|
|
So many poster here have complained that our School Board has lost all credibility. So low has our trust in the School Board sunk that we have voted down four of its building levy proposals in a row, and seem poised to vote down a fifth.
So here's the question: What do we expect a School Board to do? What do we think a School Board's duties are? What kind of School Board would we trust? What, if anything, could our current School Board do to restore our trust?
In addressing this question, please focus on the future, not the past. No one can change the past, although there are respects, I guess, in which we should caution our School Board not to repeat it.
I may ring in myself on this subject after a while. For the present, however, I'm interested in hearing what you folks think. We voters have to do something here. Maybe telling our School Board what, specifically, we expect from them would help break the current stalemate.
By Yosemite Pam
|
|
|
|
|
|
Outside the box thinking
Quite a perplexing posing Pam. I doubt you will find an answer here, but here?’s an opinion. The school board needs to be willing to think outside the box, willing to listen and, most importantly, to communicate. Now I read in an earlier posting that they fired their communications person. Big mistake! Swallow your pride and hire her back ?– PRONTO! Why you ask, because we need to hear from the schools more about the ways they will say they are already doing what I ask above. They will say they are always thinking outside the box and are always listening. Well communicate with us and tell us how.
I?’ll try to get the following as straight as I can based on what I have read in this forum. The board feels they need to build to the state standards in square footage per classroom to remain in line for state funding. However, we are so far down the list of eligibility for state funding that we won?’t get any anyway. So forget the state. Build a school that is smaller per student. Offer us something that we can afford. Put yourself in our shoes. Pretend you are us. We want to build a house. We make $XX per year and our debt to income ratio is XX:XX. Therefore we qualify for $XXX,000 worth of house.
Now sure, we would all like to live in Meadowmore or one of those other fancy schmancy elite areas but we have $XXX,000 to spend and not a dollar more. So instead of 3,000 square feet, we have to build something around 2,000 square feet. That means we have 3 bedrooms instead of 4, 2 ?½ baths instead of 3, a great room instead of a formal living room, and so on. We have to live within our means.
Another thing I have to say is that we voted down the one large school option several years ago. Since that time we have voted down other options. Has the board ever thought to ask why? I know there was a lot of sentiment against the one school option prompted by the teacher?’s union. Remember that the union had just settled a contract issue that they were unhappy about and I believe this had a lot to do with their attitude at the time. Maybe, now faced with split sessions, the teacher may rather work in a large school with smaller classrooms than split sessions. Let?’s face it, our kids are so adaptable that it amazes us sometimes. They will adapt to split sessions without a blink. We will have a harder time as parents but we will also adapt. Will the teachers? Will the rest of the staff? Maybe it?’s time we look at one school again and see what they say. Maybe it?’s time we look to much larger schools for future options. Maybe it?’s time to look at expanding existing schools both horizontally and vertically. We already own the land so that saves money. We have these infernal machines called elevators so we can always build vertically in areas we have less acreage.
See where I am headed Pam. If none of my arguments holds water because I am not as smart as our school board members or I don?’t have access to the information they do, then communicate with us and tell us that. Tell us you have looked at every single option there is in the world and made up a few new ones and then call for a vote.
|
|
|
Communications person?
The school had a communications person? She was fired? I can't tell a difference in the (lack of) communication that comes from the board.
As a community member, I can tell you it seems like the school board is just a black box. Even their attempts at communications, such as guest columns in the papers, are more like words strung together than communications.
Yosemite Pam wants to forget about the past and move forward in some positive light. This community doesn't forget, though. People here have some of the longest memories of any I've ever seen.
Perhaps past mistakes need to be addressed honestly and thoughtfully. I don't hold out much hope of that happening, though.
|
|
|
Talking Heads
Pam,
I think what you are seeing here in the schools closely parallels the situation you?’re seeing in the city. Quite simply, the cart is pushing the horse. You have all these elected officials trying to give the impression that they have running their respective businesses well in hand. What they fail to understand is that it is not their jobs to run their respective businesses. They spend a lot of taxpayer money on salaries for managers and superintendents whose job it is to run the business. It is becoming increasingly apparent that both governing bodies made mistakes in their choices of leaders. They either lack the experience or fortitude to get the job done. Maybe that is where we need to look for answers. The superintendents and managers of these businesses are to be held accountable for the smooth operation and progress of these businesses. If they can?’t cut the mustard, then perhaps changes are in order.
I believe your question was what can the school board do? Go hire a leader to lead.
Even thought it wasn?’t your question or related to this thread, the city should also go out and hire a leader.
|
