about that either. Where I'm from, we have a regional vocational school as well, and me the voter would be allowed to vote for people running for both different regional boards.

Go to meetings. Definitely go to meetings, and sooner rather than later. Also come up with a reason why you're there if one of the curious local reporters covering the meetings start asking. They figured me out during the 2nd time I went because I have the worst poker-face and have a hard time fibbing. Unless you want people to know that is (I have a friend who runs every year and he never really kept it a secret).

I can't stress this enough, but get into it. I'm in no way trying to discourage you or anything, but make sure it's something you really want to do. Remember, if you win, you're working with a couple thousand kids. AltRep said that you need votes to win, and that's definitely the truth, but you can't get those votes without spirit and enthusiasm. You need to want it.

Massachusetts
03-19-2012, 03:21 PM
Thanks for the feedback JW.

A minor update: I applied to join my city's Youth Board and received a response back from the Mayor's office and was informed about a summer internship program that I will have the opportunity to participate in. My Mayor is well connected in the state with the GOP and I've already met him in person once. So it's a start!

ronpaulhawaii
03-19-2012, 03:45 PM
+ reps all around. This is the long game and where we make most progress.

Rob Pepe in PA decided to go the School Board route. When he filled out his paperwork he noticed the Constable was running unopposed and filed for both, just in case... and he won both :D

Press on!

mz10
08-24-2012, 03:20 PM
Sorry about the late response, but I found your post very interesting. I am 19 years old and am planning on running for selectman in my hometown in March 2014. The best thing I have found is to work with local GOP candidates. If you help out on a campaign, you gain crucial experience and their respect, and once you have that you can tell them about your future plans and ask for their support. I even got a little shout-out in the local paper (http://www.eagletribune.com/local/x2103324592/Dont-Print-That down at the bottom of the page) As a result of doing that, I can pretty comfortably say that the conservative leaders in my town will be behind my candidacy, which for us Ron Paul folks is a big deal. If you want to talk further I would be more than happy to.

Aratus
08-24-2012, 03:39 PM
good going! you deserve REP!