It’s always easy to nitpick the day-today decision-making of professional administrators operating government service such as schools. As a general rule, school boards hire a superintendent, set broad policies to give that superintendent direction, then allow the administrator to do her job. That’s the way it should be.
But it’s entirely appropriate for a school board to make course corrections, big or small, along the way to ensure the community’s values and outlook are being refl ected in that administrator’s leadership. This is why we have school boards.
In Fayetteville, it’s time for one of those adjustments.
School Board member Justin Eichmann recently asked his colleagues to change policies so the School Board can be more aware — and potentially do something about, if necessary — major expenditures for professional and personal services contracts in the conduct of school district business. He proposed a policy to require board approval for any contracts of more than $50,000.
Eichmann was responding to the concerns of School District residents uncomfortable with the administration spending more than $800,000 over four years for consultant work from the International Center for Leadership in Education. This consulting firm specializes in leading school districts through change, especially that related to curriculum and strategies involving the Common Core State Standards.
All school districts in Arkansas have been busy preparing to meet the demands of those standards, so no one should consider it odd a school district engaged the services of a consulting firm. What’s odd is that it happened without the School Board being aware of its extent and expense.
The board’s attorney says the board tacitly approved the contract by approving district budgets that paid for it. Legally speaking, he may be right. From a perspective of oversight, that explanation is wholly inadequate. That’s especially true when the consulting firm’s role is centered on Common Core, which school district offcials have cited as a critically important component of education for the future.
Eichmann rightly wants to remove the “cloudiness” from district policies. It would appear a $50,000 limit without board approval is a step toward maintaining a high level of accountability within the administration.
It is important to note that such consultation and training often receives high praise from educators, and we’re pleased to see any district invest in the professional development of teachers and other employees. But when contracts involve such large sums, it’s vital the elected school board not just say its blessings over a budget, but has specifi c knowledge of how money is being spent on consulting and training services.
CASUALTIES OF WAR
To honor the men and women in our armed forces and remind our readers of their sacrifices, this newspaper is publishing Department of Defense announcements identifying Americans killed in active military operations.
Army Sgt. Lyle D. Turnbull, 31, of Norfolk, Va., died Oct. 18, in Camp Arifi an, Kuwait, from a medical emergency. The cause of his death is under investigation. Turnbull was assigned to the 62nd Expeditionary Signal Battalion, 11th Signal Brigade, Fort Hood, Texas.
Opinion, Pages 5 on 12/19/2013