SCPR "ELECTION 2009 SERIES" (VOL 27): FROM A LESS THAN STERLING LIST OF CANDIDATES - SCPR RECOMMENDS SEESAN & PETRILLI

In reading the candidates answers to questions posed as to their reasons for running, their backgrounds and solutions to problems to pressing school problems, the SCPR is only impressed with one candidate's answers:  Thomas Seesan, former MRDD superintendent.

Elaine is "passable" as a second candidate to fill one of the two slots to be filled in this coming Tuesday's election.

THOMAS SEESAN

Some "highlights" about Seesan:

• Thirty-three years in education.
• Recognition that all "stakeholders" must be at the table in order to make education viability (in the financial/economic sense) a reality.
• His ardor for education.
• His recognition of the need to be creative as a policymaker for Massillon schools.
• His commitment to accessibility of board member constituents.
  

Some "lowlights" about Seesan:

•  He cites working with legislators as a positive.  How can this be?  Funding is "the" major crisis facing public education.  While he has lived and worked in Stark County, what has he done to get the likes of state legislators Oelslager, Schuring, Slesnick, Okey, Snitchler, Healy (former), Hagan (former) and Boccieri (former) off their collective duffs and onto effective governance of the public school system of Ohio, which, of course, includes Massillon.
• "Massillon is an "excellent school system" based on anecdotal accounts of his children processing through the schools?  Isn't that bit of a narrow and incomplete assessment.  Wouldn't one expect a former superintendent to take a broader look and provide "more " objective data?
• Sort of a re-hash of the first bullet point in the form of this specific question:  What has Seesan done in terms of direct political action to get Stark County legislators to take the lead in solving the financial dilemma of Stark-based school systems.
• He's "on the fence" about extending the school year.  Wow!  A person running for school board hasn't figured this one out?
  

 ELAINE PETRILLI

Some "highlights" about Petrilli:

• Thirty-three years working in education and being a former member of the Massillon Board of Education.
• Her specific knowledge (from the inside) of the intricacies of the Massillon City schools.
• Unlike Seesan, Petrilli has figured out that an extended school year would be good for Massillon education and derivatively for Ohio and all of America.
  

Some "lowlights" about Petrilli:

• She wants to "give back."  Responses like "give back" should be disturbing to voters.  Such responses are designed to make voters think that the responder is a "good person."  Who doubts that she is a good person?
• She hopes that the state legislature will fix public school funding?  Isn't this weak?  Shouldn't she pledge to dog our Stark County legislators and push them to getting on with a solution to the school funding problem?
  

Elum and Liossis from their responses do not appear to the SCPR to offer anything whatsoever to the betterment of Massillon schools.

All Massillonians could do is to hold their collective breath and "hope," in the event of one or both of these two get elected, that they demonstrate by action what they fail to communicate by word.

Be sure to vote on November 3rd!