Never have I been compelled to write a letter to the editor, until now. The recent School Board issue over who sits where is about the most ridiculous issue I've ever witnessed. Let me preface my opinion by stating I have never met Dr. Easton, nor know any of the current board members personally.
I salute the previous elected school board members and the current ones as well, for their willingness to serve us to enhance our educational system in Lafayette. But, I just hope some members' egos aren't getting in the way of doing their job. Squabbling over where Superintendent Easton sits is to me an insult and a disrespectful gesture to his professionalism. Honestly, does it really matter? Or, are board member egos running wild? After all, if we think enough of Mr. Easton to pay him a substantial salary, we should at least respect him enough to have him sit wherever and next to whomever he chooses.
It is my hope that the new board and the superintendent can have positive exchanges along with the inevitable controversies or disagreements healthy for solving more salient issues about our education system. Issues like higher, much higher, teacher salaries; smaller child-to-teacher classroom ratios; adequate teacher staffing and supplies; and higher student scoring in all areas to help lift Louisiana collectively out of the lowest tier of academic achievement in the nation.
As a salaried professional administrator skilled in educational systems protocol, Mr. Easton is an advisor, facilitator, and executive leader. He is to interface with our elected good-intentioned school board members, while diplomatically dealing with egos, keeping them apprised of important issues, managing administrative operations of the school system and collectively resolving major issues. But, I'm afraid the seating issue may have hampered a truly collegial board-superintendent relationship and dampened chances for real tangible improvement in our classrooms.
In closing, I offer the following, 2 Timothy 2:14-26, for the board to think about when considering what issues to stand firm on: "Have nothing to do with stupid, senseless controversies."