Fields and Shaw Offer Most Progressive Voices for School Board

For the typical 4% of voters who typically make it to the polls to determine who will represent their interests (and their tax dollars--which are far more than the budgets for the local communities), Patti Fields and Michael Shaw offer the most populist/progressive view of how our schools should be run.

As Iowa City Community schools continue to become more diverse, supports are needed to help students who did not start their schooling here to be successful, as well as keeping the standards of education high for all. Patti Fields and Michael Shaw understand the importance of both these goals.

Patti Fields is the incumbent in the race and serves on the board's legislative and communication committees. She is the director of community impact at the United Way of Johnson County and was appointed by Gov. Culver on July 1 to the Iowa Commission on Volunteer Service. Patti and her husband Jeffrey, also have two children in the district. She grew up in Solon and has lived in Iowa City for 16 years.

Michael Shaw has worked in the school system as a coordinator of the Family Resource Center at Grant Wood elementary school and has children in the schools as well. His work as a social worker has prepared him to address the whole child need that has become the charge of schools today. He is running on a platform of responsible school growth, safe and healthy schools, and school/family connections. From having worked with Michael in the past, I know he will be a strong advocate for families on the school board.

Under the leadership of Toni Cilek, the school board managed to have a bond issue passed that the state was able to turn into a permanent sales tax. No one can disagree that more funding for the schools is important, but the purpose of the SILO was to improve structures. With the funding going to the general fund, who knows where it will go?

We need thoughful elected representatives on the board, particularly with the terms sent to increase to four years in the 2009 election cycle.

Iowa City School Board Race

With the wild summer that we have been having, it would be easy to forget the Iowa City Consolidated School Board races that are about to begin, as the filing deadline is August 1st. There will be at least four candidates vying for three seats. Incumbents Patti Fields, Toni Cilek are running for reelection and Richard Tiegs, and Michael Shaw will run for the three seats.

Toni Cilek graduated from University High School in Iowa City and received both her BS and MA from the University of Iowa. She is a Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Speech Pathology and Audiology. Toni is the parent of four children, three past and one current student in the ICCSD.

Patti Fields graduated from Solon High School and received a BA in Spanish from the University of Iowa. She is Director of Community Impact at the United Way of Johnson County. Patti and her husband Jeffrey have two sons in the ICCSD.

Shaw received his bachelor's and master's degrees in social work from the University of Iowa. He has worked for more than 25 years in a variety of capacities as a social worker and youth worker, including as the Family Resource Center coordinator at Grant Wood Elementary.

Richard Tiegs is a former PTO president at Coralville Central Elementary and part-time administrative assistant for the Presbytery of East Iowa.

With the change approved by the Iowa House and Senate and signed into law by the Governor to extend terms to four years, beginning in September 2009, school board elections will only happen during odd-numbered years.

In this election, the public will be able to vote at "centers" anywhere in the county.

The school board election is September 9th.