If you’ve never been to or watched a board meeting, this is what you’d see. Let me paint and dramatize the picture: It’s hot and cramped. Eric Cowan, the old lion, sits there with his salt and pepper mane waving from the fan. As past president, he’s bracing himself for the coming circus. He knows he’s going to want to talk, but he just won't have the chance. It's sad really, he’s got good things to say. Joyce Foreman, Bernadette Nutall, and Elizabeth Jones get started early doing the yelling and playing up the conspiracies. What happened to you Elizabeth? You used to be so even keeled.
Nancy Bingham asks a few questions and tries to be the voice of reason. Dan Micciche looks like he’s about to threaten to pull over and turn the car around. Lew Blackburn is reading intently and adjusting his glasses, a silent ally of the louder snarkier members.
Mike Morath, the rebel on the horseshoe, sits there hoping, praying, wishing that the insanity would end. Why do I care about the kids so much? Why can’t I be anywhere else right now? These are the questions it looks like he’s asking himself. Miguel Solis, the young president, looking polished as always, seems exhausted. Trying to hold it all together is taxing and is taking its toll on him. He seems to want so bad for our kids to have a better education while simultaneously trying to will his heart not to give out from the stress.
Mike Miles sits there and is leered at by half the board for hours, looking confused the majority of the time at the things some of the trustees are saying. Have they read any of the reports? Have they been in a classroom since we changed things? Are they asking a question or just yelling at me? All good questions Miles is no doubt asking himself over and over. Does that sound like a function government? Nope, and it’s our kids who are paying the price for our, quite entertaining, but non-functioning educational leadership.