Editor,
Have you heard about the “angry” and “militant” parents who are so “mean” to the school board? Well, now you cannot just hear them on an old broken audio tape system, but instead see them in action!
It took five years to overcome stiff opposition by the school board to the same video streaming and archive system used by the City Council, Design Review Board and Planning Commission. In 2014 Dee Perry ran and was elected on a platform that included live video streaming and video podcast archiving. Perry prevailed over strenuous objections and last night (Jan. 12) was the first night the board meeting was video taped and posted on the website.
In years past the board members adopted an unspoken pact to vote unanimously to show “unity,” which was, of course, anti-democratic and deprived the public of transparency. Since Perry became a member open voting and true majority rule with actual dissenting votes has returned to the board.
Last night some board members were playing to the cameras a bit, but that’s okay. They did a great job, and it was a good first outing in reality TV for the same school board that once brought reality TV into the lives of our kids!
As usual, I was there as a “friend of the board” to provide some public input, but I was the same old me, no difference between my approach now and when the old audio system was in operation.
You be the judge, compare the new video archive with the pre-video audio recording of presentations by what the Indy calls “school board watchdog Howard Hills” at: lagunabeachschools.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?publish_id=c12ebdf2-ba07-11e5-b3ab-00219ba2f017.
Howard Hills, Laguna Beach
