First of two parts
There is almost no disputing that Alan Elmont, ultra-attentive parent, is the most roundly informed candidate in the Nov. 6 race to fill two seats on the School Board.
Between him and his wife Teri, they have attended/participated in “more than” 99 percent of School Board meetings during the past dozen years.
Hardly a community secret.
This Is a Crowd?
So few residents regularly visit the twice monthly meetings of Stew Bubar, Dr. Dana Russell, Saundra Davis, Marla Wolkowitz and Jessica Beagles-Roos that they all could travel to Irving Place in the backseat of one Mini Cooper — along with an anorexic elephant.
In such a vest pocket setting, Mr. Elmont famously stands out. He doesn’t give up his Tuesday nights to imitate a statue or to be a stonefaced observer, either.
He plays watchdog. Has for years. Flatteringly, some observers believe Mr. Elmont is the quintessential gadfly. Like an ace secretary or community chronicler, he mentally writes down every nuance.
Gauging Reception
The School Board does not necessarily applaud when he creases the doorway to the Board Room at School District headquarters. Some of them feel spied upon. They have no place to hide from him — except in brutally candid Closed Sessions.
“As I said last week at the candidates’ forum at the Chamber of Commerce luncheon, my candidacy has a lot to do with the way my parents reared me (in Newton, MA),” Mr. Elmont said. “It is time for me to stop wagging my fingers at the people making the decisions and step up to the plate and become one of the people making the decisions.”
Twenty-seven years after moving to Culver City and 24 years after marrying Teri, Mr. Elmont listed the factors that led him to pursue a Board seat.
Counting the Ways
“There are two vacancies, there are some big issues, my twins are in fifth grade and are going to be involved in the School District through the decisions that are made over the next eight years,” he said.
Most moms and dads in Culver City would insist they are superior stewards of their children’s welfare. But it was left for Mr. Elmont to state his paternal convictions and commitment more boldly, more succinctly, than anyone else this election season:
“We had our (three) children on purpose,” he told the newspaper.
Main Task
The five-person Board campaign is about how effectively Culver City voters believe Mr. Elmont, a management consultant, will translate his record-setting storehouse of knowledge into practical application.
“I never have run for office before,” he says, “but I enjoy public speaking,” which could be a pivotal factor in a short, fast, casual, low-flying campaign. “I have done it for many years. That part always is a pleasure.”
But dipping into not just a pool but an ocean of data presents its own dilemmas for the energetic, enthusiastic, forcefully articulate Mr. Elmont.
“The difficulty with the information I have about what is going on in the School District is keeping the answers concise and to the point,” he said. “There is so much detail that goes into everything. People don’t necessarily vote for someone who buries them in details.
Drawing Distinctions
“Getting the major themes across and re-enforcing them is the key, making sure everyone understands what my goals are, and that I do have the knowledge base to hold this position.
“If the demographic reports are correct, we are looking at a reduction of 2,000 students. Those decisions will affect my children, and there is nothing more sacred than my kids.”
Smoking Out an Edge
Since the Elmonts, between them, miss fewer meetings than even members of the School Board, the candidate was asked if this gives him an advantage over his rivals.
Technically, he did not say yes. But it sure sounded that way. Critically espying School Board meetings may not be like watching workers make sausage — but there are elements. It’s like watching choir practice or play practice, then the shows themselves, rehearsals and reality.
From the Bottom up
“I see the ebb and flow of what goes on in the community,” Mr. Elmont said. “Being there, I get to hear all of the reports being made in public. I get to see the decision-making process, for better or worse.
“Hearing the reports, you really get to appreciate how good our schools are, how great our teachers are and the kind of wonderful programs we have. You also can see the shortcomings, primarily in the community relations area, public information beyond the Board meetings, and the impact on the population.
Sensing Tone, Fabric of Thinking
“When we have large groups of people come in to advocate different points — teachers or parents or students — we get to see that ebb and flow,” Mr. Elmont said.
(Notice the use of the personalized pronoun “we.”)
“With all of that information, the biggest edge for me, then, is being able to have a vision of how to improve that so that when people show up at meetings, they have more information,” he said.
A Reason for Frustration
Having sat through years of the same unchanging, repetitive process, “it is so frustrating for me when the public shows up for meetings to talk to five School Board members, then they find out there can be no interactive conversations. It is against the law, bizarre as that sounds. The only time the community can engage in any kind of dialogue is when an item is properly agendized.
“People come in thinking they can talk to the Board members. This is Culver City, after all.”
(To be continued)
