I have learned not to question coincidence. I knew there was a HCPS workshop on cable last night, but never intended to watch it. Somehow, just before the discussion about the Merit Pay debacle, I passed through the channel, saw a familiar face and decided to watch for a minute. I was shocked that there was actual "Board discussion". I so wish I had seen the beginning. I was not at the TV that records. I was so mesmerized at the dialog it took a few minutes to decide to record it.
While there is much to be said about the Merit Pay debacle, I was more intrigued with the discussion about the Parliamentary issues the Board grappled with. I have had the experience of being on a District Council Board. After the first meeting, I immediately bought a book - "Robert's Rules of Order". I had no clue what they were, but I quickly realized there was one member in the group who knew them, and he wielded a lot of influence through the use of the "rules". I started reading the book, and kept it with me for the two or less years I was involved.
Which brings me to last night. This is the second recent revelation I have had about the "non-knowledge" (ignorance always sounds so negative despite the proper use) of the Board as a group to either independently know or collaboratively use "the rules of the game". From my Little League coaching days, I would much rather play a team whose coach knew the rules. Otherwise, I always looked like a jerk having to protest this, challenge that, show the rule book to everybody, and interrupt the flow of the game to try to maintain the integrity of the game.
I was quite surprised that the School Board attorney offered that there already is a template used by other counties that the Board could analyse and adopt to fit their needs to better address issues of getting and receiving information. My surprise was not about the attorney, my surprise was the fact that our Board did not have these procedures in place.
We continuously hear from the Board and the Superintendent the accolades of HCPS. Yet there is obviously issues at hand that have not been dealt with in an open and honest manner. The use of the word "disconnect" and insinuations that some Board members "didn't get it" is more a denigrating commentary about the Board as a whole than the member it was directed at.
We now seem to be on a track that hopefully will lead to more sound direction. But one must ask the question - how can a system that proclaims to be so advanced be so far behind in best practices.
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Apparently, over the years the school board has been conditioned to act more as a group figurehead to satisfy Florida law. They have lost their way toward the democratic functions of checks and balances as well as debating issues. Actually, it is sad to say, they are almost following the example the U.S. legislators set over the last six or seven years.
"to satisfy Florida law" is scary already - as a non-lawyer who has heard a lot of 'lawyer talk", my kneejerk response is "well, it depends on how you interpret "Florida law".
As a native of this county for over a half a century, I have to ask in a friendly way -"where're ya from?"
In other words, I don't think "they" "lost" anything. A bonafide redneck would put it this way: "How the hell can I be lost if I never knew where I was in the first place?"
I guess what I am saying is one must understand the homegrown connectivity of the major players. There has been a major shift in this connectivity by two newcomers who have a desire to follow true democratic process. The fact that one survived the "culturation process" until she got "backup" may be the turning point in the history of this County.
I agree with your posit regarding the U.S. legislators - I will respectfully not agree with the limits of the last six or seven years.
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