Are the stars aligned for a community conversation?

Could the flap about “honors robes” be the spark that finally gets us talking? Perhaps, but only if district dynamics change. Is that likely? Well, for one thing, whoever becomes 9-R Superintendent July 1 will be charged with opening up some doors. "How would you go about restoring trust?" has been the central question posed to every candidate.

What if we were to get ahead of the curve and start now instead of waiting for the next leader to save us?

What if we were to step back, hold our thoughts, and give Principal Lashinsky a decent chance to be heard? While she is almost certain to reinstate the honor robes, let's not miss an opportunity to get to the heart of a larger picture. This is an opening to hear more about the paths of all our children on their way to graduation.

Let’s hope negotiations with Dr. Keith Owens succeed. Owens achieved spectacular results as an elementary principal in Pueblo. Stressed with that community's far more challenging obstacles, Owens appears to have helped all sides meet around a table for public talk. It sounds like the real thing. As a result, Pueblo developed a new strategic plan - with goals that required big changes in district structure. Asked at our public forum what had needed to be sacrificed for Pueblo's big changes, Owens replied they'd had to “sacrifice a system designed to reward adults with one designed to benefit children.” If Owens is hired, we can expect changes, including a fresh look at Policy Governance. Hopefully, that will translate into more democratic arrangements for all of us.

If we can count on change coming, why not help jump start it now?

First, let's agree: Principal Lashinsky has inherited a challenging civic environment, not of her own making.

Second, let's catch our breath, hold our thoughts, and give her a chance! Rushing to judgment before she makes her case is hardly fair. She will address voices of disappointment and frustration. She has to, because she needs our support for the full plate we've given her. Implementing DHS's small learning communities next year is not going to be a piece of cake.

With letters from more than just the parents of honor students, clearly, Lashinsky's decision has hit a nerve. This is about more than graduation traditions for top academic achievers. This is our town's take on the larger question of an American culture becoming increasingly anti-intellectual.

What do we have to lose? We can always go back to being really mad, but alternatively, we might end up with a much clearer picture of who we are and what we are willing to contribute.

Links:
April 24, 2008 9-R Looks at Grading System
April 17, 2008 Honor robes out for graduation
Students with perfect GPAs protest principal’s decision

Dear (9-R?) Anonymous

Interesting data from yet another "anonymous" yesterday, suitable for "9-R E-Notes" but off topic here, where no one has been discussing graduation rates. Comments here focus on the persistent 9-R leadership problem once again growing acute - all prompted by Herald coverage of Mary Barter's recent actions to reprimand a 9-R Board member who, yes, is outspoken and yes, "rough around the edges" - by his own admission. However, that doesn't give anyone a green light to intentionally manipulate a situation to discredit him, does it?

Unfortunately for all of us, Barter's apparent "rush to judgment" could be interpreted as an opportunity to publicly confirm some unsubstantiated rumors that she reportedly leaked to key community leaders in 2005 -rumors that have been recirculating since November when Lynch joined the School Board. What's most unfair about rumors is the way they put someone in the position of being assumed guilty until proven innocent. In that context, the board's vote to pull the discussion item about Mr. Lynch's "behavior" from Tuesday's agenda should raise eyebrows. (The agenda item's language was posted verbatim in comments a few days ago here)

What prompted the board to table the discussion last Tuesday? Only one member voted to keep the discussion on track. She was right to do so. An open discussion at that time would have provided the transparency needed for all concerned, (board, public, parents) to know what's been going on. Given that it might have led to Mr. Lynch's vindication, why was it tabled? Did the arrival of last minute information contradict Mary Barter's version of the truth? Is it possible that Barter could knowingly have misled the board about the supposed "disruptive conduct" at DHS. Lynch has made himself an easy target with his atypical board demeanor – a far cry from what some once described as the “clubby congeniality" that led board members to defer to the Superintendent Barter as their “eighth board member.”

But things have actually been different with 9-R's new board. They do speak up from time to time. Not as often as some would like, but questions of substance and concern have been asked that would never have seen daylight in the past. Last year, some key board members paid a price for pushing the envelope by persisting in getting unfiltered information about the culture at Durango High School. (Recall FOIA requests by media and community to access that information one year ago? Things went to hell in a handbasket pretty quickly in the confusion that resulted.) The air has never cleared. On March 2, commenting on the difficulties of the current search process, a Herald editorial noted that "deep divisions" within 9-R persist, exacerbated by "a culture of secrecy."

The board is again working in less than ideal circumstances. They did not invent this culture - they inherited it - but now they are the only ones who can change it. More than a few people are upset about Superintendent Barter reprimanding an elected official. Can anyone envision City Manager LeBlanc issuing a "reprimand" and threatening legal action against a City Councilor? More likely, wouldn't he or any other local leader first initiate a conversation with the full Council? Who's ultimately in charge of the way 9-R is run?

What is particularly disturbing is the pattern in which Mr. Lynch's actions again seem to have been blown out of proportion. For what end? In 2005 the unsubstantiated rumors about Mr. Lynch's character leaked to a key community leader were later denied. But as rumors, the charges developed a life of their own. We suspect these were also used at some point to influence the Board in a private Executive Session. It is our understanding that only a judge can obtain access to the recordings of an Executive Session. Will that ultimately be necessary? We hope not. Would an apology make any difference at this stage?

Barter has stated publicly that "this is a community that thrives on word of mouth." Who are we becoming as a community, if we quietly retreat in the face of what looks very much like an abuse of power? At the least, we must raise questions and insist that the board gather all the facts, and only then make a determination based on full input, not word of mouth.

A year ago, after much public acrimony, the board committed itself to playing a more active and visible role on our behalf. We hope they will find their way now in restoring trust, transparency and openness.

What is needed is honesty in all public dealings, nothing less, as they address board and superintendent roles and behaviors. It is possible they could eventually be facing a dangerous liability situation. Whether a lawsuit results or not, a very sad situation has been allowed to develop on this superintendent's watch. For someone with the skills and savvy that our superintendent possesses, it's puzzling and troubling to witness.

So, Ms. or Mr. "anonymous" - why not request a durangoschools.org blog to discuss 9-R's phenomenal success with the achievement gap. For now, on this site, we are hungry for a community conversation about modeling of higher standards of public behavior. This latest incident with Lynch only makes changes in 9-R leadership and its relationships more urgent. With the superintendent search process in full swing, we wish the board and committee members the best!