101 Reasons to Abolish School Boards (Boards of Education, Local Education Authorities….)
1. An unnecessary level of government
If private and independent schools can operate efficiently with parents as unpaid school boards at each individual school, hiring, firing, etc., why can’t public schools?
2. Politics of lay acquiescence
Well-meaning lay people run for school boards hoping to have a say on behalf of parents and children for better education. How long does it take for a turnaround — before they become socialized, domesticated puppets of the establishment and against parents. I’ve talked to trustees and some actually warn that the system has to be protected from parents, that they have to work for the "community". How is it that the trustees are to be the gatekeepers, the barricade against parents and the public? Don’t they see that they themselves have fallen into place as puppets and kept at "arms length"? What kind of "training" or "re-education" do these trustees get? (Please see post for Sept 10/08 and the accompanying visual about a 1986 "training".
3. Conflict of Interest of trustees
Look at your list of present trustees? How many are teachers or ex-teachers or principals? How many are ex teacher union leaders? Some jurisdictions see the danger and have strong conflict-of-interest prohibitions in regulations and legislation. Not in BC.
4. Trusteeship just a stepping stone to senior politics
How many senior politicians do you know who started out as trustees? It’s a great training school for politics. You learn to schmooze, to pull strings, to wheedle, to promise…….You learn who the power brokers are in the community as trustees get their share of attending so many committees directly unrelated to education: health, parks and recreation, municipal leadership training camps, …..You deal with provincial and federal politicians and bureaucrats as you seek grants and favors, funds and tax benefits….