On Feb. 14, we attended a Gilbert school board meeting. It’s an election year and we wanted to put names with faces.
We arrived and found a board room full of high school FFA, FBLA, and DECA members from Gilbert’s high schools. We learned the board was issuing proclamations honoring FFA Week and Career & Technical Education Month.
During the proclamation readings, three board members, Lily Tram, Staci Burke and Shane Stapley, behaved inappropriately by whispering, giggling and refilling water glasses.
Afterwards, Stapley issued his own unofficial proclamation: “If the pork production students need a motto, ‘Everything tastes better with bacon,’ would be a good one,” which he followed with laughter. What an inappropriate statement, Mr. Stapley. If you had listened to the proclamation you would know that the National FFA organization has a motto, and students studying pork production have bigger goals than providing you with bacon.
These students and teachers showed up because they wanted to. These students acted maturely and with respect. In my opinion, three Gilbert school board members didn’t reciprocate. I say, lead by example, it’s a great concept.
To these students, I applaud you. Congratulations for being part of organizations that hold you to high standards. To the teachers, I thank you. You indeed lead by example.
Our district is trying to make the phrase “World Class” synonymous with “Gilbert Public Schools.” I find it disappointing that several board members exhibited the furthest thing from world class.
In the end, we achieved our goal. We know who won’t get our votes, now or in 2014.
Susan Keuter
Gilbert
Dale Whiting posted at 3:56 pm on Fri, Mar 2, 2012.
Susan,
Your actions and those of the students are commendable. We all should be doing more of the same. We get those elected officials whom we deserve. But it's up to us to see who we are electing!
skeuter posted at 6:54 pm on Fri, Mar 2, 2012.
Dale,
Thank you for the comment! I sincerely wish that more voters would come out to watch GPS School Board Meetings. There are two seats up for election this year and these are the people who are creating policies, making decisions , and setting the tone for our district.
The meetings are always at the same time, always on a Tuesday, and usually on the first and third Tuesdays of the month {this month the first and fourth because of Spring Break}. Come sit and watch, listen and learn. Then vote accordingly.
StaciBurk posted at 10:29 pm on Fri, Mar 2, 2012.
Ms. Keuter, I apologize to you and the students for any disrespect and it was certainly unintentional. I was needing a drink (afraid I would start coughing and interrupt the proclaimation with that) and asked Ms. Tram politely for water, that was on the other side of her. Following that, I whispered to Ms. Tram to pass along a note to Ms. Andersen to be sure to acknowledge the teachers for their hard work and dedication to the FFA as well. I can see how that might look disrespectful and there was no disrespect intended at all on my part. Thank you for all of your dedication and support of our FFA students and I hope you and other parents come back to the board meetings. We would love to have more community involvement.
Warm regards,
Staci Burk
republicaningilbert posted at 12:49 am on Sat, Mar 3, 2012.
I can't imagine why school board members serve in these roles. They are not paid a dime for their service and once elected are subject to constant criticism for their attempts to help our schools. So many parents don't take the time to volunteer in the classroom, let alone serve as a board member.
skeuter posted at 9:59 am on Sat, Mar 3, 2012.
@StaciBurk - thank you. I will do my best to circulate this link to the FBLA, DECA and FFA Facebook pages so the students in attendance February 14th are made aware of your apology. I wrote my letter, first and foremost, because of their reactions, and their disappointment. And while I doubt Mrs. Anderson needed reminding to thank the students and teachers, your actions seem to have been well intended.
{Now if we could just strike Shane Stapley's condescending "bacon" comment from their memories...}
@republicaningilbert - serving on the GPS School Board is a tad different than volunteering in the classroom. There is this thing called "an election". And while I firmly believe that several board members approach the position with a very specific political agenda, and predetermined attitudes and answers, thankfully other members are serving to improve the GPS district, and share ideas and answers for charting a path to greatness. This is why I think all board members should have to have {or had} children or grandchildren in GPS schools. And it's not all criticism that board members receive, I've been a GPS parents for 14 years and in that time have written numerous thank you letters and notes of congratulations to board members. As elected officials, public scrutiny is part of the job. Voters elect these board members, and we thankfully have the right to point out when they aren't doing the job up to our expectations. It doesn't often change things, but we still have that right.
My feeling has always been - if I fulfill my duty by voting, then I am allowed to applaud, critique, and criticize when actions warrant it.
Tuesday, March 6th, 7pm - GPS District Offices {southwest corner Gilbert & Elliot, enter at the south-eastern most door, facing the parking lot}. I'll be there, as will most of my neighbors, it's going to be a GOOD ONE! Come see and hear your elected officials!!
StaciBurk posted at 10:50 am on Sat, Mar 3, 2012.
Thank you Ms. Keuter. To clarify, the note was from Ms. Hollands to Ms. Andersen regarding that. I was passing it along.