Archive: Opinions

Since Monday's confrontation at the School Board meeting was apparently prompted by last week's editorial, I want to try again.  The point I intended to make is that Lansing is bad at keeping superintendents, and I believe the Board Of Education needs to examine why, honestly and openly, with no topic off the table just because it makes someone uncomfortable or angry.

I named what I thought were two main causes, but I don't claim to be right.  That's why the board, with intimate knowledge of how the board and district works, needs to go through this exercise.

I was pretty sure I would be blasted for that piece, and was surprised not to be.  (Our Internet connection was out for three days starting Friday, so I dreaded my email when I could finally access it!)  I rarely get much input on my editorials, so was surprised at the volume of feedback I got this week, mostly in person as I went around town, much at the Harbor Festival, and mostly agreeing with the piece.  I only received two letters to the editor, both published this week.  I had a number of enjoyable conversations with people who did or didn't agree with what I wrote.

Only one person I spoke to didn't agree that we have a problem keeping superintendents.  That person said that four years is a 'normal cycle' these days for keeping them.  This is a knowledgable person with enormous education experience, so I don't doubt what he told me, though I think Lansing needs to do better than that.

I disagree with the person who spoke in the public input portion of the board meeting in that I don't believe adversarial leadership works.  I don't think the approach worked well for him Monday.  For the school board I believe collegial airing of all points of view, coming to a compromise or a vote, and then everyone standing by that decision is the best way to accomplish positive things for kids in our schools.  This is not something our school board has been able to accomplish since I began covering it for the Star seven years ago.

Again, I am not saying there shouldn't be dissent among board members.  Of course there should be.  But I do believe that there is a process for getting the work of the district done in place and there is a point in that process where the board dissents, and another place where they stand behind their collective decisions.

Also, I don't think this is just the board's problem.  I believe this is a problem the wider community shares, but first thing first: I think the board needs to examine the fact that we don't seem to be able to keep a superintendent over the long term, to be frank and open, to not bow to the politically correct, and make real changes.  My wish is that they hire an excellent superintendent who is so good for the district, and to whom the district is so appealing and positively challenging that he or she stays for give or take 20 years, providing consistency of leadership, long term planning, and monitoring and tweaking of that plan to continue Lansing's tradition of excellent education.

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