School boards provide important service
To the Editor:
School board members are ordinary people who have extraordinary dedication to our public schools. It is time we thanked them for their untiring efforts.
— Too often we forget about the personal sacrifices school board members routinely make.
— Too often we forget about the important role school board members play in assuring local control over our public schools — control that is in the hands of people we know — people who are our neighbors.
— Too often we forget, in the tradition of a representative democracy, school board members are our connection to influencing how our public schools are governed.
— Too often we are quick to criticize school board members without really knowing all the details that went into any given decision.
— Too often the efforts of school board members go unrecognized and unrewarded.
January is School Board Recognition Month. This is a time to show our appreciation and to begin to better understand how school board members work together to provide leadership for our schools.
The school board works closely with parents, education professionals, and other community members to create the educational vision we want for our students.
The school board is accountable to the public. It is responsible for assuring the public the money allocated to public schools is providing a good return on the investment. Thus, the board oversees regular assessment of the district's students, staff, and programs.
The school board also is a strong advocate for public schools and is responsible for communicating the needs of the school district to the public and the public's expectations to the district administration.
Too often we neglect to recognize the dedication and hard work of these men and women who represent us. Local citizens are encouraged to take a moment to tell a school board member "thanks for caring about our children."
So "thanks" to the dedicated men and women who make it possible for local citizens to have a say about education in our communities. We salute the public servants whose dedication and civic responsibility make local control of public schools in our community possible. We applaud them for their vision and voice to help shape a better tomorrow.
Robert L. Kiblinger, Superintendent of Schools, USD 397
