Seat B contest offers a clear choice (excerpt)

By ROSEMARY SHINOHARA, Daily News reporter

The Seat B School Board race pits incumbent Kathi Gillespie, with her strong record supporting basic academic studies, against newcomer Judy Anderson, who thinks the Anchorage School District should provide enough alternative programs to satisfy every parent and student who wants one.

The candidates' differing philosophies about alternative and traditional education mirrors a continuing debate in the district. Alternative programs are extremely popular, but they also compete with neighborhood schools for space and raise questions of fair access to education. . . .

Gillespie's record emphasizing hard-core subjects goes beyond the debate over alternatives. For example, she recently bridled at the notion that high school students might be required to pass a fitness test if they elect not to take a personal fitness class. Her son is applying for colleges, she said. "The key for me is, not one college has asked if you've passed a fitness test."

During her term, she also pushed the district to re-emphasize phonics in reading instruction and to set districtwide goals for reading competency by third grade.

In the debate over whether a club promoting tolerance of gay and lesbian students should be allowed at Dimond High School, Gillespie urged the board to limit high school clubs to academic subjects only.

Gillespie said she was concerned about Dimond's Gay/Straight Alliance because she feared the influence of national pro-gay groups. A wide-open policy for clubs could lead to worse, she said during one School Board meeting last year. "Imagine a club based on witchcraft or Satanism." Now, though, she said she's happy with a compromise that calls for parental permission for clubs.

Gillespie's School Board colleagues have differing views on her effectiveness.

Dave Werdal describes her as hard-working, a strong advocate for parents and an effective link to the Legislature. "They all know her (in Juneau), and she knows what to do. That's a very important role at the moment," he said.

Harriet Drummond said Gillespie asks too many detailed, sometimes irrelevant questions and hamstrings the board's ability to get things done. "She drags out the meetings often until midnight," Drummond said. "She brings in a lot of issues not related to the issue on the agenda. It gets difficult to make decisions when you're so tired."

"Everybody's entitled to their opinion," Gillespie said in response. . . .

Return to P.E.R.S.O.N. Project Home Page