Submitted by: The Other Noise
A classic moment from a classic movie. Dorothy and her friends return to the Wizard of Oz, having completed their quest to kill the Wicked Witch of the West. The wizard appears, through the magic of 1930s special effects, as a giant floating head with a booming voice. He tells the weary travelers that he will not be granting their requests. While Dorothy begs and pleads, Toto runs over to a mysterious green curtain, grabs it in his mouth, and pulls. The curtain opens. The Great and Powerful Oz is revealed to be a rather ordinary looking man with a microphone and a projector.
It takes the wizard a moment to realize that his audience can see him. “Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain!” he wails. But the illusion is broken. The secret is out.
And telling people not to pay attention makes them really, really, want to pay attention.
Screen capture of the Wizard of Oz after Toto pulls the curtain open. Meme-style text reads: “Pay no attention to that superintendent behind the curtain”
On July 21, the board of directors for Evergreen Public Schools held its annual self-evaluation, with participation from Superintendent Christine Moloney and facilitation by a visitor from WSSDA. Angie Bunda, who runs the EPS Advocate, livestreamed the meeting and posted highlights. In an exercise to determine what the school board needs from the superintendent, and what the superintendent needs from the school board, I was struck by Dr. Moloney’s first contribution (3:45 in the video).
“Keep the focus on student achievement and not other noise.”
I’m a parent in the district. I care deeply about student achievement, for selfish reasons and more public-minded ones. But the role of a superintendent, or a school board director, encompasses so much more than student achievement. That “other noise” impacts the lives of thousands of students, employees, and district residents.
Like decisions about closing schools.
Evergreen, like many school districts in Clark County, is seeing a pattern of declining enrollment. Fewer students means less money coming into the district. Closing schools may be a necessary part of managing limited resources. The process requires transparency and community engagement.
On July 9, Superintendent Moloney approved a brand new policy on “closure and consolidation of school facilities.” Policy #6883 describes the process for proposing a school closure, getting community feedback, and coming to a final decision. But this new policy was never announced or made available for public feedback. You’d only know about it if you were really, really, paying attention.
Hi there! I’m The Other Noise, and I’m paying attention. I love meeting minutes, public records requests, and holding elected officials accountable. As we begin the next school year–can you believe it’s only two weeks away?–I hope you’ll pay attention too.
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