Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Parent STILL Wants To Know How To Organize
Dear Larry,
Glad you gave the question some attention, but was disappointed with the same 'ole stale and ineffective answer to the real problem of students not having the benefit of checks and balances over the programs that govern them in their daily lives. Your previous idea to form a parent's organization was the one I was after. That same suggestion was pushed by a school official here (one, like many, who sees the need), but I've yet to find an effective way to gather together the forces efficiently. The "stay connected" way just doesn't get it.
I'm as connected and mainstream as the average mom. I work in the Guidance and Attendance office at my school weekly. I have worked with youth and their parents in leadership positions within church, scouts, sports, and school programs for the entire ten years I have lived in this community. I have a school official on my resume as a reference. I am known for my letters of praise for teachers who do a great job, letters that are escalated to the top as habit. The superintendent of our schools refers to me as someone with real insight when it comes to understanding most teachers/administrators are good, while at the same time striving for real checks and balances to handle the truly bad ones who influence their school system negatively. PTA certainly does not serve that role, and yes, I have supported the PTA annually with volunteer hours and membership funds like most moms in our area.
The same 'ole "stay connected" answer does not begin to address the lack of healthy oversight needed. Our school system has been in the papers repeatedly (without my help--my boys both have had articles written about their accomplishments, but other than that I've had little to do with the way things are handled here). In our district we have had highly reputable coaches fired as scapegoats to hide the lack of fiscal responsibility from school administrators--the truth eventually came out with the help of a few parents and a dedicated reporter but not until after these dedicated coaches and their families were harmed and humiliated in the process.
We have been the laughingstock of the nation when our school board railroaded the teachers into two programs they nor the parents wanted. Again, a few parents and the same reporter stepped in--one program was stopped before it cost us billions; the truth of the other did not come in time. That program went through as planned, only to have to be undone when better heads prevailed--and again we were the talk of the nation. And most recently, we had a senator push through a bill that slapped the hands of our Ethics Board and an Administrator who helped a student who was mistreated by a teacher. It will be years before we are able to address the overall outcome of that decision to once again bulldoze any entity that attempts to provide checks and balances.
We currently have a teacher in our system who has manhandled and verbally abused children for years and a subsequent parent who is trying to push policy that will provide the same help hotline for this type of abuse as is provided for abuse by parents or students. She and the students could sure use a parent organization behind her.
No system works well without checks and balances. What I was probing was the logistics of forming something useful at the local level. This is a goal shared by many, including those of us (parents, teachers, school officials, etc.) who are in the mainstream. I would still be interested in seeing that question probed for an effective answer.
Thank you,
Susan
*** *** ***
Dear Susan,
I appreciate what you are saying, but someone who seems as dialed in to what is going on in your district shouldn't have as much of a challenge organizing as you seem to. And I'll say it again...it is much easier to work within the system than to be a group that agitates from the outside. Forming a group will give you a big voice but not much real power.
So I'll try and answer your original question one more time. If you are as connected to and respected in the community as you seem to be, what is stopping you from making some contacts with those you do know and having it spread out like the branches of a tree? In communities like the one you're describing, two who get two who get two make for the strongest organizations. Labor intensive, yes; but is it worth the effort? You seem to have the energy for it!
I do not have any special knowledge on the subject you're asking about. There could be some national or state advocacy groups that have similar agendas to yours. It might be worth an online search with some key words such as "education," "advocacy group," and the name of your state that will help you find such an organization. Try other key words that seem to reflect what you're looking for.
I also have one idea you might find crazy: run for a spot on your local Board of Education. I do know of a district that has a Board of Ed member who butts heads repeatedly with her colleagues and school administration. She's unlikely to win any popularity contests but she has been a huge help in making changes to the oversight and fiscal policies of her district. She's also been re-elected twice.
Bottom line, Susan: the checks and balances you seek are built into the system. Some stakeholders manipulate them better than others, but they still exist. Use your passion, energy and intelligence to find them.
Best of Luck,
Larry Hochman
The Guidance Guy
Glad you gave the question some attention, but was disappointed with the same 'ole stale and ineffective answer to the real problem of students not having the benefit of checks and balances over the programs that govern them in their daily lives. Your previous idea to form a parent's organization was the one I was after. That same suggestion was pushed by a school official here (one, like many, who sees the need), but I've yet to find an effective way to gather together the forces efficiently. The "stay connected" way just doesn't get it.
I'm as connected and mainstream as the average mom. I work in the Guidance and Attendance office at my school weekly. I have worked with youth and their parents in leadership positions within church, scouts, sports, and school programs for the entire ten years I have lived in this community. I have a school official on my resume as a reference. I am known for my letters of praise for teachers who do a great job, letters that are escalated to the top as habit. The superintendent of our schools refers to me as someone with real insight when it comes to understanding most teachers/administrators are good, while at the same time striving for real checks and balances to handle the truly bad ones who influence their school system negatively. PTA certainly does not serve that role, and yes, I have supported the PTA annually with volunteer hours and membership funds like most moms in our area.
The same 'ole "stay connected" answer does not begin to address the lack of healthy oversight needed. Our school system has been in the papers repeatedly (without my help--my boys both have had articles written about their accomplishments, but other than that I've had little to do with the way things are handled here). In our district we have had highly reputable coaches fired as scapegoats to hide the lack of fiscal responsibility from school administrators--the truth eventually came out with the help of a few parents and a dedicated reporter but not until after these dedicated coaches and their families were harmed and humiliated in the process.
We have been the laughingstock of the nation when our school board railroaded the teachers into two programs they nor the parents wanted. Again, a few parents and the same reporter stepped in--one program was stopped before it cost us billions; the truth of the other did not come in time. That program went through as planned, only to have to be undone when better heads prevailed--and again we were the talk of the nation. And most recently, we had a senator push through a bill that slapped the hands of our Ethics Board and an Administrator who helped a student who was mistreated by a teacher. It will be years before we are able to address the overall outcome of that decision to once again bulldoze any entity that attempts to provide checks and balances.
We currently have a teacher in our system who has manhandled and verbally abused children for years and a subsequent parent who is trying to push policy that will provide the same help hotline for this type of abuse as is provided for abuse by parents or students. She and the students could sure use a parent organization behind her.
No system works well without checks and balances. What I was probing was the logistics of forming something useful at the local level. This is a goal shared by many, including those of us (parents, teachers, school officials, etc.) who are in the mainstream. I would still be interested in seeing that question probed for an effective answer.
Thank you,
Susan
*** *** ***
Dear Susan,
I appreciate what you are saying, but someone who seems as dialed in to what is going on in your district shouldn't have as much of a challenge organizing as you seem to. And I'll say it again...it is much easier to work within the system than to be a group that agitates from the outside. Forming a group will give you a big voice but not much real power.
So I'll try and answer your original question one more time. If you are as connected to and respected in the community as you seem to be, what is stopping you from making some contacts with those you do know and having it spread out like the branches of a tree? In communities like the one you're describing, two who get two who get two make for the strongest organizations. Labor intensive, yes; but is it worth the effort? You seem to have the energy for it!
I do not have any special knowledge on the subject you're asking about. There could be some national or state advocacy groups that have similar agendas to yours. It might be worth an online search with some key words such as "education," "advocacy group," and the name of your state that will help you find such an organization. Try other key words that seem to reflect what you're looking for.
I also have one idea you might find crazy: run for a spot on your local Board of Education. I do know of a district that has a Board of Ed member who butts heads repeatedly with her colleagues and school administration. She's unlikely to win any popularity contests but she has been a huge help in making changes to the oversight and fiscal policies of her district. She's also been re-elected twice.
Bottom line, Susan: the checks and balances you seek are built into the system. Some stakeholders manipulate them better than others, but they still exist. Use your passion, energy and intelligence to find them.
Best of Luck,
Larry Hochman
The Guidance Guy
# posted by Larry Hochman : 2:53 PM
