We are proud of Irene Stewart for finding the way to end the madness of the school merger and closure catastrophe last week.
She did the political job of actually counting votes - talking to her fellow board members - figuring out there were not enough votes to approved the attempt to shove Pathfinder and Cooper together along with a similar action in Northeast Seattle and problems in the Rainier Valley.
"I didn't see anything changing minds," she said (See Story, Page One). "I thought, we don't need to continue this."
Absolutely correct, Irene. You spared this community and your board another week of misery. We laud you for your leadership for finding an appropriate, political and merciful way out of this mess.
But the system has to change. The people not only need the appearance of being heard, but actually be heard. If, then, the board decides against a group, fine. Explain the reasons, stand your ground and move on.
The lack of interaction with the people makes the School Board hearing process more like a show trial in a totalitarian country. True, formal hearings where people testify are needed, but how about smaller, separate discussion groups where the people can actually get answers to their questions, can discuss their concerns with knowlegeable staff as well as directors? Many may have been molified if they knew the reasoning behind the changes, or, more likely, the school officials may have seen the logic behind the objections of the school staff.
We cannot understand how the superintendent actually expected an alternative school could be smushed into a traditional school. No leadership was shown, just an order issued from on high.
Even stranger is how the administration did not know about the achievements at Roxhill until after a hearing and after a letter in this paper told of those strides forward. Do they not have phones at headquarters, or is it that all knowledge comes from on high?
We urge Stewart to continue her leadership in a board that is largely dysfunctional and dithering. We wonder about the efficacy of a board where some of its members sue the school district over a decision they are supposed to control.
Fix it, folks, or the people will do it for you next year when four members are up for election.
- Jack Mayne
