Thursday, April 21, 2011

It is Time for Leadership and Prioritization on the School Board

School board elections are coming,  and this year will be particularly interesting because of the potential of significant change.  I wrote in an earlier piece about the imminent redistricting of school board director seats due to the new census results.  The superintendent will be releasing his proposed plan on April 22 and has scheduled a Public Hearing for April 28 at 6:45pm.  Given that the school board will be making this decision which will impact whether each of them can keep or defend the seats they hold,  open and transparent information and public participation in this potentially self-serving process is imperative.

It is my understanding, based upon the census data that I have reviewed, that this could provide a unique opportunity for real change on the school board.   And I, for one, think it is about time.
Last week during the school board meeting, I sat like a coiled spring just about ready to pop out of my seat.  Why?  Because I don't believe that the agenda reflected the priorities of this education community. 
School board meetings generally run between 1 1/2 to 2 hours twice a month. So, why do I think time is not well spent?  Here are some examples:  Last week, the school board spent 45 minutes discussing after-school activities.  Much of this time was spent on the after-school activity buses.  Back on October 21,  the school board spent 2 solid hours - yes, 2 solid hours - talking about the pros and cons of artificial turf on athletic fields.  I have never seen this much time on any other topic over the last 6 years.  These are just two examples.
I challenge any of you to meet with school board members and find out if any of them are aware of the rate of students who start as freshman and then drop-out of high school before their senior year.  Find out if any of them are aware of what happens to kids after they graduate high school and whether they succeed in college or careers.  Ask them if they understand how our district compares with other districts in math education and assessment testing results.  And, ask them what the strategic plan for the district might be.
I believe that our school board should be setting the policy and direction of the school district.  I believe that they should be monitoring results and holding the administration accountable.  I believe that there should be a comprehensive strategic plan and that, first and foremost, attention should be spent on maximizing student success.
School board elections this November, with a primary in August, will impact a majority of the seats this year.   It is time for a school board which prioritizes their agenda and focuses on education, first and foremost so that all students learn, achieve, and succeed.   I encourage you to pay attention to this re-districting and to the upcoming election possibilities.

1 comment:

  1. Reminds me of the moment when I saw an assistant principal at MSHS who had gone into a classroom and pulled out a student who hadn't purchased a parking pass. One of the most expensive persons in the building taking the time to track down a kid over a parking pass that a $12/hour person could have done just as well? and there are teachers who don't teach and no curriculum direction anywhere in the district?

    ReplyDelete