Get Schooled

By V for Vendetta

May 10, 2007 10:58 AM | Link to this

They should have more diagreements at all metro board meetings. The disagreements might indicate that the board memebers give a rat’s posterior about the people affected by their decisions.

Of course, I’m assuming that any of them are the least bit in touch with reality. You want to see a firestorm of change? Create a way for teachers to elect a representative to each school board. Let that person (who should be a “regular” classroom teacher) be the voice of the teachers so that the magical board members in their ivory towers can understand how their moronic decisions affect the “common” student.

Elected reps? Classroom teachers? What am I saying!? That’s just silly talk!

By Janine

May 10, 2007 11:12 AM | Link to this

Having worked the the Dekalb system for over 30 years, I have watched the inner workings of the Board/Super/Adminsitration with interest …and more times than not, disgust. Nepotism and clandestine operations have been the norm. In the past, Dekalb’s Board of Ed has been pretty much a rubber stamp for the super…first Jim Cherry who was more an Emporer than a super…which, may I add,served the county well and Dekalb had an honorable place during his “reign”….. then Hallford, who though very likeable and fairly capable,also, had his quirks and status quo issues…the JOhnny Brown, who , well let’s say , just didn’t work out. And Now, Lewis, who has been in the system forever and is pretty content to just listen to what his lieutenants tell him. I am really glad to see someone on the board cause a ruckus and confront controversial issues,whatever they may be. Lewis reminded me of Bush when he pointed out in so many words that he was the DECIDER. I hope the board continues to question what goes on out there at buildings A and B. I, for one, think it’s about time. The place is a mess, populated with an abundance of incompetent people who just fell into their positions of authority for reasons other than qualifications.

By Janine

May 10, 2007 11:13 AM | Link to this

“V”…Love that idea…teacher reps to the school board. With voting power. But you are right…silly talk, it will never happen. Makes way too much sense.

By Jeff

May 10, 2007 11:23 AM | Link to this

Janine:

An Admin building labled “B”??? I’m surprised (and somewhat tempted, good thing I don’t live near ATL) that no one has spray painted an “S” beside that label…

By JustMe

May 10, 2007 11:38 AM | Link to this

Jeff -

The “B” is located above on the outside of the building on the second floor so no one can reach it!

By WFC

May 10, 2007 11:39 AM | Link to this

Bridget… retired 26-year teacher, 4-year administrator here. What goes on in board meetings has almost nothing to do with the realities of the classroom. Just thought you ought to know.

By Larry

May 10, 2007 12:38 PM | Link to this

Political contests for school board seats are usually low visibility and it’s not unusual to see uncontested seats on Election Day. Since public school systems are a major, if not the largest employer in a given county, teachers would be the most likely group able to organize and influence the outcome of an election. Nothing prevents an organized effort to elect a teacher to the board of education; you simply don’t see it happen.

Anyone who was ever involved in an election will warn you about the hard lessons you will learn, if you become active

When Gwinnett’s Gateway controversy was daily news, literally every one of my kids’ teachers knew all about me before we met. They either saw me on TV, read my editorials or who knows how, but they accurately understood my position against high stakes tests. When I asked, very few of this group could tell me the name of their representative on the school board. Disconnect exists on both sides, far more than most people realize.

I encourage people to become involved in public issues, but you have to understand the problems before you can attempt to fix anything.

By mmm

May 10, 2007 12:40 PM | Link to this

I was sitting next to Kristina during the first 2/3 of the meeting and yet my perspective is somewhat different.

I would rather have the shooting out in the open than under the table. There are real important problems of competence, equity and appropriate focus and behavior that will never be addressed if we can’t have some meaningful dialog about them. The 1st hour was pretty good in that mainly board members expressed their view on redistricting and attempted to explain why they felt as they did. This is necessary. However, then it shifted from “what I feel and why I feel it” to “this is what I expect you to do”.

It is the focus on exercising power rather that finding common values out of which to make decisions that causes this kind of public display. Still, I would rather see more of this (and put all those blasted Georgia Power easements automatically on the consent agenda) than to ignore and do nothing the fact that we cannot move forward with the old paradiams that have gotten us into our present state..

By jim d

May 10, 2007 5:25 PM | Link to this

“In some school systems I’ve covered, months will pass without a single divided vote.”

Shoot Bridget you obviously haven’t covered Gwinnett. In the 10 years or so I’ve been watching — only twice has there been any division in a public vote. I find that rather strange don’t you?

By jim d

May 10, 2007 5:38 PM | Link to this

Larry,

“literally every one of my kids’ teachers knew all about me before we met.”

Do you think it’s your good looks or magnetic personality

By Where'sloganville

May 15, 2007 7:50 PM | Link to this

In Walton County, we consider the school board meeting videos and webcasts to be “Must See TV!” Go to the WCPS website and check them out. They are archived by month and year. Start with December, 2006!