Writing on the Blackboard

I will not post again about local politics
I will not post again about local politics
I will not post again about local politics
I will not post again about local politics


I can't imagine that any of you care at this point, but I just have to get this down somewhere.

The Board that I just left, which was dedicated to open governance and Sunshine Ordinances and public input, after being formed in reaction to the Old Board appointing an unqualified person to be Superintendent in the middle of the night with no warning or opportunities for public comment, an action which caused much public unrest and swept some baddies out of office, just appointed a new board member in an underhanded manner with no warning or opportunities for public comment.

Ye gads, kids. You can't go around doing what the baddies did just because it's Easier and More Efficient. Some thoughts:

• It all reminds me why I don't want to be on the Board anymore.
• I'm stupidly thankful for the very supportive and wonderful conversations over the last few days with people who I knew generally supported me when I was up there, but who had no idea what I was going through over the past two years.
  
• The same set of folks saw this going down and called me to find out what my read was, and within a moment of my trying to stay above the fray and not say anything, they read between the lines and were on the full twisted story like gum on a shoe. Smart folks.
  
• I say this as a feminist, but I'm not sure women are ready to be public officials, or at least school board members. I'm losing all sorts of respect for others of my gender.
• The Board appointed a woman to the Board because her letter of interest made the female Board Members cry when they read it. The new member has never been to a meeting, nor written a letter on any issue, nor called any Board member, nor served on any district committee in the six years that I've been following this. But she can make someone cry when she describes her dedication to the schools. That was her qualification. Making someone cry. Stick a knife between my eyes right freaking now.
• The highs, the lows, the rages, the flutters of outrage in my chest. I discover they can come back in a moment, just by watching a one minute conversation on the TV screen.

There is a silver lining.

One thing I was sure I'd miss, that would damage me in some way by not running for the board again was exercising my mind in conversation and research, as well as meeting new and engaging people. But out of this debacle comes an interest from the candidates who were passed over to get together to talk about education, to share ideas from other districts, to share arcane knowledge about education law or policy, and to do it in a sort of a "book group"/seminar/roundtable sort of thing. Maybe once a month? Each person pick a topic, educate the others. Talk about the system and how to improve it?

I love it.

Thank you, Ramon, for being a mensch, finding a way through this muck and coming up with an educational, social, and ultimately (for Ramon) political solution to all this. I always liked that part best. Sitting around and talking about education and goals and plans and ideas. Someone else can go to the meetings.