Executive Director’s Report: Caucuses, primaries, and the power of democracy
03/08 -- Whether or not you have a favorite among the Republican or Democratic presidential candidates, you can’t help but be awed by the commitment they are making to their country. The time spent fundraising, friend raising, studying the issues, strategizing the sound bite -- some are doing better than others! -- and just plain talking is awesome.
I’ll admit that, in the fall, I was so tired of the media hype, the money raised and spent, and the sound bites, I felt as if the British system of having a much more limited campaign period would be just fine.
But, ah, this is America. More recently, following the Iowa caucuses, New Hampshire primary, and actions in more than 30 states, I once again feel exhilarated by the process.
Why? I guess you could say I’m just a sentimentalist when it comes to democracy. Giving the candidates a chance to showcase their ideas, and more importantly, asking us to cast a ballot for the person we believe could best lead our nation is awesome.
The momentum feels important. There is a sense that the average citizen can make a difference.
Maybe that is why I am so proud to work with all of you. School board members epitomize the elected official. Your time, talent, and energy are dedicated to public education, an issue we actually hear very little about in this campaign season. But to me, it has the greatest implications for our future.
You see, your voice -- your “ballot,” in a sense -- made a huge difference this winter, as NSBA, with your help, demanded that Congress make education a top priority and put more money into our public schools.
Nearly 2,000 of you contacted your member of Congress during the deliberations over the federal education appropriations bill for fiscal year 2008.
Sure, you might have received e-mail alerts from Kathleen Branch, manager of NSBA’s federal advocacy programs, and Deborah Rigsby, our expert on the federal budget. (These alerts are sent to members of our Federal Relations Network and National Affiliate Advocacy Network.)
But you still took the time to e-mail or call your lawmakers. You sent Congress a clear message: “The President’s budget undercuts the future of public education. Congress has failed to keep its promises. Now it’s time to put the resources our schools need behind Title I, special education, career and technical education, teacher quality, after-school programs, and Head Start.”
And just look at what we got. The consolidated appropriations bill, passed by Congress and signed by the President, includes a $1.1 billion increase for Title I and a $164.5 million increase for special education. [See explanatory note on page 2.]
Just this past week, more than 800 school board members came to Washington, D.C., to educate themselves on the major issues facing the second half of the 110th Congress, then went to Capitol Hill to bring the school board message directly to their lawmakers and congressional staff. It was powerful.
As members of local boards of education, you gain direct access to members of Congress because nearly all school board members are elected by the citizens in your communities, just as members of the House and Senate are.
And because you not only have a thorough knowledge of education issues, but also understand their implications on your community, you have a great deal of credibility when you meet with members of Congress.
You can tell lawmakers how No Child Left Behind actually affects your students and teachers and how good, well-funded schools can affect real estate values. You are the real deal, and they know it.
Recent polls also tell us the public is wising up. According to the most recent Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup poll, the more people know about NCLB and its unintended consequences, the less they like it.
And while a survey by the Educational Testing Service found the public generally supports the accountability goals in NCLB, the public does not support the tough sanctions imposed on schools that fail to make progress.
In fact, a majority of respondents favor increased funding for a struggling school, rather than a “takeover” or firing the staff. They believe that local administrators should come up with a plan to improve the school and that they should be allowed to implement that plan. Sounds like local control to me.
What does all of this mean? I believe there is a can-do spirit of change in the air and that people are saying: “We want to make a difference. We care about the future of this country, and we believe our vote -- our voice -- does matter.”
You, as members of local boards of education who represent your communities, are a vital part of our democracy. You epitomize that can-do spirit of change.
3/08 -- Whether or not you have a favorite among the Republican or Democratic presidential candidates, you can’t help but be awed by the commitment they are making to their country. The time spent fundraising, friend raising, studying the issues, strategizing the sound bite -- some are doing better than others! -- and just plain talking is awesome.
I’ll admit that, in the fall, I was so tired of the media hype, the money raised and spent, and the sound bites, I felt as if the British system of having a much more limited campaign period would be just fine.
But, ah, this is America. More recently, following the Iowa caucuses, New Hampshire primary, and actions in more than 30 states, I once again feel exhilarated by the process.
Why? I guess you could say I’m just a sentimentalist when it comes to democracy. Giving the candidates a chance to showcase their ideas, and more importantly, asking us to cast a ballot for the person we believe could best lead our nation is awesome.
The momentum feels important. There is a sense that the average citizen can make a difference.
Maybe that is why I am so proud to work with all of you. School board members epitomize the elected official. Your time, talent, and energy are dedicated to public education, an issue we actually hear very little about in this campaign season. But to me, it has the greatest implications for our future.
You see, your voice -- your “ballot,” in a sense -- made a huge difference this winter, as NSBA, with your help, demanded that Congress make education a top priority and put more money into our public schools.
Nearly 2,000 of you contacted your member of Congress during the deliberations over the federal education appropriations bill for fiscal year 2008.
Sure, you might have received e-mail alerts from Kathleen Branch, manager of NSBA’s federal advocacy programs, and Deborah Rigsby, our expert on the federal budget. (These alerts are sent to members of our Federal Relations Network and National Affiliate Advocacy Network.)
But you still took the time to e-mail or call your lawmakers. You sent Congress a clear message: “The President’s budget undercuts the future of public education. Congress has failed to keep its promises. Now it’s time to put the resources our schools need behind Title I, special education, career and technical education, teacher quality, after-school programs, and Head Start.”
And just look at what we got. The consolidated appropriations bill, passed by Congress and signed by the President, includes a $1.1 billion increase for Title I and a $164.5 million increase for special education. [See explanatory note on page 2.]
Just this past week, more than 800 school board members came to Washington, D.C., to educate themselves on the major issues facing the second half of the 110th Congress, then went to Capitol Hill to bring the school board message directly to their lawmakers and congressional staff. It was powerful.
As members of local boards of education, you gain direct access to members of Congress because nearly all school board members are elected by the citizens in your communities, just as members of the House and Senate are.
And because you not only have a thorough knowledge of education issues, but also understand their implications on your community, you have a great deal of credibility when you meet with members of Congress.
You can tell lawmakers how No Child Left Behind actually affects your students and teachers and how good, well-funded schools can affect real estate values. You are the real deal, and they know it.
Recent polls also tell us the public is wising up. According to the most recent Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup poll, the more people know about NCLB and its unintended consequences, the less they like it.
And while a survey by the Educational Testing Service found the public generally supports the accountability goals in NCLB, the public does not support the tough sanctions imposed on schools that fail to make progress.
In fact, a majority of respondents favor increased funding for a struggling school, rather than a “takeover” or firing the staff. They believe that local administrators should come up with a plan to improve the school and that they should be allowed to implement that plan. Sounds like local control to me.
What does all of this mean? I believe there is a can-do spirit of change in the air and that people are saying: “We want to make a difference. We care about the future of this country, and we believe our vote -- our voice -- does matter.”
You, as members of local boards of education who represent your communities, are a vital part of our democracy. You epitomize that can-do spirit of change.
3/08 -- Whether or not you have a favorite among the Republican or Democratic presidential candidates, you can’t help but be awed by the commitment they are making to their country. The time spent fundraising, friend raising, studying the issues, strategizing the sound bite -- some are doing better than others! -- and just plain talking is awesome.
I’ll admit that, in the fall, I was so tired of the media hype, the money raised and spent, and the sound bites, I felt as if the British system of having a much more limited campaign period would be just fine.
But, ah, this is America. More recently, following the Iowa caucuses, New Hampshire primary, and actions in more than 30 states, I once again feel exhilarated by the process.
Why? I guess you could say I’m just a sentimentalist when it comes to democracy. Giving the candidates a chance to showcase their ideas, and more importantly, asking us to cast a ballot for the person we believe could best lead our nation is awesome.
The momentum feels important. There is a sense that the average citizen can make a difference.
Maybe that is why I am so proud to work with all of you. School board members epitomize the elected official. Your time, talent, and energy are dedicated to public education, an issue we actually hear very little about in this campaign season. But to me, it has the greatest implications for our future.
You see, your voice -- your “ballot,” in a sense -- made a huge difference this winter, as NSBA, with your help, demanded that Congress make education a top priority and put more money into our public schools.
Nearly 2,000 of you contacted your member of Congress during the deliberations over the federal education appropriations bill for fiscal year 2008.
Sure, you might have received e-mail alerts from Kathleen Branch, manager of NSBA’s federal advocacy programs, and Deborah Rigsby, our expert on the federal budget. (These alerts are sent to members of our Federal Relations Network and National Affiliate Advocacy Network.)
But you still took the time to e-mail or call your lawmakers. You sent Congress a clear message: “The President’s budget undercuts the future of public education. Congress has failed to keep its promises. Now it’s time to put the resources our schools need behind Title I, special education, career and technical education, teacher quality, after-school programs, and Head Start.”
And just look at what we got. The consolidated appropriations bill, passed by Congress and signed by the President, includes a $1.1 billion increase for Title I and a $164.5 million increase for special education. [See explanatory note on page 2.]
Just this past week, more than 800 school board members came to Washington, D.C., to educate themselves on the major issues facing the second half of the 110th Congress, then went to Capitol Hill to bring the school board message directly to their lawmakers and congressional staff. It was powerful.
As members of local boards of education, you gain direct access to members of Congress because nearly all school board members are elected by the citizens in your communities, just as members of the House and Senate are.
And because you not only have a thorough knowledge of education issues, but also understand their implications on your community, you have a great deal of credibility when you meet with members of Congress.
You can tell lawmakers how No Child Left Behind actually affects your students and teachers and how good, well-funded schools can affect real estate values. You are the real deal, and they know it.
Recent polls also tell us the public is wising up. According to the most recent Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup poll, the more people know about NCLB and its unintended consequences, the less they like it.
And while a survey by the Educational Testing Service found the public generally supports the accountability goals in NCLB, the public does not support the tough sanctions imposed on schools that fail to make progress.
In fact, a majority of respondents favor increased funding for a struggling school, rather than a “takeover” or firing the staff. They believe that local administrators should come up with a plan to improve the school and that they should be allowed to implement that plan. Sounds like local control to me.
What does all of this mean? I believe there is a can-do spirit of change in the air and that people are saying: “We want to make a difference. We care about the future of this country, and we believe our vote -- our voice -- does matter.”
You, as members of local boards of education who represent your communities, are a vital part of our democracy. You epitomize that can-do spirit of change.
Reproduced with permission from School Board News. Copyright © 2008, National School Boards Association. Opinions expressed in this newspaper do not necessarily reflect positions of NSBA. This article may be printed out and photocopied for individual or educational use, provided this copyright notice appears on each copy. This article may not be otherwise transmitted or reproduced in print or electronic form without the consent of the Publisher. For more information, call (703) 838-6789.