MAhole’ Musings … or … School Committed

A news snippet in the St. Petersburg Times brought my mind back to unhappy remembrances of small town New England politics. Specifically, it was the kerfuffle between Hillsborough County School Board member Susan Valdes and Superintendent MaryEllen Elia over Ms. Valdes’ ability or interest in reading lengthy documents prior to meetings that involve topical discussions and votes on important items (usually fiscal in nature). To recap from the Times story:

Susan Valdes accused Superintendent MaryEllen Elia of failing to provide adequate information, including an organizational chart, concerning the appointment of Carla Sparks as supervisor of single gender programs. Elia said that sometimes board members do not read all of the information they receive, particularly if it is embedded in long contracts. “I do read all of my agenda items,” Valdes responded. “I need for you to take that back.”

Before I tell you how much I want to take School Board member Valdes to task for her haughtiness, perhaps a little background from my point-of-view is in order. Coming from the Northeast, I have a very cynical view of school committees and their relationship with superintendents. It always seemed as though the two sides were in constant disagreement and, in some cases, outright disdain toward each other.

The superintendents were typically well-educated and experienced professionals, who were made to listen to the inanity of committee members, who were usually elected on the basis of their longevity in the community and the fact that they may not have had anything better in their lives to occupy their time.

This constant grinding often led to delays in decisions that impacted the functionality of the academic and physical systems. As a parent (and educational professional myself) I was frequently incensed that these local yahoos were telling the person they had hired not only how to do their job but how horribly he or she was doing it.

Now, then, when I was job hunting a few years ago, in an effort to get the heck out of Massachusetts, a top concern was the quality of the local schools where my family would be relocating. Like most parents, I want my kids to get the best public education possible in a place where we can reasonably afford to live. Numerous friends and colleagues questioned the availability and quality of a Florida public education. Fortunately I was able to call upon friends, professional colleagues, and a variety of readily available resources to determine that Hillsborough County, Florida has one damn fine school system (especially when compared to many other areas of the country and most certainly where I used to live in Massachusetts). The school system in Hillsborough County is extremely well-managed in all areas -- fiscal, academic, personnel, facilities, communication, IT, etc.

One of the reasons why the public schools in Hillsborough County are so pleasing to me and my family is that the public relationship between the school board and the superintendent and her staff is so very cordial. Exchanges such as the one between School Board member Susan Valdes and Superintendent MaryEllen Elia are practically non-existent.

It is with certainty that behind the scenes, out of public earshot, there is squabbling and disagreement. However, airing such disagreements in public -- and in such an unprofessional manner -- is absolutely uncalled for. I hope that this outburst by Ms. Valdes is an anomaly and not how she intends to present herself from this point forward.

I have personally borne witness to how prolonged poor relations and systemic immaturity can devastate a school system, cause staff morale to plummet, trash budgets, and cause local inhabitants to flee for their sanity and sake of their children. I know this may be an isolated case and I may be showing concern too brashly and too adamantly, but it needs to stop NOW -- before Ms. Valdes and Superintendent Elia get distracted by each other and forget about their responsibilities to the public.