At the urging of a number of concerned citizens and stakeholders, I stayed to attempt to change the dysfunctional nature of the organization and the way we conduct business.
I participated in the formation of the Education Reform Task Force, worked to renew board development workshops through the Missouri School Boards Association and attempted to put together a leadership team that would support establishing procedures to ensure a true policy governance model. It was a long shot, but it was a shot worth taking.
In recent months, the Missouri Department of Education engaged in an extensive review of the Kansas City School District in anticipation of accreditation of the district in 2010.
The district has 90 days to create a responsive action plan. School board leaders have not yet produced a set of strategies to even begin working on this task.
A recent board meeting consisted of continued demonstrations of micro-management and defensive posturing.
Negotiations with the teachers union for a current contract continue to deteriorate, and efforts by the administration to balance the budget are not discussed.
No candidates have yet surfaced to replace the interim superintendent, who has made it clear he is leaving by the end of October.
This is clearly not a board that is interested in reforming its practices, and I can no longer justify my involvement.
I commend the citizen groups that have attempted to bring academic achievement and educational success to the agenda of the board.
I believe these worthwhile efforts could succeed if, as a community, we had a crystallized, unified vision that described the expectations for a premier school district.
I believe the process that the state education department has developed for redirecting the district toward full accreditation is the vehicle through which that can happen.We could lose this district, and there will be some who would say, “Good riddance.”
I won’t be one of them. Our public schools are the one great opportunity we have to overcome our disparities and to unite around a vision for the future.
That is what the work of a school board should be.
I would like to thank those individuals who offered their encouragement and support. It has been an honor and a privilege to serve.
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