Submitted by John Arbeeny.
“All in the Family”… no not the famous old TV series with Archie Bunker but rather Lakewood’ own version with Mayor Don Anderson. It has come to my attention through various sources that the campaign for Clover Park School District 3 has taken an unfortunate turn. Alyssa Pearson, the incumbent, just happens to be the daughter of City of Lakewood Council member and Mayor, Don Anderson. There have been several instances reported where Mayor Don Anderson has used the clout of his City Council position to contact individuals and urged them to support his daughter’s candidacy. More disturbing are instances where Mayor Don Anderson has contacted an individual to chide them for supporting one of his daughter’s challengers. It is especially egregious that an individual thus contacted is within the sphere of City of Lakewood government.
There is a word for this in the dictionary. “NEPOTISM: noun. The practice among those with power or influence of favoring relatives or friends, especially by giving them jobs.” Don Anderson has to realize that every time he picks up the phone and contacts someone on his daughter’s behalf that it’s not just “Don Anderson” speaking but rather “Mayor Don Anderson” speaking! If he were just another acquaintance there would be no intimidation. However the intimidation factor is real. People want to remain anonymous for fear of running afoul of people in power. That’s not the way to run an election campaign.
Now I don’t have a problem with Mayor Don Anderson supporting his daughter’s candidacy but it has to be more than “support her because she’s my daughter and I’m the Mayor!” That would seem to be stepping over the line ethically. Support has to be predicated upon more than just familial connections. So, Mayor Don Anderson, please elucidate why we should support your daughter’s candidacy. What significant impact has she had on the district over the last 4 years; a time when the District’s academic performance slipped from 109th to 160th in Washington State; its five middle schools dropped an average of 50 places since 2018? How has her support for racially based Critical Race Theory and its “trinity” of equity, inclusion and diversity helped turn academic performance around? Point is, Mayor Don Anderson’s daughter has been part and parcel of a failed school board officiating over a failed school district that is sinking, not rising, in its primary responsibility: educating rather than indoctrinating our children. Remember this on the 3 August 2021 Primary Election. The choice is yours to make.
The views expressed in this article are the writer’s own.
First off, Don Anderson has done some amazing things for this community. We may not all agree on everything that the City does, but I fully believe that Don has always had the City’s best interest in mind.
His daughter appears to be cut from the same cloth. She has definitely taken the kids best interest into account with each vote that I have seen.
The problem I have is with the author. Lakewood is a rather large bedroom community with a tiny budget per capita ($670/person). Compare that to Tacoma ($17,300) or Seattle ($8,900). The other two municipalities also incude utilities, but the general funds are still much lower per capita in Lakewood. I also feel like we get better services than those other cities. Could Lakewood be run a little more efficiently? Probably, but not substantially. If you want to complain, perhaps it’s time to move on.
This is not about how well or efficiently the City of Lakewood is being run. Rather it is about tactics used during the Clover Park School District Board election campaign. Mayor Don Anderson is using the power of his position to lobby for his daughter and against any challenger. I suppose he’d be happier if she were running unopposed. Intimidation is not something that should be used in either case. The evidence of that intimidation is the fact that those who have been intimidated have requested to remain anonymous. Just what votes by Pearson are you referring to that are in the kids “best interest”? Doesn’t seem to have made a difference in the District’s academic performance. Quite the opposite.
Let’s get more honest, Mr. Arbeeny. You are advancing your political agenda. That is what really motivated you to sling mud from unnamed sources. I have zero reason to believe anything you claimed was said or done by Mr. Anderson…your claims are all 3rd party triangulation with iffy validity. I do have plenty of evidence from your own words that you are busy spreading fear about “indoctrination” of our children in schools if they are allowed to discuss diversity and race. That was your real underlying motive that became quite clear. There is a concerted effort to make CRT the new red herring on the upcoming elections. You are right on track based on your comments. They do a good job on FOX drumming up the cultural wars as I assume you know…identical talking points and language…lot’s of fear tactics , “woke” accusations, dog whistles, labels and little truth. It will be interesting to see the school board candidate you endorse!
I also would invite you to take all of the current tests that measure whether you currently meet 8th, 10th and 12th grade state standards. It might be a reality check (100% sure). If you are past the age of 50, you have a real humbling treat in store for you. Make sure to share your scores publicly because we know they won’t be influenced by any CRT exposure.
This thread started out about nepotism but since you bring up Critical Race Theory (CRT) let’s deal with it. Of course I am advancing a “political agenda” just as you are as a regressive leftist. Maybe you missed the speech by Dr. King in the 1960’s when he stated character is more important than skin color. Or would you like to cancel him from the history books? It is clear to anyone who can reason that CRT detracts and distracts from what is supposed to be the primary function of a school district: education of our children. This has become a national movement. “Equity”, “diversity” and “inclusion” are all CRT defined terms for racially based decision making. “Race” is CRT’s middle name: it is by its very nature racist. You’re OK with that? When you use the very terms espoused and defined by CRT then it is CRT despite your protestations to the contrary. If it walks like a duck; swims like a duck; quacks like a duck; it’s a duck!
Mr. Arbeeny, Nice try deflecting your true motives and intent. You were the one who made sure to included CRT in your original letter. Go back and read what you wrote. Why was that? What did it have to do with “nepotism”? Try assuming some accountability for what you write. Do you really believe Dr. King would be adverse to the study of how race has impacted our country? You have a lot to learn.
I don’t recall you expressing any dissatisfaction when our last president, dear leader, ensconced his children in the white house. They were not vetted and failed background checks and yet there they were, using their privilege to enrich themselves. It is obvious which why you lean politically. I used to think that those on the right just had different ideas as opposed to mine. Now however I consider them to be self centered, compulsive liars, racist, closed minded, and in general total a**holes. Their only desires are to impose their agenda on others and to hold onto power. The republicon party is dead and I am glad to see it die.
Didn’t hear you say anything about the Clinton or Biden cabal either. This is about Lakewood, not Washington DC. Let’s see what happens in the 2022 elections.
Shouldn’t we be discussing the quality of education provided by CPSD? Clearly change in boardmembers is called for by ANY measure!
Mr. Arbeeny, I believe your use of “cabal” is straight out of the QAnon cult conspiracy theory beliefs. Bingo! Again, I’ll be very interested in who you champion for school board. I now have even greater concerns. I’m so glad you keep writing!
John:
District’s academic performance slipped from 109th to 160th in Washington State; its five middle schools dropped an average of 50 places since 2018? What’s your source of these statistics?
You might want to check out the following link. It shows that the district dropped 23 positions between 2018 and 2019 alone. Also check out the Office of the Superintendent for Public Education for detailed stats.
https://www.schooldigger.com/go/WA/districtrank.aspx?finddistrict=01410
Among other stats contained therein:
Clover Park High School:
Attendance: 61.2%
ELA: 54.1%
Math: 17%
Science: 18.4%
Average class size: 17
Graduation rates: 85% …………who is it we’re graduating? Students unprepared for life.
You can’t make this stuff up! By any measure CPSD is failing and while it sinks the Board is “rearranging the deck chairs” with nonsense like Critical Race Theory.
Let’s stay focused on the issue here, sir. It’s NEPOTISM! I don’t care if the district moved into the top 10%. GREAT! The voters react favorably and vote accordingly.
Agreed. Had the District moved to the top 10% we might not be having this discussion and there would be no need for Mayor Don Anderson to intercede on his daughter’s behalf.
John, the assimilated imposter, please stop. Every time you mention your favorite quote from the fox news guide book you use to fight the imaginary CRT in the Clover Park school district, I cringe. You failed to read the speech or know of Dr. King’s work; you are coming across as the poster child for why the true history of the United States needs to be taught in public schools. Let me educate you because you sound like a fool. Dr. King references the US Constitution and Declaration of Independence, which declared that America would be a land of freedom where all men are created equal. He then states that this promise of freedom has not been achieved for Black Americans, and then he talks about hoping that this freedom will one day be achieved. We are not there yet. The United States barely recognizes racism and refuses to pass an anti-lynching bill that protects Black Americans from people like you.
None of your posts are taken seriously at this point, as you have already outed yourself as a fake hood-wearing white supremacist, and we all see you. I say fake because even though you subscribe to white supremacy, you will never be accepted, and that is a fact, so you allow yourself to be used to prove a point that you are just like them. The self-hate is evident. As a white person, it is shameful to see that you are afraid of standing in your truth to be accepted. Is this a generational thing? The whitewashing? I am so sorry my people made you feel standing in your truth to be proud of your culture, and people was such a horrible thing. Please seek counseling because we are all tired of your lies and delusional rants. This do whatever it takes mentality is not working, and we are not buying it. The other white supremacists running for the board are not seeking the community’s best interest. If you close your mouth and open your ears, you will hear the voices of children crying in every hue and nationality for equity. Why? Because they know that with equity, whatever their struggle is, help is on the way.
Be honest and tell the real reason you do not want equity in the Clover Park school district, and CRT is not the answer because it has already been proven both locally and nationally that CRT is not taught in k-12 public schools. We know your reasoning but want to hear you say it.
You apparently do take my posts seriously as evidenced by your responses but not seriously enough to post your name. So many false and ignorant statements from a woke, mea culpa, virtue signalling, apologist for neo-racism. LOL! Traitor to my heritage? No, I’m an American not something else hyphenated. Really? Just where do you think the terms “equity, diversity, inclusion” came from? Straight out the dictionary? No, from the CRT playbook. The left has always realized when you control the language you control 1/2 the argument to begin with. Keep telling yourself it isn’t CRT neo-racism and it has no impact on our schools and students: the rest of the Country and here in Lakewood we know the difference.