Do we need School Boards at all?

The Vancouver Province recently offered up an item for thought, offering up the theory that the concept of local school boards is an outdated model, not relevant to today’s educational needs.

http://www.theprovince.com/business/should+away+with+school+boards/5656459/story.html

What do you think about this proposal, is it a valid concern or do you still believe that the current system is relevant to the goals of education?

school boards

Dwhite

First of all, the author of the article, writes a completely biased, one-sided story about scrapping school boards and then has the audacity to attach a poll question. Nice job of manipulating the public rather than informing it.

I am no expert here and I am sure that there are ways of making the system more streamlined so that money that is spent on administration can be spent in the classrooms instead.

How much money is saved if the school board is scrapped. What do the trustees get in remuneration – $10000/year? and some added funds for travel etc. Help me out ’cause I don’t know. But I don’t imagine the money spent on the elected officials is a huge expense for what they do which is to oversee the running of the schools on behalf of the public who elect them. I think that they are worth that expense.

Now how well they do is the question. Are they allocating funds they receive adequately? Are they defending education against governments who some times come across as anti-education? But again, that is up to the people of each community to decide during elections.

The last six years three schools have been closed with a shift to a middle school model. Tough decisions. To some, unpopular decisions. But regardless of how I or anybody else might feel about those decisions, I am sure glad it was made by people living in Prince Rupert who know the community and are forced by their living in the community to hear what the public has to say and then every three years be accountable for their decisions.
Mbowles

Very well said Dwhite. So well said, I have nothing to add. I bet you never thought you would hear that from me.
Lsanchez

Nothing is better than having a local Board. Each Board has its unique needs and would thus be able to be in a position to effectively address local needs . I believe the journalist has nothing better to write about or he is just trying to stir up some mud. This question was discussed a few years ago and the BCSTA was opposed to the idea.Having said that I don’t believe that funding for local programmes would be well balanced especially dealing with small Boards like ours. We wouldn’t have as muchinput into the Transition in making sure we have a buy in. We’ve already seen the problem dealing with Provincial Bargaining. Our rural areas suffered. We need local Boards making their own decision about the unique needs we face , especially here in the North.Louisa
Brian Johnson

I do not ever remember Jon writing a balanced editorial. School boards have a difficult task in making decisions at the community level. Centralizing decision making bodies would eliminate locally developed intiatives. Jon (in his own way) did mention that much needed dollars are not in classrooms. Made in Prince Rupert decisions are much more beneficial than the ones made in Victoria!

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Do we need School Boards at all?

Skeena Institute