In the next couple of posts, I want to spend a bit of time writing about transparency and its importance to me from a District perspective and from a more personal perspective as well.
Today's post is focused on the district. I think it is paramount for the district to openly communicate with all its stakeholders - students, parents, taxpayers, employees, and staff - in as many appropriate forms as possible. This was something that I alluded to prior to my election to the board.
I think the district has made great strides in improvement - whether it is through our regular communication via district and building newsletters, the frequency and quality of our Facebook pages that the district manages, the ad hoc emails that are sent, the regular updates of our website, and the fact that all of our committee and board meetings are live-streamed and recording for consumption.
I do want to take a moment though to speak to a fundamental belief that I have when it comes to transparency that evolved from our Covid experience. That fundamental belief is what I would call the "over-the-shoulder" policy. What does this mean?
Anything that we do in the classroom on a day-to-day basis, any of the materials that we have in our libraries, anything that occurs in our buildings on a regular basis should be presented in such a way that any parent looking over the shoulder of their child should feel that the material is appropriate for the age and grade of their student. Parents shouldn't be surprised by anything presented in a classroom. We should be doing what we can to accommodate a parent's request for additional information regarding any materials. There shouldn't be a need for a parent to sign off on their student borrowing a book from a school's library. The kids should be able to grab and start reading.
Of course, there are certain classes or situations where we should seek approval of the parents and allow them to opt-out whether they are required by law or that the Board has determined that the need is appropriate. Whether it is personal, religious, or whatever it may be, we should respect that.
Like I said, I think the district has improved greatly in terms of sharing information with all of our stakeholders.
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