Well researched and written Ed. When I was approached about being on the Davenport school board, I received a call from the superintendent, who was Jim Blanche at the time, and he asked me why I was thinking of running and if there was a particular issue I had with the district. Other than having three high achieving children in the Davenport School District I had no agenda but desired to do my part to improve the outcomes and to promote the school district where I thought high achieving children could succeed and compete following their K- 12 education. Current right wind rhetoric has solutions looking for a problem which doesn't exist. Those issues you have identified are critical and need board leadership working closely with school administration and the state to solve. They are complicated and involve socioeconomic components, housing and funding sources which the state continues to strip from public education. The results are clear, and we are living in a community which has a growing crime problem and if you are looking for a cause-and-effect analysis, you have to put the schools as part of the problem along with affordable housing and funding. Our schools are important and electing thoughtful, well-educated and focused school board members is one of the steps needed to improve outcomes. Of all the boards I have served on the school board was by far the most important and one I hope I will be remembered for. I see Richard Clewell has a comment, and for what it's worth Rich was a really dedicated school board member.
Thank you so much for your writing. The current “issues” that a school faces are more than just what book is on the library shelf. As a board member for 20 years, I can tell you it takes hard work, and a huge time commitment to the board for their work as well as their own learning. I found that the persons who were elected to the board with an agenda didn’t seem to last very long unless they did the work.
Thanks for your perspective, Susan. And for reading. I've known some very good school board members over the years, including two I know personally who have commented here, and I have found them to be community-minded and thoughtful. I am grateful for theirs, and your, service.
Excellent article. Extremely well presented. Most Iowa students attend public schools. Most parents align with their public school. Parents of public schools and those paying taxes had no say in voting for private school vouchers. The majority did not rule. Iowa taxpayers were railroaded. A swarm of women presented lies about schools in Iowa, when likely this buzz had never entered most counties in Iowa. Our congress members "leave out" certain details during campaign time. Let's start making legal rules they need to follow or they are expelled.
Thanks Ed. I appreciate your perspective and we agree. It has to be a brutal job serving the school, the children and the parents regardless of the outside political pressures. Thanks for writing this issue of Along the Mississippi. Have a great Thanksgiving!
Ed, you have effectively communicated the important advocacy role of the board! In this new world of ESA’s, it will be even more important for boards to unify around the importance of adequate funding and, more broadly, the value of strong public schools.
Well researched and written Ed. When I was approached about being on the Davenport school board, I received a call from the superintendent, who was Jim Blanche at the time, and he asked me why I was thinking of running and if there was a particular issue I had with the district. Other than having three high achieving children in the Davenport School District I had no agenda but desired to do my part to improve the outcomes and to promote the school district where I thought high achieving children could succeed and compete following their K- 12 education. Current right wind rhetoric has solutions looking for a problem which doesn't exist. Those issues you have identified are critical and need board leadership working closely with school administration and the state to solve. They are complicated and involve socioeconomic components, housing and funding sources which the state continues to strip from public education. The results are clear, and we are living in a community which has a growing crime problem and if you are looking for a cause-and-effect analysis, you have to put the schools as part of the problem along with affordable housing and funding. Our schools are important and electing thoughtful, well-educated and focused school board members is one of the steps needed to improve outcomes. Of all the boards I have served on the school board was by far the most important and one I hope I will be remembered for. I see Richard Clewell has a comment, and for what it's worth Rich was a really dedicated school board member.
Thank you so much for your writing. The current “issues” that a school faces are more than just what book is on the library shelf. As a board member for 20 years, I can tell you it takes hard work, and a huge time commitment to the board for their work as well as their own learning. I found that the persons who were elected to the board with an agenda didn’t seem to last very long unless they did the work.
Thanks for your perspective, Susan. And for reading. I've known some very good school board members over the years, including two I know personally who have commented here, and I have found them to be community-minded and thoughtful. I am grateful for theirs, and your, service.
Excellent article. Extremely well presented. Most Iowa students attend public schools. Most parents align with their public school. Parents of public schools and those paying taxes had no say in voting for private school vouchers. The majority did not rule. Iowa taxpayers were railroaded. A swarm of women presented lies about schools in Iowa, when likely this buzz had never entered most counties in Iowa. Our congress members "leave out" certain details during campaign time. Let's start making legal rules they need to follow or they are expelled.
Thanks for the clarity Ed. Advocacy at the state level does not appear to be part of our local school board’s agendas. Passivity is not acceptable.
Thanks Ed. I appreciate your perspective and we agree. It has to be a brutal job serving the school, the children and the parents regardless of the outside political pressures. Thanks for writing this issue of Along the Mississippi. Have a great Thanksgiving!
Thanks, Mike. I appreciate it. You have a great holiday, too.
Ed, you have effectively communicated the important advocacy role of the board! In this new world of ESA’s, it will be even more important for boards to unify around the importance of adequate funding and, more broadly, the value of strong public schools.