Spokane7
34°
October 22, 2011 in City
Union broke law with Kids News ad
Candidate endorsements part of elementary schools monthly
The Spokane Education Association, the union for more than 3,000 Spokane Public Schools employees, placed ads featuring local candidate endorsements in a publication distributed in the district’s elementary schools – a violation of state law and district policy.
In September’s issue of the Kids News, the union’s monthly ad had an explanation of why the union endorses candidates and listed the union’s choices for school board and Spokane City Council. In October, the same space displayed the three endorsed candidates’ answers to three questions.
State law prohibits the use of public facilities to assist in political campaigns. Union President Jenny Rose takes full responsibility for the violation.
“We didn’t think about it,” Rose said. “We should have known better.”
The union endorsed Deana Brower for Spokane school board, Ben Stuckart for Spokane City Council president and Joy Jones for the City Council’s District 3 seat.
A Republican Party supporter told the school district it would be only fair to give the same space in the publication for opposing candidates Sally Fullmer, Dennis Hession and Steve Salvatori.
Terren Roloff, district spokeswoman, said even though “the intent would be to level the playing field, it could still be seen as a violation of that basic prohibition.”
Instead, an apology for the misstep will run in next month’s issue.
Rose regrets using the ad space to talk about the candidates the union backs. The union pays $1,000 for the space on page 4 of the Kids News each month. Usually the content is about education or students.
“I was trying to inform the public (parents) how the union works and debunk myths that we are the ‘bad guys,’ ” Rose said.
Mary Helen Black, the newsletter’s publisher, said she ran the ad because she thought it was interesting.
“I have to admit I was not thinking,” Black said. “I will not do it again. I didn’t have any political intent whatsoever.”
Roloff doesn’t typically review the publication before it’s distributed, but she said, “I’m committed to doing that from now on.”
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Dazzeetrader11 on October 22 at 3:36 a.m.
Hoping the State fines them. You cannot unring a bell.
drywitt99 on October 22 at 3:49 a.m.
They were just educating the youngsters…..like what they get paid for,
Orphan on October 22 at 7:16 a.m.
Cheap shot by the editor and the union. Fine the union some big money and fire the editor otherwise its a free shot for the union. If I accidently speed because I am not paying attention I get a ticket. If I accidenty harm someone because I am not paying attention I have to pay to repair the damage why should the union get to walk away with no repurcussions.
Attempting to instill union dogma in our children is not education.
jimvw2 on October 22 at 8:24 a.m.
Candidate endorsement in an official publication, even in the context of a paid advertisement, is inappropriate, in my opinion, but probably not illegal. So calls for fines are off the mark.
This would be true if it were an ad from the Tea Party as much as from the union. The union paid for the space in the newsletter. It was a legitimate purchase of advertising space. We shouldn’t forget that.
The only question of propriety here is the newsletter’s policy on the content of advertising it accepts. In this instance, the newsletter should have had a policy that it will not accept political advertising.
If there already is such a policy, then the editor should be disciplined and maybe even dismissed. If there is no such policy, one should be written and adopted post haste.
The SEA did nothing wrong here. This is a case of bad judgment by the newsletter editor, and a maybe a gap in policy for that editor to follow.
Wiggentree_Copyright on October 22 at 8:27 a.m.
I see the teachers’ union is using the same manipulative tactic of using their collective student bodies’ educational endeavors to promote their personal cause as an administrative staff member did on one occasion I recall.
I well remember a student “walk-out” at a local high school some years since, wherein the cutting of a popular principal’s contract was “justification” for a poorly-designed plea for “justice” to the impressionable students assembled in the cafegymatorium. (“They’ve got trucks, Mom!! and they’re staging a drive-out! Can I go???” was what my son said in his phone call to me at the time.)
To give credit to the principal, he addressed the students assembled outside the district office and asked them to help him by returning to their respective classes, so I read in this newspaper. Didn’t save the school district a popular principal, but I’ll bet it gave some of the students a good education on the value of protest in some causes other than their own future jobs and well being. I wonder if any of them are among the WOOFs (Wall Street and Other Occupational Forces) around the country. I know my son isn’t. He’s too busy trying to build a successful business of his own.
Thoreau on October 22 at 8:56 a.m.
All HAIL the mighty UNION!
The UNION DARES you to question its rule-breaking!
Hail the BROTHERHOOD!
War is Peace!
Poverty is Affluence!
Ignorance is Education!
Hail the Union! Hail!!!!!!!
WillyPeter on October 22 at 10:17 a.m.
Sooooo, how many more examples are needed to demonstrate why a Union backed School Board candidate should not be elected.
This is another magnificent example of how dishonest and corrupt the devil’s trio comprised of the District 81/School Board/SEA are.
Pity our teachers…..and our children.
laurierogers on October 22 at 10:29 a.m.
Most people don’t realize what RCW 42.17.130 is about. I didn’t either, before this fall. Please Google it — the basic law is short and won’t take much time to read.
Public agencies are prohibited from using public agencies, facilities, or resources to campaign, directly or indirectly, for a candidate for elective office (such as a board candidate) or to promote a ballot proposition (such as bonds and levies).
What this article isn’t telling you is what the distribution potentially means to Spokane Public Schools. The district distributed these newspapers to every elementary school in the district — twice. It used district resources to stuff the newspaper in children’s backpacks, it handed them out in district offices, and it left them available for parents to pick up in the schools. This is actually a VERY big deal.
For more on this issue, and on the PDC complaint I filed Sept. 28, noting other concerns with the school district and RCW 42.17.130, please see my blog Betrayed:
http://betrayed-whyeducationisfailing.blogspot.com/2011/10/district-distributes-campaign-material.html
Laurie Rogers
wlroge@comcast.net
Orphan on October 22 at 3:29 p.m.
Gee JimVW2 the headline says “Union broke the law” I guess you didnt read that part.
kandks on October 22 at 5:08 p.m.
Jody Lawrence-Turner:
You just wiped out any journalistic credibility you might have had by making it appear that YOU, out of thin air, magically discovered that the Spokane Education Association (Teacher’s Union) broke state law.
In fact, a little of my own reasearch shows that it was the hard work of Laurie Rogers, a supporter of an opponent of the school board candidate your paper endorsed, who uncovered this violation of the law, reported it to the Public Disclosure Commission and then informed your paper about this story. But not a comment from her in your article, let alone crediting HER with bringing this story to light, nor anything about the PDC complaint! REALLY?
AND you didn’t inform your readers that School District 81 itself was the more direct violator of the state law that prohibits the use of taxpayer-funded public facilities to promote a political candidate.
Please update this article to give the story the background info that will ground it and put it in proper context for your readers and CREDIT THE ORIGINAL SOURCE.
Thank-you