Please Don’t Vote For Me
I Want Something From You, Just Not Your Vote
Fourth in a series about Emeryville’s public schools for election 2026
Opinion / News Analysis
By Brian Donahue
I’m the editor of the Emeryville Tattler, I’m running for Emery School Board and I do not want your vote. Got that? I can make this surprising statement because I’m only running to force an election in November at the school district so some new people can become board members, not me.
Although I don’t want you to vote for me, I do want you to care about good government and I want you to hold bad public servants to account. I want everyone to pay attention to the public schools in Emeryville because we owe it to our children to care about and provide for their education, and because we pay our hard earned money for our government and we expect results.
Because I will not be a school board member by my choice, my name, though on the ballot, is not going to be a viable choice for voters. You will have to decide who to trust running our schools; the two incumbents running for re-election, or the two newcomers who, unlike me, want to win and are running election campaigns this year.
Emeryville’s public school district is the worst run district in Alameda County and its also the most expensive. I explained this at length in our viral September 16 story. The take-away for voters should be to not vote for the incumbents. You should not vote for me either. That leaves the two newbies that are running. The Tattler will address that in story number five in our series on the schools and school board election.
You can thank me for running, thereby forcing the incumbents to face the voters this year if you want but please do not vote for me. I don't want the job of running the schools and I will not take the job. I am interested in reporting on the schools, not running them.
The Tattler Emery school board 2026 election series:
1st in the series: Why I’m running HERE
2nd in the series: Questions for candidates HERE
3rd in the series: Emery’s failing schools HERE
Do you think this stunt will help the schools?
ReplyDeleteIt cannot hurt the schools and possibly could help them. Had I not run, the incumbents would be the only names registered and then Alameda County would have canceled the election like they have done so many times before. Now we have a chance to elect two new people to the school board. With Emery in last place among Alameda County school districts, the two new board members could possibly improve the district. We know the incumbents can't improve Emery. We have to try to make Emery better.
DeleteWell I for one wish you would take this seriously and actually run for the board. You could really shake things up there and lord knows they need that. You're the only person that has the guts to speak the truth about Emery schools. First step to actualization of solulutions is to admit the problem, right? Run Brian.
ReplyDeleteWhite knights are not needed in a democracy. All that's needed is an informed and engaged citizenry. Do your minimum job as a citizen, encourage others to do likewise, and all will be good.
DeleteBrian: Correction: You are the only consistent city resident that has the courage not to care what other people think and speak the truth about the Mayor, the City Council and the insidious apathy of Emeryville residents who don't care about our schools or offer to do anything about them! What we don't realize is that our schools are what attract quality, long-term residents who buy into the City of Emeryville. Without quality schools Emeryville will forever continue to atrophy from its long ago past when our schools were stellar examples of interdisciplinary training.
ReplyDeleteSchools are the guidepost for a city's attraction. Berkeley and Albany are examples of this. When you create quality schools you create quality people and a city of quality! As a former President of the Emery High Parent Teacher Association, I can speak from within the education/city structure. I suggest you run for City Council! What a tremendous revolution for change that would create!
Thank you Dr Tssui (Eugene) for the kind remarks. I agree with you that Emeryville's prospects would be much improved if our schools were better. To the extent that you have worked to send this message, and for all the work you have put in to make it so, I say, good for you!. Our town needs, depends on, unsung heroes like you.
DeleteOur city, for all its flaws, is better because of the likes of you and all the others with the audacity to care. Thanks for not being cynical.
Cynicism is for those who have given up on life! Change requires commitment and courage to walk towards the new and untried! If Emeryville is to become a city of quality it must embrace innovation and doing what has never been done before! If we want our city to grow in meaning and substance then we MUST have a school presence that embraces the extraordinary! Until we have that, our city will continue to decline and be a waystation for temporary residents waiting to reside elsewhere where their children can experience a genuine and high commitment to education. Without improved schools, the city of Emeryville is merely a pass-through to long-term, committed residency in another city and all that is left is apathy, disinterest, and meager schooling!
ReplyDeleteSo if we shouldn't vote for you, who should we vote for? Are the new school board candidates any good?
ReplyDeleteThat will be covered in the fifth story in the series. I will offer my opinions about the two non-incumbents running but you should check them out for yourself and decide if they are worth voting for. They are non-incumbents and therefore are not responsible for the dysfunction at Emery. They presumably offer a different path than what Emery has thus far taken.
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