Are we suppose to vote as if the current CC is in place?  I do not want to complicate the question......but we got SB and AW from the current CC.....

Quote from HSCIN on 06/11/08 at 8:10am:

 
Thank you.  This is a very hard decision.  If Hoover residents can't elect a CC that supports our schools, I am not sure we could elect a school board that functions for the betterment of Hoover.

The representative of the School Network mentioned some communities going to combination elected and appointed. Could the individual please elaborate?
 
Would that be elect the SUPT. let the Council do their thing w/ the B of ED?
 
That would be a true stand alone SUPT. who has the support of the community and yes the good blessings of the Board.
 
Plus he(she) would have a $184,000 " higher ed contract " beholding to the constitutes.

I have been made aware of districts (looking for the specifics as we speak) that have a combination of elected and appointed board seats.  Generally they are very large districts, from my understanding.  Something like 4 elected, 3 appointed.
 
Dr. Joe Dean, former board member, stated that he has seen the elected board, appointed superintendent model work well.  I have had a lot of discussion with folks at various levels about moving to an elected board.  Again, it's not something to be done as a reaction to a bad appointment (or two or three or four), but as a way to better govern a school system.
 
I don't know if we're there yet.  I don't know if an elected board would be any better representative of the folks who make up the system.  
 
Hence the question for y'all.

Quote from HSCIN on 06/11/08 at 9:25am:

 
Here's what I found from the Education Commission of the States website:
 
In Oakland, California, 3 of the 10 local school board members for the Oakland school district are appointed by the mayor, and 7 of the 10 members are elected.  
 
In New York City 5 of the 13 members are appointed by the 5 borough presidents and 8 of the 13 members, including the chancellor of public instruction who serves as chairperson, are appointed by the mayor.
 
These are the only two boards of education in the country that the ECS stated are a combination of elected and appointed board of education members.

Not sure I understand your question, HH2.  Could you clarify?

The research shows that neither form of governance actually produces better results than the other.  The determining factor in how successful schools are is how their community embraces them (or not).  One of those links (the one with the advantages and disadvantages of each type, I believe) states that very clearly.  And that's what all of the research shows as well.  
 
It doesn't matter which form you have as long as the community believes in that form of governance.
 
Hence the question.  Which do we want?

I'm not sure one is better than the other, but we need to know what the recall rules are.  Surely, there is some method whether they are appointed or elected to recall bad selections.

I think with a little more research you will find that the Madison County Board of ED is an elected board or at least their supertinenant was elected.
 
It is interesting to note this is where Mr. Bill Broardway came from prior to his happening in Hoover. It is interesting  also to note that he was voted OUT of office and another candidate won the next term as SUPT. of Madison County School System. ( BILLY only one term)
 
I would like to put a disclaimer on this info. because it was given to me third hand from a teacher in that System who has numerous stories to tell of the Mr. "sky the limit" Billy Broardway.
 
PLEASE CORRECT ME IF THIS INFO. IS NOT VALID!!

29 votes so far.  29.  Anybody else out there with an opinion?  I'm closing this on June 30th.

What do you mean by scared?

Using the word scared makes it sound like 60% of the folks that participated in the poll are afraid to do the what they think is right.  A better choice would be preferred.  Sounds to me like the results of the poll went against your opinion, so you attempted to rationalize the reason that the results are the way they are and present them as being skewed due to fear of the unknown.  Every newly appointed or elected member is an unknown commodity.  
 
 
Just my opinion
 

Quote from GoHoover2008 on 07/03/08 at 11:03am:

 
And, 2008, some friendly advice:  be careful when making assumptions.  You're wrong about this one.  These results didn't go "against" my opinion and I never "attempt...to rationalize".   Facts.  I deal in facts.  And sayings.
 
Have a nice day.  Glad to have you in the discussion.

Political postions are, by their very nature, political -- whether they're appointed or elected.  In my opinion, the only possible advantage to an elected school board is that they would be more directly responsible to the electorate, but the electorate (those who actually vote) and those who choose to run for election are swayed by political forces and personal agendas themselves.  As has been often demonstrated with other political offices, the electorate is just as likely to elect someone who turns out to be unqualified, incompetent or unethical as an elected official is to appoint someone unqualified, incompetent or unethical.  And, by the same token, a highly-qualified, very competent, and morally ethical person can also be either elected or appointed. (And I believe the electorate did indirectly influence the appointment of such a board member with the most recent appointment.)  So going through the time-consuming and convoluted process of changing permanently to an elected school board hardly seems worth the effort.  That's why I voted to keep the current appointed system, despite its flaws -- not because I'm scared of the unknown, but because I really don't think it matters.  What matters is having a strong school administration and an involved community force in place to serve as a check and balance system for the school board and to keep the focus on improving achievement for all students.

Quote from voiceofreason on 07/03/08 at 12:39pm:

 
Agreed.  [Emphasis added.]

Quote from beeline on 07/03/08 at 7:40pm:

 
I wish there was a way to frame this post.  It hits on some many points that are so spot on, from the very first sentence to the last.  I would go as far as saying that this post should be required reading for everyone.  Outstanding post, beeline!