Superintendents & Seating...

I've been attending several school board meetings lately and I noticed something that is really starting to bother me.

For what good reason do we allow the superintendents (and the EPCC College President) to sit at the dais with the elected trustees?

Not only do they sit up with the people elected to make decisions on behalf of the community, they almost always sit next to the Board President.

Let me give you some context before I go on. First, this isn't aimed at any particular superintendent, so don't get your chones in a wad.

The superintendent is the ONLY employee that the trustees oversee. The trustees are the super's boss.

Same deal with the President of EPCC.

The Super is supposed to execute the policy directives of the Board of Trustees.

Super's are subordinate to the Trustees.

Now, lets talk about other local elected bodies for a minute. The County's version of the superintendent is the County Administrator. That is the staffer that answers directly to the elected officials and their job is to execute policy of the County Commissioners.

Her name is Betsy Keller. Betsy does not sit at the dais with the elected County Commissioners. Because she's staff, and not an elected official. She sits with staff. She's an important and pivotal member of the County of El Paso.

She's a wealth of knowledge and she's also the person the Commissioner's turn to to answer questions and get things done.

But she's a staffer. She sits with staff. She sits next to the attorney that provides legal advice to the Court, along with the Auditor and the Budget person.

Why? Because she doesn't set policy, she executes it.

Lets talk about every single City Manager in the County...

The municipal version of the superintendent is the City Manager. That is the staffer that answers directly to the elected officials and their job is to execute policy of the members of City Council.

They are a wealth of knowledge and they are also the person the City Counselors turn to to answer questions and get things done.

But they are staffers. They sit with staff. They site next to the attorney that provides legal advice to the City, along with the Auditor and the Budget person.

Why? Because they don't set policy, they execute it.

So.....

Why on earth do school boards allow a staffer, who is subordinate to them, who does not set policy, just executes it, to sit up with the elected members of the board?

They are NOT elected officials - why are they allowed to sit up with them? What purpose, other than vanity for the supers, does it serve?

Supers are the boss among staff. They are already the highest paid employees of the district. Why on earth are they seated next to their bosses as though they are peers?

Here's what is worse...they sit next to the President of the Board - so they are actually put in a place of MORE prominence than that of the other elected members of the body. They are literally front and center, while most of their bosses are sitting off to their side.

And you people wonder why superintendents forget their place? You people wonder why they have to be reined in?

Now EPISD's current run-off election is pretty much about one issue - who is going to hold the superintendent accountable?

How in the hell can you being to be in a position to hold a superintendent accountable if they are seated amongst their boss as though they are a peer?

Seriously, its not like you put your legal council on the dais with you, right? So why is the super up there?

Super's should be made to understand that they are subordinate to the body elected by the public. The Super's peers are not the electeds. Their peers are the staff. They should sit with staff.

That sends a visual message to the Super and community that the Super is staff and answers to the Board.

There is absolutely not one single practical reason that a Superintendent should be seated up with Trustees.

But even if there was - for the sake of argument - why on earth are they next to the Board President and not on the far end, furthest away from the center of power? The newest Trustee on a school board, outranks the most experienced Superintendent every day of the week and twice on Sunday.

Now if you don't think its wrong for a Super to be sitting next to the Board President...let me ask you a question....

How many of you would be cool with Tommy Gonzalez sitting on the dais at a city council meeting next to the Mayor? How much of a nuclear cloud would there be over city hall if the City Manager was seated at the most prominent place among the elected body next to the Mayor?

Y'all would rightly lose your collective minds over that. It would be unheard of.

Supers should sit with staff and leave the dais for those elected by the community to make policy.

But you're absolutely cool with the body that is the LARGEST part of your tax dollar doing just that.

And how disrespectful is that to all the other electeds that aren't sitting closer to the position of prominence in favor of the one employee they are supposed to oversee?