League of Women Voters Forum

We had our first and only face to face conversation last nite at this forum in Bismarck. I am sad that this is the only forum my opponent has attended. This is truly the way the public can get an opportunity to see candidates for real.

There is a difference between us that is clear. I am a current educator with a plan that I have spent time creating. I think we get it when it comes to what goes on in schools today. Our plan is based on issues that come from the classroom and advocacy experiences not from some committee meeting in the capitol.

My opponent is truly a 40 year career bureaucrat. I would describe him as a "flyover" bureaucrat. He attends a lot of dinners, meetings, and special events. He can talk about "what" but he has no plan of his own and is inclined to let others decide what should happen in ND schools. He has said on several occasions that he is running to execute the plan of the Commission on School Improvement. Sorry, but that doesn't say much to me about leadership. He clearly spends no time "listening" to what those of us in the field have to say. In fact, it appears that he doesn't get out of Bismarck much at all any more.