The Arkansas School Boards Association and Arkansas Association of Educational Administrators are out in force against SB587, which would align school board elections with the general.
“While voting in November might increase the voter turnout, that’s not the same thing as informed voters.” – Ron Harder, Arkansas School Boards Association
By reason, those who elected the very representatives who will decide this issue, are not, according to Mr. Harder and his incumbent school board members, “informed.” That goes for 66% of the Arkansas electorate which elected every other elected official in the state except school board members.
By contrast, the turnout for the last school elections? .66% 100 times less turnout than the general.
The irony? I’ve noticed that a couple of superintendents have retweeted Mr. Harder’s quote from Arkansas Learns as if it were a good thing. That’s how detached they are from the people they are hired and elected to serve.
Imagine if a measure were before the legislature which would move school elections from the general election to a date in early September and immediately reduce voter turnout by 10,000%. Who would/could support that?
Well, that’s that’s what we’ve got. And the superintendents and incumbent school board members are working overtime to make sure the people stay as far away as possible from the governance of their public schools.
Every reasonable person acknowledges that the key to success in our public schools is parental and community involvement. We believe that involvement begins with the election of those who govern our schools.
And yet, the administrators and incumbent school board members are self-interested protectionists of a system which empowers their members and employees (i.e. “informed voters”) to dominate low turnout elections.
“…if you believe that losing control of your local school is a bad thing, you need to contact your legislator and have your teachers, board members, and other employees (his emphasis) contact their legislator.” – Dr. Richard Abernathy, Arkansas Association of Educational Administrators
While this quote wasn’t directed to SB587, it clearly illustrates who the administrators believe should control the schools. Hint: It’s not parents, citizens or taxpayers.
SB587, sponsored by Senator Eddie Joe Williams, aligning school elections with the general, passed the Senate last week with bipartisan support (26 Yea, 8 Nay, 1 Not Voting). On Wednesday, March 27th, at 9:00 am in Room 151, the measure will come before the House Committee on State Agencies and Governmental Affairs.
Please immediately contact the committee members (email addresses below) and courteously, respectfully and passionately urge them to vote DO PASS and allow the entire House the opportunity to enfranchise all voters in the governance of their public schools.
If you, like we, believe our state’s motto – Regnat Populus (The People Rule), then our local school board members should be just as accountable as every other elected official in Arkansas.
Members House Committee on State Agencies & Governmental Affairs