Lack of Collaboration Decried by Plainfield School Board, Lack of Voter Participation Decried by Council: Both Were Right, Both Were Wrong

Monday night council meeting results on the school board election day, PMUA and many other matters have been discussed by the usual bloggers that cover city matters, but I thought that perhaps I could add "mi granito de arena" to the virtual conversation on Monday's council meeting.

As you are aware by now there were a good number of opposite, strong, emotions regarding the council's decision to move school board elections to November.  The council supported the move, the school board decried the lack of consultation and deliberation on this matter.

Both positions, in my opinion, were quite valid, yet their opposite positions seem to have grown out of different reasons, one out of concern for wider citizen participation and involvement on school board selection, the other out of concern for not having been consulted on a matter that directly affects the people that are the recipients of Monday's decision.  You see the difference? 

At no given point there was a sense that these two opposite opinions would be able to meet in the middle, after all, they were not talking the same "language".  So, what can we all learn from Monday's meeting and what can be taken from that meeting to help improve Plainfield?

One thing I took from listening to both sides, the school board and the council, is that we, the residents, really need these two bodies to take the time to sit together and talk, really talk, about the state of education here in Plainfield and the lack of parental and citizen involvement that there is not only on election day but in general.  One thing is to talk about shared services and something else is to talk about the current state of academic outcomes from the Plainfield public schools and how to improve the educational opportunities for our Plainfield public students. 
The evident lack of communication and the reason given by both sides --"communications were sent but not responded to" - should be noted and taken as a base to spring improvement.  Both sides mentioned the same tactic and both sides failed to see that this only showed that there really is no communication between these two bodies. 

Plainfield, the city in general, and its public school families can not benefit from having two of the most important decision entities making decisions regarding children and young adults in an isolated manner.  It has not worked on the past, it will not work in the future and the only victims here are children, their families and us as residents.

While there are liaisons from the council and the school board that are supposed to be the "bridges" one must question if there is a clear process, perhaps a policy or a resolution that indicates and guides how this bridge between the council and school board is to be built and supported.  Plainfield can no longer operate on verbal communications, or on invitations to non-regular matters like the change of election date.  Not should we rely on good intentions anymore.  We are a big city that wants to move forward so the effort to have a true joint school board and council must be met with clear directions that can be followed by all regardless of who is in power.  Clear guidelines on how liaisons and communications between these two bodies need to be are not a choice if we are serious about improving our city and schools.

If it hasn't been suggested already, I want to suggest, and will be advocating for, a city-wide task force group that takes the topic of public education and makes it a formal conversation among all Plainfield stakeholders and elected officials.  Plainfield public students, their families and us, the residents of Plainfield, need and deserve to have our two most important elected bodies treat educational matters from a collaborative and respectful platform. We deserve it and we have earned it!