The Newsleaders
  • Login
  • Register
No Result
View All Result
  • News
    • Sartell – St. Stephen
    • St. Joseph
    • Sports
  • Opinion
    • Column
    • Editorial
    • Letter to the Editor
  • Community
    • Calendar
    • Citizen Spotlight
    • Criers
    • People
  • Notices
    • Funerals/Visitations
    • Obituary
    • Police Blotter
    • Public Notices
    • Support Groups
  • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Submissions
  • Archives
    • Sartell-St. Stephen Archive
    • St. Joseph Archive
  • Advertise With Us
    • Print Advertising
    • Digital Advertising
    • 2021 Promotions
    • Pay My Invoice
The Newsleaders
No Result
View All Result

PineCone Pet Hospital MillerCarlin Serving all of central Minnesota locations!

Albany: 320-845-2035
Holdingford: 320-746-9994
St. Cloud: 320-252-7004
Upsala: 320-573-6234
Toll-free: 1-800-644-4058
Collegeville Stearns Bank
Home Opinion Editorial

It’s time to recommit to a policy of transparency

July 23, 2012
in Editorial, Sartell – St. Stephen
0
0
SHARES
0
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Nobody likes to be micro-managed or second-guessed, and that includes school boards.

When that happens, people and school boards can become defensive – sometimes overly defensive. And sometimes, unfortunately, it can cause decision-making boards to dig in their heels and pull the covered wagons in a circle around themselves.

We are happy to report the Sartell-St. Stephen School Board is keeping an open mind about its vacancy-filling policy. At one point, it seemed certain the board was willing and ready to appoint a man to fill the vacancy that occurred when board member Julie Zupfer Anderson resigned. The board, apparently, intended to do that without any open-application process. And filling a vacancy with an interim member, we should remind ourselves, is well within the legal bounds of any school board. Furthermore, the man the board considered appointing is a highly qualified school professional, who is an expert in many school-related issues.

That said, we should also remind ourselves the board’s original intention at its early April meeting (to appoint a member without opening the process) came on the heels of the decision to end the week-long spring break. That decision, too, was well within the rights of the board.

However, in both cases, the board’s actions caused a sour note among many Sartell residents – parents and students. Those actions gave many people the perception the board is functioning without gathering enough public input and without listening to the opinions of those it serves.

Decision-making is often a difficult – and at times unpopular – process. We are certain the school board meant well in both of its actions, which turned out to cause controversy. We are certain those board members, including the one who resigned, want nothing but the best for every student in a great school district.

Still, the board probably should have faced the criticism it received head-on with open ears and an outreach of understanding. The board should have held a widely publicized public meeting (at least in the case of the spring-break decision), and that meeting should have taken place in a gymnasium that could accommodate a large gathering, rather than in the tight confines of the school-board meeting room.

Many opponents of the school-board actions were not necessarily unwilling to accept the board’s decisions; they merely wanted those actions explained; they wanted to understand the rationales behind those actions. That is not too much to ask.

The Sartell-St. Stephen School District is one of the finest in the state. Teachers, administrators, staff, school boards, parents and students have ensured that ongoing excellence. The surest way to smudge that excellence is for a school board to erect a communication wall between it and the public. And that is the impression, rightly or wrongly, that was conveyed, in the minds of many parents and students.

The surest way to remedy that unfortunate perception is to begin immediately a renewed commitment to transparency and a genuine two-way communication process between board members and the community.

Previous Post

Robin makes Newsleader office her home

Next Post

Haunted hotel makes for sleepless weekend

Next Post

Haunted hotel makes for sleepless weekend

Please login to join discussion

CMCU Twitter Follow us on
Twitter
for the latest news!
Facebook Follow us on Facebook
for the latest news!
Calendar 2 Click here for our
community events!

Go Fund Me # 1 Thank You
Newsleader
Supporters!
Elizabeth Brunsvold
Cultural Connections
Jim Berg & Mary Kruger
Mary & John Davis
Sandy Denne
Bobbi & David Gouker
James & marry Graeve
Juliana Howard
Julia Joplin
Linda Kmitch
M. Molus
Sheila Nahan
Go Fund Me # 2 Thank You
Newsleader
Supporters!

Peggy & Michael Roske
Judy Scheuerell
Geraldine Schwab
James Stotko
James Towler
Anna Trobec
Kaye Wenker
Ellen Wahlstrom
Leona Wieland
Jeanie Wilkens
GAGEN & VASUGI RAMANATHAN
Go Fund Me # 3 Thank You
Newsleader
Supporters!
Nicole Borg
Erica Karger-Gatzow
Dane & Lori Listug-Lunde
Nadine Martin
Doris Minnerath
Merry Mund
Marilyn Peitso
Stephen Schwanke
Dianne Tuff
Dale Zacher
Private Donors

Search

No Result
View All Result

Categories

Recent Posts

  • Winter fun at Snowfest
  • Foundation sponsors I Love to Read Giveaway
  • Free frozen meals available for senior citizens
  • Kluesner sworn into St. Joseph City Council
  • Local artists serve up art by the slice

City Links

Sartell
St. Joseph
St. Stephen

School District Links

Sartell-St. Stephen school district
St. Cloud school district

Chamber Links

Sartell Chamber
St. Joseph Chamber

Community

Calendar

Citizen Spotlight

Criers

People

Notices

Funerals/Visitions

Obituary

Police Blotter

Public Notices

Support Groups

About Us

Contact Us

News Tips

Submissions

Advertise With Us

Print Advertising

Digital Advertising

2021 Promotions

Local Advertising Rates

National Advertising Rates

© 2021 Newleaders

No Result
View All Result
  • News
    • Sartell – St. Stephen
    • St. Joseph
    • Sports
  • Opinion
    • Column
    • Editorial
    • Letter to the Editor
  • Community
    • Calendar
    • Citizen Spotlight
    • Criers
    • People
  • Notices
    • Funerals/Visitations
    • Obituary
    • Police Blotter
    • Public Notices
    • Support Groups
  • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Submissions
  • Archives
    • Sartell-St. Stephen Archive
    • St. Joseph Archive
  • Advertise With Us
    • Print Advertising
    • Digital Advertising
    • 2021 Promotions
    • Pay My Invoice

© 2021 Newleaders

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In