Much Work to be Done

It has been a long four years for Howell Public Schools. So many of you have been engaged in the process of trying to improve our District. And while some things have changed for the better, many things have stayed the same.

One of the best things that has happened is that parents are now more willing to speak up for their kids. You know your kids better than anyone and it is important that you respectfully advocate for your children. We have some great students, teachers and administrators in Howell. If you run into someone who works for the schools and does a good job, please let them know. They need to hear it!

Now on our third Superintendent in four years, it is crucial that the Board support Mr. Wilson and let him run the District. The Board was out of balance with both previous Superintendents and that lack of leadership was very destructive.

Some are sure to be happy that I am not running for the School Board again. They are still looking for that scapegoat to explain the general lack of leadership on the Board and destructive pettiness that has been present since I was elected. The only way things will get on a better track after I am gone is if we get new leadership on the Board. Otherwise, you will continue to read about HPS in the paper and we will probably end up in another search for a Superintendent.

My prayer is that there will be good candidates who run for School Board. We need folks who are rational, practical and able to put kids first. The most important thing we need are folks who understand their job is to question with boldness, but let the Administrative team run the District. These people should be committed to transparency. Our meetings are now audio taped, which is good. They should be televised. We need more documents on-line for you to see and guard against violating the Open Meetings Act.

Thank you for allowing me to serve the past four years. It has been a long road to walk with you and I sure have learned a lot. I will be around till December and will keep you informed about what is going on.

While none of us want or need drama, please be prepared that we are not out of the woods yet. With an empty high school and no plan to open it, and the boundaries between governance and management still just nice talking points, there are sure to be some difficult times in the future.

Elections have consequences. Please vote smart in November.