[Winona Online Democracy]
Steve and list:
Steve Kranz asks whether televising meetings is the "only form of
accountability and accessibility". The obvious answer is "No", since
accountability and access cover a lot of territory. Individual phone calls,
email, internet access to meeting minutes, print media and radio
coverage... all spring to mind. Judging from many of the responses so far,
television offers great convenience for many who want to "listen in" on
decision-making without interacting themselves with the Board. If a more
interactive access is desirable, there are technological ways to set up
phone-ins or town meetings for the purpose of more in-depth public input
into decisions.
I was happy to hear that the Board is putting thought into increasing
access. Frankly, I have heard many people observe in the past year that the
pendulum seems to have swung in the opposite direction, away from the open
access of the "Listening Board" era. While I appreciate Dick Gaffron's
caution about the pitfalls of micro-management, I also think Board members
should still feel obliged to offer a responsive ear to particular concerns
from parents, community members and staff. When this is not happening
routinely and consistently, I think you're more likely to see people
offended and upset by perceived signs of ignoring the public in more formal
situations, like the meeting at WMS. So I would say individual
accessibility is still important, even it's just a quick email to say that
you received the input but can't comment.
I'd also like to revisit a line of thought explored briefly last summer in
this forum by myself, Terri Hyle, Jodi Dansingburg, and Randy
Schenkat...site teams as vehicles for community involvement. We hear a lot
internally these days about solving problems at the lowest level. Site
teams have the potential to solve community access at the lowest level.
Wouldn't a lot of the ambiguity and conflict at the Board level be
simplified if you actually had positions and decisions coming to you from
the building level that you knew had already passed the test of democratic
process and community involvement? This could happen, but you'd need
stronger policy and the will to ensure that policy was followed.
Steve, when pressed for an opinion on site teams last summer in this forum,
you declined, saying you weren't that well versed or even very interested.
None of the other board members weighed in at all. I would suggest again
that site team policy would be a logical place to start if there's serious
interest in broadening the decision-making base.
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"There are years that ask questions and years that answer."
Zora Neale Hurston
sent by:
Scott Lowery
461 Sunnyview Drive, Rollingstone MN 55969
home phone: (507)689-4532
school phone: (507)454-9573
home email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
school email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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