December 15, 2011 in City

District investigating Ferris political debate

Adults wrote questions for student-run event

Jonathan Brunt and Jody Lawrence-Turner The Spokesman-Review

Tags:Deana BrowerFace-Off at FerrisJennifer WaltherJenny RoseMary VernerMike Nodernancy stowellSally FullmerSpokane Public Schools

An October debate for school board and mayoral candidates at Ferris High School was promoted as student-led and -run, from start to finish.

But few, if any, of the questions were written by students; instead, many were submitted by a handful of adults with ties to the Republican Party, leaving at least two candidates who took part feeling duped, they said.

Spokane Mayor Mary Verner, who was endorsed by the Spokane County Democratic Party, said it was clear from the first question that “something really fishy was going on.”

“Those weren’t the kind of questions you get from high school students,” she said. “I’ve raised a daughter. I have a son in middle school.”

Spokane Public Schools officials said this week they are investigating complaints that the debates were biased in favor of a teacher’s political leanings and whether adults selected by the teacher to help organize the event influenced its content.

Teacher Jennifer Walther, who has taught in the district for 20 years, and two of the students in Walther’s leadership class, which took part in the event, said it was fair.

“I’m incensed that anyone would suggest otherwise,” Walther said. “I consider it an insult to my students.”

Although students didn’t write many of the questions, they reviewed them and selected which ones were asked during the debates, they said.

Walther acknowledges that no Democrats helped with the event, but said that debate organizers also didn’t send requests for questions to the Republican Party.

Emails obtained through a public records request and provided to The Spokesman-Review show that Walther asked at least four other adults – Mike Noder, Craig Eggleston, Susan Wilmoth and Charles Rowe – to help organize the debate. Walther said the same group helped organize a “Face-Off at Ferris” debate between former Democratic state Sen. Chris Marr and Republican Michael Baumgartner last year.

All four were financial contributors to the Condon or Baumgartner campaigns. Walther and Rowe, the former KREM anchor, contributed to both Baumgartner and Condon. Noder ran for mayor against Condon and Verner, losing in the primary. Eggleston is former chairman of the Republicans of Spokane County.

Marr, who was defeated by Baumgartner in 2010, said in an interview last week that the questions in the first Ferris debate were tough, but seemed fair and not much different than ones he and Baumgartner were asked at other forums. He said he knew Walthers’ reputation as a conservative but assumed that the event would be fair because it was presented to him as a school project.

Still, if questions for school debates are being generated by adults or groups outside the school community, candidates should be informed, Marr said.

“The public loses when any question is raised about the fairness of something like that,” Marr said.

Noder corresponded with Spokane City Councilman Bob Apple, who endorsed Condon, to research issues with the city, and it was Eggleston’s task to gather questions from the Washington Policy Center and Evergreen Freedom Foundation, both conservative think tanks, and Toastmasters, a nonprofit organization that helps members improve their communication skills, the emails show.

Students in Ferris’s leadership class gathered the submitted questions, including some they said were from students, and a smaller committee narrowed them down from 40 or 50 to about 15 per debate.

“We were trying to go for issues, not what does one party think over the other,” said Associated Student Body President Ben Goodwin.

However, the students acknowledged they did not consider where the questions came from nor check them for accuracy.

A third of the questions fielded by school board candidates were nearly identical to those submitted by the Washington Policy Center.

“The depth, the nature and the tone were not unlike statements encountered in other Republican-led debates,” said Kevin Morrison, campaign manager for school board candidate Deana Brower, who was endorsed by the Spokane Education Association teachers’ union. Brower was elected in November over challenger Sally Fullmer.

Morrison said he and Brower didn’t feel the debate was fair.

“Too many (questions) were coming from an agenda, like the items we’d seen on our opponent’s website and her supporters,” Morrison said. “I’m not a big believer of conspiracies … but yeah.”

Verner said if she had known that students were given questions formulated in part by conservative think tanks, she might have declined to participate.

Although Spokane Public Schools Superintendent Nancy Stowell could not speak specifically about the investigation into Walther’s actions, she said generally, “We expect that any teacher in Spokane Public Schools would not use the classroom as a forum for his or her own political or religious ideologies. Our job as educators is to teach students to think critically, ask good questions and teach our students to be good citizens.”

Jaelen Pace, a 2011 Ferris graduate who was in Walther’s English class, said Walther is unlike other teachers in that she doesn’t hide her conservative political views.

Even though he often disagreed with her, Pace said he appreciated her willingness to respectfully debate students and that her opinions didn’t generally affect the curriculum. But Jenny Rose, president of the Spokane Education Association, said, “To me it felt like the kids were being used to move a personal agenda, and that’s not what we do with our kids. That’s not right.”

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31 comments on this story so far. Add yours!

Dazzeetrader11 on December 15 at 12:23 a.m.
Poor lil whiney Dems. I guess Verner thinks the debate made her cover up Ottos Zehm’s murder. And really the increased water fees were caused by the debate too.
She simply couldn’t answer the questions asked. Marr did…people didn’t like his answers but he gave answers. Baumgartner did better in every debate they had!
Verner though…well…this cookie is special. She will not see elected office again. She’s in hiding now. Good.
8ball on December 15 at 4:59 a.m.
The article states that ‘critical thinking’ is the goal of education. Well …. discounting the political ideologies at play here—where was critical thinking?
The children were presented with questions, they never checked them for veracity, and picked the ones that sounded good? Congratulations to contemporary education at Ferris. You’re creating good little slaves …. dumbed down …… and, apparently, willing to accept any pablum driven their way.
Those skills will serve them well as the new version of American Citizen. Accept without question; trust and never verify. Mainstream media and future politicans will love you.
WillyPeter on December 15 at 6:47 a.m.
Nice jab, Jody. Now ask your “left-leaning” editor to -
Please give us an article on the state’s investigation - and status - of the Democrat Party’s involvement with the illegal campaign tactics at Jefferson Elementary, and any other District 81 schools.
You remember, the hand-outs given to children to take home that were illegally provided by the Spokane Education Association and District 81 pooh-bahs, that recommended Deanna Brower for the School Board.
Benaround on December 15 at 7:30 a.m.
To ask a “Republican Question” to a Democrat in front of the
public is one of the cruelest and inhumane actions I have ever
heard.
To have to answer that question (in full public view) is
tragic and humiliating. Democrats should only be asked
questions from media outlets…or other Democrats.
I am hopeful the Spokesman-Review’s exposing this scandal
will put an end to “Republican Questions” in the future.
gonzomo on December 15 at 8:02 a.m.
What a bunch of whiners. OOOOO the questions were too tough. That’s just not fair. Is Verner joking? What about the “sustainability” forum at the community building. I’m sure that was completely balanced.
Last year there were several forums where people used it as a cheerleding forum for Chris Marr. How many of these forums are put on by partisan, liberal groups (AAUW, Nurses association, teachers union, etc…). And when the high school students in Seattle walked out of class to protest the “cuts” in Olympia, how many of these people had a problem with that (because I’m sure it was all their idea, not their teacher’s).
I’m glad Mary lost after seeing this and her other behavior since election day.
soccermomsusie on December 15 at 8:07 a.m.
People, it’s called WINNING!!!!
$80,000 from the Republican Party. Push Polling with questions like “Would you be more or less likely to vote for Mary Verner if you knew she was going to put you in a slave labor camp?” Packing Ferris with us Tea Partiers and then making sure all the debate questions were handpicked by us. Attack ads that, while not having much basis in fact, certainly made people feel a certain way. Duping a prominent Dumbocrat into supporting us by assuring him there was no way we could win but that his endorsement would really send a message to Verner. And on and on.
We wanted the win more than Verner and the Demoncrats (who only gave her a thousand bucks). They figured Verner’s record would be enough to keep her as mayor! HAH! We spun that record up and down.
Well, LIBTARDS you lost! Prediction. Davey Condon will be a two-term mayor.
We own the machine. We have an endless supply of $$$ to fuel the machine. We are the news media. We are teaching your children. We are everywhere. We can do anything we want. Take anything we want and you can’t stop us!!!
HEAR OUR VOICE!!!
acbergeman on December 15 at 8:12 a.m.
Jody… you should be ashamed of yourself. You report on this BS. Where is the outrage over SD81 sending home in the kids back-packs newsletters promoting the current Mayor and Deana Brower.
Deana you were elected what’s the problem?
Mayor you lost, get over it!
I’ve been a Dem since 1972 when I registered to vote… I’m done and I’m appalled at the bickering. Consider me and (I). Enough already!
Otto_Pilot on December 15 at 8:30 a.m.
@Dazzeetrader11
You called?
Benaround on December 15 at 8:35 a.m.
I know a humor story when I see one…like the unconfirmed reported “sighting” of a public school teacher who might be
a Conservative.
Even if it were true…our High School Students are mature enough to hear about the concepts of personal accountability and the
horror-stories of Government Central Planners dragging our
country into economic decline and financial ruin. Rioting in
America’s streets will never answer our nation’s problems.
kma on December 15 at 8:47 a.m.
I see the Dizz Dazz is spinning out of control again. I mean, we all know that repuks are the most honest people in this country. Look…Christine “THE WITCH” O’Donnell is behind the spinning, flip flopping Mitt.
You people, keep up the good work, your graves are getting very close to being filled.
I do love having such great laughs, especially from the Dizz Dazz, she takes the prize always.
Lulubelle on December 15 at 9:08 a.m.
The good news is no one will be attending another one of these shams. The “Face-off at Ferris” is DOA…….exposed as a Repub tool. It’s a shame that partisan adults used their children to advance their agenda.
Partisan politics and religion have no place in public school. Lets go back and just teach civics. Let parents and teachers propagandize their own kids, on their own time, in the privacy of their own homes.
Al_Loysius on December 15 at 9:26 a.m.
Sour grapes.
As the great Democrat Harry Truman once said:
“If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.”
Lulubelle on December 15 at 10:27 a.m.
Or, if you can stand the corruption, throw the bums out. Sooner or later the public will catch on to what Republicans really value…..and its not the truth, transparency, or fair play.
skime on December 15 at 10:38 a.m.
A question is a question, just answer it! I never heard of “left” or “right” question. If you can’t answer “any” question, then you should not be asking to be a leader. So Mary put your tail between your legs and run, just like you did with Otto !!!!!!
Most leaders would say “bring it on” see who I am.
Benaround on December 15 at 12:06 p.m.
Lulubelle:
I hope your Democrat poster boys Jon Corzine and John
Edwards rot in Federal prison next year. Barney Frank
should also be indicted by a Grand Jury for the Fanny Mae-
Freddie Mack meltdowns. Chris Dodd shouldn’t have escaped
his Countrywide Loan investigation by resigning.
Obama will be voted out of office and he can return to…….
doing nothing. Republicans are welcoming into their party
those the Democrats have abandoned…working people.
We are comfortable with our values.
kma on December 15 at 1:02 p.m.
Hey, BENAROUND…and around what? Look at your boy Gingrich…oh but wait you repuks are always having that loss of memory problem. Your values BENAROUND? What values? DO AS I SAY, NOT AS I DO. The PARTY OF “NO”!!!!! Steal from the middle class to give to the rich BENAROUND? I do pity people like you, you are way too gullable and watch WAYYYYYYY toooooooooo much FAUX NEWS. The grave just had another shovel full taken out.
kma on December 15 at 1:03 p.m.
You know dizzy dazz will be the first person to scream bloody murder when her water is shut off because the infrastructure of 50 years failed. Oh, dizzy dazz, you make some of the most laughable points.
survivalguy on December 15 at 1:14 p.m.
“SPS officials said this week they are investigating complaints that the debates were biased in favor of a teacher’s political leanings and whether adults selected by the teacher to help organize the event influenced its content.”
Let’s see, what is missing in Jody “District 81 Public Relations wag” Lawrence-Turner’s story:
Which Spokane Public Schools officials?
What complaints, by whom?
What specific regulations were violated that mandate the District “investigate”?
How was this debate different from the first Ferris debate (Marr-Baumgartner)?
Specifically, was it organized and run the same way as the first one? In the first Ferris debate, were questions solicited from the public and then chosen by the students?
Did the process, format, or procedures change from the previous debate?
Did the teacher solicit questions from lots of folks, yet only allegedly “conservative” citizens were engaged enough to respond?
How was it “…clear from the first question that “something really fishy was going on.”?
I suspect that this article, and the investigation, are motivated not by Verner - but by the SEA and the District 81 administration. Their school board candidate, Brower, took a shellacking at that debate. With her answers during the debate she came off as a boot-licking lackey of the current administration and the SEA.
Attila the Hun could have been the other candidate – Brower still looked like, well, not good.
So, “someone” puts in a public records request, does a little looking at what appear to be reasonable questions given the issues - and decides that the teacher must be a “Republican”, is not in the union, and she must be pushing an agenda.

I suspect:
- that she followed the same procedure she had her class follow in the last debate,
- that she solicited questions from adults so her students could see adult questions and learn something,
- that engaged citizens responded and some others did not,
- that her principal and the District knew exactly what was going on (and if they did not – two elections/debates in a row - what does that tell you?).
There is something fishy going on here, and I suspect that it has everything to do with sore feelings and keeping teachers “in line”, and nothing to do with a real violation of anyone’s rules…
Journalism takes yet another black-eye at the hands of the SR and Jody Lawrence-Turner.
Citizen on December 15 at 1:58 p.m.
We saw the same crap from Face Off at Ferris last year. Marr, always the gentleman, is being diplomatic. Widespread rumors in the community are about Jennifer Walther taking credit for using her “student” forum for seating her Republican candidates and unseating or defeating the Democratic candidates.
Fullmer’s entire campaign and positions were often lifted word for word from the right-wing, almost entirely Republican Washington Policy Center, which is hardly non-partisan. Request their policy manual. It is free. The will hit you up for a donation. Read the manual issue by issue and you will find not only Condon’s and Fullmer’s talking points, but those of Ahern, Parker, etc.
Schools should never be allowed to indoctrinate our children politically or use our children for their own political agendas.
Thank you, Spokesman, for doing your job and exposing the partisan Ferris sham debate. Good journalism and we need further investigation.
Lulubelle on December 15 at 3:23 p.m.
Benaround:
Jon Corzine, John Edwards, Barney Frank and Chris Dodd are relevant to this conversation how?
Geez, get a grip man!
99%Progressive on December 15 at 4:46 p.m.
Keep making fun of all the right wing losers, soul sister soccarmomsuse…..you are so funny
She is an occupier out to mock you jerk rightwing doo doo gooders.., and you don’t even know it!!! Stupid TEA PARTY POLITICAL PERVERTS
By pretending to be a babe who is raising a family and going to church and voting in elections. Soccarmomsusie can make fun of you tax paying folks who work and pay the bills, raise your family larva, worship jesus, go to church and help in the community. And you don’t even know it….Suckers…..
Soccarmomsusie is on OUR side. She is out marching with the rest of us occupiers in Spokane. We want something so we are out marching, in the cold, with other occupiers. Down with businesses in Spokane. We need them to pay us money so WE can buy stuff, and get our fair share of their cash. We deserve it. This is what demockracy looks like SMS!!!
Keep making fun of all the right wing loosers, soul sister soccarmomsuse…..you are so funny
Hear her flocking voice
survivalguy on December 15 at 5:01 p.m.
Citizen:
“Schools should never be allowed to indoctrinate our children politically or use our children for their own political agendas.”
Agree absolutely - So you too are for wholesale change in our schools from the status quo; The progressive-educrat-driven-feelings-are-more-important-than-skills-discovery-based-constructivist-it-is-more-important-that-children-be-able-to-conceptualize-math-than-know-how-to-do-long-division-ignor-Mao’s-murder-of-millions-instead-focus-on-how-he-equalized-the-status-of-all-his-peoples schools that we currently have.
Welcome aboard!
With respect to “Widespread rumors in the community…” :
I don’t know this teacher, I don’t know you. What I do know, in my deepest core, is that the spreading of rumors is rude and leads to grief for all concerned. Reflect on that, please.
v1grwil on December 15 at 6:34 p.m.
Thank you Willypeter, I ask and confirm these remarks as well:
“Please give us an article on the state’s investigation - and status - of the Democrat Party’s involvement with the illegal campaign tactics at Jefferson Elementary, and any other District 81 schools.
You remember, the hand-outs given to children to take home that were illegally provided by the Spokane Education Association and District 81 pooh-bahs, that recommended Deanna Brower for the School Board”
gotgeek on December 15 at 6:34 p.m.
Wow! There are some really despicable comments here. If this is what political discussion in Spokane has become then I want out!
By the way, I was at that debate and watched afterward as people voted in the straw poll…there were handfuls of straws taken by members of the audience and put in Condon and Fullmer’s jars in full view of the students. That is no way to teach children the tenets of democracy. Neither is forcing students to ask obviously bias questions. Shame.
DDC on December 15 at 7:48 p.m.
One of the questions they may be referring to was (paraphrased) “does the union represent the children or the teachers?”
Deana Brower answered quite candidly…and accurately. The Union represents the interests of the teachers, not the children.
I’m guessing, from the SEA’s standpoint, her answer was a bit too much information for the “critical thinkers” in the audience.
newsguy on December 15 at 9:48 p.m.
How can you tell the questions were slanted? When the “students’ questions” hit Brower about her union endorsement of $800 when Sally Fullmer wasn’t asked a thing about Duane Alton’s $6,300 to her koffers. And Alton doesn’t even live within the district’s boundaries.
valleyman on December 16 at 11:53 a.m.
Were these questions not germane and were these questions not reflective of the questions the voters in Spokane had? I think we all know the answers to both charges…
I applaud Ferris, the teacher in question, and most of all the students, for having the tenacity and the gall to ask and to pose probing questions that sought real answers, not fluff. If Democrats wanted to play ball, they could have organized their own debate with their own questions. I’m sure there were plenty of lefty teachers who had the union backing who would have done their part to host a debate that only asked “Democrat, union-approved, unimportant” questions.
If the teacher’s union, the Democratic party, and sore loser Verner keep at this with their little SR minions, the public backlash is going to be ugly.
Simply because this teacher chooses to buck the union and not pay into their political coffers, and she dares to have a mind of her own that differs from the Democratic union, she is a target for dismissal? If only the caterwauling were so great each and every time a teacher of the left perpetrated against their students and the public a “crime” even half as bad as this.
SHAME District 81. SHAME Spokane Teachers Union. SHAME Mary Verner. SHAME Spokesman Review.
Sour grapes much?
jodyl on December 21 at 4:59 p.m.
I will make just two comments.
About the Kids Newspaper story so many have stated I ignored, here’s a link: http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2011/oct/22/union-broke-law-with-kids-news-ad/
Also, if you think this Ferris story is a positive news story for the school district, think again.
Regards, Jody
kanetown2004 on December 21 at 11:31 p.m.
Well why dont they have a debate in some impoverished area’s like have one at Ferris in one of the wealthiest areas and then one at say Rogers??? Hmmm?
DanDempsey on December 26 at 12:06 a.m.
Oh pretty amazing … clearly the Mayor realizes that the k-12 program has been so dumbed-down that high school students are incapable of critical thought….. If that is not her view then how could she have claimed the following:
Spokane Mayor Mary Verner, who was endorsed by the Spokane County Democratic Party, said it was clear from the first question that “something really fishy was going on.”
“Those weren’t the kind of questions you get from high school students,” she said. “I’ve raised a daughter. I have a son in middle school.”
Spokane Public Schools officials said this week they are investigating complaints that the debates were biased in favor of a teacher’s political leanings and whether adults selected by the teacher to help organize the event influenced its content.
Teacher Jennifer Walther, who has taught in the district for 20 years, and two of the students in Walther’s leadership class, which took part in the event, said it was fair.
“I’m incensed that anyone would suggest otherwise,” Walther said. “I consider it an insult to my students.”
====
Excellent work Ms. Walther .. you can see the Mayor has insulted your students, which she obviously has done. Perhaps you as a teacher who sees students daily and lots of them …. might know the students capabilities better than the Mayor’s sample of her two kids.
Shame on Central Admin … really an investigation into whether the kids are as stupid as the Mayor believes … great work Spokane school leaders …. WOW this dumbing down deal goes all the way to the Top.
Citizen on December 29 at 1:14 a.m.
This needs further investigation. Many of us saw, heard or otherwise witnessed this “debate.” There are too many rumors from too many sources to ignore the forum investigation. This forum replaced the official Republican meeting, as announced on the official Republican website. Hmmm…
If Walther is clean, she should welcome the investigation to clear its reputation. If not, these annual sham Face Off at Ferris forums should be ended immediately. Leave the discipline to the established school board procedures.
Sweeping it under the rug will not allay the rumors. Only an open investigation to let in the light might.
The Spokesman reporters are doing their journalistic duty. I say Godspeed and thank you, Spokesman.