Should Brookside Secede from the Union?

In the comments to my bit of McCain/Hilton fun, a commenter tossed out this bit of wildly off-topic but engaging thought provocation - "Can/Should the Brookside area schools separate from the KCMSD?".

It's tough to have a conversation about the Kansas City Metropolitan School District. First, there is sooo much misinformation out there. To some (mostly those from the suburbs who have little personal experience), the entire district is a catastrophe of corrupt administration, incompetent teachers, uncaring parents and unteachable students. For others, the KCMSD represents a source of political power, both as a potential springboard to other offices and as a fiefdom for those who prefer to remain in place. Still others look at the KCMSD as employment - an employer in labor negotiations which are intensifying to the point of a possible strike.

It's easy to respond to the suggestion of a Brookside secession with a quick and dirty charge of racism. Or, at least, class bias. Let's get the first class kids off the Titanic now, and God bless the souls left behind.

But that easy response may not be entirely fair. As the KCMSD administration and board have failed to provide a consistently good - heck, even a consistently decent - education to all (or even a majority) of their students, it's been fair to lose faith. Sure, it's a wonderful thing to hold hands and believe that the School District can turn around and accomplish great things, but when will we see accreditation? Is that so much to ask? If it isn't, then let's have it. If it is, then who can blame people for looking to jump ship?

And who can blame the teachers for wanting to improve their pay and working conditions?

And who can blame the administration for under-performing when the board chops off the head without explanation or apparent reason?

And who can blame the Board for reacting with micromanagement when their constituents blame them for problems they oversee?

And who can blame people like my commenter for wanting to throw up their hands and try to improve the educational prospects of at least some of the children at the screaming intersection of all of these conflicting interests?

This is the point in a typical blog post where I put forth my brilliantly thought-out, morally uplifting and shockingly practical solution . . .

I don't have one. Sorry. And that "sorry" is truly, deeply sincere.

I do have a couple thoughts, though, about secession as a solution. It's not going to happen. Victor Callahan was able to muscle through a secession plan for the Independence schools because they are, after all, in Independence, and nobody bothered to strongly oppose him in Jefferson City. After he did such a terrible job with the legislation, creating an ongoing litigation debacle that ought to leave him begging forgiveness from his better peers, I doubt that Jefferson City legislators are going to be eager to hear about more poorly thought-out half-solutions to what everyone knows is a bigger problem.

The solution doesn't lie in Jefferson City. The solution, if there is one, must be found in Kansas City. I like to think that we took a step toward that solution when we elected Airick Leonard West to the School Board, but you're fooling yourself if you believe that was enough.

Even he doesn't think that was enough. Go look at his website - or, more accurately, the website of Kansas Citians United for Educational Achievement.

If you want to go ahead and work for a break-away republic in Brookside, I admire your willingness to think about the possibility of improving educational outcomes for at least some of our students. I really don't think it's going to work, though, and I think that we can take what we have and improve it.

Leadership Shows Its Stripes

Why should we stick with segregated electoral districts for the Kansas City Metropolitan School District? Are we prepared to abandon our traditional electoral maps, with their separate "communities" representing traditional power bases?

Airick Leonard West was elected to the KCMSD Board because he is a change agent. He looks at things from a fresh perspective, and, when the need arose to redraw the electoral boundaries for the KCMSD, he saw an opportunity to strike a blow to the heart of our segregationist past and "Us vs. Them" present.

Look at the map posted here - this is what change looks like. Each of the districts stretches from State Line to the eastern boundary of the District - like a stripe across the KCMSD. Each of the districts shows a commonality of interests in making sure our children get the best education possible in the KCMSD. This map changes how we will elect our leadership and how we could view our participation in the district. (It won't, however, alter boundaries for neighborhood schools or create zones for busing - it is solely aimed at elections for school board membership.)

If you think its time for Kansas City to try a new way of creating community, there are a few ways of helping bring this to fruition:
- send an email to both kceb@kceb.org and cspears@kcmsd.net or call the Election Board at 816.842.4820;
- contact individual election commissioners and school board members you know;
- forward this or a similar email to concerned Kansas Citians you know;
- attend the meeting where election commissions will vote on this issue: June 19th (www.kceb.org for further info).

We elected Airick Leonard West to make some changes. Now let's support the change we sought.

Crappy Day for the Polls - Your Vote Counts for More

It's an ugly day. It's Royals Opening Day. It's Rotary Greater Kansas City Day.

There are dozens of reasons not to vote this morning. Which means that your vote counts more, if you bother to cast it.

Right now, it's cold and wet and dreary. What a perfect day to vote in favor of Question 3! It reminds me of the schadenfreude I'll feel every time I walk past a cold, wet smoker on my way into one of Kansas City's soon-to-be smoke-free bars and restaurants!

Oh, yeah, vote "YES" on all the questions, and cast a vote for Airick Leonard West!

Airick Leonard West Needs Your Vote

Personally, I doubt that Bill Eddy would do something as underhanded as to run a stealth campaign against Airick Leonard West, but the truth is that he has failed to withdraw from the race, and I have seen him chatting people up at an education forum.

Regardless, Airick Leonard West is the best candidate for the 1st District at-large seat, and he's being actively opposed by a few write-in candidates, and passively opposed by one incumbent. This race needs your vote for Airick Leonard West! Even Tony agrees.

Here's a video shot by a high school senior supporting Airick Leonard West:

Airick Leonard West is Big (NY) Times

The Sunday New York Times is a treat, and yesterday it included a mention of Airick Leonard West. Even though it comes in an op-ed piece as meandering and shallow as the Platte River, it's always good to see a friend appear in one of those high-falutin' eastern newspapers . . .

A Local Blogger Having a Real Impact - Please Come Out Friday to Support Needed Change

I've written about Airick Leonard West and the Viable Third website in the past, as well as his campaign for the school board. Tomorrow evening (Friday, March 14), several of us are planning a get-together to honor the first anniversary of the most creative local use of the blogging medium.

We'll have food and drink available at Harper's 18th & Vine restaurant, proudly in the 3rd District, at 18th and Vine (yes, you suburbanites, it's safe!). The party starts at 5, and will end abruptly when Law School Bound and I reprise our performance of Paradise By the Dashboard Light - which, I promise, won't be until late in the evening . . .

In all seriousness, please drop by and chat with Airick Leonard West and Dr. Robyne Turner, the creators of Viable Third. If you believe that good people can make a difference in Kansas City, come discuss your ideas and prepare for a shot of hope, practical optimism, and inspiration.

Leave a note in the comments if you have any questions, or if you would like an e-vite sent to your email account.

The Interrupted Election - Too Soon Success

I woke this morning to the news that incumbent Bill Eddy has dropped his bid for the Kansas City Missouri School District, clearing the way for Airick Leondard West to take over the seat.

Normally, this would be great news. I was backing Airick Leonard West as soon as he announced his candidacy, and, even before that, I had written of my admiration of his "audacious and simple" attempts to improve life in The Viable Third. I am a sponsor for a fundraiser for Airick tonight.

So, why am I disappointed in Airick's premature success?

Because this race was never about defeating Bill Eddy. Indeed, I appreciate Bill Eddy - he's one of the good people on the Board with his eye steadfastly on the prize of improving education for Kansas Citians. And, oddly enough, my enthusiastic support of Airick Leonard West would not have been hugely disappointed if he lost his election - so long as he ran a good race and made people think about the KCMSD as their issue in their community.

Without the urgency and drama of an election, it will be easier to put the KCMSD in the back of our minds, and view the problems and crises of our School District as someone else's issues. If you don't happen to have a child in the School District, you can shake your head and blame the problems on others. If you do have a child in the District, you can do your best to get him or her into one of the best schools, and ignore the bigger problems.

That's the status quo that Airick Leonard West was running to upset. Airick Leonard West was running against the apathetic, uninvolved, utterly divested status quo - not against Bill Eddy.

And that is why I hope (and suspect) the campaign is not over. I hope that the fundraisers and rallies on Airick Leonard West's calendar become Community forums, and those of us who were willing to call friends to attend those fundraisers will call those same friends to come out and discuss a vision for the future of the KCMSD.

Often, candidates are urged to declare victory before the decision is complete. In this instance, Airick Leonard West cannot declare victory, even though the battle has been won, because his opponent was never on the ballot. His opponent was apathy and the feeling of many Kansas Citians that the KCMSD is not their problem. Indeed, Bill Eddy's withdrawal from the race has strengthened Airick Leonard West's real opponent, and I hope the real campaign continues . . .