They Totally Missed The Point

Monday night I attended our local school district board meeting. I got myself into the "hot seat" again and read some written comments that I had made.

More comments were made about that meeting from a previous board member here -
http://www.thecentraladvocate.blogspot.com/

Here is the response I tried to post:

I was in attendance at the board meeting.

I was still concerned that needs of the staff and community were not met in the changes discussed for the communication between the board and community.

I approached a board member after the meeting trying to get my points across and trying to ask more questions. I was point blank told that the staff (being on the "payroll") should be happy they are allowed to participate or make comments at the board meeting at all. I was also told that this is not their (meaning the staff) or my (meaning the community) meeting - that it was an official meeting held in public...

I was totally appalled. They had still totally missed the point of people asking for ACTIVE communication between the board and those in attendance.

To me this confirms what I have always felt - they are holding this meeting "in public" just for show and that they are just going ahead and doing what they want anyway.

I tried to tell this board member about what I observed about the reactions of parents and staff alike while they were up there voting about the new policy changes. He wouldnt even listen to me.

I saw the furious, shocked reactions from the audience while all of the "discussion" was going on. Parents, staff and community members want to have an active part in the meetings. Something they have asked for, and again said was a big problem during the meeting. When the board allows no questions or comments from the audience DURING the process they are missing the entire point of what is needed to be changed. They continue to make decisions without including the input or recommends from the very people that those decisions are directly effecting.

My point was very clearly made when the board "discussed" and voted on something that directly effected the teachers - and yet the teachers had no idea what was even going on. When a teacher tried to ask a question during that time to even find out what the heck the board was doing or talking about, she was immediately told that she was not allowed to even ask.The board chairperson totally tried to shut her down and went into a defensive tirade. When enough uproar went up from the audience, the teacher was finally allowed to ask her question. It took many voices before the board would even grudgingly relinquish their tight reign over the meeting.

Moving that "hot seat" from the beginning of the meeting to the end still does not meet the needs of the audience having the chance to speak AND get a sincere reply from the board. The board NEVER acknowledges, let alone replies, to anything that is said from that speaker's seat. This is not going to change by just moving comments from one end of the meeting to the other.

This is what MUST change. Those who are the direct recipients of the decisions made should be involved in the entire process, including the discussions during the monthly meetings.

The other thing I would like to see changed is the policy about records from "executive session" meetings the board holds. Currently the board has policy in place that no records are kept or disclosed to the public about what goes on or is discussed in those meetings.
Is it just me, or does anyone else think that this is wrong. They are just continuing to keep their secrets and politics between themselves instead of out in the open and honest and where the public should be fully aware of what is being discussed. Especially since the things that are discussed are about the staff, community and kids. The decisions made in those meetings directly effect them, not the board, and usually the results of those meetings effects them in very negative ways.

To me it is like knowing someone is talking about me behind my back - and being totally blatant about it in the process. They are discussing and making decisions among themselves, further separating themselves from their staff and the community instead of doing anything to better the relationship or bringing them into union.

I had given up on even dealing with the board when we pulled our students from the local schools. I was done dealing with their garbage. I see now, though, that I am going to have to continue to fight as a concerned citizen, to help the board see and understand that they are still totally missing the point. I am only hoping that someday the rest of the community will join me, and that the staff will stop being afraid and start standing up for what is right and for what is in their and the kids' best interests. I am going to do everything I can to make sure I am part of the voice that calls for positive changes. I am not afraid and I hope that others will feel the same way.

I know that many people walked away from that meeting on Monday with their eyes finally open to all the garbage that is going on in our district right now. I, along with another ward member who spoke, have both received many comments and phone calls about what we had to say. I am hoping that as more information is shared and more secrets and politics come out that more people will be willing to stand up and finally say "ENOUGH!" Until then, you will find me in that hot seat every 1st monday of the month.