Board Member 101: Rule #1, Do Not Repeat Mistakes of Former Board

I want to start out with this week’s meeting agenda. First up is a presentation from our Six-District Educational Compact. For those of you not in the know- this is a vocational education sharing program between the Falls, Hudson, Kent, Stow, Tallmadge, and Woodridge. Next is a presentation from the High School Business Department. Last but certainly not least is… Transportation. We will finally get to hear where the wheels on the bus go ‘round and ‘round to.

Now let’s talk about what everybody else is talkin’ ‘bout. Levies and evaluations and bell times and bussing. Ok I can’t really talk about all that on one blog and since I’m not allowed to talk about levies on here we can scratch that one. But it was nice to see the Falls News print a fair and balanced 3 “For” and 3 “Against” letters. Then there was the seventh letter.

The writer feels the evaluation is the boards “latest folly”. He opines that the board has failed “Board Member 101” despite the many training sessions we have attended. He then goes on to point out that the board has only two jobs- to hire and supervise the CEO and CFO and to set policy. He then goes on to say that the board minority, meaning Mrs. Gunter and myself, are somehow to blame for the problems of this board. I must respond to this outrageous claim. I put the two jobs in bold to remind everyone as I write that this is the point I am referring to.

Let’s start with the first part- to hire and supervise. A board hires and then directs its employees. In February of 06, I asked this board to set goals. As a member of the minority I was ignored. Then talks of raise came about and not only I, but also the board attorney expressed concerns that goals had not been established, nor had evaluations been conducted. The board majority ignored these concerns and handed over raises anyway. Is that what the voting taxpayers wanted from their elected officials or is this what the professors of “Board Member 101” expected? We are a board of education expected to give direction and set policy that benefits the voters of this district. The professors of “Board Member 101” are former school administrators who now still earn a living off taxpayer money teaching propaganda to newly elected board members on how to behave in a board room. They say things like “support the decisions of the board”. So if the board decides to jump off a bridge I should follow? With this philosophy I am supposed to say it was OK to be bullied into a new contract and a raise because a majority was willing to give in to threats of leaving for greener pastures?

Now let’s do the next part- to set policy. A board majority also passes policy in our district. So once again meaningful changes cannot happen in this department until our district has a board majority that is setting policy that will make a difference. We have policies coming out the wazoo “against” certain things. Bullying, drugs, weapons, etc. But no clear-cut rules, and more importantly consequences for when these policies are violated. There seems to be rules and exceptions and much is left to the discretion of teachers and principals. I have said many times that we need to have some clear cut guide lines and consequences but the majority representing you and setting policy do not think it is important.

If memory serves me correctly, the letter writer is a former board member whose lessons in “Board Member 101” led us to financial disaster and two neighborhood school closings. Anyone needing a refresher course on “screwed taxpayer 101” see this blog. (Scroll to “The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly Truth). He’s right about one thing. The next election will be very important. We need responsible money minded people that understand the impact the districts spending has on the education of kids but the impact our spending has on the taxpayer as well. The one mistake he makes is assuming students are a part of his constituency. Their parents are and they are also taxpayers. I want to give my kids every opportunity the world has to offer. Unfortunately I can’t afford to. I must draw the line and say we only have so much money to fund your activities with. The same mentality should apply to all taxpayer funded agencies. There is not a money tree in my back yard. I cannot endlessly fund you.

We dump more money than ever into public education yet enrollment continues to drop, administrative employees and costs continue to rise, yet not surprisingly to me, graduation and standardized test scores have remained flat for the last 30 years! Yes I said 30 years! The obvious conclusion is throwing money at the problem is not going to solve it. Innovation, dealing with reality, and leading kids into the world with a grip on a profession or vocation as well as the knowledge you need to perform basic daily functions like banking and bill paying and credit sense is a must in today’s world. The middle class jobs of General Motors and Ford are gone along with their benefits and retirement packages. No longer are people doing fairly well with few skills or an 11th grade education.

As for the letter to the editor in Monday’s Beacon Journal, the writer states that is no is no bank account in Columbus with my children’s names on it. I beg to differ. That account follows my family to whatever city I chose to open enroll my children in or move to for that matter. If my local public school is failing, that account can even follow my kids to private school. Districts need to strive to succeed academically and fiscally or watch the flight of desperate parents and their money continue.