There is no doubting this community
’s genuine concern for the state of its public schools. Simply
count the letters and columns dedicated to public education issues
appearing in this paper over the last school year. While the
exchange of opinions regarding how the schools should be improved
becomes acrimonious at times, the torrent
of words has a common theme: How can we raise the quality of the
academic experience and deliver a finished educational product that
is not just capable of surviving, but capable of thriving?
There is no doubting this community’s genuine concern for the state of its public schools. Simply count the letters and columns dedicated to public education issues appearing in this paper over the last school year. While the exchange of opinions regarding how the schools should be improved becomes acrimonious at times, the torrent of words has a common theme: How can we raise the quality of the academic experience and deliver a finished educational product that is not just capable of surviving, but capable of thriving?
Despite the evident dissatisfaction with the school district’s operations, it’s clear parents and other residents are hardly ready to give up on their school district. We still believe in the public schools. In fact, it’s safe to say that Morgan Hill School District residents are as determined as ever to raise the quality of public education and improve day-to-day operations. An unpaid army of parent volunteers continue to dedicate their time inside and outside the classroom.
That’s why it’s so confounding that, with school board election deadline approaching, only one new candidate – Bob Griesinger – has pulled for the most significant volunteer role in the public education system, that of school board trustee.
If you are genuinely concerned over the growing “expectation gap” between the school district and a community that demands more of parents, students, teachers, the teachers unions and administrative officials, then we urge you to also consider running for a seat on the school board.
We are not looking for candidates who view the school board as a means to gain public exposure. We’ve seen enough school board trustees who view their role as facilitators for superintendent Carolyn McKennan’s initiatives, and are unwilling to challenge the ineffectiveness of the academic policies and district operations laid before them.
We’re looking for do-ers, not be-ers. We’re looking for community members who will place the academic welfare of all students first. We want someone who questions reports from district staff (and from the public as well), someone who does their homework, always keeps the best interest of the children in mind and makes up their own mind even if it means standing alone on an issue.
We suspect there are more volunteers in this community who would make such good leaders and hold the district accountable to the higher level of expectation the community is demanding. Unfortunately, these potential candidates may have eliminated themselves from consideration because they have no experience in public office, are intimidated by board procedures and processes, are wary of being in the public spotlight, or are turned off because School Board meetings has recently resembled a battleground.
If this is the case, we urge you to reconsider. Yes, the time commitment is high. The pay is insignificant. The job can be frustrating. Board trustees are challenged with pressure from the unions, parents and district officials. But the opportunity to change Morgan Hill public schools for the better is enormous.
Raising and meeting expectations in the district can happen, but we need good leaders on the school board who want to serve for the right reasons. If you are this person (or you know this person), we urge you to think about the lasting positive effect a single individual can make.
The filing deadline for Morgan Hill school board election is Aug. 11 ( extended from Aug. 6 because three incumbents decided not to run). The 4-year school board seats held by incumbents George Panos, Jan Masuda and Del Foster, plus Tom Kinoshita’s former seat (2-years), are open. We sincerely hope that more candidates will step forward to answer the community’s call for balloting Nov. 2.
