(In the following letter, the writer is referring to an action that occurred at a recent school-board meeting during which three board members (Emily Larson, Jen Smith, Scott Wenshau) voted in favor of board members reviewing individual staff members’ employment contracts before they are approved. Since the vote was 3-3, that resolution did not pass.)
Molly McCann
Sartell
I am writing in dismay at the lack of progress in general within our Sartell-St. Stephen school board, specifically regarding the refusal to approve individual contracts for the schools’ staff members. The school board is to serve as an oversight to the superintendent, not to individually evaluate each member on the payroll.
I understand the overall message when (school-board member) Emily Larson states she wants transparency, but you also need to be able to delegate tasks within the district. Our system is set up in such a way that the superintendent oversees those below him. The school board cannot possibly evaluate every single staff member.
The simple fact is government does not run like this at any level. You cannot micromanage the superintendent and expect to retain any sort of quality staff or programs in our district. Simply put, you hired him; please let him do his job.