-My name is Ben Gitenstein.
I'm running for Seattle School Board because I believe
every kid in Seattle deserves a great public school,
and Seattle schools should be great
for every kid and every family.
Our city is home to the most talented educators,
the most innovative companies,
and the most supportive voters in America.
But if we don't make a different choice in this election,
we risk losing much of what we've spent
the last few decades building.
Over the next two years, our schools face
more than $200 million in budget shortfalls,
and that's after using our rainy day fund
to get out of this year's budget crisis.
As a result, the district is quietly but relentlessly
moving to close neighborhood schools
in a misguided attempt to cut costs and drive efficiency.
But closing schools won't bring back the thousands of kids
we are losing in declining enrollment.
And it won't shrink our operating costs
or balance our budget.
Even worse, closing schools
will not shrink our disgraceful achievement gap.
Today, only a third of the students who most need help,
those furthest from educational justice,
are meeting targets for math and reading.
We need a new vision for Seattle Public Schools.
We need to expand the programs that bring families
to Seattle Public, not shrink them.
We need to embrace neighborhood schools, not close them.
We need to challenge the status quo, not accept it.
I was endorsed by The Seattle Times
because I am willing to ask hard questions
and speak truth to power.
As your school board director,
I will fight school closures, demand better outcomes,
and work for a bolder and bigger new future
for Seattle Public Schools.
I would appreciate your vote.