We’ve gotten hold of intro letters from four of the twelve applicants to the vacant council seat:

• Jennie Dotts’ explains herself here.
• Keith West has this letter of explanation and introduction, and has called for “a community forum so that the neighborhood can meet the applicants”.
• Matt Conrad sent in this letter of introduction and answers to the council questionnaire.
• John Gerner describes his qualifications and pledges not to run in the fall.
• Sharon Burton (letter | resume) introduces herself and speaks to preservation, education, public safety, and accountability.
• Carletta Wilson introduces herself and says that ” I understand the need to bridge the gaps within our community” and “while we are a diverse community, we all want the same things”.

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At the end of his term, outgoing 7th District School Board representative Keith West shares what he has learned about the Richmond Public Schools:

I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to serve for two years and answer those questions for myself. So that the effort does some good other than my own gratification, I attempt here and in next week’s column to pass on my impressions and offer suggestions to the incoming board and the city about how we can have a better school system.

Keith West, the current 7th District school board representative (and who is not standing for re-election), is a new board member of the advocacy organization School Choice Virginia, joining representatives of “church schools, the Virginia Catholic Conference, home schoolers and the Family Foundation of Virginia“. SCV supports legislation that would offer tax credits to individuals and organizations that make contributions “for scholarships to allow students to transfer out of their school district to public, parochial or private schools”. The RTD supports the idea; here is a counter response by 4th district school board candidate Bert Berlin.

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7th District School Board member Keith West will join mayoral candidate Paul Goldman at an 11AM press conference at Bellevue Elementary School to discuss “the need for a citywide school uniform policy”. The announcement quotes West as saying that “Goldman is the only candidate willing to challenge the failed status quo and call for a badly needed citywide School Uniform policy. He will be the Education Mayor.”

In line with recent discussion, this autumn’s school board races look to be feisty. Style Weekly’s Sabers Rattle, Missiles Launch In Schools Fight has more on Keith West’s tattered relationships with many of the other members and his move to rebuild the Board:

“Quality candidates will be running in every district,” West writes, warning that “of course, as always, money will be an important factor, and the issue has been addressed. I would imagine that, unless some wealthy benefactor intends to buy your seat, significant spending will be necessary for a competitive race.”

7th District School Board representative Keith West has launched Save Richmond Public Schools as part of a “grassroots organization conceived to elect a better School Board”. The group is “seeking candidates for every district”; the representatives elected this year will serve 4-year terms. [via]

“There has been such a number of colossal failures over the years, the only reasonable thing to do is put a new group in place,” says West, who has said he’s not likely to run again for his own post. He calls his Web [sic] site “a long overdue effort to recruit qualified people to be on the Richmond School Board.”

The RTD is reporting 7th District Richmond School Board representative Keith West call for a consolidation of some school system and city departments: “It makes no sense for us to be duplicating services the city already provides [...] Why do we need two accounts-payable departments when the city is doing the banking anyway?” In related news, School Board Chairman George Braxton has removed West as the board’s finance, budget and audit committee chairman calling him “a disappointment to just about everyone else on the board”.

7th District School Board rep Keith West was spurned in his bid last night to lead the Richmond School Board. Afterward the voting, West said that the board has lost the confidence of the city and that a whole new board should be elected. He further stated that he will not run for the position again and will instead work towards recruiting, training and financing new candidates. [via]

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Seventh District School Board representative Keith West is actively seeking to grab the reigns from current School Board Chairman George Braxton, this week’s Style reports.

“It’s just appalling the failures we’ve had this year,” West says, acknowledging his attempt to unseat Braxton. He says the chairman has a long series of failures of leadership, among them the School Board’s bungled responses – and lawsuits – related to Mayor L. Douglas Wilder’s call for an audit of schools and to his withholding of money budgeted to schools by City Council.

On the heels of the release of the Richmond City Schools Facility Master Plan (PDF), you are invited to be part of a community conversation around the building of new schools in the East District. 7th District School Board Representative Keith West will be present. Tuesday Dec.4 @ EDI – 701 N 25th Street.

The Richmond School Board held a public forum this evening at Armstrong High School to present and take comments on their “New Direction for RPS” planning as of yet. In attendance were board members Keith West and Chandra Smith, and RPS Superintendent Dr.Jewell-Sherman.

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After saying last month that “the [school] board has failed by not giving direction”, Keith West and the rest of the RPS School Board have unveiled an idea for a program aimed at “raising student achievement, broadening choices for study and career paths, expanding sports and other out-of-school activities, and involving the public in reshaping education in Richmond”. Public forums will be held at area high school to get parents’ input and suggestions. [via] [via]

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The first of the Mayor’s 7th District Roundtable Meetings after the summer break attracted a light turn-out for an interesting conversation on perceptions and problems of the Richmond City Public Schools, featuring 7th District Schoolboard Representative Keith West and former representative Reggie Malone.

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7th District School Board Representative Keith West, elected last November, quoted on a recent proposal to change the school board from being an elected body:

“We’ve had appointed school boards before and they didn’t seem to do such a great job, and I don’t know why it would be so different now.” [via]

A week into our 7th district poll, this is what we have so far…

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