Listening, sharing and keeping a focus on local control

The National School Boards Association’s annual convention is an interesting and thought-provoking event at which board members hear what is happening around the country in education. The reactions of attendees range from “Our issues are the same as those from places far away,” to “I can’t imagine that situation happening in our district or state.” It is a time for learning, listening and sharing information and ideas.

This year I had the opportunity to spend a day with executive directors from around the United States, learning about each state association’s successes and challenges. State policy and education funding issues? Check. Common core state standards? Check. Labor negotiations? Check. Technology in the classroom? Check. But what the heck is this one:  School boards associations and polarized membership? Two years ago, Oregon’s two largest districts, Portland and Salem, withdrew from membership in the Oregon School Boards Association. The loss of their participation and our ability to speak for all school districts in Oregon severely hurt our effectiveness as an association. I am very glad to have them back and we are working hard to keep the conversations open and ongoing. So I assumed that was what this topic involved.

Not so much. Think again. In several of our Midwestern states, competing school boards associations have been formed to challenge the positions of the traditional state school boards associations. Billed as “your conservative alternative to understanding education funding, spending and legislative reform,” these organizations challenge the status quo as “mouthpieces for the teachers unions and pro-teacher policies.”  An “us vs. them” mentality has ensued, based on conservative vs. liberal political philosophies. The idea of a non-partisan association, or one made of boards of education elected in non-partisan elections, seems to have been left in the dust.

Last month we had an example of OSBA’s ability to bridge competing positions and speak with one voice in support of local control of school board decision-making based on community beliefs and values. Sam Lee from Winston-Dillard, Stan Primozich from McMinnville, and Bobbie Regan from Portland all testified in support of legislation to allow local boards to decide whether or not to allow weapons to be permitted in the schools. Sam testified that his district would probably choose to allow weapons, Bobbie testified that hers would not, and Stan told a compelling story that demonstrated why the current status had proven unworkable in his district. The power in our presentation was the focus on permitting local control, not whether or not permitting or forbidding weapons in schools was the right answer. The concept is still alive, in an amended version of the bill that would allow local districts to opt into a new policy prohibiting carrying a gun inside a K-12 school building.

We will not always be able to come to a position as a state association to satisfy every district or every board member. The key is to have all positions heard, all sides represented and make decisions that represent the majority while respecting the minority’s right to be heard. A focus on local control, student achievement and fair and equitable funding for education has kept us on target this year. Your voice is absolutely necessary, however, to keep the conversation going. Without it we aren’t a complete and fully representative association. Tell us we are right, or wrong, or halfway on target, but please keep participating in what is one of the most important conversations in our state today:  the future of public education in Oregon.

Betsy Miller-Jones, Executive Director

Bobbie Regan (Portland Public Schools Board member and secretary-treasurer of the OSBA Board), Stan Primozich (McMinnville School Board and OSBA Board member) and OSBA Executive Director Betsy Miller-Jones testify April 5 in favor of local control during a hearing on Senate Bill 347. Samuel Lee III (not pictured; member of the Winston-Dillard School Board and OSBA Board) joined them in testifying. The bill (and its amendments) would establish statewide policy prohibiting carrying a gun inside a K-12 school building, but local districts would have to opt in to put it into effect.