HB American quotes State Super: "no elections for local supers"

[Mike]

Wow. I happen to agree with this one. Do you?

School boards should be elected. School boards should appoint the superintendent. School boards should be drawn and quartered (figuratively, of course) when the school gets off track.

Let's make this happen.

P.S. Is this OK in the "elections" thread, or should it be moved elsewhere?

[Kitty]

No more elected school superintendents in MS? (http://www.myhattiesburg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=21520&highlight=superintendent)

[jmack]

After watching the Jeff Davis fiasco, I think they should appoint.

Of course the Jeff Davis School Board looks like a clown convention, and they are appointed (I believe), so
now I'm really confused.

[Kitty]

After watching the Jeff Davis fiasco, I think they should appoint.

Of course the Jeff Davis School Board looks like a clown convention, and they are appointed (I believe), so
now I'm really confused.

It is confusing. Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I think in Mississippi it's our county school districts that elect both the school board and the superintendent.

Hattiesburg is a municipal school district with board members recommended by the mayor to the City Council for approval.

Petal is a municipal school district that I think elects its board members (our Petal forum members can clarify this for us).

[mac]

I know from firsthand exp. that there are districts in this state where the children are suffering because the locals elected a good ol' boy who happens to be completely incompetent in regards to operating a school system.

Heard anything about Holmes County lately? I personally saw the chairperson of the school board give the following speech at their convocation a few years ago. This is it, almost to the letter:

I tole mah wife lass night, I ain't goin' to dat meetin' tomar. I ain't goin. Den I sid tah mahsef, when day lected me, day spect me to show up. So here I is.

He then sat down next to a Senator and fell asleep.

[Fish-Bait]

I know from firsthand exp. that there are districts in this state where the children are suffering because the locals elected a good ol' boy who happens to be completely incompetent in regards to operating a school system.

Heard anything about Holmes County lately? I personally saw the chairperson of the school board give the following speech at their convocation a few years ago. This is it, almost to the letter:

I tole mah wife lass night, I ain't goin' to dat meetin' tomar. I ain't goin. Den I sid tah mahsef, when day lected me, day spect me to show up. So here I is.

He then sat down next to a Senator and fell asleep.

Who are you talkin' bout'?

[mi_nombre_es]

Last I checked, Our taxes (and my gambling losses) pay for the education system but they won't let us elect the super. True some areas have had really bad Education heads but if you let them take away our rights to vote on who WE think needs to run the place, then next thing you know, Big Brother will be watching us shower and read our thoughts and it will be a horrible scene from the movie Minority Report!

[Mike]

Last I checked, Our taxes (and my gambling losses) pay for the education system but they won't let us elect the super. True some areas have had really bad Education heads but if you let them take away our rights to vote on who WE think needs to run the place, then next thing you know, Big Brother will be watching us shower and read our thoughts and it will be a horrible scene from the movie Minority Report!


Look at it this way: your vote counts MORE if you elect only a board member. It's a much more important vote then and it really means the board members need to step up.

We discuss aches and pains we all have with various local schools. How many of those "inconsistent dress code (fill in the blank) enforcement" issues might be because an elected super is looking over his/her shoulder at voting blocs? In matters of discipline, policy enforcement, personnel decisions, schedule, curriculum, etc.

I bet if you polled the local supers, they'd overwhelming agree that the electoral part of this process should be eliminated.

[Guru]

Be very careful with your agreement to allow any governing body to assume your right, your choice and to decide you and your families rights for you.
I can see certain points here but I also know that there is a rythm to all things in life and history.
In my opinion giving your choice over to 4-5 buffoons is not a good process to start. How many other rights would you like to go ahead and give up if you had a choice today? Once started, it's mostly irretrievable.
At this time we have enough trouble with Congressmen and Senators, etc. making "their" decisions for us; given that often time is of the essence and they need to be able to act when necessary for that reason. Otherwise I feel that more things that take place in this country should be voted on.
"Of the people, by the people" ... (too much grief lately in "for the people"

[virgo]

Wow. I happen to agree with this one. Do you?

School boards should be elected. School boards should appoint the superintendent. School boards should be drawn and quartered (figuratively, of course) when the school gets off track.

Let's make this happen.

P.S. Is this OK in the "elections" thread, or should it be moved elsewhere?

Wasn't there a poll/discussion on this topic a few days ago?

[mac]

Who are you talkin' bout'?

I don't remember his name. He was the chair of their school board (Holmes Co.) at the time, and he was a slobbering idiot.

[Mike]

"buffoons" (fr. OIt buffone fr. ML buffon-, bufo, fr. L. toad) 1: a ludicrous figure: clown 2: a gross and usually ill-educated or stupid person

OK. I can sort of buy that. Why'd we elect 'em anyway? Isn't "toad" going a little far?

Bottom line: you have a responsibility too. As a voter.

You admit that you "...can see certain points..." and what I'm describing are potential pitfalls of having an elected super. I would bet you've never given 2 cents of thought about this before now. If I'm wrong, I apologize in advance.

You - the voter - will have more power, in a better system, if we don't elect superintendents of education in our state. Take a look at the absolute minority of states/districts within states that still allow this. Most don't.

Kind of a Darwinian influence: only the best (systems) survive...

[mi_nombre_es]

Look at it this way: your vote counts MORE if you elect only a board member. It's a much more important vote then and it really means the board members need to step up.

We discuss aches and pains we all have with various local schools. How many of those "inconsistent dress code (fill in the blank) enforcement" issues might be because an elected super is looking over his/her shoulder at voting blocs? In matters of discipline, policy enforcement, personnel decisions, schedule, curriculum, etc.

I bet if you polled the local supers, they'd overwhelming agree that the electoral part of this process should be eliminated.


How is that possible? we elect reps to our state community and they couldn't find a clue if it was on their rogaine bottle. Seriously, if we pay for the position, we elect the position. That way if the guy is a total screw up we have only ourselves to blame since we listened to all the fluff talk and watched the smoke and mirrors show that they put on. People just don't care who is on the ballot anymore, it's like:

ok, don't know him, don't know him, don't know him......ohh i'll check him since he has 100000000000000000 signs on my road!

[Mike]

The legislature is another story. There's so many of them in Jackson, it's kind of like the egg fertilization deal: they're all wiggling mightily, but only the few make it to the end zone. That's where law, sausage and babies come from.

(wow. that was a convoluted metaphor. forgive me.)

School supers have much more influence on local communities than your local legislator does. It certainly would make voters ensure that they don't continue to elect "buffoons" to the school board...who by state law, have more "power" than the super does...

The super needs to be free of the political pressures to allow him to hire/fire/plan/spend/discipline as needed.

[mi_nombre_es]

it's not different, we elected those people. WE screwed up. If we don't elect the super but let other elect them, they screwed up, and we get mad and blame it on someone other than us. As a society, we are SOOOOOO awesome at not taking responsibility for something.

[Mike]

it's not different, we elected those people. WE screwed up. If we don't elect the super but let other elect them, they screwed up, and we get mad and blame it on someone other than us. As a society, we are SOOOOOO awesome at not taking responsibility for something.


I don't disagree with that and think I understand and agree with your political philosophy. Don't disagree at all.

What I'm trying to say is this would be a more efficient means of ensuring accountability from the school leadership team - board, super and administrators.

We don't want to have direct elections of police chief, county budget director, public works director, football coach, etc., do we? The inefficiency - and potential concentration of power - or lack thereof - of doing that translates directly to how I see the state supers. Not Lamar County. Not Forest County. Everywhere.

[Kitty]

The super needs to be free of the political pressures to allow him to hire/fire/plan/spend/discipline as needed.

I thought the job of the superintendent was to make administrative recommendations to the school board for ultimate approval.

Are superintendents allowed to make unilateral decisions?

[mi_nombre_es]

I don't disagree with that and think I understand and agree with your political philosophy. Don't disagree at all.

What I'm trying to say is this would be a more efficient means of ensuring accountability from the school leadership team - board, super and administrators.

We don't want to have direct elections of police chief, county budget director, public works director, football coach, etc., do we? The inefficiency - and potential concentration of power - or lack thereof - of doing that translates directly to how I see the state supers. Not Lamar County. Not Forest County. Everywhere.


I love what you say expect the part where you think letting someone run it alone will improve it's efficiency. Trust me, it can't get much worse than it is getting right now. Mississippi is what....49th out of 50 states? If it's broke, toss out the whole system, and try something new. If it ain't broke don't fix it =P .....it's obviously broke!

[Mike]

I didn't say "...run it alone..." anywhere in the body of any of my notes here...literally or figuratively.

I've not seen this but suspect it's been done: comparison of district's performance (multi faceted) with elected vs appointed supers. I will look for that at another time...and reference it here if it agrees with my position...:smt023

[mac]

The problem with Mississippians electing their supers of ed is that the state is largely made up of people who...how I can say this nicely...could use some more education themselves.

[Guru]

I get your point Mac and certainly agree with you on it. My concern is what lies beneath. People should take their voting responsibilites more seriously, not pass them off to someone else because they are too stupid to make decisions. I have no desire to live in a communist state.
I'm aware that you can't vote for every position, that would be micro-managing to the nth degree but some of the higher positions should be a choice. We already have enough people in positions that we know are there because it fits someone else's agenda and not the agenda of the people.
Of the people, by the people. That "for the people" part is beginning to ring of what I call play-pen mentality. I'm smart enough and take my voting seriously enough to pay attention to what I am doing.

[EricStratton]

The problem with Mississippians electing their supers of ed is that the state is largely made up of people who...how I can say this nicely...could use some more education themselves.

Yes, and many school boards are composed of people who could use a little more edgeakation....

[Kitty]

Yes, and many school boards are composed of people who could use a little more edgeakation....

I wonder how many school board members are familiar with this (http://www.msbaonline.org/) resource?