Or in the case of the ECASD, many, many ideas from lots of people are better than a couple of ideas from a couple of people.
Many of my past and continuing concerns about the Leadership of the ECASD Administration and BOE concern the lack of MEANINGFUL COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION in the process. Decision-making seems to occur among very few people who have minimum specific expertise and most of it is not research or data based decision-making. I believe that our community has a wealth of individuals with education, experience and knowledge that is going completely untapped in the decision-making process in the ECASD.
We have dozens, if not hundreds, of smart and experienced financial people who could be part of a Finance and Budget sub-committee of the BOE. We have equal numbers of individuals who have incredible experience with Strategic Planning and yet not a single one is being sought to help in the Comprehensive Community Planning (CCP) Process that is getting off to a really shaky start. (See the separate posting for my concerns here.) We have many, many experienced people in the Real Estate and Construction businesses who would be valuable as members of a Facilities Planning sub-committee of the BOE. And with all the Technology expertise all around us, can anybody tell me WHY we don't have any third party review and recommendation of all of the ECASD Technology needs? With all of the professors and staff of UWEC and CVTC we have so much expertise on so many subjects and yet NONE are being sought to participate.
I am hoping that this blog will be one way that more people will be informed and then find a way to participate in the process that has been basically a "black box" that has been impermeable to public input for so many years that it is difficult to even imagine a system that is open, inclusive, welcoming, and participatory in every aspect of its functioning.
Any ideas on how to move this along? Please comment here or write to BOE members and ask them!
Maria
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It's my understanding that the board has signed on to participate in the
National Civic League facilitated Community Visioning project that involves a number of entities including the City of Eau Claire, Eau Claire County, The University, The United way, and others. I'm not at all clear of the relationship of this project to the BOE's own community based planning process, but I assume they will mesh somehow. The visioning project will run through June of 2008.
As a person who served on the city comprehensive plan advisory committee I am not quite as sanguine as Maria about the possible contributions of the real estate and building community. It was my perception that they were protecting their turf on our advisory committee, especially as it came to potential suburban development and were dragged kicking and screaming so to speak into land use restrictions designed to curtail urban sprawl.
As far as relevant data is concerned there is already an abundant supply of it
in the City and County planning offices as well as state and federal data. There is no need to reinvent the wheel in this regard although it may need balancing and lubrication.
I believe that the timetable suggested by Commissioner Craig is unrealistic
based on the several years that it took to produce the City Comprehensive Plan and have it approved by the relevant elected legislative entities. Whatever plan is developed by an appointed group and however valuable it will be, it will be advisory to the Board as they cannot delegate their ultimate responsibility to the electorate. The final process of having the board review and approve a plan will be time consuming, especially given the divisions now apparent within the board and the heavy load facing the board in the next several months.
A September date is not realistic and beyond that the process may be complicated and possibly contaminated by the upcoming elections for board members, a process that officially starts in December, but actually begins in August
if it hasn't started already. I think a February date for another referendum is an invitation for another loss. We need the new Superintendent on board for at least six months and a new plan before going to the voters again. This all takes time.
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