Broker, Buffer, And Brake

By Jerry McBeath

Many times over my nine years on the Fairbanks, Alaska, board of education, I've agreed with critics who believe the school-governance system is dysfunctional and obstructionist. Our board has wasted hours on trivia, such as deciding whether the first semester should end before or after Christmas. Some board members have tried to micromanage the purchasing department, instructional supervision, even the hiring of aides. On occasion, board members squabble among themselves and with the superintendent. It is not easy for us to address consistently the main educational issues. This experience has prompted my sympathy for those who, like Chester E. Finn Jr., suggest that...