With the budget process in high octane and the pending election, I thought I would post my thoughts on the role of a board member. These are only how I view my role and I am certain others will view a board members role differently. I base my view on my personal experiences with various boards.
A school district is run by the Superintendant. A school board is set up to make sure that the Superintendant does his/her job. A school board is designed to allocate resources and set the priorities of the district. Board members should not engage in any micro-management of the district. The board is designed to hold the Superintendant accountable for their decisions.
A good board will set goals and policies that allow the Superintendant to run the district. Under those goals and policies the Superintendant then makes decisions to achieve the best results. This includes decisions/recommendations on how to educate the students, how to staff the district, how to spend the available money, etc.
Just about every major decision that a board makes come from a recommendation made by the Superintendant. Yes, the board has the final decision on most major issues, however most board members are not professional educators. We have to take the facts presented to us by administration, input from the public, research that we may conduct on our own and any other relevant information we have and make the best decision possible for the education of the students.
If the voters feel we are making the wrong decisions then each April they can vote to make changes on the board. As a board member the voting public is who elected us and that is who we have to answer to.
Is our current board doing a good job? That is for the voters to answer.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Public Communication
Over the course of the past 2 weeks the board and the administration have taken a lot of hits over our communication regarding potential budget cuts. I feel the TV coverage, H-I coverage, the district website and our bi-monthly open meetings provide lots of opportunities for gathering information on what the board is discussing.
I know a lot of Monona residents said they were unaware of the potential reductions until Mayor Kahl's flyer. For this I apologize, however, I also feel that being informed is a personal decision. If you want to know what is happening you have all of the above places to find information. On average, I am estimating, we have less than 10 citizens attend a board meeting. The board tends to discuss issues at more than one meeting before making a decision.
With that being said if 1 person feels we are not providing information well enough then we as a board need to more. Therefore, here is your opportunity to tell me how we can do this better. I am looking for you the district residents to come up with ways to better communicate to you.
I know a lot of Monona residents said they were unaware of the potential reductions until Mayor Kahl's flyer. For this I apologize, however, I also feel that being informed is a personal decision. If you want to know what is happening you have all of the above places to find information. On average, I am estimating, we have less than 10 citizens attend a board meeting. The board tends to discuss issues at more than one meeting before making a decision.
With that being said if 1 person feels we are not providing information well enough then we as a board need to more. Therefore, here is your opportunity to tell me how we can do this better. I am looking for you the district residents to come up with ways to better communicate to you.
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