It's right there on page 19 of the school board's Legislative Platform for 2008. If you want to read it in its entirety click here HCPS Legislative Platform
If you don't feel like clicking, here is the part on "Board of Education Governance."
"Each year the question surfaces about improving the effectiveness of school boards. With school districts expected to implement expansive state and federal education policies, the job of school boards grows more complex. The greatest challenge confronting school boards is to ensure that every child has the opportunity to learn. School boards must provide that opportunity while meeting the needs of the community and taking care not to micromanage or to invade the appropriate realm of professional educators. Part of the balancing act is the implicit desire that school boards be representative and democratic without being overtly political. The Harford County Board of Education strives to improve its knowledge and practice of good governance. Knowing the roles, responsibilities, relationships and the process of effective governance are critical.
Appointed Boards of Education in Harford County have been highly successful, by almost any measure, at producing positive results for the students of Harford County…despite being funded at levels at, or near, the lowest per student in the State. Typically, candidates for appointment have demonstrated an interest in, and are well informed, about education issues.
They most frequently seek the position to make a difference in education, rather than to advance to higher office, and are typically not “single issue” candidates. This process has also produced a great diversity of individuals and perspectives on the Board, which has led to effective decision-making. Board Members over the past 40years have largely been recommended by a consensus of community-based organizations with an interest in education. This method has produced a high caliber of individuals to serve on the Board, with very successful results, including appointments that crossed partisan party lines.
THE HARFORD COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION SUPPORTS:
Continued broad-based community input in developing Board nominees for appointment -whether by Caucus or Commission."
I find this very disheartening, but not surprising. The condescension is palpable, as if parents and other community members don't have enough sense to vote. The school board instead should be recommended by a "consensus of community-based organizations with an interest in education." You know, like realtors, developers, etc. etc.
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5 comments:
While I understand the appeal of an elected school board, I definitely don't find this disheartening. I don't think education should be a partisan issue and with an elected school board it would become more politicized. Also, elected school board positions are frequently a first stop for people who have higher political aspirations to get their foot in the door; they run not because they care about education but because it will get their name out there. Ironically, there are many place that went to elected school boards in the past that are now considering going back to appointed school boards! Finally, I think this decision should be made by teachers and administrators and they should show the objective research to back up whatever decision is made. While democracy and the voting process are great systems, some things we should, in fact, leave to the experts.
Wait a minute, are you saying we are not smart enough to elect the right people? What is this the divine rights of Kings era? If you were raised in a district with an elected school board you would know it is never a stepping stone for higher office, that's not how the board works. I personally want a voice in my child's education, the experts are doing such a stellar job, my child's school falls in the zip code that gets no attention. If you don't think the school board is partisan now you are really living in a dream world.
I know that it's partisan now; I wrote that it would become "more politicized" (acknowledging that it already is politicized). I was raised in a district in Ohio with an elected school board and it was in fact a stepping stone for higher office (not always but often enough). Public schools in Harford County are amazingly better than the schools there, although I don't necessarily tie that to the elected board. And I don't understand why you think that with the current situation you do not have a say in your child's education. You definitely do! It's not that I think we're not intelligent enough to elect the right people; my main problem with the elected board is that to get elected you need to raise money and make the most "friends." The people who raise the most money and make the most friends usually win. But then they owe people and they're not objectively looking out for our children. And I don't want that type of owing favors to be involved in my child's education. Right now, the board isn't beholden to special interests because they didn't need to court any special interests to get their positions! For the record, I'm not a fan of every individual on the board, but I think this system is better than the alternative. I think that an elected board causes as many difficulties as it alleviates.
I do think that teachers and school administrators don't get the professional respect that they deserve. It's a portion of the public that is pushing for an elected school board; no one seems to be asking the teachers or administrators for their expert opinions on this issue! Shouldn't this be something that people in the field decide after examining and evaluating what works best?
I have many educators in my family, and I have been involved in Harford County schools for 18 years, since outcome based education was sold as the second coming, and block scheduling was implemented in my son's high school, making it impossible for him to take 60% of the classes he elected to take his senior year. The day before school started there was a line a mile long waiting to see the guidance counselors because senior schedules were all messed up. So yes I would like to have a voice, we had no choice in the block scheduling and now they are saying it's not working, HMMMM
I agree with you about the block scheduling being awful. But what I've heard is that this issue has more to do with David Volrath, the head of secondary schools than the school board; why don't you give him a call? Block scheduling is the same kind of thing though, it's the big new thing for a while and then after a while the system will go back to the old way. Just like systems going back and forth between elected and appointed school boards. Honestly, much of the research shows that neither one is much better than the other, so I don't understand why so many people thing an elected board will be a savior for the school system.
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