Shasta County, this post is for you.
I am quiet by nature and prefer to avoid confrontation. And yet …
I find myself in a moment when it is important to speak up. I am in my 12th and final year of service on the Shasta County Board of Education. What was once an effective and collaborative board has become one that is performative and self-interested.
What I am sharing here are my own thoughts. I am not speaking on behalf of the board.
I have worked with three superintendents and 18 board members. The board has always been a mix of personalities — trustees with varied beliefs, interests and life experiences. We didn’t always agree but we were able to work together. Previous boards were student-centered and valued public education. No one was suspicious or dismissive of public schools.
Sadly, the Shasta County Board of Education is now seen as a place to gain power and attention. The vibe is righteous and rigid. National political agendas and personal crusades permeate meetings.
Some concerns:
— Board members say they are committed to fiscal discipline, but are they? On a motion by trustee Authur Gorman, the board approved, with one dissenting vote, an increase in its monthly pay from $266 to $800 — a 200 percent hike. That is a huge jump and not aligned with the community service role. With seven regular members and two student board members, $800 for each adds up to a lot of taxpayer money — as much as $7,200 a month — funneled to board members month after month. How does this serve the students of Shasta County?
— Board members have not shown up for key Shasta County Office of Education (SCOE) events. During the past year my board colleagues, with the exception of our student board members, did not attend a student voice session with high schoolers providing perspectives on key issues; a panel discussion by community experts on social media dangers; All Call, with all SCOE departments, to launch the new school year; and Every Student Succeeding, a powerful event honoring students who have overcome significant challenges.
— The board majority, with two dissenting votes, did away with the longstanding practice of requiring board approval for board members to attend trainings and conferences. There’s a spending cap, but no prior approval is required to use taxpayer dollars for plane tickets, hotels, meals and registration. Also ended was the expectation that trainings be within California and be designed for school board members. Now a board member can go to any state, for any training, without any approval. Events sponsored by national organizations with a political agenda are fair game.
— The board gets distracted from the fundamental work of supporting students and school districts. Board members Authur Gorman, Teresa Roberts, Jackie LaBarbera and Michael Orlicky orchestrated a special meeting of the apolitical Shasta County Committee on School District Organization to take a political stance on a ballot measure unrelated to the committee’s clearly defined authority.
— The board majority, with two dissenting votes, dropped Shasta County’s decades-long membership in the California School Boards Association, resulting in less transparency and the loss of valuable services. SCOE no longer has access to CSBA’s GAMUT services used by many school districts in the state to help keep school board policies legally compliant and to provide board members, staff and the public easy access to policies, complete agenda packets and minutes. CSBA also provides board members with important trainings and insights on educational issues.
The Shasta County Office of Education does valuable work. It serves vulnerable students, including incarcerated youth and young people with significant learning and behavior challenges. It supports teachers in literacy, math and science instruction. The multiple layers of SCOE include business services, preschools, work with local tribes, community collaborations, Schreder Planetarium and Whiskeytown Environmental School programs.
All that good work deserves a good board.
And that, Shasta County, is where you come in. The Nov. 3 election is critical. Four Shasta County Board of Education seats are on the ballot. Don’t sit out this vote thinking, “Well, I don’t know much about the Shasta County Board of Education.”
It matters that thoughtful people who care about our community vote for candidates who care about Shasta County and our public schools.
There are excellent candidates. I have endorsed four in a separate post and will include my recommendations in the comments.
Oh, regarding that $800-a-month stipend for each board member, I voted against the pay hike. I have donated my money to five organizations in Shasta County doing important work on behalf of young people.
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