Can we improve the quality
and quantity of public participation in the leadership of
Part of the problem with leadership in the Tacoma Public Schools is that the public is not sufficiently engaged with the work of the School Board. The quality and quantity of participation can be improved.
Take, for example, the Board meeting agenda item, usually number four, where the public can ask questions, make statements, and present materials. This is a three-minute opportunity for one-way communication. The Board does not normally respond to the speaker, and it is very unusual to converse among Board members and the speaker.
Board action items are not typically well publicized, making it extremely unlikely citizens will learn about and be able to prepare for upcoming items. The recent adoption of a set of math textbooks is an example. Several people in the audience regularly attend Board meetings, are knowledgeable about curriculum issues, and have experience that is relevant to teaching math. They did not know this was going to be brought up, the agenda was not detailed or published in a timely fashion to let people know this was to be voted on, and the public was not at all involved in the discussion of the proposal before the Board. It is not allowed. One assertion by a spokesperson for the group that selected the text package made a very doubtful claim about parent involvement in the teaching of math, but no one discussed it, and the public was not part of the discussion.
The Board does have study sessions before Board meetings, and has committees to work on issues like textbook selection. Try to find material about these—detailed agendas, descriptions of the issues and the data being used to make sense of them—on the Board’s web site.
There isn’t a way for people prepare to be part of the conversation. It is not clear that the Board has a public policy calendar or a detailed plan of what they will do for the coming months. The order of business is not open. The process is not user-friendly. This is organized to discourage public involvement in the schools. The current leadership crisis points to a need for the School Board to reconnect to the community.
And, we should remind ourselves that the board reflects, in some way, the community. The community is not sufficiently out in front on issues like social justice and equality, in making sure that goals which commit the District to serving every student are fulfilled. We need to remind ourselves, the central focus should be What Is Happening To The Kids.
A better Board, and better participation by the community, can help.