The Brattleboro Town School Board, which governs the town’s three elementary schools, has announced the agenda for their first outreach session with the public on the topic of education. This meeting, which is scheduled for January 22, 2014 from 6:00 to 7:30 PM at the Academy School, will focus on what people like about Brattleboro’s public schools. Details from the flyer are below.
Topic: Learning In the 21st Century – the first in a series of community conversations with the Brattleboro Town School Board
January 22, 2014
6:00 – 7:30 pm
Academy School
This is an opportunity to talk directly with policy makers about what we want for our children:
• What’s working?
• What do we want more of?
• Given budget realities, where should we focus?
Food and child care provided. Please RSVP to Jill Stahl Tyler of the Town School Board — email jill@globalcow.com or leave a message 254-2879.
January 22 school board forum
Just to clarify, the Brattleboro Town School Board oversees the three Brattleboro Elementary Schools – but not the Brattleboro Area Middle School (BAMS). The Brattleboro Town School Board has jurisdiction over the three K-6 schools in Brattleboro – Oak Grove School, Green Street School and Academy School.
Having attended the most recent School Board meeting on January 8, I think I am correct in saying that the community outreach forum on January 22 (6 pm at Academy School) will be open to any and all concerns of the public. The guiding questions cited above are meant to get the discussion going. However, I believe the School Board is interested in getting feedback from the community on all issues related to our schools and the direction in which they are heading.
Corrected
Thanks for the correction — I even knew that. The text above has been corrected.
What's the goal?
I keep looking at these questions. They seem lacking and loaded.
“What’s working?” is a question the school board should have answers to already, and should be able to provide to the community. “What do we want more of?” is vague and seems already defeated by question 3, “given the budget, where should we focus?”
If I thought there was a problem, say, with my toaster and I took it to a repairperson, I would hope s/he would ask me “what’s wrong with this?” Trying to describe what’s wrong by answering “what’s working?” would be difficult. I could say the heating element is quite powerful, and the openings were designed perfectly for bread. Would the repair person know that it is burning my bagels?
If a patient goes to a doctor and the doc asks what’s working, you could mention your good vision and hearing but wouldn’t mention your broken arm. Is that helpful? If the patient says they want more pain killers for arm pain, is that what the doctor should give? What if a cast would solve things long term?
When I want to improve something, I look at what works AND what doesn’t work. That alone could fill many meetings if we are discussing schools. I’d consider what should be increased, but also what should be decreased or eliminated, or changed entirely. I’d want to hear about what constraints and limitations will guide decisions. I’d want to know how free we are to try radical changes and experiments.
Looking at this list of questions, I can see the results already: a list of things people like and want more of, but a warning that it might not happen due to the budget. Is that the desired result?
I do appreciate this effort and hope that the series of meetings eventually gets to a point of examining what isn’t working, what we’d like to see be done differently, and a host of other questions. This first one seems designed to keep the results positive.
…
“What’s Working?” could be altered slightly to be useful. The question could be more general – “What do we value about education for K-12?” Let people list what they value in a school system and education, even if our schools don’t have these things. Then let everyone vote to prioritize. The resulting list could then be used as a guide, to see how our schools measure up with our values.
“What do we want more of” is vague. It assumes everyone knows everything that is available, too. Instead, perhaps the question should be “What indicators should we use to evaluate our school system?”
The budget should be left out of brainstorming. The purpose of brainstorming is to gather any and all ideas, no matter how good or bad, cheap or expensive.
The goal I’d suggest is to come up with an annual school system report card based on the values and indicators created by the community.
With all of the above in place, it would be easier for the board to evaluate if Common Core fits our needs, or if parts of the budget can be redone or reduced.
I think the board struggles with guessing what the community wants. Getting good information from the community can make that job easier.
Public forum, 1/22/14
I do believe that this event is well worth attending by anyone who has concerns about the direction of our schools. The guiding questions being published in the invitation do not prevent people from raising whatever concerns they may have.
The board is trying to make this meeting open to as many points of view as possible. Providing food and childcare is a positive approach. This is one piece of an ongoing commitment of this board to engage the public.
See you at Academy School on Wednesday, January 22 at 6:00 pm.
Where's the Beef?
Not trying to be cynical but I agree with Chris, there’s something that seems off here.
Is this a PR initiative, or will the board actually consider action on issues of curriculum and administrative methodology? Will they change their own policies to address concerns that have emerged?
The feedback loop should be clarified by the board, otherwise the forum has the potential for either steam-venting and griping, or boosterism.
It’s not unlike the NE Patriot front office polling the fans for what plays the team should run in the playoff. Sounds engaging, chances of actual application- nil.
Could this forum be useful?
Great questions! If you were at the last public engagement session that took place in the meeting room of the Co-op last fall you will know that there are many pressing issues that need to be addressed by the school board and the school administration. Rather than question the questions I suggest simply taking their invitation at face value – as an opportunity to speak to the school board and school administration in a public forum.
Several of us went to the last school board meeting and tried to focus the questions for this forum on issues that have already been raised before the board, written about eloquently in the press and discussed in the community. The sub-committee of the board was firm that they want open ended questions for this meeting.
They clearly stated that any issue can be raised at this forum. The analogy with a privately owned sports team polling its fan to devise a playbook does not work here. The public schools are owned by you and me and the town of Brattleboro. If these three innocuous questions are viewed as some sort of conspiracy and you stay home – then the system continues on its merry way without debate and without accountability.
Will there be ‘boosterism’? Probably. Will some very good and difficult questions be asked? I sure hope so. This meeting will determine the focus of the next forum. Please don’t throw away the opportunity to shed light on public education in this town. What are your issues with the schools?
School board needs candidates
And by the way, the Brattleboro town school board needs candidates. That is also different than the way privately owned sports teams operate.
School board
I am confused, perhaps that is part of the plan. As one who was at the school board meeting at The Co-op, in the fall, as well as other subsequent school board meetings, I must say the spin doctors are at work, but who are they? Is the board feeling pressure from the administration?
I can assure all readers
that the pages of concerns that were written down at the co- op meeting do not just come down to the 3 questions of ” what is working, what do we want more of, and given our budget realities where should we focus? “Please school board, what you are stating as a synopsis of all the concerns brought fourth, is a sham. There teachers past and present were asking difficult questions about workplace bullying. A former teacher discussed bullying on the bus which is ongoing. That teacher had first hand knowledge of what the administration did not do, and asked the board to please look into these concerns.( I haven’t even touched on administrative bullying, which is alive and well.) The administration Is not walking the talk. My high school student can absolutely confirm bullying he sees on the bus, nothing seems to be happening to help these victims. Finally given “the budget realities”, I implore the board go through the budget with a fine tooth comb. My understanding is that for at least the last five plus years, Mr. Stahley takes several staff on a trip to China to recruit exchange students to come to BUHS as tuition paying students. Where are these expenses documented? How many staff go along for the ride? How much is the total cost of these trips, and where can I find it in the budget? Why can’t this recruitment happen via Internet. Transparency is what we need to ” focus ” on. What programs could be replaced in lieu of these trips to China? Given that the school budget passed by about 6 votes last year, I think it is time the school board continue their work at looking deeply into the concerns which have been raised both publicly and privately. This is your charge, school board, please continue to question the administration. I know you have integrity and were voted in by the citizens to do what you are doing, please don’t cower, that’s what the bully is waiting for.
The first forum is tonight
Tonight’s the night.
I’m hoping to see many people take advantage of this opportunity that the board has offered. Even if you don’t work in the schools or have students attending, if you have an interest in education and future generations you should take the time to attend if you can.
Also, the town school board mentioned that they would be opening up other channels of communication (suggestion boxes, email), so if the meeting conflicts with your schedule, you can still express your thoughts in other ways.
See you there.