tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post116192248979198265..comments2024-03-28T02:21:17.452-07:00Comments on Seattle Schools Community Forum: Redefine Roles for School Board and SuperintendentMelissa Westbrookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17179994245880629080noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-1162329611177649402006-10-31T13:20:00.000-08:002006-10-31T13:20:00.000-08:00If the school board were appointed, who would do t...If the school board were appointed, who would do the appointing?Roy Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16120444973792909383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-1162215285669331442006-10-30T05:34:00.000-08:002006-10-30T05:34:00.000-08:00Would we be better served with an elected Superint...Would we be better served with an elected Superintendent and an appointed Board? It would mirror the statewide structure. The Superintendent of Public Instruction for the State is an elected position, and the members of the State Board of Education are appointed.<BR/><BR/>It would put the job of Vision and Leadership in the hands of the one person with real authority. This person would also have the public mandate and public accountability needed to lead. We'd be sure to have at least a moderately capable politician in the job. <BR/><BR/>The Board's oversight role could continue to be a volunteer job. The Board would no longer be called upon to serve as the complaint department, a job they could never do. Instead, as appointees, the Board would not feel any need to get involved beyond checking that the budgets balance and the District Policies are not violated (or at least not too egregiously).<BR/><BR/>People who don't want the Board involved in decision-making should take away the election that gives the Board members the mandate to get involved.<BR/><BR/>People who want the Superintendent to lead should give the Superintendent the public mandate needed to lead.Charlie Mashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17173903762962067277noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-1161994937765552202006-10-27T17:22:00.000-07:002006-10-27T17:22:00.000-07:00From my iced tea lid comes this piece of wisdom ab...From my iced tea lid comes this piece of wisdom about vision:<BR/><BR/>"Vision without action is a daydream. Action without vision is a nightmare."Beth Bakemanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16827919509722526726noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-1161973103252911532006-10-27T11:18:00.000-07:002006-10-27T11:18:00.000-07:00Great points to raise (the blog & the comments). ...Great points to raise (the blog & the comments). Given the opening in the superintendent position right now and given the strenghts/weaknesses currently in the district, I personally think we do need to hire a hero for superintendent. Whatever process model they adopt will work best if the superintendent is someone who understands vision and its role in leadership.Andrew Kwatinetzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03963324854632142715noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-1161971102735292972006-10-27T10:45:00.000-07:002006-10-27T10:45:00.000-07:00Up for re-election next year will be: Darlene Flyn...Up for re-election next year will be: Darlene Flynn, Irene Stewart, Brita Butler-Wall and Sally Soriano.<BR/><BR/>Michael DeBell, Cheryl Chow, and Mary Bass were elected last year.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-1161970280337903892006-10-27T10:31:00.000-07:002006-10-27T10:31:00.000-07:00Who is up for re-election in November on the Board...Who is up for re-election in November on the Board?Beth Bakemanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16827919509722526726noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-1161954373342847472006-10-27T06:06:00.000-07:002006-10-27T06:06:00.000-07:00Great piece - thanks for the research. Two commen...Great piece - thanks for the research. Two comments -<BR/><BR/>1) Talk to CPPS about research on governance reform - I heard they were applying for a grant for that.<BR/><BR/>2) In Seattle, the issue IS "who" this board is, as well as how their role is defined. At least 4 of 7 don't know how to prepare for a meeting (much less run one), manage a process, inspire a team, or work as a unit. (With 2 from the City, you wonder if is this the caliber of people there?)<BR/><BR/>And heard the way they talk to the staff and each other? They have almost no sense of professional behavior or courtesy. Much less higher order skills like leveraging the media, the legislature, or the public.<BR/><BR/>There needs to be a turnover in Nov and follow with Mary Bass next time around.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-1161937402663491142006-10-27T01:23:00.000-07:002006-10-27T01:23:00.000-07:00I think this speaks to a number of my continuing c...I think this speaks to a number of my continuing concerns.<BR/><BR/>When I read in the CACIEE report the suggestion that the Board adopt a governance model, such as the Carver one, I couldn't believe that the CACIEE couldn't see that the Board has no management tools. That is, the Board has no means for holding the Superintendent accountable. I have shared this concern at Board meetings a number of times. The Board can WRITE policy, but if the Board cannot ENFORCE policy, then the Board has not SET policy.<BR/><BR/>On top of this we must add the public's misperception of the Board's role, a misperception that the Board sometimes indulges. The Board is NOT the complaint department and the Public Testimony period of the Board Legislative Meeting is NOT the customer service hotline. The District does have a customer service department and does have a complaint process. The problem here is that Board members, like all elected officials, do "constituent services". Your congressional reporesentative may be a legislator, but they spend a lot of their time fixing conflicts with Social Security for voters in their districts. This doesn't work for the School Board because 1) The school board directors do not have staff people who can respond to and address these complaints. 2) The school board is specifically prohibited from getting involved in the day-to-day operations of the District and 3) the Customer Service department of the District is not an effective advocate for the Customers and 4) the District's complaint process is a sham. The Board can refer all of the complaints to Customer Service, but they would just see the complaints again next month with the added complaint that the customer service department and the complaint process are ineffective.<BR/><BR/>This speaks again the the District utter lack of any form of accountability whatsoever as well as the District's inability or unwillingness to respond to the needs of the public.<BR/><BR/>Finally, this speaks to the whole question of leadership, the kind we need, the kind we recognize, and where it can come from. If we are looking for the charismatic leader with a Vision and if we expect that to come from a single individual with a lot of authority or from a committee with a lot of authority. It simply cannot come from the Board of Seattle Public Schools because they simply do not have a lot of authority.<BR/><BR/>I agree with the CACIEE and with Beth that we desperately need some sort of governance model, but let's not get deluded into choosing one that presumes that the Board either has authority it does not have or presumes that the Board can hold anyone accountable.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com