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Editorial CSBA Leader's Fall from Grace Should Not Diminish Critical Role of Stakeholder Groups The collateral damage from the spectacularly ill-timed affair involving the compensation package and credit card use of the retiring Executive Director of California School Board Association (CSBA) has been magnified by other events that already had public anger running high, like the “retirement” of unpopular BP executive Tony Hayward, and headlines stemming from absurdly high salaries of public officials in the small Los Angeles County municipality known as Bell (population 36,664). The current school funding crisis coupled with the lawsuit filed by the CSBA against the state has provided a backdrop for a perfect storm. The fact that the compensation package in question was approved by a small group of school board members, who are likely to nickel and dime their own local superintendent, has not helped the situation either. Some elected officials – most notably State Sen. Gloria Romero (who was barely able to conceal her contempt for stakeholder groups including CSBA during her recent unsuccessful run for State Superintendent of Public Instruction) jumped on the opportunity and were quick to release criticism. Romero said: “Students should be the priority in education funding. School board members continue to fight for every penny for their districts. Yet, ironically, it is their own district dollars that are bankrolling these shocking figures.” “During these dire financial times of furloughs, shortened school years, program cuts and pink slips, every taxpayer and school board in California should be equally outraged at these reported exploitations.” We don’t always agree with Romero, but she has a point this time. Clearly, there is work to be done to restore the credibility of CSBA and other groups. We believe the CSBA made a good move when they brought back retired executive director Davis Campbell – to take the reins on an interim basis. Campbell has been tight-lipped about his immediate plans, but his decades of experience and breadth of service with multiple organizations, his steady hand as an administrator, and his reputation for candor are precisely what the organization needs as it seeks to restore its reputation. And what about the rest of us? As the new academic year begins, we have a feeling that more than one school district superintendent is going to be fielding questions from parents regarding how much (taxpayer) money the district is spending on membership dues for stakeholder groups like CSBA. It’s critical that CSBA – and other groups – prove to the public’s satisfaction that they are being financially prudent and accountable. But even as anger runs high, it’s also important to remember that CSBA and other stakeholder groups play a useful, important role, articulating the needs of districts in Sacramento when education policy decisions are being made. CSBA also provides valuable legal advice to districts and goes to court in cases that impact many California districts – and CSBA has helped score some victories in court that have brought several California districts much more money than they paid in CSBA dues. And CSBA helps train newly elected school board members, and gives them a forum to connect with and learn from one another. This is truly important, because many newly elected school board members still have a lot to learn about how public education in California really works. Again and again, we’ve heard veteran school board members remark on how much they gained by attending CSBA training sessions. So let’s not throw out the baby with the bathwater. Mistakes have been made – bad mistakes. But the overall mission of the CSBA and other stakeholder groups remains important for California’s students. Stay the course and avoid a knee-jerk reaction. |
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