Executive director's note: Courage and leadership in our time
By:
CSBA Executive Director Vernon M. Billy
Published: September 1, 2011
I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take it any more!” These were the words of CSBA President Martha Fluor at a Sacramento press conference in May as she helped rally hundreds of educators to pressure the governor and state legislators to protect education funding during the state budget negotiations.
Martha—and all of us—have every right to be mad as hell. The state has cut billions of dollars from education funding, and our state legislators have recently seen fit to violate the state constitutional provisions of Proposition 98 with the passage of Assembly Bill 114—the law that undermines Proposition 98 and requires school districts to budget and staff their operations at the 2010–11 funding level even though they could receive millions less—without fear of repercussion. And, to make matters worse for locally elected governing boards, they used AB 114 to impose on local school boards the same bad budgeting practices that have gotten the state into financial trouble.
A few weeks after the passage of AB 114, our national officials engaged in a debate about the nation’s debt ceiling that shook the credit markets around the world and led to Standard & Poor’s downgrade of the U.S. credit rating. S&P’s action rocked the stock markets for a day and threw another hurdle into the way of the nation’s anemic economic recovery. More importantly for schools, these actions may have further dampened California’s economy in a way that will guarantee the state will have to consider pulling the trigger in AB 114 to cut an additional $1.8 billion from schools.
While we all may be “mad as hell,” the reactions of Wall Street and the world to the national economic debate in Washington—as well as Martha’s comments back in May— are essentially responding to what many are feeling is a lack of good old-fashioned American leadership that is personified in leaders such as presidents Abraham Lincoln, Franklin Delano Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy, and civic leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr., Susan B. Anthony, and César Chávez, to name just a few. In times of crises and uncertainty, people want leadership from their elected and civic leaders. Unfortunately, many of us don’t feel like we’re seeing the type of leadership that’s going to fix our state’s problems in a real, gimmick-free way that doesn’t circumvent the will of the voters, respects the state constitution, and puts students (our future) first.
In “Profiles in Courage,” Kennedy explains that the book is about his admiration of the courage shown by elected leaders in the face of adverse factions. In one popular quote, Kennedy states, “Without belittling the courage with which men have died, we should not forget those acts of courage with which men have lived.”
All of the leaders mentioned above led during difficult periods of our country’s history, and through their leadership and ability to make difficult and sometimes unpopular decisions, they helped chart a defining path for our nation and communities. And, equally important, they lived with courage and dared to dream the impossible; they dreamed of what could be, rather than what is, and they took steps to realize those dreams. Why? Because they were leaders and they led. Many may dismiss the importance of true leadership that is rooted in courage, the rule of the law, and the willingness to dream. Those people are not our leaders, they will not change the future for the better, and they will not create the schools of the 21st century that we all want. To those people, I say, if it weren’t for the dreams of Susan B. Anthony, women would not have the right to vote or be presidential contenders; if it were not for Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream, we would not have thrown off the shackles of legalized segregation; without the dreams of President Kennedy, we would have never put a man on the moon; and without the dream and courage of César Chávez, farm workers in California and across the country would not have been able to change their working conditions.
As elected school board members, it is up to you to continue to provide the leadership, hope, inspiration and real solutions that some of our state’s elected officials have thus far refused to provide for our schools. I’m calling on all governing board members to lead like you’ve never led before. If it means you’ve got to get “mad as hell,” then get mad. You are on the front lines of this struggle for the academic souls of our children, our education system and the future of our country.
It is a strategic priority of the CSBA Board of Directors to position school boards as leaders and agents of change. In an effort to recognize and honor those school leaders who are acting as agents of change to maximize student achievement, we will start a new periodic column entitled “Profiles in Courage,” where we’ll profile school board members and superintendents who are demonstrating exceptional courage and leadership in representing their students and communities. It is my hope that these individuals will not only inspire you, but that the column will also serve as an opportunity to share best practices and innovative ideas between districts or county offices of education and board members.
If you and/or your district or county office wish to be recognized in our new column, please send me an email at vbilly@csba.org. I know there are lots of innovative, courageous leaders out there, so send me an email so we can honor and recognize your amazing efforts and provide the public with the stories of real leaders.
Leadership matters … now, more than ever.