The two recent and somewhat unexpected Seattle School Board victories by outsiders Marty McLaren over School Board President Steve Sundquist, and the nail-biter, challenger Sharon Peaslee with the presumed win over the well-funded Pete Maier, could do more than tweak the direction of the future of Seattle education.

McLaren, a retired West Seattle school teacher, and North Sider, Peaslee, also degreed in education, see the dust settling soon in the rough-and-tumble blackboard jungle, the Seattle Public School System. They want students' math skills to improve, and increased parental involvement in future school board decision making.

Sharon Peaslee
Peaslee explained, "Marty and I have been friends for quite a few years working on math issues together. Marty is a very savvy, articulate, sensitive person and I think she will bring the perspective of not only teachers but of students. She's very tuned in to the needs of students. I think that is what we should all be tuned in to.

"With a master's degree in education, two teaching credentials, and two kids in Seattle Public Schools with special needs, I've been involved in education issues for many years, initially to address their needs. But then I discovered other parents fighting for the same things. Over the years the battles became as much about giving parents a say, a voice, control in public education. It shouldn't be so hard to get the needs of your children met that you need to either threaten legal action or take them out and put them into private school. Parents and communities need to be involved in decision making that impacts their schools and children.

"The message that the voters sent by electing Marty and me is that they want to be involved to be in the decisions that impact their children and schools. They want more transparency. I believe people already on the school board are very nicely aligned to that sentiment. I think we'll be able to work well together as a school board. I think the top down management that came in with(former superintendent) Goodloe-Johnson is not going to hold up with this new school board. The communities will be listened to, and invited to participate in a greater sense."

Marty McLaren

People down at the school district (head quarters) have been very warm and welcoming to me, and have been congratulating me," McLaren said. "The Board has just been very gracious and they have reached out to me in order to start establishing relationships.

"Sharon has really got the right orientation, very dedicated to students and to making our system work better for teachers and students, too.

"Steve (Sundquist) is a very classy guy. I've appreciated that with his offers of help in the transition.

"The nice thing about not really being a politician, and instead being an educator is that whatever skills I have are educator skills and I can focus on relationships among the school board, teachers and parents," she said.