Meridian schools: Keep the process open

By Staff
Jan. 12, 2003
Members of the Meridian School Board are honorable men and women and the community should appreciate their willingness to wrestle with a local public education system that is badly in need of repair. This is community service at its most basic level and undoubtedly requires school board members to spend a great deal of time away from the jobs from which they earn their livings.
Still, there was no good reason for the board's decision to go behind closed doors to talk about hiring an interim superintendent while it searches for a permanent replacement for the retiring Dr. Janet McLin. Such discussions, even in work sessions, should be open to the public and board members should be willing to hear the views of parents, students and anyone else who has an opinion to share. Moreover, board members should be willing to share their own vision for the city schools in every available public venue.
Hiring a new superintendent is the most crucial decision facing the board in 2003. Taxpayers deserve the opportunity to participate in the process if they desire and closed door sessions deprive them of that opportunity.
On the face of it, hiring an interim superintendent may very well be a reasonable, logical, temporary step. At the very least, it would put someone in charge while the search for a new schools chief continues.
Clearly, given the state of public schools in this city, this is a subject of considerable public interest. Why taint the process by going behind closed doors?
We encourage the board to get back on the good communications track it has been following by keeping the process open.