Re “Goldberg Looks in the Mirror and Finds a ‘Clear Heart, Kindness in Her Soul’”
Second in a series
With Tuesday’s School Board election quite within reach, candidate Nancy Goldberg, a first-time candidate at 74, was asked if, after three months of campaigning, her slant on the race has changed.
“The election itself has under gone transformation,” she said, “by finding out things I didn’t know before. The learning curve — people who have attempted this three or four times — they have a lot more consciousness of what is important and what the public is interested in.
“I have only found that stuff out, really finding it out, by precinct walking.
“Yes, I do have a different attitude toward the election. I just hope I can bring enough wherewithal to give a forum for everybody present who has issues. And they change over time.”
How have you changed as you have gained information and knowledge?
“ I realize how issues-focused these things are. I realize that people, regardless of who is on the School Board, people can only do so much. You cannot make everyone happy. All you can do is bring equity and clarification to issues and make sure that people know what is going on.
“There is no attempt to, not hide things away, but to not be as open because it is convenient.
“You can liken it to the CIA. They get behind closed doors and do whatever they want.
“We are a democracy, and that means we have to be upfront. Everything has to be open and above board. That is what I have become conscious of.
“When I was really involved with this, when my (two) children were smaller, in the ‘70s, when Mr. Schwartz was on the School Board, I had this wonderful feeling everything was open.
“So this subterfuge that people have told me about and the frustration they feel, that has transformed me into a transparency-and-community-conscious person if I get on the Board.
“I want to make sure people know what is going on. There really is not any attempt to keep it a secret. It is just that there is no attempt to get it out there.
“And so, with this, I am backing a proposal by (activist) Jon Barton and others who want this policy set that the community has some input, not oversight, into what is going on.
“With that input should come a clear exchange of information.
“Even with all the budgetary cutbacks, there is no sense of being abused or ignored.”
At a School Board meeting, when a member of the audience accuses the Board of subterfuge, do you accept that as fact?
“No. But I do think when people stand up, they can’t be just dismissed. They must be acknowledged in some way. I think the Board’s job is looming very large on the side of ‘Gee, I am going to be so unhappy having to sit there and having a look on my face that all is well’ when it probably is going to be rather chaotic.”
How do you balance vocal complaints from the community against what you will have seen as a member of the Board? You will have access to information they will not be privy to.
“There is no possible way I can answer that unless I am in the role to make a decision and to interact with it. I can guess. As I perceive the role of the Board member, it is first of all to acknowledge and respect…depending upon the issue…you know there are certain rules and regulations for all Board members We are not really encouraged to take a position when issues are raised. There is homework to be done on these issues. You can’t just pop off and say something. At least you shouldn’t.
“I have been to a few Board meetings where I was surprised by the reactions of Board members. I thought there should have been more studied consciousness.”
Towering above Ms. Goldberg’s best known assets is a rich sense of humor.
“At the end of this race,” she said with a hearty laugh, “nobody is going to care if I am a B-minus student,” a reference to a grade the newspaper assessed after an early candidates forum. “They are going to think of me as…” Whatever her closing thought was, it quickly became lost in more laughter.
She may be contacted at Goldberg4ccusd@yahoo.com
