Officers

This year, I am going through my first real process of electing officers.  IPS has a President, Vice President, and a Secretary.  I decided months ago to run for Vice-President.  I didn't really know how to go about sharing my interest, so I sent an email.
I never received any response.  So at a training session with someone from the Indiana School Board Association I brought up a few questions.  Mainly, when, where, and how do we discuss these positions.  I was told to bring it up at a Committee Meeting and discuss it there.
So I did.  And when I did I was met with harsh criticism about how this is the wrong time and not the place, and NOT how it has always been done.  Weeks later I am calm and collected, however that night I was not.  I asked why in the world wasn't this brought up in front of the person from ISBA?  Why wait until I bring it up here and make me look like a fool?  I proceeded to share that this was the strangest behavior out of professional adults I have ever encountered.  Basically, I was mad.

Since then there has been no discussion on the matter.  As a group we have not come together to hear one another and our reasons for the interest in a specific position.   So what do we have?

3 people wanting President.
1 wanting Vice-President
0 wanting Secretary

How do we serve our students and the people of this city to the best of our ability if we can't even do this?  As far as I know this is the first time in several years so many Board Members have ran for the office of President.

This morning I sent an email to the rest of the Board. Here is a small part of it....



"I am so tired of this Board being restricted to "past practice" or the "way we've always done it".  Times change, and we need to be willing to change with them to be successful.  We can't keep doing the same thing year after year, and expect different results.  And we NEED different results."







I may have just lost some votes.......

State Takeover

I have attended several of the meetings for State Takeover.  But tonight I spoke.  I will post my thoughts on the whole topic soon, but for now I will share my brief 3 minute speech.

 

Greetings Dr. Bennett, Dr. WHite, and members of the Board.

My name is Annie Roof. 

I stand before you today for many personal reasons.  First, This is my community.  I was born and raised in Irvington, and my husband and I chose to raise our family here as well.  I am also, and will always be a Howe HS Hornet.  My siblings were Hornets, my uncles, and my parents. In fact, if it weren't for Howe I wouldn't be here, as Howe is where my parents met.  My children wouldn't be here either, as this is where I met my husband.   I graduated in 1995, the year Howe (temporarily)  closed.  My interest in IPS is more than just my past.  I have 3 children.  Two who are current IPS students, and one in preschool.  THe diversity of programs that IPS offers is unmatchable.  No one can compare.  My oldest child is flourishing in the magnet school she attends.  My son, however, needed something a little more.  Next year he heads off to Sidener, the top rated school in I-Step scores for the entire state.  And then there's my youngest.  She has received special services through IPS and will continue to do so.  She works with amazing therapist in hopes to get her ready to start kindergarten in the fall of 2012.  Where else can all these needs  be met in one district?   

And lastly, I am an IPS school board member.  To me, it is very scary to take local government from these communities.  There is a school board that the community can go to, and meetings where they can speak.  I know at times they don't feel they are listened to.  Believe me, I know that.  I didn't join the Board because I thought it was perfect.  But these communities, evident by these meetings, are involved, they care, and they want that voice.  Communities ABSOLUTELY should have local control over their schools.  It has been brought up before, but I also am concerned with the lack of diversity on your board.  That board does not represent IPS and who we are.  

 But, there are problems.  Make no mistake we got in this position for a reason.  Poor decisions have been made.   IPS and the decisions made have often been described as changing the deck chairs on the sinking Titanic.   If that's true, then the State is the life boat.  We never thought we needed it, it's never been tested, and no one knows what to do once we all get on it.  

Because of that I can't choose any of your numbers.  But I have 3 of my own.  

1) No matter what decisions are made, the absolute must is putting the needs of children first.  Not businesses, not politicians, not someone in a fancy suit.  But the children of this city.  The children that no matter how many times they are lumped with the likeness of everyone else, I want to assure you they are not.  

2) If anyone wants success out of these schools, they have to include input from the community, parents, teachers, but most of all, the students.  It doesn't work starting from the top down.  

3) Stability.  Stability is simply a must.

I want to thank you for your time tonight.  I want to thank you for hosting these meetings.  And I want to thank this great community for coming.