by JoAnna Kai Cobb
‘Tis the season! About a month ago, I started
noticing campaign signs appearing on my running routes. A few turned into a
plethora, and now our city is dotted with the little colorful billboards
promoting different candidates in the community. However, instead of endorsing
senatorial contenders and representatives, most of Lawrence County’s signs are
advertising school board candidates.
As a local educator in her sixteenth year of
service, I want to share both my thoughts on the biggest concerns I have for
North Lawrence Community Schools and my opinion on the characteristics of an
effective school board member who will face these issues head-on.
My interest in these issues comes not only from wanting
the very best for the youth of Lawrence County, but also from desiring the best
future for our community in general. As Whitney Houston once sang, “I believe
the children are our future.” Investing in the youth of our community builds
the foundation for the Lawrence County of years to come.
For whom should you vote for NLCS School Board? That
decision belongs to you. My aim is to share my expert opinion on the critical
issues that will be facing those who are elected so that voters know what is at
stake.
Adjusting
to a New Age
As an ever-evolving entity, education looks
different today than it ever has in the past. More models and resources are
available to students, teachers, and administrators, not just to utilize for
learning, but also to set up a framework for optimal learning.
NLCS has embraced technology through 1:1 devices
for students, in its course offerings, with professional development, and more.
In my classroom, I have enjoyed watching technology usage transform from a
classroom novelty to a classroom norm and necessity.
However, modern education isn’t about only
technology and curriculum; it’s about making informed decisions so that our
students may do their best learning. At the administrative level, that
decision-making involves setting up school calendars, daily schedules, other
policies, and opportunities that will be best
for student learning.
It is vital that such informed decisions are based
upon outside research and inside data. An effective school board member is excited
to both initiate and play an active role in this analysis in order to learn
what types of changes will be best for the corporation’s students. He or she
also knows that conclusions deemed best for students of the past aren’t
necessarily best for the students of today.
For example, using e-learning days in lieu of snow
make-up or other unconventional mid-week breaks, such as Election Day, would
give NLCS students a chance to experience a different kind of learning while
maintaining continuity. Researching how corporations similar to NLCS implement
such a policy, troubleshoot problems, and experience successes would be a step
in providing the same opportunities for Lawrence County students.
An effective school board member recognizes
stagnancy, and makes informed changes based on careful research and data
collection.
Attracting
and Retaining Staff
The salaries of NLCS certified staff are the
lowest in the area. (The Master Contract is publicly available and may be
viewed at
this
link.) A decades-old government funding formula is often cited as the
reason for the disparity. Regular insurance premium hikes compound the problem.
This topic may initially seem self-serving. While
it would be nice to have a salary that allowed me the possibility of working
only one job and maintaining a cost of living, my worry is not for myself. My
worry is for the students whose teachers are leaving.
Because believe me—they are leaving, and not for
different roles in education nor careers in new fields. They are leaving to
teach classrooms in different corporations in order to make more money doing
the exact same jobs. Many of these teachers are not relocating nor are they escaping
tough conditions. They are living in
Lawrence County and teaching in different corporations, for up to $17,000 more
per year, doing the same job they were doing at NLCS.
This situation directly harms students because
NLCS is unable to attract and retain a full staff of talented teachers. As an
interview committee member at my school, I have seen the hiring process devolve
from sifting through many stellar résumés, to interviewing the only candidate
to apply. Our corporation and thus our students, who deserve the best and the
brightest educators, are often overlooked by applicants who sensibly choose a
nearby corporation with a much more competitive salary.
Teacher salaries are not the only area of the
budget that needs help, so the cooperation and creativity of many board
members, administrators, and other NLCS officials will be necessary to form a
plan and fulfill a solution. Open-mindedness, perhaps to unconventional ideas,
will be required to acknowledge the problem, address the problem, and
answer the problem.
An effective school board member recognizes this financial
issue as one of the most critical concerns facing NLCS and is eager to resourcefully seek
solutions.
Corporation
Communication
Finally, the previously mentioned issues will all
be better addressed with open and impartial communication. Our corporation is strewn
with diverse employees, all with different ideas and concerns. Often, perhaps
because of the sheer size of our corporation, many employees feel they don’t
have an avenue to share those concerns.
Strong relationships between board members,
administration, faculty, and staff can be built through regular and welcome
communication. Such communication can begin and continue through informal
meetings, board meetings, team building events, shared professional
development, school visits, and more. These entities will trust one another
when they realize all involved harbor no vendettas and want only the best for
students. Professional communication free of judgment will follow.
An effective school board member recognizes the
need for open, impartial communication among all employees and advertises and
facilitates that process in order to inclusively and efficiently solve minor
and major corporation problems.
Bottom Line
While there are many more matters of concern
facing NLCS, these issues are the three I feel are most critical to putting
students in the best position to learn and achieve. Despite any issues at hand, your votes for Board of Directors for North
Lawrence Community Schools should go to individuals who are hard-working,
informed agents of change who will put students and their learning and
achievement above all other matters.
There will be a free candidate forum at Bedford
Middle School’s Schafer Auditorium at 6:00 P.M. on Monday, October 22. Attend,
and hear what the candidates have to say. Listen for evidence of
student-centered approaches. If you cannot attend, learn more about the
candidates through meet-and-greets, interviews, or their websites.
My motivation to share my thoughts comes from a
deep love of this community and the young people who live and learn in it. I
want what is best for them, which is what is best for all of us.
