A Board that Finally Deliberates in Public!
I echo JP’s public comments in commending Mr. Hyman for his ability to effectively and respectfully preside over the 1/18/24 meeting. He controlled the meeting and followed proper procedures. He stopped members when it was needed and he kept the meeting moving along. The entire meeting was refreshing!
It was a long meeting, and while I won’t spin this to be a negative – because the length of the meetings isn’t a bad thing, there is a need for discussion surrounding the number of meetings the Board has set for this year. An increase in frequency may yield shorter meetings in that there is a great deal of business being discussed and deliberated at BOE meetings.
The public is now able to see the time and energy it takes for an adequate checks and balances system and accountability. Effective leadership is time-consuming; this is a reality of a system in place that is working to benefit the community at large.
Some of the greatest hits from the four-hour BOE meeting are;
1. In the absence of electing a President and tabling any vote for a Vice President, Jordan Hyman was elected by a 6-2 vote to be the temporary officer presiding over the meeting. It was great to see Jordan shine here – I have nothing but kudos to offer him – this was the most well-run and respectful meeting I have seen in the last five years. Good work, Jordan!
2. Dr. Varley’s contract was a hot topic. Ultimately, the Board approved her resignation, but several members did not like the ambiguity of her termination date. The Board will request a finite date from Dr. Varley to search for a new SI or interim SI effectively.
3. A few policies were reverted to the original version/not adopted, which are archived in the policy manual. Over the last year, the majority of policies were rewritten. Several people would assert that the way the policies were written provided too much power to the President of the Board. The role of the President is really to preside over the meeting. All members are and should be managed on a level playing field. Policy 0131 was Reversed back to the adopted 2011 policy, taking away what some believed to be unnecessary power of the Superintendent to have a say in policy and the language therein. This is important because the central role of the Board is to write policy in an effort to support the students, staff, and schools.
4. The discussion surrounding “doing the bills” over the last two Board meetings has been contradictory. We witnessed one board member reprimanding others’ inability to go into the business office to review the bills each month. Last night, this same member said it was “harassment” for Board members who make monthly trips to review the bills. These remarks are confusing and are unclear as to how they relate to supporting or not supporting our students.
5.The persistent issues related to the audio for the meetings should not be an issue. Microphones should be on the entire time. The public is entitled to hear every side comment from every member present, and the public should be privy to every vote that occurs.
6. The lawyer provided inaccurate advice and was corrected by one of the Board members regarding ‘vote counting’ when someone abstains. Whether you support or object to the Board counsel attending these meetings, everyone can agree that the Board and Administration should receive accurate legal advice, especially as the costs to have counsel present at these meetings are high. This is not the first time advice from attending counsel was inaccurate, and everyone should be questioning the true intentions of having a lawyer present and what purpose their presence serves in light of repeated instances where improper advice was given to benefit one faction.
