[speedgibson] Speed Gibson: Perception is Sometimes the Reality

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Posted by Speed Gibson:
Perception is Sometimes the Reality
http://speedgibson.powerblogs.com/posts/1211505886.shtml


   A frequent commenter has been following my concerns over the
   independence of the newly proposed financial advisory group for
   District 281, the Robbinsdale Area Schools. He writes: "[Can you] draw
   any conclusions about the independence of the board until you know who
   the citizen members are, and how they approach it[?]" That's a fair
   question he has asked more than once that I will now address.
   First, who sets the agenda? As proposed, the Director of Business
   Services, a member of the committee. He reports to an Assistant
   Superintendent who is also a member of the committee. She reports to
   the Superintendent, who is also a member of the committee.
   Second, who has the power? Besides the Administration's triple threat
   above, there are two School Board members on the committee, one of
   whom per the By-Laws is the permanent committee chair. Originally,
   there were to be five volunteer appointments, now as many as eight.
   All of them would be selected by the Superintendent, presumably for up
   or down ratification by the Board. Regardless of that, it would not be
   surprising to see about half with significant experience in the public
   education sector. This has been the pattern on other such commissions
   in the area.
   Third, who speaks for the group? The published reports will naturally
   carry the logos and titles (and imprimatur?) of the District and high
   officials. Reporters and cameras will naturally seek out the committee
   chair (the School Board Treasurer) and the Superintendent. If the
   citizen members materially disagree, who speaks for them? On other
   civic volunteer commissions including two that I currently serve on,
   the volunteers elect their own chairs, who do occasionally get quoted.
   Here, a citizen can only speak for his or her own self.
   We're in the world of politics here, folks, where the race is not
   always to the swift. All too often, perception is the reality. Indeed,
   the Board and the Superintendent have ascribed the defeat of the 2007
   Referendum to mis-perceptions of the District's realities. Let's
   stipulate for the moment that they're right, that the realities are
   real. One of those realities is that the Legislature isn't going to be
   of much help for at least two years, so only a Referendum will raise
   the money required.
   A successful Referendum will require giving at least a few hundred
   swing voters a reason to reconsider. Will the "Superintendent's
   Financial Advisory Committee" accomplish this? Whatever success this
   group might have, again, even in a world where I'm stipulating that
   District truly is short of money, a true "Citizens Financial Advisory
   Committee" will fare better. Imagine its citizen Chair making the
   final presentation and appearing with District partners at press
   events during the Referendum drive.
   Removing my stipulation, even if there is some disagreement on
   sufficiency of funds or other issues, with a true Citizen committee we
   will at least have a more credible basis for that discussion, and from
   that may come the compromises needed to get District 281 back on
   track.
   We really shouldn't even be having this discussion, for the Visioning
   process was clear on the need for a more independent assessment. I was
   there and I have witnesses. So why are we copying what Hopkins did
   rather than following our own community's guidance?