Health & Fitness
Awards, Awards & More Awards
How do you feel about children receiving “participation awards” for everything they do? Many believe that these types of awards do more harm than good. The same might be true for some of the awards that School Districts are so proud of receiving. If you receive the same award 6 or 7 years in a row, is it really an accomplishment? The Bright Red Apple Award is based on: Academic Performance, Pupil/Teacher Ratio, Operating Expenditure per Pupil, Educational Level of Teachers and Average Teacher Salary. It is given by a research company that works with relocating families and has nothing to do with how well a school district operates on a financial basis. The requirements of this award aren't always in the best interest of the taxpayers.
The Geneva School District recently received the Governance Recognition Designation from The Illinois Association of School Boards. The press release states: “The Geneva School District Board of Education is one of only 10 to earn the IASB’s 2013 School Board Governance Recognition, a designation meant to acknowledge those school boards that have engaged in activities and modeled behaviors that lead to excellence in local school governance in support of quality public education.”
That award sounds pretty impressive doesn’t it?
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Would it surprise you to know that only 20 school districts of the more than 800 in Illinois even bothered to apply for the Governance Recognition Designation? Yep, 50% of those who applied received the award. Why didn't the Geneva School District include that fact in their release? I guess 50% receiving doesn't sound as good as the implied 1.2%!
Now you’re asking, what the District was judged on. Listed below are the requirements of the award:
Find out what's happening in Genevawith free, real-time updates from Patch.
- The board clarifies the District purpose to answer the question who gets what benefits for how much.
- The board connects with the community through ongoing two-way conversation.
- The board employs a superintendent and holds that person accountable for district performance and compliance with written board policy.
- The board delegates authority to the superintendent
- The board monitors performance with written board policies using data as the basis of the assessment.
- The board takes responsibility for itself.
Point #2, in my opinion, is the most important requirement. On this point, the Geneva School District Board of Education fails miserably. The board’s policy is to refuse to answer questions at the public school board meetings. Individual board members “don’t have the authority” to answer e-mails from residents. The board president says, “call me my number is in the book,” but won’t answer questions on the record. Don’t you wonder why that is?
The District has sent the following invitation to residents about a public forum but you need to read between the lines. The public forum is a dog & pony show. They say they want your opinion but will not share their opinion with you. It will not be a two way conversation, none of their public forums ever are.
Here is why I won’t attend the public forum:
- Kindergarten – The District is currently considering the implementation of all-day kindergarten. Please share your thoughts or opinions on this. Three board members have already said they support full day kindergarten and have since 2008.
- Communication – The District recently redesigned its websites and launched a Twitter account. Please share your thoughts or opinions of the District’s communication efforts. If they continue to refuse to answer questions in a public setting, websites & twitter don’t mean anything. Where is the two way communication that is needed?
- Common Core – District staff members are working to implement the state-adopted Common Core State Standards in a way that helps students learn more effectively, in direct correlation with our District vision. Please share your thoughts or opinions on this. Common Core is a done deal; parents will not be involved in the implementation.
- Additional feedback – Please share any additional thoughts or opinions with the Board of Education. Write your thoughts on a postcard that won’t be answered.
The Geneva School District Board of Education can collect all the self-serving awards they want but their actions speak louder than awards. A $4,300 car loan to the superintendent? Overtaxing through the levy process? Calling abatement a savings to the taxpayers? Not answering questions?
Taxpayer’s need answers but the school board isn’t listening.