The question, in my mind at least, is about the meaning of "reflection". The commission he convened last summer to explore "issues of diversity" on the Board of Education focused on racial and geographic representation, but no other types of diversity.
I've been thinking about this issue a lot, and I've got a lot more thinking to do. One thing in my mind right now, though, is that if your particular issue doesn't have a seat at the table, it usually doesn't get considered when decisions are made. I don't think that's a radical idea; look at how many different stakeholder groups are represented in various policy committees. There is usually a representative from each relevant central office department, as well as a PTA member, employee association representatives, and members of other advocacy groups (Special Education, Gifted & Talented, etc.) On paper, our system at least tries to bring diversity of experience to each table for each decision. (In practice, I believe the entire system - HCPSS and its constituent groups - can do more to include stakeholders.)
Ultimately, though, if the person leading the committee, or if enough members of the Board of Education don't have open enough minds to seek out and understand the input from all of the stakeholders, then underrepresentation is bound to occur.
I'm still not convinced that appointed members of the Board of Education would bring meaningful diversity to this body. It could, but it could just as easily be used to stack the deck in favor of entrenched political interests. I am convinced, however, that an engaged and informed public can bring about a balance of experiences and perspectives on the Board that would be representative of all facets of the community.
Which brings me to my original question: what does school board diversity mean to you? In other words, what do you want in a school board member? I've repeated my thoughts from my previous post, as well as included ideas I've heard from others. What do you think? Do you agree or disagree with any of these qualities? How much or little do you value them?
Finally, do you vote for the "best candidates" based on their merits, or do you include the way the candidates' qualifications and traits combine with the other sitting Board members? For example, if the four sitting members all have strong backgrounds in education (as a teacher, Board member, or principal), would you be more or less likely to vote for another such candidate? If the sitting members had no children or adult children, would you be more or less likely to vote for a candidate with children currently in the system?
- has worked with children from a wide range of racial, ethnic, and economic backgrounds
- has a passion for education; has a vision for the future of education in this county
- has experience as an employee of the HCPSS
- has a career in the private sector
- is smart and reasonable; is a critical thinker
- has experience working for other school systems
- is principled without being rude, and is kind without pandering; is cooperative
- has demonstrated thoughtful, careful deliberation on issues
- has experience in capacity planning and budgeting
- has experience assessing outcomes to determine if goals were met and evaluating the effectiveness of the various components at play in meeting goals
- has children currently in HCPSS
- has children formerly in HCPSS
- is involved in local political parties
- is a PTA member
- has expertise in technology and its use in the classroom
- is from a particular racial or ethnic group
- is from a particular religious tradition
- is from a particular economic bracket
- is from a particular area of Howard County
- is working on a career in elected public service (politics)
hocoblogs@@@
The only thing Kenn-ay's letter means is that he wants the minority vote in his obvious run for governor. That's all.
ReplyDeleteI'm actually not wondering about what Ken's letter means to him, but I'm interested in knowing what people in general want in a Board of Education member. Mentioning his letter was really just a jumping off point for that question. So, what qualities in a Board candidate will earn him or her your vote?
ReplyDeleteI submitted a letter to the editor of the Columbia Flyer/Howard County Times to directly address this issue. I trust it will be printed this Thursday and I'm tempted to submit the letter here as well.
ReplyDeleteI strongly believe we should find the best candidates for office. I believe people who have specific skills or expertise that can directly serve our schools' challenges and can work constructively toward a future vision of improvement should be the focus of the election.
Capacity and long-term planning expertise, budgeting experience and technology transformation leadership, coupled with direct, current classroom experience is high on my list and I hope others see the importance and unique value these skills can bring to our kids. And that's the reason I'm running for the Board of Education.
David Gertler
The people who represent us on the Board of Education should of course have a passion for education and the ability to be critical thinkers. They should also possess a diversity of ideas and opinions. No member, or group of members, should think they have a monopoly on good ideas for educating our children. There are new and innovative ideas working for other school systems that we should be talking about in Howard County regarding classroom technology, foreign language immersion, international baccalaureate programs and inclusive STEM schools, among others. All of our Board members should have open minds to consider new ideas from within our community and outside it, open ears to listen to the public and open hearts to do what is best for our students and teachers. That is why I am running for the Board of Education.
ReplyDelete