School Board Meetings; Through the Looking Glass

Have you ever been on a business trip and thought you wandered into the wrong meeting room? You’re in the right hotel, reasonably sure that this is the right floor and yet you cannot understand a single thing that is happening since you have slipped unobtrusively into the back of the room. The language is jargon and acronym filled, the persons on the podium (yes, podium) are separated by a vast gulf of both space and architecture from the audience and you cannot find a spot in the agenda that would give you security in knowing that indeed this is the meeting that you are required to attend.

Try being ten minutes late for a LWSD Board Meeting. It was my first experience at a school board meeting and I pulled the agenda off their website prior to arriving. I entered the spacious and light filled Redmond Town Center building that houses the LWSD Resource Center. Immediately to my left was a sign that stated this room was indeed the board room and I entered with trepidation as I was, as stated, ten minutes late. I took an empty seat; there were plenty. Three professionally dressed folks with binders and folders, blackberry’s and laptops sat up front and although I was in jeans I did have my blackberry with me, so I sat with them. Craning my neck I could see the other four folks in the audience; late middle-age women sitting in back; one knitting (so tale of two cities) and three working studiously at, I kid you not, cutting out intricate paper dolls and snowflake-like tiaras. And yes, I did take the time to try to figure out what these products of much snipping and clipping were; the second was a mystery until I saw one woman fit it to another woman’s head. They had supplies spread out on the floor in front of each of them and were busy the entire two hours; I never saw them look up and I never heard them even whisper to each other.

It turns out the ones up front where there to give presentations of sort; it was the Chief Academic Officer for LWSD; Dan Phelan and the Chief Student Officer; Traci Pierce and someone from their office. After Dan’s presentation; Culture Ends, I asked for a copy of the presentation and was given the full meeting agenda, approximately 37 pages worth of material.
That left just five observers, with five board members, an executive assistant and the Superintendant of Lake Washington schools up front. It was fascinating how they managed to appear so accessible and yet unreachable at the same time. On the LWSD web page are e-mails, biographies and phone numbers for each board member. The agenda is out ahead of time on the web, and a full agenda available for anyone who wants/needs one as you enter the meeting room. Seemingly these members are transparent and accessible.

But it was the meeting room itself that shook me initially. Up on a large podium were the seven seats, the board members plus the superintendant and the executive assistant. Also on the podium was an expansive wooden structure designed to be their collective desk; with appropriate electronic avenues. Each had a large screen monitor, and the audience had an immense screen above their heads to see the pages highlighted by the speakers; one presentation was done by essentially reading the test data to the members while showing it upon the wall and on their monitors. Some members had their own laptops open as well, others had vast notes and the binder with today’s information and tabs. They were separated by about 5 feet from the first line of chairs for the audience, then another 3-4 feet of this desk-like structure, all the while being held up higher than the rest of the room. I had the sense that the idea was to hold them up on a pedestal, away from the madding crowd. Most impressive, Yoda would say. But I don’t think he would have been impressed, and neither was I. Why was the vast display necessary? I immediately wondered about other school districts and how it looked at their board meetings, whether they were getting the same “look but don’t touch, and if you have something to say make an appointment to testify (their word, was it meant to cause pause? Testify? Really?) AND be sure to keep it under three minutes, no questions were to be addressed to the board at that time and no answers would be given.

In addition to the regal atmosphere and the strict rules for interaction there was the disparity in language. It was very hard to understand what they were discussing; there was a high use of acronyms as well as simply a very high echelon of spoken word. Some members said things in such a way that it sounded as if professors with advanced degrees were pontificating to one another. Others spoke plainly but were like a dog with a bone, repeating themselves and re-stating their objections numerous times. Educational jargon, test jargon, acronyms for present testing and future testing… opinions and objections swirled around like volcanic residue.
After phoning the Public Information Office for the LWSD I was informed that although some school districts submit hours for per diem pay (allowed by law up to $3000 per year) this district did not submit that paperwork and in fact had nothing in their charter to allow for any payment. This was purely a volunteer position. I asked about the number of hours, approximately, and was told that generically it depended upon the member; some have greater time to devote to this position, becoming a liaison with schools and the communities, others who have to work full time have fewer hours to give. The office was loath to give an approximation of the number of hours spent on open meetings, working meetings, retreats, testifying in Olympia, speaking at PTSA functions, and on and on.

One thing I did notice was the level of alacrity that each member showed for the items on the agenda; they were prepared and ready to go. Not prepared in that they had read the briefings, but prepared with their questions and concerns, as well as possible solutions to the issues that they brought forward. They were there to accomplish the evening’s business, and did so with grace towards each other’s foibles.

There may be many points to make about the inhibiting rules and atmosphere, as well as the sophisticated level of discussion that felt exclusive and elitist, however I had not bothered to speculate about just who was able to take on this volunteer position with innumerable hours, and the load that they carry. Perhaps more on that later.