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Tom Sawyer: The Campaign in the News
Nov 8, 2006
The Akron
Beacon Journal
``This is very
gratifying,'' said Sawyer, a former
teacher. ``Education has been the
passion of my public life from its
beginning.''
Read the article in
its entirety
here.
Nov 6, 2006
The Akron
Beacon Journal
"In what looks
like a desperate effort to hold her seat on the state
school board for another four years, Deborah Owens Fink
is throwing mud at her leading challenger, Tom Sawyer."
Read the
editorial in its entirety
here.
Oct 26, 2006
From Case
Western Reserve Science faculty: an open letter to the
voters
Here's the text of
an open letter signed by an overwhelming majority of the
science faculty of one of Ohio's universities:
"Current Board Member Deborah
Owens Fink has referred to the National Academy of
Science, the nation’s most prestigious scientific body,
as “a group of so-called scientists”, and more generally
to all scientists as a “dogmatic community”. During her
tenure on the State School Board she has continued to
sideline important issues associated with improving
public education in her effort to debase and distort the
teaching of science in high schools while attempting to
cast controversy on biological evolution in favor of an
ill-defined notion called Intelligent Design that courts
have ruled is religion, not science.
We represent the bulk of faculty in the science
departments of the College of Arts and Sciences at Case
Western Reserve University, one of the premier research
institutions in Ohio, and our views thus reflect the
views of the majority of the science community in
Northeast Ohio. Science Education is of vital
interest to us and to the economic future of the state,
and thus we have chosen to come together in this
unprecedented way to voice our concerns. Voters in the
7th district have a unique opportunity to send a message
to the Board that they are interested in moving forward
with quality science education by voting for someone
with experience and interest in the real educational
issues facing the state.
We urge voters to stand up for quality science
education by supporting the candidacy of Tom Sawyer on
Nov 7th."
Oct 26, 2006
Tom appears on WCPN's "The Sound of Ideas." The
days' show is entitled "Evolution's Effect on Voters."
If you missed the program you can
access it here. Look down the page for the
Thursday, Oct 26 entry. It's a big file so give it
a little time to load.
The Akron
Beacon Journal
Oct 26, 2006
Too many charter schools fall short of a
passing grade. "...the "deregulated setting''
translates into 150 or so exemptions from state
regulations governing traditional schools, the
flexibility morphing into a lack of accountability, the
state failing to take steps to ensure quality."
The West Side Leader
Oct 26, 2006
"Tom Sawyer is
challenging Taft-appointee and incumbent Deborah Owens
Fink. Tom is the best candidate for the job because he
considers the public school funding crisis a key
responsibility of the board...In her tenure on the
board, Owens Fink has failed to step up and fight for
fair public school funding. She has spent her time
approving an unprecedented number of privately owned
charter schools."
The New York Times
Oct 26, 2006
"In an unusual foray into electoral
politics, 75 science professors at Case Western Reserve
University in Cleveland have signed a letter endorsing a
candidate for the
Ohio Board of Education."
"The professors’ favored candidate is
Tom Sawyer, a former
congressman and onetime mayor of Akron."
The Akron Beacon Journal
Oct 26, 2006
"Seventy-five out of 90
faculty members who teach in the
prestigious university's science
departments signed a scathing open
letter, released Tuesday, urging voters
to dump Fink, a board member since 1999,
and elect Tom
Sawyer, the former Democratic
congressman who represented the Akron
area from 1987 to 2003."
Read the editorial
here.
Biologist Ken
Miller to Give Lectures in Kent and Akron Friday
Miller Will Speak
About the Importance of Ohio's State Board of Education
Races
Details
here.
The Akron Beacon Journal Endorses Tom for the State
Board of Education
Oct 24, 2006
"Fink has been a prime architect behind a distracting, divisive
debate over teaching evolution, completely misrepresenting the true nature of
scientific inquiry, making Ohio an object of ridicule."
"Sawyer is keenly aware of the challenges ahead
and the unrealized potential of the state school board for
leadership. In short, he is far better equipped for the
important tasks at hand than his opponent."
Read the full text of the endorsement
editorial
here.
Upcoming Event: Oct 26-28
Dr. Ken Miller speaks on Science, God and Intelligent
Design--Why all three matter in the 2006 Ohio election.
Miller will talk about why
voting is an act of courage & will speak in support of pro-science candidates,
Tom Sawyer, Deb Cain, Sam Schloemer, John
Bender & Martha Wise!
Akron, Bowling Green, Cincinnati, Columbus, Cleveland, Kent, and Oberlin.
The Akron Beacon Journal
Oct 23, 2006
"How would you address the poor performance of
many of the state's charter schools?"
"Sawyer:
Cap their growth, restore the
department of education's full oversight
authority, use it to hold charters to the same
performance standards that apply to all other
schools in Ohio and require them to justify
their own separate appropriations based on need
and effectiveness, and not drain local districts
of theirs."
Read More of Tom's responses and compare his
positions to those of the other candidates
here.
The Record
Courier endorses Tom for the Board of Education
Oct 22, 2006
"The job of an Ohio Board of Education
member is unpaid, but can have an important influence in
the funding of education and the curriculum offered to
young people. A former school teacher, who has served
important roles in both the Ohio legislature and
Congress, Sawyer would bring a wealth of valuable
experience to the work of the Ohio Board of Education."
"We recommend Sawyer for the Ohio Board
of Education."
Commentary:
The Buchtelite
Oct 17, 2006
"At one point, an
Owens Fink supporter said, "If you are Christian, vote
for Debbie. If you believe in evolution, abortion and
sin, vote for Sawyer."
"Christianity
should not be a tool for winning elections. It should be
a tool for winning hearts and serving the oppressed.
Faith should not be a political pressure point that
forces people to vote for corrupt candidates..."
"In response to
the Owens Fink endorsed radio comment, a member of
Sawyer's staff said, "For the record, as a campaign for
state school board we are in favor of teaching evolution
and take no position on abortion. As for sin, we are
against it." Read
the entire article here.
Buchtelite
September 26, 2006
After Brown spoke, Ohio School Board candidate and
former U.S. Rep. Tom Sawyer briefly addressed the issue
of higher education and offered his support for Brown.
"The cost of getting a foothold in this economy
outweighs the corresponding reward from this economy,"
Sawyer said. "Changing that starts with funding
education."
Brown chimed in, "that's exactly what we're going to
do."
Akron Beacon Journal
September 24, 2006
Volunteers
-- educators (current and retired), students (current
and alumni) and community leaders -- had earlier heard
words of empowerment from the likes of school
Superintendent Dr. Sylvester Small, board President the
Rev. Curtis Walker and state school board candidate and Buchtel Cluster alum Tom Sawyer.
Akron Beacon Journal
September 23, 2006
 [Senate
candidate Rep. Sherrod] Brown was on campus at the
invitation of the UA College Democrats. Accompanying him
was former Akron Mayor and Congressman Tom Sawyer, who
is a Democratic candidate for the state school board.
Sawyer
said that a key step to making college affordable begins
with secondary school education. ``The largest gap in
American education is between years 12 and 13, between
senior in high school and freshman in college,'' said
Sawyer.
Dayton Daily News
September 17, 2006
Cleveland Plain Dealer
August 10, 2006
The State Board of Education, long a political
backwater, could receive national attention this fall for at least one race.
Tom Sawyer, the former Akron mayor and 16-year
congressman, said he is seriously considering running for the state board
seat
"The scientific standing of Ohio's curriculum is
important," Sawyer said.
Canton Repository
Aug 11, 2006
"Sawyer said the board should be more actively
involved in solving how public schools are funded"
Cleveland Plain Dealer
August 11, 2006
Aug 12, 2006
Columbus Dispatch
August 12, 2006
"HOPE is wooing former U.S. Rep. Tom Sawyer"
AP
Aug. 12, 2006
Chronicle-Telegram (Elyria)
Aug. 13, 2006
WCPN (Cleveland Radio 90.3)
WCPO TV (Cincinnati TV)
Dayton Daily News
August 14 2006
Cincinnati Post
Aug. 14, 2006
Akron Beacon Journal
August 17, 2006
Sawyer brings "impressive credentials to the school
board race. He is a former teacher and, most telling, a
former lawmaker who has been deeply involved in
education at the state and federal level."
"Fink referred to Sawyer supporters as ``just a
small group of dogmatic scientists.'' Hardly. Their
numbers are many. "
"They grasp the critical need for a rigorous
science curriculum, one that avoids detours into the
realm of faith. In Tom Sawyer, they have a candidate who
recognizes the difference this election can make."
Columbus Dispatch
Thursday, August 17, 2006
Scientific community right to promote candidate for
state school board
"The leaders are working on convincing former
Democratic U.S. Rep. Tom Sawyer of Akron to run ... The
group's members include some of the brightest minds in
Ohio"
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