Midwest Voices

Midwest Voices contributing columnist: Tom Ryan

The Kansas City Star

We’re witnessing the end of centralized governance in many institutions. Large has run its course. While we long for a better model, the model forms before our eyes; a product of diminishing resources and human capability to manage more than they can measure or understand. Debates may offer varying perspectives, but debate will not produce anything other than air when debaters possess no authority. Some use the word strategy, yet it appears that the day to day reality of education resides in one classroom at a time, one school at a time.

My recommendation is to dissolve the Kansas City Missouri School District and the school board. Establish a governance system where principals lead, where teachers teach, where students learn. Establish a Kansas City level staff accountable to the school principals not in charge of them. The staff leader could be a person with the skill sets of a city manager, not a Superintendent, a public servant, not a master of ceremonies.

Current principals may shudder at the thought of actually running their schools and all the dimensions thereof, to include curriculum and public relations.

If graduates and parents chose to do so, they could form (501c3) foundations to support and enrich their alma mater.

If this sounds familiar to those who’ve attended private schools, your familiarity is spot on. That’s my model. Schools work well when those in the school are afforded the resources, time, and space to do what they do well: learn, teach, and lead. This model has less to do with money and more to do with self-determination.

If there is a board of any kind, it could be a board of principals. This is not a strategy, but rather the organic authentic reality that’s been here for years. There is no hierarchy, no bottom up, top down approach. I consider schools potential laboratories, libraries, rehearsal spaces, studios… not institutions. The Kansas City School District is dead…long live the schools and the people who attend them every day.

Comments

1. 

   George Hunsucker

   Northland

   3 months, 2 weeks ago

   Tom,

   Do you give principals hire & fire authority? Do you give them authority to dismiss tenure? Or, in other words, can a school be nonunion?

   Unionization in any school system is a major impediment to improvement imo…

2. 

   Tom Ryan

   Crossroads, Kansas City

   3 months, 2 weeks ago

   In my model, we, I do not “give” authority…the principals exercise theirs and their wisdom… I did not mention your U-word … yours is an institutional perspective… my perspective resides within the school, the classrooms, and the intellects who reside there. I appreciate your institutional approach, but institutions are warehouses.

3. 

   George Hunsucker

   Northland

   3 months, 2 weeks ago

   OK Tom, I will play the game… Who in your model has the authority to fire underperforming teachers?

4. 

   Kent Mueller

   3 months, 1 week ago

   Some nice ideas, Tom. Are you thinking of them as pretty much independent school districts…..one high school with the associated elementary and middle schools? Perhaps they could join together to save back room costs such as joint bidding of janitorial and food services.

   Tom is proving it right that there are a lot of ideas. Unfortunately, the debate out there centers around status quo and hope for something good to miraculously happen and letting the mayor have a shot at it.

   We need to try something we haven’t done before. We are actually in an enviable situation. We may fail at whatever we try, but there is no risk of going backwards. That, is the one and only benefit of having hit rock bottom.

5. 

   Tom Ryan

   Crossroads, Kansas City

   3 months, 1 week ago

   George, in my model, we haven’t hired them yet, so firing is something I haven’t considered. You make a great point…any model chosen deserves thought and attention to details, such as you have in mind.

6. 

   Give Back

   3 months, 1 week ago

   Tom, please contact me. Our 501-c-3 non-profit … the Shawnee Mission North Opportunity Fund is one of the organizations you suggest in your article. Established at the request of the principal, we are been met with “monumental indifference” when it comes to receiving support & collaboration from the school and district administrations. We provide grants and financial aid to low-income students and families for high school fees and expenses, yet we spend much of our volunteer resources trying to convince the admin to support our efforts. Perhaps we are an example of the reality of alumni and the community trying to become involved in their local schools … monumental indifference! Visit our web site to learn more SMNOF.org and talk with us about the incredible and unnecessary challenges we face in trying to “help” the local school. inquiry@SMNOF.org

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