The city’s largest union, the Newton Teachers Association, has just endorsed Alicia Bowman in her efforts to win a ward 6 at large city council seat. That may be great for Bowman. But — considering that candidates have until July 23 to pull papers — what’s the hurry for the NTA or any other organization that endorses candidates before the entire field of candidates in known?
I get it when an individual endorses a personal friend or contact. But this large scale rush for endorsements has always puzzled me. If I was an member of the NTA, I’d wonder why my leadership felt it was so important to endorse now, rather than wait and see who else might enter?
@Greg: You beat me to this post. I’ve never understood the rush to endorse. The NTA just endorsed Bryan Barash also. Regardless of how good a candidate Alicia and Bryan may be, I don’t understand how the teachers union is benefitting its members by making hasty endorsements.
The Newton Teachers Association holds its last Representative Assembly meeting for the school year in mid-May. The RA includes representatives from all 22 schools and is the group that makes the endorsements. At the endorsement meeting, the school representatives arrive having read a packet of questionnaires (this year it was 48 pages) and discuss pros and cons of each candidate.
The final NTA meeting of the school year is a general membership meeting with an entirely different agenda. That means that the final RA meeting for the 2018-19 year is in mid-May.
The next RA meeting is held in September and usually includes new members. At this meeting, there is an explanation of the school committee and city council positions and the endorsement process. At the very earliest, an endorsement vote could be taken in the first week in October. After the RA votes for the candidates to endorse, the list of endorsed candidates and an explanation is sent to the membership on Sunday evening in the weekly eBulletin, typically entering the second week in October. That’s very late in the process. In fact, we are not the first group to make an endorsement during this election season.
To be clear, new candidates can go through the process in the fall and receive an endorsement.
Thanks for the explanation Jane, although it still seems irresponsible to me.
Given how important the council and school committee presumably are to your union, you’d think you’d come up with a way to reach a decision that’s both timely and fully-informed by the entire list of candidates.
It also seems to me that a mid-October endorsement announcement (when many more voters are paying attention) would be more impactful than a Memorial Day week announcement, when nobody but a few hundred insiders are following these contests.
Oh and one more thing, so are you saying that if a new candidate comes along that your union decides is superior to one of the candidates you’ve already endorsed, you will unendorse your original selection?
Has this ever happened?
Greg, you presume that the purpose of NTA political endorsements is to identify the best candidates for the community. But the NTA does not exist to serve the community. Each endorsement is a tacit transaction (if not an explicit one) between the union and the candidate, meant to serve their respective aims. Both parties to that transaction want certainty as soon as possible.
I was proud to be endorsed by the Newton teachers.
Here’s what they had to say about my campaign:
“Bryan Barash has extensive experience working as a public policy professional at the Mass. State House. Locally, he is on the Day Middle School Council and the Newton Human Rights Commission. His strength as an advocate for social justice issue is of particular interest to educators who work with a diverse student body with a wide range of needs. He was an active supporter of the custodians in their difficult negotiations and has always been an active and vocal supporter of unions. Bryan champions the right of unions to negotiate for their health insurance benefits and opposes unilateral decisions about the terms of employee benefits.”
I wish we could’ve seen a post announcing the endorsements on Village14 before we saw one criticizing the decision.
The only people who belong to the Newton Teachers Association are Newton educators. I feel completely confident in saying that Newton educators have a long history of working very hard to serve this community.
Greg – Our blog interactions never end well. I will call you in the morning and we can discuss your concerns.
@Michael: Nah, I assume the union endorses the candidates that best serves its members. That’s its only job. I just don’t see how this does that.
@Jane: I don’t have “concerns” specific to the union’s policy. I have opinions about the policy.
Your union, of course, can do it whatever way it wants. My opinion is that endorsements before the filing deadline are a disservice to the process and to your members.
I’m always happy to hear from you but there’s nothing to clarify. We just disagree.
@Greg
I think your opinions are a disservice to Newton Residents too. Don’t you endorse special projects before the details are hammered out? You simply advocate for your businesses,and just brush off the residents who oppose.pot kettle black!
Love the NTA, but agree that endorsing at this point is simply too early. On a semi related note, is there any truth to the rumor that the Mayor was deinvited from the HS graduations as a result of the NTA negotiations?
@Jane Frantz: Of course, most Newton educators work hard for the community. That does not make the teacher’s union a community service organization. I don’t fault NTA or its members for seeking the best employment terms they can negotiate; that’s how free markets work. But please don’t insinuate that NTA’s #1 priority is the community. In over 250 words you wrote above, you don’t once mention children, students, education, or curriculum.
I would reverse the question. Why not endorse if you find a candidate that shares your values or offers something that you or your organization feels could benefit the city? Could there be a candidate that also shares your values but offers something more? Possibly, but what is to be gained there?
If a group or a person is on the fence or still needs to be convinced, then it makes sense to wait until the whole field is in place. But if a person aligns with your vision, then make that known and help them get elected.
Because endorsing before all the candidates are known discourages others from entering the race. A union that supports the community should not want to dissuade people from running for office.
By endorsing early, the NTA is favoring candidates with whom it is already familiar. Their prerogative, of course, but I think it lessens the value of the endorsements.
In the past, the NTA has restricted the public from reading questionnaire answers. This introduces opacity to our elections. I am concerned that candidates might tell the NTA one thing and tell the public something else.
@Jeffrey Pontiff- I believe that NTA asks candidates not to publish the questionnaire and their answers. Perhaps Mr. Ziles would care to confirm or deny.
I’ve never had to personally fill out this kind of a questionnaire, but I filled out two requested forms for Brian Yates when he was recovering from a major coronary a few years back. I can state emphatically that neither Brian or I would have honored this type of request for information, if we were told that we were not to release these statements to the public. We would have gone public and screamed to the rafters about the shocking insensitivity of such a request; and I think it’s fair to say we would have enjoyed lifting a veil of secrecy by doing so. I’m personally shocked that any organization would place this demand on any candidate.
I understand why the NTA endorsed Bryan Barash and Alicia Bowman early. They have been outspoken advocates for everything the NTA stands for. I would ask, why not endorse far enough ahead to help their campaign? Waiting until October may reach more eyes at the time but continued support from now until the election will help the candidates more.
Bryan is running for Ward 2 City Councilor against a strong incumbent, Emily Norton. Living in Ward 2, I have noticed that a decent percentage of voters, not necessarily all avid Emily Norton fans, say they will not vote for Bryan because 1) he advocated for and then voted to eliminate Ward Councilors as a member of the charter commission (making his running for a position he wanted to eliminate a bit ironic) 2) he hasn’t demonstrated (in words or actions) the personal touch Emily gives to her constituents, 3) he’s a policy wonk which would be good for the city at large but not necessarily as a Ward Councilor. That said, Bryan exemplifies what the NTA stands for so of course they endorsed him – he will need all the help he can get to win this election.
Alicia Bowman, running for Ward 6 City Councilor- at-large, has advocated for everything NPS related. Of course they would endorse her and help her campaign.
And yes, I see the comparison to Greg fully supporting developments as soon as they are brought up without offering any constructive criticism, asking for mitigation or work to make it the best it can be for Newton – not just business owners.
The NTA made a more educated endorsement.
I also agree with Bob Burke. I wonder how many candidates refused to answer the questionnaire because of the secrecy requirement. Committing government officials and those who aspire to be one to signing a confidentiality agreement in order to get an endorsement is an affront to democracy.
I understand why the practice is attempted but disagree with its execution.
Two years ago the NTA announced its endorsements for School Committee in October. I don’t remember being asked to keep my answers to the questionnaire confidential but I would not have made that promise. I published my answers on Village 14 as did most — if not all – other candidates.
I’d love to see candidates do the same this election season.
https://village14.com/2017/10/16/a-friendly-request-for-anping-shen-eileen-sandberg-scott-lennon-ruthanne-fuller/#axzz5pNCjfF2L
@Marti – I appreciate the feedback, but we have a very strong campaign and I feel really good about our chances.
If you feel that I don’t have a personal touch, I’m sorry for that. I asked you to sit down for coffee early on but we haven’t had a chance to yet. I also knocked on your door last week. Perhaps we could revisit getting that coffee?
Bryan, I agree that you have a strong campaign and support from large groups of Newton residents, obviously including the NTA and the NDCC. I was commenting on why I think it’s better for a candidate to get endorsements early in the campaign, although I do think unseating Emily Norton will be an uphill battle. I will not make my choice until later in the process when I have learned more from all candidates. I certainly understand why you are challenging Emily instead of Susan Albright and Jake Auchincloss.
The things I listed in my comment are what I hear/read from Ward 2 residents. A quick attempt at an explanation of the “personal touch” I mentioned. Emily, as Ward 2 Councilor, has been more hands on than some. She jumps in to offer help to any constituent whenever she hears/reads of their needs, without being asked – council business or not. I really think this is what most Ward 2 residents find most appealing. It would be hard to cultivate that awareness and help out without having already been a ward councilor but certainly not impossible.
Michael – Teacher’s working conditions are student learning conditions. You mentioned the community, so I responded with reference to the community. To clarify, all members of the NTA are educators in the Newton Public Schools and and have a long history of caring deeply about every student in the system.
Gail – As you are aware, two years ago a number of candidates posted responses to the questionnaire on V14 that were not the ones they submitted to NTA. Readers should be aware that the answers on this link are not necessarily the answers NTA received. Candidates changed the actual substance of answers, left out sections that they had received feedback on, and ran spell checks and corrected grammatical errors.
This year, several candidate included information about children under the age of 18. While it’s perfectly appropriate to include this information on literature or on a website, educators are held to the highest standard in regard to student confidentiality. An organization that represents professionals for whom student confidentiality is such a high priority can’t publish this information – it is a line that should never be crossed. To be very clear, the inclusion of personal information on a questionnaire in no way influenced decisions.
Bob – NTA did not “demand” that the answers not be publicized; candidates were asked not to with a clear explanation why – that some candidates included personal information that NTA did not want to be party to sharing in any format.
Marti – There was no “secrecy” agreement. NTA typically shares questionnaires with members only, but given the situation, chose not to do even that this year. The decision was made after reading the personal information.
In the past two weeks, I’ve had several positive, congenial conversations with candidates who didn’t receive an endorsement. I’ve provided feedback from the NTA process that I’m told has been helpful as they move forward in their campaigns.
Seems like a simple remedy to the NTA’s only stated objection to sharing the responses. Let candidates know that they would be releasing all responses. That way, the candidates can decide what personal information they want to release and the public can stop wondering if there’s something inappropriate going on.
Actually, Jane, I am aware of only one candidate who edited her responses before publishing them on Village 14. I’m also aware that she admitted her mistake, explained her reasoning and apologized. If there were others, I don’t remember.
Please don’t tell me what I’m aware of. You don’t know what I know or remember.
By not publishing questions and answers, the NTA looks like it’s trying to hide something. I strongly encourage candidates to let Village 14 publish their answers. A good place to start would be with the Ward 2 candidates for the ward seat and the Ward 6 at-large candidates for City Council.
Jane, thank you for correcting me. Obviously I believed erroneous information.
As for the NTA questionnaires and the candidates’ answers, why not publish them without including students’ personal information? Just take it out since the personal information “in no way influenced decisions” made by the NTA so it has no relevance to the election anyway.
In years past when there was no personal information, the NTA still did not release the answers to questionnaires. This does not have anything to do with personal information.
Jeffrey – In past years, NTA sent the questionnaires to the membership. Due to the nature of the material in the answers, leadership of the NTA chose not to do so this year and explained why to candidates.
Marti – The information was embedded in responses.
The questionnaire is only part of the process, but one that provides candidates with an opportunity to outline values with specific information about their experiences and accomplishments. Other contexts play a part in the decision making. As an example, a candidate may show an unusually perceptive understanding of public education and the place unions play in maintaining a solid middle class, or perhaps participated in a public effort to protect vulnerable families in the community. These issues matter and play a part in the endorsement process at the local level.
This is my final comment on this situation. This school system has bigger fish to fry right now – a serious contract stalemate, attacks on individual teachers from outside groups, a lawsuit on teachers. I urge parents to focus on getting the contract settled and supporting teachers who have been viciously and repeatedly attacked by an outside group.
I was asked by NTA President Michael Zilles not to share my questionnaire answers. I told him I would not abide by that request. Here is what I submitted.
Name: Emily Norton
Ward: 2
1. Tell us about your background and why you are running for City Council.
I grew up in Newton, and went to school at Cabot Elementary School, Horace Mann Elementary School, and F.A. Day Junior High. (I did not attend Newton North, I attended private high school.) I have great memories of my years in the Newton Public Schools, and was a student at Day when Jim Marini was the Assistant Principal. I returned to Newton to raise my three boys here, and they are attending the same schools I did “a few” years ago! I have a 5th grader at Horace Mann, an 8th grader at Day, and a 10th grader at Newton North.
I have been on the City Council for 3 terms, and I’ve been active in Newton’s civic affairs for many years. I am running again because I want to continue to serve the residents of Ward 2.
My career has been as an environmental activist. I am currently the Executive Director of the Charles River Watershed Association. Prior to that I was Director of the Massachusetts Sierra Club.
2. How do you understand your role as a member of the City Council? In your role as a city councilor, how would you have an impact on the Newton Public Schools?
While a City Councilor’s official role with the NPS is limited to voting on the School Department budget, I have been a vocal advocate for our schools since I moved back to Newton and especially during my years on the City Council. In fact the first issue I advocated on in Newton was related to the schools – my kindergartner told me he couldn’t wash his hands after going to the bathroom because the faucets didn’t work. So I reached out to the facilities director who told me they did work. I was sure my son was being honest with me so with the principal and the school custodian I toured every bathroom in Horace Mann and sent the facilities director a detailed status report on every faucet in the school, and cc-ed the School Committee. As a result the faucets were fixed.
I was an early and forceful advocate for Full Day Kindergarten, which at long last is being implemented this September. I have also urged the School Committee to reduce activity fees on families, and review the school trip policy to ensure affordability for all families. I will continue to advocate each year for responsible allocations to fund all of our schools, for both the annual operating budget and capital budget to fund school renovations and construction.
3. What do you see as the strengths of the City of Newton?
We are close to Boston with excellent schools and an educated, engaged populace. We have also made great strides as a politically progressive community, playing a leading role in the state on many environmental issues, health concerns, and equity issues. A lot of community-minded people choose to live in Newton, and we are all trying to make our community an even better place to live.
4. What are your concerns? What do you think needs to change?
I would like to see more sensitivity on the part of the School Committee and administration to the fact that many Newton families are not well off. I think the activity fees on families should be eliminated, and that exorbitant school trips should be scaled back, or fully funded so that every child can participate.
5. Why are you qualified to serve on the City Councilor?
I have a strong track record from my three terms on the City Council on issues that are important to many residents of our city. My track record includes success on various environmental issues, school advocacy, and gender equality.
6. What is your position on health insurance coverage for City of Newton employees?
I believe we should be as generous as possible in terms of health insurance coverage. Health insurance means peace of mind for families. I support generous affordable health care coverage for all employees, including Newton’s teachers.
7. All of the city’s unions are currently either working without a contract, or will be in the fall. As a City Councilor, how do you think you could support a timely and fair resolution to negotiations?
While I hope that all contracts will be settled as quickly as possible, it is the job of the School Committee to negotiate the contract for our valuable school employees and the Mayor’s responsibility to negotiate all other municipal contracts; as a City Councilor it is my responsibility to vote on the municipal contracts negotiated by the Mayor. Other than the final vote, as a City Councilor I would not get involved in negotiating any school or municipal contracts.
8. If there is anything else you consider pertinent to your candidacy that you would like to share, please feel free to do so.
I try to volunteer my time in the Newton Schools whenever possible. With two jobs and being a single mom of three kids I don’t have a lot of free time, but I attend Mystery Dinner fundraisers for all my kids’ schools, I come into 8th grade classes and talk about environmental issues for Generation Citizen, and I led on getting funding for the new Horace Mann playground. I advocate for school related issues when they are brought to my attention, for example ensuring that the needs of Horace Mann teachers and staff are being taken care of in the transition to the Carr School.
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Thank you for your transparency Councilor Norton. I hope all the other candidates follow your lead.
Thank you, Emily, and great answers. Wish I could vote for you – transparency in word and deeds!
Jane,
Thanks for the excellent explanation of the scheduling constraints on the teachers’ union. That makes a lot of sense.
Also, seems the teachers should feel comfortable considering only those folks who are serious enough about running for office to have made up their minds by now. It’s June.
Emily Norton is correct: As president of the NTA, I did ask her not to share her answers to our questionnaire with the general public. I asked her, as I did with all candidates, to do so in order to not put pressure on other candidates to do the same.
This was not based on a nefarious attempt to avoid transparency. Some candidates submitted answers that contained personal and private information that we believed they would not want us to share publicly. We appreciated their candor and trust.
Emily Norton presents herself as a champion of transparency. In the interests of transparency, she might have stated not only that I requested she not share, but also why. And if the stated reason I gave was not sufficient to convince her why, then I wish she would first have reached out to me for clarification.
Addendum:
In the interests of transparency, I would like to add that we gave every declared candidate in a contested race the opportunity to submit answers to our questionnaire, including Emily Norton. Some were unable to meet our deadlines and negotiated extensions; others rushed to meet the deadline. Emily Norton was unable to meet our original deadline, we granted her a mutually agreed upon extension, and she then missed that deadline as well.
Because she was so late in submitting her questionnaire, we were not able to include her responses in our endorsement deliberations.
We think the voting public should know: on her request for an endorsement from the Newton Teachers Association, Emily Norton received an incomplete.
Mike, in the interest of transparency would you mind telling us the names of ALL the candidates who were late returning their answers? Thanks.
Mike— I did communicate to you I thought it was a bit early to require responses before candidacy signature sheets were even available, much less due. This is the first I’m hearing you considered my response — 6 months before the election — to be submitted too late to be considered. In any case I am pleased to be able to share it with voters directly here.
Candidates have an opportunity to participate or forego an endorsement process set up by any group. If Councilor Norton did not approve of the NTA process, she had every right not to participate.
Once the 48 pages of questionnaires were sent to the RA after 3:00 pm on the day before the meeting, the candidates considered for endorsement was set. Typically, the RA has the packet 48 hours before the meeting. In this case, NTA went above and beyond to allow a candidate who made a plan for a second extension the opportunity to pass in a questionnaire in order to participate in the process. But at some point the RA needed to have the packet in hand to read before the meeting.
This is the first time I am seeing these responses from Councilor Norton. While it may be information she’d like to share with voters and she’s obviously free to do so, at this point in time, it has nothing to do with the Newton Teachers Association or its endorsement process.
Jeffrey – No other candidate was late in passing in questionnaires. Several candidates had personal reasons for needing an extension and made a reasonable agreement with the NTA about another due date. Their questionnaires were in by the agreed upon date, if not earlier.