School Board Meeting

I attended the November 22nd meeting of the Goshen Community Schools Board, during which the board approved and discussed measures, heard reports from administrators, and moved through these topics according to a pre-determined agenda. The majority of the audience was made up of Goshen College students, but a number of others were present for at least part of the meeting, including several school principals, a reporter, and a few community members who left after being recognized during an early ceremony. The atmosphere of the meeting was focused, but relatively casual. It was clear that most of the board members felt comfortable discussing the issues seriously, and knew what needed to be accomplished and how to accomplish it.

Major topics discussed included: future discussions of budget cuts, GCS' "Three commitments," an issue with GHS' end of course assessments, a grant for planting trees, energy use in summer months, charter schools, two members' report on a meeting with Tony Bennett, construction projects in the middle and high school, the school calendar, and many other smaller agenda items. Some of these items were included as reports from administrators, while others were to be discussed and voted on. One topic in particular, the approval of some budgeting details for construction projects intended to save energy at GHS and GMS, provoked serious discussion from members of the board who believed there was a discrepancy in the projected costs and benefits of these projects. While most sections of the agenda seemed to proceed largely as planned, without disruption or surprise, this discussion seemed uncomfortable to some board members, as it involved large amounts of money, and drew serious debate from some parts of the board.

Overall, most of the topics the board discussed were mainly administrative, big picture issues, and few seemed to have anything to do with what actually happens within the classroom. A few items, like the high school's performance on end of course assessments, related more directly to students and teachers dealing with NCLB, but other than this most discussion was of more organizational concerns than of the actual learning process. This seemed very much like a business meeting, as mentioned earlier, the most heated debate arose out of an issue with the budget of a construction project. Even the recognition of GHS students for their roles in a play seemed very out of place in a meeting that seems to have little to do with what students are doing on a day-to-day basis. I'm not sure this is necessarily a bad thing, however, as the board's main goal seems to be to take this kind of administrative, detail work, out of the hands of schools, intelligently leaving principals and teachers in control of what actually happens in these schools. The board's power is mainly in working with budgets and connecting schools with the government, making sure the district is running well on a larger scale.

I was most surprised by how seemingly insignificant or at least low-priority issues seemed to make up most of the agenda. Obviously the board doesn't debate enormous topics like how schools and the district are organized in every meeting, but in some ways I felt as if some bigger ideas need to be addressed. If this group of people with control over an entire city's educational system aren't thinking about education in a deeper, institutional sense, and are instead busying themselves with what seemed to be only detail work, who is going to actually change the district and make sure it is running properly?

Where Can These Actions Take Me?

The 9 "actions" originally laid out by Grant and Gillette identify a series of opportunities for a potential or current teacher to become involved, aware, and active in every way in their students' and educational institution's well being. From more personal growth activities to broader engagement in social issues, these activities seek to push teachers in several different ways, and include a broad range of the skills and concerns teachers need to take into consideration.

From a very young age, I've been aware of education as an idea to be examined and pursued, thanks to a family and social context that was made up largely of educators or people involved in some way with educational institutions. Both of my parents are teachers, and many of my aunts, uncles, and grandparents have taught at some point in their lives. At church and with family friends I also saw many examples of teachers who were engaged deeply in their craft. This relatively unique level of immersion in educational thought has meant that I have been thinking about educational issues and concepts for years, whether in my life, in the schools of the teachers I know, or in the country as a whole. This has prepared me well to "become critically active in issues related to education and/or social justice."

As a student, I've discovered a good amount about how I function under pressure and how I deal with stress, which has often meant asking myself what will best help me relax and motivate myself in difficult situations. I have begun to "develop ways to recharge my battery" but still have quite a bit to learn about my needs as a professional in a real workplace. At this point I've learned that although I can work well with people and enjoy social interactions, my personality leans toward introverted, meaning I need a good amount of time to myself in order to stay on top of things. Basic solitary activities like reading, watching TV or listening to music are often what I need to keep myself engaged in my work, and this lesson is one I'm sure would apply to life as a teacher.

Although I've grown somewhat in these broader areas, many more specific concerns of teaching remain largely unexplored for me. My experiences with education up to this point have been relatively narrow, and opening myself up to completely new parts of the field is one of the things these 9 actions push hardest. When it comes to "getting experience with all types of learners and their families," I know that my history at a small college and a tiny middle at high school have not represented anything close to the complete range of diverse learners and social realities that exist. Even if a teacher ends up at a homogeneous, familiar institution, understanding this range of learners and cultures should be a crucial part of their teaching. With modern understandings of multi-cultural learning and the effects of family life on every learner, it's become clear that every teacher needs to know what kinds of learners are out there, whether they apply it in opening up a less-diverse classroom to a broader look at the world, or open up their own teaching style to fit any student's needs.

I've grown up around teachers and already have potential connections within my community, but in terms of pursuing these relationships in a meaningful way, I've ignored many possible "allies in the professional world and beyond." Cultivating these connections is an important part of a teacher's growth, since these allies can help them grow as teachers through mentorship or even expand their professional possibilities. Relating to other professionals is both a good career decision and a good personal decision for these reasons, as they can provide a backbone of support for a 21st century teacher.