School Board Composition
A hybrid school board would ensure that much-needed checks and balances would be in place at any time and under any leadership. No matter who serves as governor, county executive, or superintendent of schools, the board would include independent-thinking representatives chosen by the people, not political appointees merely rubber-stamping decisions handed down from above.
An elected school board is not a panacea for the problems our schools face such as aging infrastructure and overcrowding, but we could expect an elected board to set better priorities in spending the funds they do have. Above all, we could expect them to be responsive to the concerns of the public and accountable for their decisions. The current system of appointed board members has not resulted in timely self-correction, with regard to planning for school overcrowding, climate control, AIM, or Rule 1300, issues requiring legislative intervention on multiple occasions over the past 4 years. The appointed board is not directly accountable to the public. The current appointment system reflects a view that the general electorate cannot be trusted to vote wisely.
“A board that is representative of the community it serves and directly accountable to the public would be a significant step toward a more inclusive process of decisionmaking to improve education for all students.”
(February 2011 University of Illinois study, “Should Chicago Have an Elected Representative School Board? A Look at the Evidence")
An elected school board is not a panacea for the problems our schools face such as aging infrastructure and overcrowding, but we could expect an elected board to set better priorities in spending the funds they do have. Above all, we could expect them to be responsive to the concerns of the public and accountable for their decisions. The current system of appointed board members has not resulted in timely self-correction, with regard to planning for school overcrowding, climate control, AIM, or Rule 1300, issues requiring legislative intervention on multiple occasions over the past 4 years. The appointed board is not directly accountable to the public. The current appointment system reflects a view that the general electorate cannot be trusted to vote wisely.
“A board that is representative of the community it serves and directly accountable to the public would be a significant step toward a more inclusive process of decisionmaking to improve education for all students.”
(February 2011 University of Illinois study, “Should Chicago Have an Elected Representative School Board? A Look at the Evidence")
