With Chris Jacobs' resignation from the Buffalo Board of Education, the board must decide how to fill its third vacancy in less than a year. Jacobs' seat is at-large, which means he was elected by, and represents the city as a whole, rather than a specific district.
In the past, when filling an at-large seat, the board moved an existing district rep to the at-large seat, and appointed an outside candidate to fill the district seat, thereby limiting eligible candidates to a specific zip-code. This process is unrepresentative, and gives preference to certain constituent groups over others. Precluding candidates based on geography and the board's internal decision making, would be a major step backwards. This is especially important because 1/3 of the board has now been appointed, rather than directly elected.
Schools across district lines are struggling, and whomever is appointed to this seat must make key decisions on important issues facing our district. We want to ensure a transparent process that is open to candidates from across the city, in order to determine who will best serve Buffalo's students.
In the past, when filling an at-large seat, the board moved an existing district rep to the at-large seat, and appointed an outside candidate to fill the district seat, thereby limiting eligible candidates to a specific zip-code. This process is unrepresentative, and gives preference to certain constituent groups over others. Precluding candidates based on geography and the board's internal decision making, would be a major step backwards. This is especially important because 1/3 of the board has now been appointed, rather than directly elected.
Schools across district lines are struggling, and whomever is appointed to this seat must make key decisions on important issues facing our district. We want to ensure a transparent process that is open to candidates from across the city, in order to determine who will best serve Buffalo's students.