New Rochelle New York’s school board cuts the crap and moves to elminate public input at school board meetings:
In her first act as the newly elected senior board President, Merchant waited until the last minute to unveil sweeping changes to board policy that eliminates any guarantees of public input into school board meetings as what can only be seen as a prelude to eliminating entirely any public involvement in school board meetings.
Beset by criticism over an unfolding story of corruption and incompetence on its watch, and infighting among its own members, the New Rochelle Board of Education last night proposed to “solve” that problem by severely curtailing public engagement during school board meetings.
Minneapolis and Saint Paul would never do that.
Would they?
Because obviously, accountability and openness are diametrically opposed. And it’s not like the “public” ought to have any input into how the “public” schools are run, after all. It’s really the province of the NEA, AFT, and SEIU, right?
On the flip side, I kinda like the new policy. Since I know the school board doesn’t want to hear what I have to say, I take my concerns….
….directly to the police. Somehow I don’t know that the school board will like how that one turns out, though. Another thought is that when the school board doesn’t accept open feedback, that ought to make the next vote on a tax hike “for the children” very interesting, as well as the next School Board election.
Given all the parental responsibilities that our public school systems have assumed, I’d be surprised if there were enough real parents concerned enough to make a difference.
As long as the school systems pick the kids up on time, keep them, feed them, kennel them, and drop them off on time, I doubt that most parents in the systems will even know, let alone care, about what happens at the publicly funded daycares we now call schools …
The goal of every person is to be unaccountable to anyone other than his or her self. Sucks when they work for you and spend your money, doesn’t it?
I agree, and further suggest that such personal accountability is a two-way proposition. Many neither want to account to anyone for anything, nor do they want any entity to account to them for anything; You do your job and keep me out of it. Just make sure the train runs on time and my needs are met. Certainly there is an agency or something that takes care of these things, isn’t there?
Further evidence, were any necessary, about the critical importance of getting your kids or grandkids out of the publik skulz.
Mitch:
I don’t know if the school board is just trying to hide from not being able to answer questions properly. Years ago this happened:
The city of Minneapolis School Board was trying to renew a levy which will allow sixteen school class rooms and crank out great students. FYI just to show you how much a failure this policy has been this levy which when it was put in place means for years Minneapolis should’ve been cranking out great high school graduates. Now to get to the real story I’m the member of the group having a meeting in October and a member of the Minneapolis School Board showed up to ask our group to support the levy increased.
Not having been to a school board meeting (in part because I’m single and have no kids) I asked the school board member so we’re currently spending $10,000 per year per student? The school board member with a puzzled look (like they never asked that question) turned to their aide who nodded yes.
And the cost of a teacher is what $60,000 per year? (by the way these numbers are small in part because of how many years ago it was) The school board has another puzzled look on their face (like they never asked that question) turned to their aide who nods yes.
Well if we’re spending $160,000 for the students and only paying the teacher $60,000 why don’t we improve education first by spending some of that other $100,000 in the class room instead of wasting it? The school board member had a look that comment didn’t compute and finally went into a speech about how they care about the kids.
I think what is amazing they don’t care about how much money is being wasted.
Walter Hanson
Minneapolis, MN