The following article
appeared on the opinion page of the
Local School Boards Are Well Represented
By Harry J.
Delgado
A recent
opinion article by Joshua Leinsdorf (“Local school boards need better
representation,” Feb. 18) contained inaccuracies about the New Jersey School
Boards Association. In fairness to the association’s board of directors
and members, I find it necessary to counter at least some of the writer’s
unfounded conclusions.
First,
Leinsdorf states that NJSBA is biased in favor of “largely white, rural school
districts” because its delegates meeting provides one vote per school district,
rather than weighted voting based on enrollment. As association president
and a Hispanic board member, I take offense to that
accusation.
The “one
district-one vote” structure is designed to give every school board an equal
voice in association policy-setting. Regardless of district size or
demographics, school boards share common goals and challenges, ranging from
collective bargaining with highly organized teacher unions to requirements
under the state’s complex monitoring process. Every school board needs a
voice in the development of association policies on these and other
matters. In fact, as Leinsdorf acknowledges, the New Jersey Supreme Court
has specifically permitted the NJSBA to use its current voting structure.
What
Leinsdorf does not acknowledge is that NJSBA’s bylaws provide additional,
guaranteed representation of urban school districts on its other governing
body, the board of directors. Many of these school districts have large
enrollments and educate a significant proportion of African American and
Hispanic students. As a result, 25 percent of board of directors
positions are filled by urban school board members, even though urban districts
constitute 10 percent of the state’s total.
In the end,
however, the NJSBA’s mission remains the advancement
of public education for all schoolchildren, regardless of their racial/ethnic
background or where they attend school.
Second,
when criticizing the association’s rules concerning the minimum number of
delegates necessary to conduct business, Leinsdorf leaves the misimpression
that the NJSBA operates with the input of only 9 percent of its members.
In fact, the delegate assembly attracts far more representatives than the
minimum quorum. Close to 200 delegates attended our November meeting.
Additionally, the selection of our second governing body, the board of
directors, involves the vast majority of local school boards through elections
at each of the state’s 21 county
school boards associations, as well as the urban board committee and vocational
schools.
Third,
Leinsdorf makes the presumption that the NJSBA’s “top legislative priority” is
the elimination of the vote on proposed school district budgets when they are
within cap. We strongly support the change, but we have many other
legislative goals. As NJSBA president, I would identify our top priority
as adequate state funding for public education in 2009-2010.
Leinsdorf’s
misleading statement ignores the NJSBA’s long history of advocacy for higher
academic standards, initiatives to close the economic achievement gap, and
equal educational opportunity. It also overlooks such efforts as the NJSBA’s
recent success in safeguarding community influence over the state’s school
district regionalization program when it secured an amendment that requires
voter approval of proposed school district mergers. His assessment also
fails to recognize our long-term fight for substantial state and federal
funding of required special education services in all communities—rich or poor.
For financial
reasons, Leinsdorf calls for the elimination of the association, which operates
primarily on dues from local school districts. NJSBA dues, in fact,
constitute approximately 1/20th of 1 percent of the average school
district budget. But the services supported by those dues—including
training, negotiations assistance, policy development, legal information,
collective energy purchasing and legislative advocacy—would cost districts far
more if not provided by the NJSBA.
The NJSBA
operates democratically. A local board of education—including Mr.
Leinsdorf’s—may propose changes to association policies or the bylaws that
govern its operations by submitting a resolution or amendment to the delegates
meeting.
As NJSBA
president, my top priority is to increase board member involvement in all
association activities, including our delegate assembly. That’s critical
because the enormity of issues facing local school boards today—ranging from
the economic meltdown and resulting lack of future employment opportunities for
our students to a crumbling public employee pension system—require local boards
of education to unite behind common goals. Unity is precisely why the New
Jersey School Boards Association was founded in 1914 and why its mission to
advance public education remains essential today.
Harry J.
Delgado is president of the