| Resolving Disputes and Communication with the School
District
The Board of the Iowa City Community School District puts high priority on its openness and the District’s reputation as a user-friendly public organization. Board members want District “stakeholders” – students, parents, staff, administrators, property taxpayers – to be treated with the dignity, respect and friendliness due the owners of any business. One of the Board members’ best ways of monitoring this standard is for you to let us know: “How are we doing?” Feel free to contact the Superintendent or Board members at any time, by any means, on any subject. There are no proper, or forbidden, procedures. It’s informal. There are, however, some techniques you may find to be more effective than others. Have a disagreement or complaint? You can go to whomever you
like with it. But the most effective way to proceed is to present
it with understanding and courtesy to the person most directly involved
– perhaps a teacher, or administrator. No satisfaction there? Talk to the
principal. Still unresolved? Take it to the Superintendent. Next step?
You guessed it. The Board. But the Board is unlikely to reverse the Superintendent’s
decision unless you can persuade it of one of two things: (1) a Board policy
was violated, or (2) there is a need for a new Board policy. With rare
exception, the Board deals with policy only, the Superintendent with administration.
So, familiarize yourself with the policies, and don’t hesitate to send
Board members a cc: of your messages as you go up the line. It’s one of
their best ways of knowing what’s not going right. But don’t expect them
to resolve your problem for you in the first instance. (If you are
a District staff person you may have a grievance procedure outlined in
your union contract.)
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How to communicate with the Board. Board members want to hear
from you, and by whatever means you find most convenient and comfortable.
But given the volume of stakeholder communications you may find the most
effective means to be e-mail. Their e-mail addresses are listed
here. Board members can’t always pick up the phone; you may end up leaving
a voice message. They don’t have the secretarial help to handle letters
promptly. But they would rather hear from you by any means than not hear
at all. You may run into Board members at school events or around town.
Feel free to introduce yourself and tell them your concerns. Board members
are not paid, and have other professional and personal obligations, but
do try to attend as many school events as possible. And you can also speak
directly to Board members at their regular meetings.
Appearing before the Board. All Board meeting agendas provide for “Open Discussion.” This is your opportunity to speak to the Board directly. Just “sign in,” and take your turn. Your time may be limited, depending on the number of people who wish to speak. Effectiveness there is no different from any other public speaking. (For example, courtesy will probably go further than combativeness. Offering feasible alternatives may be more effective than mere opposition to a proposal. But it’s your call. Use your time as you think best.) In an effort to increase the opportunity for direct public input to the Board, it holds one meeting each month in a local school building. Anyone can appear at that time, not just families involved with that school. Other techniques. Your imagination and political experience are the only limits to the other techniques available to you. Become one of the District’s 1500 volunteers. Become active in your local parent organization. Students can also organize. Circulate petitions. Write letters to the editor. Get involved in school board elections. Become a candidate yourself. Use “street theater” to get media attention. Serve on school and District committees. It is the Board’s desire to offer enough alternatives to eliminate |
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| the need for such techniques, but they – and more -- are available.
How to get informed. Virtually all Board and District documents are available to you at the Central Administrative Office, 509 S. Dubuque St., Iowa City IA 52240, 319-339-6800. Many are also available at the Iowa City Public Library and in the media centers in each of the 21 school buildings. The individual schools have pamphlets and newsletters for parents, and the two high schools publish student newspapers. The local newspapers (Daily Iowan, ICON, Iowa City Gazette, Iowa City Press-Citizen) each provide coverage of local K-12 events and issues. The Board’s two or three meetings a month, and the Superintendent’s monthly “Community Education” meeting, are televised live and rerun on the local cable education access channel 11. The links from three primary Web sites will take you to hundreds of K-12-relevant Internet sites and much information about this District. They are the District’s official Web site, www.iowa-city.k12.ia.us, Board member Dale Shultz’ Web site, www.geocities.com/Heartland/Forest/6305, and Board member Nicholas Johnson’s Web site, www.nicholasjohnson.org In addition, one Board member writes an every-two-week column on local K-12 issues in the Iowa City Press-Citizen, and other Board members write and speak before local organizations from time to time. As the Board hopes this brief publication makes clear, this School Board, and Superintendent, want as much public participation in their decisions as you have the time and interest to provide. They are making every effort they can think of to make information, and themselves, available to you. If you have suggestions for ways they can make your participation even easier please pass them along. -- Board of Directors, Iowa City Community School District
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Superintendent, Dr. Lane Plugge
Board Members
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