*Opinions expressed in Letters to the Editor are not necessarily those of The Messenger
It would happen like this. Someone...someone with the statutory authority to represent a school district would decide that it was not their job to get involved. And, as is almost always the case, it would be the children and grandchildren who would suffer the consequences. Welcome to my old alma mater.
Let me begin my concerns about a recent article in the Kenyon Leader by making reference to a series of quotations that should catch the eye of anyone who has committed themselves to the design and implementation of a school district's strategic plan. Beginning with an opening note of “frustration” by Mrs. Debb Paquin and ending with Mr. Kevin Anderson's suggestion to “Step back and let the administration team run with it,” the article leads one to believe that the Kenyon-Wanamingo School Board would like to wash their hands of the entire process. And to make matters even worse, it was reported that 'board members felt good about the progress they had made in their hour-and-a-half brainstorming session.'
In the school board's proposal to focus on the principles of culture and curriculum, Mrs. Paquin expressed “Frustration with the board being tasked with creating the goals that go into the plan.” Moreover, she said, “I don't believe this is our work to be doing. Our administration should be bringing this to us for us to brainstorm. They need to prioritize what's important. This is for the administration and superintendent to figure out what's more important.”
While the literature is clear when it comes to the impact a quality culture and a robust curriculum will have on the success of a school district, the idea that a school board and selected representatives of the community are left out of the loop is not only contrary to good policy, but when one looks at the forces that have found their way into public education, it becomes dangerous. I can think of no other time in my 49 years in education when the necessity to keep the school district's planning process out of the hands of politically motivated administrators and teachers is more important than it is today. If you do not believe me, just take a close look at where their respective “parent” organizations are trying to take our children and grandchildren. No...honesty and integrity must be part of the “stop gap” if the process is going to work. This will not happen if it is left in the hands of people who have long-since sold their loyalty to their unions.
As I continued reading the article, I found school board member, Mr. AJ Lindell, saying, “If we don't do this, its not going to get done. Is this our work to do? Probably not. But if we aren't taking the initiative, we will be left behind the eight-ball and our kids won't have the direction they need.” Unfortunately, and with the exception of his comment on “probably not,” he is correct in his assessment. Now, and due to the fact that current and previous school boards have placed their trust in the wrong people, they find themselves in a place that they have never been before; a place that they do not want to be...and it shows every time you open the Kenyon Leader and read the school board members' comments.
A number of years ago Mrs. Paquin asked me about the kind of duties she could expect as a school board member if she decided to run for it. When I told her that it would entail some of the same challenges that she and her colleagues are now trying to avoid, she seemed undeterred. While I will admit that no one could have foreseen what we are now facing in public education, it does not change the fact that when she and her colleagues took the pledge to represent the community, they were telling us that they were willing to take on both the good and the bad; they were telling us that they were in it for the long haul...and it was our sense that they were sincere about it. Maybe that is why the article made reference to her comment about the 'repercussions you would face at your job if you did not perform the duties directed to you.' Perhaps she was telling us that the time has finally come to apply the same kind of standards when it pertains to leadership at the school district level. I sure hope this is the message she is trying to send to the community.
As the school board begins the process of changing the culture and the purpose behind having a quality curriculum in the school district, they need to keep two things in mind. First, the most difficult part of their assignment will be the culture. According to Parkway, Haas and Anctil (2010, p. 59), “It is the way of life common to a group of people; it represents their way of looking at the world. It also consists of the values, attitudes, and beliefs that influence their behavior.” Due to the fact that Kenyon-Wanamingo Public Schools has a history of cultivating a “good old boy culture” within the respective buildings, it is paramount that they find a way to change the old way of doing business. Sadly, it has been my experience that these kinds of cultures will do everything in their power to sabotage the process. How do they get by with it? They get by with it because the ultimate power in a school district: its school board (See Minnesota Statutes), sits back and allows it to happen. It is time that they find a way to take back the power.
And second, and here is where it gets serious, the school district's curriculum leaders must start raising questions like: Why is our student achievement consistently behind other SE Minnesota schools as reported in the Rochester Post Bulletin? What is our purpose as we move forward? Where are we at and where do we want to go? How do we achieve it—and who is going to lead us? If the school district does not have the right person/people at the helm, they need to find him/her/them before it is too late. There is just too much at stake for the future of our children and grandchildren.
And finally, the school board needs to be vigilant when it comes to the curriculum development piece of the school district's plan for school improvement. If they aren't; if they leave it to the wrong people with the wrong motives for our children and grandchildren, the community is going to wake up some morning and find out that Critical Race Theory, Black Lives Matter, White Fragility, the 1619 Project, and Marxism has not only been embedded into the curriculum, but it is now driving the bus. Oh by the way, the school board needs to be careful when they start waving the equity banner. If not, they will soon find out that the same people who are promoting CRT, BLM, White Fragility and other racist ideologies (the political Left) have an entirely different definition for what it should actually mean. Remember, these people have already proven that they are not the friends of public education. And if you do not believe me, just take a close look at what has taken place over the last two years.
In conclusion, and in reference to taking back the power, I would like to remind the community that there will be a school board election before the end of the year. With term limits expiring for Mrs. Craig, Mrs. Paquin, Mr. Anderson, and Mrs. Syverson on the first Monday in January of 2023, it will give perspective candidates a chance to review student achievement and other notable issues that have led to where the school district finds itself today. As someone who has spent his professional career working with K-12 through higher education doctoral students, I would be happy to share my thoughts with anyone who might be interested in helping to create a new beginning at Kenyon-Wanamingo Public Schools. It is getting late....
Dr. James Russell Lehman, '63
Kenyon, MN 55946
507-273-7635 or 507-789-5248
