Instead of changing the way school board members are picked, the community needs to do a better job of showcasing candidates seeking one of the nine seats on the Board of Education, officials said.
“The community needs to provide more opportunities” for voters to learn who’s running for school board seats and what their positions are, said Tim Furey, chairman of the city’s Charter Revision Commission.
The commission this week unanimously gunned down a proposal that could have led to a return to an appointed school board.
Furey said that members of the charter panel who had leaned toward the change ultimately realized that the problem they see in the current system can be addressed with more forums and other venues for the public to get to know the candidates.
Officials had eyed the change because some of them were concerned that the school board isn’t responsive enough to the public. Many of them also believe that voters had almost no idea who any of the school board contenders were.
Furey said that after hearing from several city councilors and school board members, he realized that those seeking the office “are engaged people” who deliberately put themselves through the political process to gain a seat on the volunteer school board.
He said the deficiency in the system isn’t the candidates or the method by which they are picked. It is how to inform voters about the choices they have for the Board of Education, Furey said.
That means that when there is a school board race, the political town committees, community groups, parent-teacher organizations and perhaps the Greater Bristol Chamber of Commerce need to step up to the plate and sponsor forums that would shine some light on the candidates, he said.
Since school board members serve four-year terms, it won’t be an issue again until 2011.
Dick Prindle, a member of the charter commission, said he wasn't surprised that the idea was dropped given the lack of general support for a change to an appointed board.
He said, though, that he would like to see wholesale changes in the schools and in the way the city is run. “I’m more or less totally disgusted with education,” said Prindle, a Republican who has run unsuccessfully for the school board in the past. He prefers changing to a voucher system that would open the door to students to attend alternative schools more easily.Prindle said he's skeptical that the charter commission will wind up backing any significant reforms that would help taxpayers. “I don’t see this group making any real changes,” he said. “It’s very discouraging to me.”
“Nothing’s going to change,” Prindle said.
He called the charter commissioners “a group gung-ho with trying to get rid of the mayor” by installing a professional manager of some sort, a move he doesn’t support. He said Mayor Art Ward is “a good man” who deserves a chance to show what he can do.
Charter commissioners are still investigating the proposed city manager concept.
Whatever the charter panel recommends will be included in a report to the City Council in April. Councilors can then back them, turn them down or ask the commission to revise them. Anything approved by the council would go on the November 2008 general election ballot because no charter changes can occur without voters endorsing them.
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Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
11 comments:
Prindle's hitting the nail on the head. Besides him, the CRC is a bunch of butt-kissing saps. It is almost a total waste of time.
Its a shame Mr. Prindle feels the need to throw the rest of the comittee under the bus just because he didn't get his way on one issue. I can understand why his attempts to get elected failed. Nothing is going to get done if he throws a temper tantrum everytime something doesn't go his way. Very unbecoming. Out of curiosity have the other members been asked if they wish to defend themselves against the attacks from Mr. Prindle and other citizens that pass judgement without knowing their thought process? Or is this standard procedure to attack the volunteer members of board just looking to do their part and make the city better?
Anyone who feels attacked by Prindle is more than welcome to respond. I'm easy to find.
Interesting to recall that it was Stortz that requested during the last election that School Board members and candidates speak out on the issues.
We see that the voters failed to respond to the fact that they didn't let the public knew where they stood and voted them in anyway.
Shame Shame Shame
January 23, 2008 10:14 PM:
What he's saying (in my opinion) has nothing to do with what you're saying. He's merely (again, in my opinion) pointing out that the committee is inept. That (in my opinion) is "par for the course" for this committee considering most what its membership consists of.
Its quite easy to throw out insults calling people inept its quite another to back that up with any evidence at all. Do you have any particular reasons for saying that or do you just have a personal vendetta against one or more of the members?
"Inept" is meant to be an observation, not a "personal" insult. Accusing someone who cares enough to make a comment about how our city government is run of having a vendetta is unfair. Be happy I didn't name (your) name.
Inept:
1 : lacking in fitness or aptitude : unfit
2 : lacking sense or reason : foolish
3 : not suitable to the time, place, or occasion : inappropriate often to an absurd degree
4 : generally incompetent : bungling
Sounds more like an insult than an observation to me. But I guess when you're called out for just throwing out random insults and not willing to back them up intelligently with hard information thats just observation. As for me being happy that you didn't throw out my name Im not on the comittee so chances are you don't know my name. Just kinda tired of reading people's comments just attacking people without offering any substance as to why they think that way. You know kind of what a 3rd grader might do.
Once again you have dedicated volunteers, giving their time and effort in seeking out and discussing ways to improve city functions and city governance. Volunteers. On their own time. And once again all you hackneyed semi pro, political wannabees can do is bitch and moan. Everyone on every board and every poster on this blog has a right to an opinion.
Furey has his, Prindle has his and you have yours.
Give these folks (and all who volunteer to serve their city) a break. No wonder good people are afraid to come forward. All they get for their efforts is to be pilloried by the unknowing, questioned by the uncaring and attacked by the unwilling.
You think you are so much smarter than every person on every board and every elected official? Then get off your ass and volunteer to serve in a place where your comments will be questioned because you can longer hide under the snaky cloak of anonymity.
anonymous 7:41:
That is exactly what I was trying to get at you just managed to say much more eloquently than I did. Thank you. I would just add I think it is unfair to judge what their doing now bfore they are completely done because they may send some really good recomendations forward when all is said and done. To call the board a failure before they are through is just unfair.
What would happen if we required a minimum number of votes to get elected: then, if there was not enough support the spot would be up for consideration again.
As it stands right now, theoretically, one vote could elect a person.
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