School donor: Mayor won’t answer my questions

Brian Jones says the Seattle Mayor Ed Murray has called and left messages to thank him for his $70,000 donation to Seattle Public Schools. But Jones doesn’t want a message &#8212 he wants a live conversation, and he wants it on camera.

“I really wanted to speak to the mayor just about the donation and about what is occurring to see if he had a short-term band aid,” the Ballard parent told KIRO Radio’s Jason Rantz. “Unfortunately they, I think, believe that I’m gonna make them (go) on camera say something dumb … So they have just been avoiding me.”

Frustrated by the lack of progress in funding Seattle schools, Jones donated more than $70,000 to SPS so the district could keep a teacher at a West Seattle elementary school &#8212 a school that his kids will never attend.

Jones said Mayor Ed Murray called early one morning and left a message thanking him for the donation and asking him to call.

“And then I call his (public relations) handler guy, talk to him for like 45 minutes about why he wouldn’t talk to me on camera and they said, ‘Oh, you know he doesn’t run the school district,'” Jones said. “And I said, ‘Well I don’t run the school district, but I gave $70,000. Can he at least just talk to me?’ And then ever since it’s just gone quiet.

“I know they think I’m gonna put him on the spot and say that he’s spending $5 million on bikes downtown, but we have kids at a high school right now that can’t even get bus passes to go to school in high crime areas,” he added. “So I think honestly it’s kind of embarrassing to him.”

Jason Kelly, the mayor’s press secretary, told MyNorthwest in a separate interview that the mayor unsuccessfully reached out to Jones on two occasions, and that he himself has also spoken with Jones on “a couple” occasions.

“I think it’s mostly a matter of timing,” Kelly said. “If he’s still interested in speaking to the mayor, I’m happy to arrange that.”

Jones, who produces reality TV shows, said getting public officials on camera is an important part of getting the public to listen.

“Sometimes when you get them on camera, they’re gonna squeal a little bit and they’re gonna say what they have to say,” he said. “And as you well know, stories and pictures are what move and sway the public. Just dialogue from lawmakers, it gets really boring after awhile. That’s part of my intention &#8212 to get parents upset about the state of our schools.”

Kelly wouldn’t specifically answer whether the mayor would be willing to go on camera with Jones, instead reiterating that, “We’ve been trying to arrange a conversation between Brian and the mayor and it just hasn’t worked out yet.”

Jones attended a speaking tour about the state’s education funding issues on Monday, where lawmakers met with concerned citizens. Jones said the meeting was filled with passionate parents who are embarrassed and unhappy with what elected officials are doing.

“It was kind of brutal at times, but I’m proud of them for saying what they have to say,” he said.

Jones said some children testified at the meeting about what their schools and facilities are like.

“At times, I wasn’t really sure with all our elected officials if this was just a little dog and pony show or if they were actually paying attention or that it’s actually doing anything,” he said. “I have no idea, but I’m glad people got the opportunities to just give it to them.”

Jones said his main goal moving forward is “awareness, awareness, awareness” for Seattle parents. Part of that education might mean peeling back some ugly truths.

“I feel like this is like a slow, black mold that’s been growing behind your bathroom for 15 years and then you just ripped it off and you went ‘Oh my gosh, we’re gonna have to redo the entire bathroom,” he said. “What a mess.'”