By Paul Wagemann and David Anderson
The public may soon have immediate access to recordings of Clover Park School District (CPSD) Board meetings.
The editorial headline in the February 11, 2022, Tacoma News Tribune read, “WA parents deserve easy access to school board meetings.”
The CPSD school board agrees.
According to district spokesperson Leanna Albrecht, “The CPSD school board … has asked the superintendent to explore the cost and feasibility of posting the board meetings online.”
The House of Representatives recently passed HB 1973 which requires audio recordings of school board meetings and also encourages districts to make the recordings available online.
The current user-unfriendly practice in the CPSD, according to the editorial, makes available recordings of school board meetings but only by filing a time-consuming public records request.
Rolling out the welcome mat for the public to be active participants in public education – whether through expanded opportunities for public comment, or through online access to recordings of board meetings – would be in keeping with a transparent and accountable school board.
“The power of public engagement (is that on which) school boards – and our democracy – depend. This means updating public meeting and comment processes to welcome more people and viewpoints into the work of democratic policymaking.” (American School Board Journal, February 2022)
As with the legislature, the public may likewise want to encourage the CPSD to make its board meeting recordings not only available, but available online.
The next opportunity for the public to comment is Monday, February 14, 6 pm either in person at the Student Services Center, 10903 Gravelly Lake Dr. SW, or by visiting the meeting webinar link.
As CPSD Board members, Paul Wagemann and David Anderson do not speak for the board but do believe as elected representatives – along with our fellow board members – that your voice matters.
This is great news! Long overdue! Seems like now David on the board, along with Paul, the publics voice is finally being heard! Thank you!
Paul Wagemann and David Anderson,
What you suggest is supported by common sense and a strong sense of positive ethics.
If anyone on the Board or in the district administration does not choose to support your public participation concept, I will naturally ask, “What are they trying to hide?”
A bright light on the Clover Park Schools board meetings is just what the citizens need.
Keep up the good work.
Joseph Boyle – Former Lakewood Citizen 51 years.
A Freedom of Information Request (FOIA) takes about 30 days for CPSD to respond. This along with the delayed publication of Board “regular meeting” minutes (30 days or more) can make these “regular meetings” and their information somewhat irrelevant. The Board only meets in a “regular meeting” once a month (although Board policy requires two such meetings monthly) when public comment it taken. Thus it will often be the case that a concerned citizen may have to wait two months before they can obtain the necessary information and then bring the issue before the Board during the 3 minutes allowed for their public comment. Indeed with an immediate posting of Board meeting audio/video and timely minute publication (within a week) citizens can bring up issues at the next Board meeting. Information delayed is information denied.
I have been told by concerned parents and citizens that presentations by the District, like a video of a gymnasium naming ceremony or a COVID update, are uploaded and posted to the District’s YouTube channel; yet recordings and postings of school board meetings are not. Furthermore, the minutes of meetings are long delayed and are only a summarization of meeting content. Public comments, District staff comment and presentations, and the deliberations and votes of our elected School Board Directors should be accessible to review by the people they serve. Only with that information can citizens make informed decisions about their choices for School Board Directors during elections.
Congratulations are also due to the Editorial Board of the TNT for taking their position referenced in the letter..
As far as the “study” is concerned, it is a simple technical (and virtually cost-free) matter to make available the recordings in any of the commonly used formats. Against this low cost alternative, readers should bear in mind the countervailing cost savings (and improvement in customer satisfaction) of not having to respond to FOI requests.
My name is Jonn Mason.
What a great idea. This is transparency and should be supported by the entire board and the superintendent..
I think one of the school boards main objectives is to reduce the cost of schools. I think there is a ton of waste and people we are paying for that we do not need.
I think schools, govt at large and society in general divide us people when the reality is that ethnicity is totally unimportant. We all came from the same factory so what difference does it make? Teaching us to genuinely love one another is important. I also think it is important to respect each others culture and for each group to keep their respective cultures alive.