Letter: Open Letter to the School Board

I think what the board is doing is anti-student. You say you are for students but every action you’ve taken is counter to that.

You are trying to shut down parent voices by holding meetings on Monday mornings at 8 a.m. when people are working. You give as little notice as possible to your meetings. You don’t record them, and yet it is in these meetings that you are discussing policy issues. With no one to watch you, who knows what mischief you are up to, and you certainly will not be held accountable by ghosts. You refuse to revisit issues that have been discussed previously despite new information. You refuse to allow any dissenting views be made public. You revise your bylaws when you don’t like what they would force you to do. You have given up your right that is in the by-laws that have existed for a very long time, to set the agenda for the board meetings. The superintendent works for you, not the other way around. You’ve given up your authority. How is that helping the kids? You should be advocates for students and parents not the administration.

How about actually behaving like a responsible body and delving into issues that parents and students want? How about having meetings with them to see what you can do better to support them? How about not silencing dissenting voices by dismissing them? They have important information to share with you. How about holding the administration accountable to do their jobs and not hiring consultants after consultants to do it for them?

I was here when you ignored putting a new student constitution on the agenda. You’ve ignored parents on the calendar. You’ve ignored parents on the issue of AP grade bumps.

Start being more responsive to your constituents. Parents—be alert for the next School Board elections and hold these members accountable to what you want.

Michèle Monda, Laguna Beach