Decision-Making By Cat Fight

A while ago somebody asked what I thought about the idea of restructuring the school system into K-2/3-6 or leaving it K-6.  I really didn't have an opinion.  As I said back then, I was far more concerned about getting three of my kids back and forth to three separate high schools next year --- and hoping that Kid #4 put her college degree to good use teaching somewhere.  Anywhere.

But, I have since developed a few random observations and opinions:

1) The Superintendent shot himself in the foot by applying for a job in Idaho in the middle of the most significant change in the Sandwich Schools since they installed indoor plumbing.  After all of his discussion about this being "his last job" and how "he had always wanted to retire on the Cape", his credibility (unfortunately)  went right down the crapper -- particularly after reading he also had a house in Idaho and had always wanted to retire there also.  It was made worse with his silly comments about "not looking for the job", "mutually decided it wasn't right", and being "committed to his new 3 year contract".  I like the guy --- but let me translate --- He applied for a job, they didn't hire him, and now he's committed to staying here ---- until the next opportunity comes along and he decides " he always loved Toledo, or Wichita, or Marshfield ..."..

It's too bad -- the idea that he planned to focus the remainder of his career doing what needed to be done here -- without worrying about the political bullshit that drove his predecessors out was encouraging.  Now we are left wondering if he has the stomach to keep dealing with the natives, and, if not, how soon the next search committee will be convened.

2) A very vocal group of parents has formed in support of the K-6 structure.  It's sort of an amusing group to watch because very few of them seem to have paid attention to anything over the past few years but now seem to think that decisions should be made based on how many times they repeat their personal opinion.  They also seem to think that somewhere in the Constitution there is a clause giving them the right to vote on anything they decide they want to vote on.  Interestingly, the group has been emailing their views to the  School Department and while their opinion does hold a slight majority of responses -- there are so few letters received in relation to the total number of families in the District, that is not much of an advantage.

3) The School Committee -- while I would point out that the School Committee is generally pretty lame (some members MUCH lamer than others!),  they were elected to make this decision.  If a member of that Parents group felt so strongly about the issue, maybe they should have run for a seat.   Instead, they allowed two dopes to be (practically) unopposed last year, and three more people to wander in off the street unopposed tis year with no public vetting process or without any review of their experience or education.  If you read the Parents' Facebook comments, a lot of them don't even know who's on the Committee.  (Yeah, I know -- they're very busy people .... no time to pay attention ... blah, blah ...)

I do think most of the Committee has shown some common sense by electing a well-educated and professionally-qualified Chairperson.  I hope he will continue to do what he thinks is correct for the District -- and not bow to the pressure of a very small, very vocal minority of the population -- on this or any future issue.

3) The Teachers Union did their own poll on the issue and that also came out slightly in favor of maintaining the K-6 configuration.  It's been decades since my last stats class, but I would certainly question the margin of error and the validity of that process.  The quality of the last public poll by the Union was on the level of something usually seen in a third world nation that produced bananas.  It was so bogus it would have been humorous -- except for the damage it caused.  These folks are experienced educators, but given the deeply entrenched reluctance of some members to change anything, I am actually surprised the results were as positive as they were.  I was expecting a resounding "no way" -- but I'm not seeing it.

4) And then you have the Administration -- overlooking the wounded Superintendent -- the rest of his team seems on-board.   But, then that's WHY they're on his team!  BUT, they are also experienced professional educators.  They are trained and licensed to educate kids. and will be doing it long after the kids of these parents have graduated.   Longaberger / Silpada / Tupperware / Etsy / Babe Ruth / PTA experience ain't the same as an advanced degree in Education.

So ....?

This will be a defining moment for the School Committee.   Do they go with the professional opinion of the experienced Superintendent that they hired to run the District, do they go with their own deeply held convictions (which may or may not be the same as the Administration), or do they just fold and bow to the wishes and personal opinions of a relatively small -- but very loud -- group of parents?

We shall see.