Monthly Archives: October 2008

Voting early

Today I went to City Hall to vote. I keep waking up in the middle of the night worrying that I might forget to vote on Election Day amid all the other get-out-the-vote activity we’re doing. So, I finally decided that since I already know how I’m going to vote on all of the major issues on the ballot, I might as well cross voting off my pre-election “To Do” list.

I was amazed to see a very long line of people who had the same idea. I have voted early in three or four of the last few elections and NEVER waited in line. But this election is clearly different. People, the line was so long that it took 45 minutes to get to a polling station! (And then another 15 minutes to vote, even though I had a cheat sheet, because the ballot is so freakin’ long).

Anyway, I marked my ballot for Obama/Biden, for myself, and against Prop. 4 and AGAINST Prop 8. It felt strangely anticlimactic. Eight p.m. on November 4 can’t come soon enough!

Wear those red buttons!

Two of my favorite students at Hoover MS have been wearing their red buttons every day:

Thanks guys, I’m honored!

SF Chronicle endorses Norton!

I’m very proud to announce that the San Francisco Chronicle endorsed my candidacy today:

Rachel Norton: She is a capable, experienced public school parent with a long history of working on school issues. As the mother of a child with autism, she brings another facet as well: an understanding of special-needs students. The board could benefit from a partisan for this cause who also has the ability to focus on a broad range of issues.

Getting out the vote!

The field campaign is in high gear and we are walking precincts all over town (this weekend, District 8, District 9 and District 3). I want to give a special shout out to my mom, Betsy Powell, and her friends Adella Harris, Sue Lyon and Sue Chase. This group of longtime friends (all members of the Berkeley High class of 1960!) walked all over Bernal Heights this morning leaving literature for voters. Thanks, ladies!

Tomorrow (Sunday, Oct. 19) we will have a table all day at Fiesta on the Hill on Cortland St. in Bernal Heights – stop by and say hi if you are around!

Upcoming precinct walks:

Oct. 25 – Cole Valley – 10 a.m. ; fuel up with bagels and coffee and then walk precincts in Cole Valley! For details and to RSVP, email events “at” rachelnorton.com.

Oct. 26 – Noe Valley – 12 – 3 p.m. ; For details and to RSVP, email events “at” rachelnorton.com.

Nov. 1 – 3 – Locations TBA; Can you give an hour or two to walk a precinct for us? This will be the last weekend push and we need all the volunteers we can get! Call 762-0721 or email events “at” rachelnorton.com if you can donate a few hours on one of these days.

Also in the mail . . .

Thanks to my friend and 2nd grade teacher extraordinaire, Andrea Peterson, for lending her face, name and endorsement to this campaign. I’m very proud of this one!

Download  PDF of “I’m Supporting Rachel Norton” mailer >>>>

Video: Highlights from the Oct. 7 Candidate Forum

While most people were watching that other debate, about 50 interested community members came to see candidates for the Board of Education discuss a host of meaty issues, among them the district’s new strategic plan, violence in the schools, and special education.

Why are you the best candidate for the job?

Click the links below to see more highlights:

What are your qualifications for serving on the Board of Education?

What steps would you take to fix special education?

How will you support the district’s new strategic plan?

(and thanks to Daphne for her great camera work!)

Prop. H Community Meetings

Public service announcement – the Prop. H committee will be sponsoring several community meetings this fall to engage the public in discussion about priorities for Prop. H funds in the coming year. Continue reading

NO on 8!!

Yikes, this afternoon I got an email from the No on 8 campaign saying that two new polls show the measure PASSING, even though early polls showed it being easily defeated. Prop. 8 is the California proposition that would ban same-sex marriage; the money pouring into the state from conservative groups is clearly having an effect. We’ve got to defeat Proposition 8!

I’ve created a personal page – please go NOW make a donation, register your support for the right for all people to marry, volunteer or help in other ways.

Update: Here’s a hilarious and dead-on satire of gender-conscious marriage policies.

Coming soon to a mailbox near you

Cover of first mailer

Download PDF of first Rachel Norton for Board of Education mailer >>>>

Meet the parents, part II

A few weeks ago, I posted about Sandra Tsing-Loh‘s plea to the new President to actually listen to parents when making education policy. My friend Lisa Schiff has a great column in BeyondChron this morning about the need for the school district to focus on better communication with parents and school communities: Continue reading