When I knocked on doors during my campaign for Senate in 2006, the most common concern raised on doorstep after doorstep, was the condition of the Kansas City Missouri School District. Since my election, the school district has remained in the top 5 concerns raised by my constituents.The school district is one of the most politically and emotionally charged issues I have dealt with during my three years in the Missouri Senate. I have been steadfast in my belief that the majority of the issues facing the school district are local issues and must be solved at the local level. At the state level, we deal with the larger issue of school funding and we also discuss big-picture issues that impact all Missouri schools. It is rare to discuss issues that affect just one school district.
With continued bad news from the district, however, and tension about its governance on the rise, I have received an increasing number of requests from constituents who want to discuss possible Jefferson City solutions to Kansas City's number one problem.
One such meeting with concerned parents resulted in my filing SB253, which would require a special election for vacancies on the KCMO School Board. Current law says if a member leaves the board before his/her term expires, the remaining board members must appoint a person to fill the vacancy. If SB253 passes, the people of KC will make that decision.
This year I have heard from more and more parents, community and business leaders -- all concerned about the kids in the KCMO School District. The ideas presented about how to "fix" the problem are as diverse as the groups making the pitches.
Two competing organizations have come to the surface in this debate -- Do The Right Thing For Kids and Hands Off the Kansas City School District. "Hands Off" has called for a grassroots, bottom-up approach, leaving the current governing body in tact. "Do The Right Thing" argues that the district's woes will not be fixed until we change the governing body of the school district. They have a proposal that would allow the people of KC to vote on a change to the school's governance.
I submit that the answer is not one proposal or the other, but that real change will not come to the school district until we address the issues from the top-down AND the bottom-up.
Throughout this debate I have made two things very clear -- 1) I am against the status quo; and 2) the voters of KC should make the ultimate decision about how our school district is governed. To that end, the Senate passed an amendment on an education bill today that would create an interim legislative committee to address the governance of the KCMO School District. The interim committee will take testimony from all stakeholders and report back to the General Assembly in January 2010. I fully support this amendment and sincerely hope that it makes it through the rest of the process and to the governor's desk.
I also hope that all sides fully participate in the dialogue and bring genuine ideas to the table. One answer I will not accept is "just give us another chance," or "this is a different school board, just wait and see the good work we are doing." While that statement may be entirely true, the kids of KC can't wait just one more year. We are failing our kids now.
Change is going to come to the KCMO School District one way or another. The question we must ask ourselves is whether we want the decision made in Jefferson City, or whether we want the people of KC to make the decision. Every year we hear the possibility of a state takeover. Suburban lawmakers routinely file legislation requiring an appointed board or requiring all board members to run at-large. My warning to those who advocate for the status quo -- ignore this call for change at your own peril. This is not a crisis that will blow over and be forgotten during the long months between legislative sessions.
My sincere hope is that this legislative session has lit a fire under everyone who cares about the kids of KC. I want to see town hall meetings, debates and public testimony all summer long. I don't want to hear another report of one side refusing to meet with the other or complaints that the debate is taking place in a vacuum. Put the turf wars aside and get down to the business of fixing our schools KC. If you don't do it -- Jefferson City will.
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5 comments:
I feel your frustration, Senator. I lived in the KCSD and now live in an urban district where the state and the city appoint some members and the voters vote for the rest. The school district here is every bit as bad as KCMO. Appointing a board is merely rearranging the deck chairs and will not result in any better scholar outcomes. For that result you need a fundamental shift from the state in the management of education and no one is even considering that. The best thing the state could do is to give the superintendent some autonomy from the board in how education is provided and to give the district autonomy from state micromanagement on how the school day operates. Let the district manage the process. Let them be innovative and flexible. Neither the mayor nor civic leaders will do any better job of educating children. They may provide better oversight, but that is not what will make the difference for the scholars. Don't be misled that it is the board that can make a difference in scholar achievement. Give the board less power over the delivery of education and let the professionals be held accountable and do their jobs. Let the board be an oversight body, not a manager. Let the super manage and not be a pawn of state micro management.
this is excellent, Jolie, and it's right. it also won't be easy and it's going to be very unnecessarily and irresponsibly emotional but it is the right thing to do, as I said, and very necessary. Hopeully we can get to a better place in the KCMO School District and as soon as possible.
One thing that would make a huge difference is term limits for board members. Most of the current crew have been there too long and need to be forced to step down. The president is too focused on her pet projects to be effective for ALL of the students. She should also be ashamed by the way she talked to a new board member who was only asking questions. If we want people to serve as board members, we should treat them respectfully; a lesson our president never learned.
Another long time member is related to far too many incompetent district administrators; her only useful role appears to be a protector of employment for family members. And another longtime member appears too senile to competently represent his patrons.
Get rid of them - at least these 3 - and you MIGHT have a competent governing body. While they are on the board, you do not.
Congrats on the nuptials, jj. All our love to you both.
Lex & Katie
Dropping in to offer my congratulations. If I'd known you were going to be on the bus to IC, I would have driven over just for the honor of congratulating you in person. (Yup, you even have fans in Iowa.)
All my best to you both.
- Lynda
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