Third in a series
Re “Never Know How Endorsees Will Turn Out, Mielke Says”
[img]1789|right|Karlo Silbiger||no_popup[/img]Controversy has dogged the Teachers Union for the three School Board candidates they endorsed late last month, and President David Mielke acknowledges the selection method is far from precise that sometimes leads to a crapshoot conclusion.
“Occasionally you end up supporting people who don’t really become good Board members,” he said.
“And equally, sometimes you do not endorse people you would have liked to support, as it turns out.
“This is very difficult.”
[img]2100|left|Vernon Taylor||no_popup[/img]If there was any comfort to be found in the endorsement of incumbent Karlo Silbiger, and first-time contenders Vernon Taylor and Claudia Vizcarra, it is that the Teachers Union had company in its choices.
“We were quite happy, though,” Mr. Mielke said, “to find that the (Assn. of Classified Employees) and our group came to the same three candidates, independently.
“We interviewed together. But then we sat in different corners of the room and came up with the same three candidates.
“We didn’t go into it looking for racial and cultural differences,” said Mr. Mielke of the threesome comprised of a Jew, a black and a Latina.
[img]2124|right|Claudia Vizcarra||no_popup[/img]“I thought this diversity was pretty cool in a community with changing demographics. That was not our goal. Our goal was, Who are the best candidates?
“The organizations value diversity and appreciate diversity. And the school community is increasingly diverse.
“The fact that the best candidates represent those communities, I thought that was a good thing,” Mr. Mielke said.
