What better way to start a blog about education than to discuss the current education issues in the smallest of small towns USA---good ol' Salmon, Idaho.
Basically, their school is falling apart.
And basically taxpayers are having a fit because of, well, taxes. Really, who wants to pay more?
{Don't think we really need to answer that one.}
Rather than getting into the nitty-gritty of the issue, lets discuss the sources of persuasion.
Shall we?
The school board, teachers, principals, and super-superintendent want something like this:
But many other citizens prefers to stick with this:
By the way, my dad went to school there. Need I say more?
It's ooolllddd.
See the problem?
Last week's school board meeting left the committee feeling disheartened and confused at the low voter turn-out for August's school bond election. They are left wondering why many citizens of Salmon don't seem to care...one way or the other. This leads us to question how much influence school board member actually have..in any district. Do people listen and care about what they are saying? Or do they feel like the school has some top-secret self-serving agenda? The feel of the nay-sayers seems to be in agreement with the latter.
Salmon School Bond issues aside, what kind of influences do authority figures have on people? I am curious to know how people feel when they are pressured into supporting a cause by those who hold authority in a school district, or anywhere really, versus the word-of-mouth, average joe type of person. I completely understand that uneasy feeling when you are being pressured into something by someone you don't know. It's like when the tupperware people knock at your door. Why buy until Cindy down the street has given you her testimony of those dang pickle strainers that don't get your fingers wet? Perhaps this is a situation where school board members and average joes can meet in the middle. Those in authority need to put themselves out there and mingle with the people...see the view from the other side. And those resisting the friendship should realize that schoolboard members are in a limbo between their jobs and their children's education. Their intentions are good. Just like the taxpayers.
One of my favorite quotes from Neal A. Maxwell sums it up perfectly:
"It is better to trust people and sometimes be wrong than to not trust people and sometimes be right."
It seems to me that the school board should be a group of trustworthy people. After all they are nominated and elected to such positions by the average joes. It seems to me that the opinion of much of the public is that teachers and principals complain to much,
and that giving schools money = bad news.
Sad, huh?
Although, the $12 per month increase on taxes some Salmon citizens would experience could potentially be life-shattering. It's ok. We understand. It's just our country's future we are talking about here. We'll just get the kids some hard hats and they're good to sit in the crumbly old building for another ten years.
Salmon School Bond issues aside, what kind of influences do authority figures have on people? I am curious to know how people feel when they are pressured into supporting a cause by those who hold authority in a school district, or anywhere really, versus the word-of-mouth, average joe type of person. I completely understand that uneasy feeling when you are being pressured into something by someone you don't know. It's like when the tupperware people knock at your door. Why buy until Cindy down the street has given you her testimony of those dang pickle strainers that don't get your fingers wet? Perhaps this is a situation where school board members and average joes can meet in the middle. Those in authority need to put themselves out there and mingle with the people...see the view from the other side. And those resisting the friendship should realize that schoolboard members are in a limbo between their jobs and their children's education. Their intentions are good. Just like the taxpayers.
One of my favorite quotes from Neal A. Maxwell sums it up perfectly:
"It is better to trust people and sometimes be wrong than to not trust people and sometimes be right."
It seems to me that the school board should be a group of trustworthy people. After all they are nominated and elected to such positions by the average joes. It seems to me that the opinion of much of the public is that teachers and principals complain to much,
and that giving schools money = bad news.
Sad, huh?
Although, the $12 per month increase on taxes some Salmon citizens would experience could potentially be life-shattering. It's ok. We understand. It's just our country's future we are talking about here. We'll just get the kids some hard hats and they're good to sit in the crumbly old building for another ten years.
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