Paul Blume's Columns - Keep constituents’ agendas off yours (February 2009) No, ma’am, the school board meeting is not your free chance to cuss out the principal Okay, Mizriz Calhoun has gone through all of the steps set out in your district’s policies to be placed on the agenda for the next board meeting. That means that she has a right to be on the agenda and speak at that meeting. Right? No. Wrong. No one has the “right” to be placed on the agenda and/or to speak at a board meeting. But what about the First Amendment and free speech and the public’s right to know stuff and the fact that Mizriz Calhoun is the mayor’s wife and the chairman of the Friends of the Chess Club? What about that? Doesn’t matter. See Paragraph 2, above. See, the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution is there to protect the people from having their speech, writings, etc., censored or prohibited by the There are lots of reasons for not granting a request to be on the agenda. The most common is that the person requesting face time with the board has a big axe to grind. For example, Mommy’s Little Dumpling was sent to the office by his teacher for calling the teacher rude names. Mommy knows, absolutely, that Dumpling would not, could not call the teacher such names. He never, ever says such things. Besides, he doesn’t know those words. Teacher is picking on him. She informs the principal of this fact. Finding no satisfaction, she then brings the superintendent up to speed on the unfairness with which Dumpling is being treated by the evil teacher. The superintendent informs Mommy that there is no appeal from such a small act of discipline. Sorry. And, by the way, Mommy, the teacher does not single out anyone for different treatment, and if Dumpling had not called the teacher those names, he would not have gotten into trouble. Well! Mommy is furious. She calls the board president, her next-door neighbor, telling him that she is going to go before his school board and tell them – and the world – how genuinely awful the teacher is and, by the way, my little Dumpling is perfect and never lies. Mr. Board President, intimidated by Mommy, says, “Okay. Just fill out the form, and our next meeting is Thursday of next week.” Bad move. Real bad. Never, ever, ever put someone on the agenda when you know that person intends to unload on someone. Anyone. That could violate the constitutional rights of the person being discussed (e.g., Dumpling’s teacher) and possibly get you sued. It’s not easy to tell someone who’s, say, your neighbor or friend, or someone who knocked on doors for you when you were campaigning for election to the board, but you have to do it. Don’t promise anyone that you’ll do something that you shouldn’t do. Besides, there is no way the school board can do anything about Dumpling’s teacher, even if Mommy is right about her. As a board, or as a school board member, you should not, must not, even try. Personnel problems and student discipline issues MUST only be handled by your administration. The board does not even talk about that stuff unless – and until – the superintendent brings it to you, as a board, in a recommendation. With employees, that will be a recommendation of dismissal (which you must not involve yourself in before the recommendation is brought); and with students, the same thing: Stay out of it until the superintendent brings you a recommendation. Don’t discuss it with anyone – parents, friends or the employee who’s feeling threatened with the loss of his job. When your next-door neighbor takes umbrage at your refusal to place her on the board agenda, or even to discuss it with her, tell her that you have no choice in the matter. That %#&@* lawyer in Little Rock (that would be me) told you that you can’t do it. And that you have to listen to your lawyer. Just don’t give her my phone number. |
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