The Art of Decorum

 

Oct. 19, 2023 OSD board meeting

By Gretchen Garrity

A simple definition of communication can be expressed as the act of exchanging information and ideas through verbal or written means. It implies a two-way exchange. It doesn’t have to be agreeable--disagreement is allowed--but the process of communicating should include a give-and-take with equitable footing for both parties.

At the October 19, 2023 Ozark School Board Meeting, the definition of “full and open communication” as expressed in their Policy BDDH-1 Public Participation at Board Meetings means something entirely different.

Let’s keep in mind that the taxpaying voters in Ozark elect the members of the Ozark School Board to represent their interests regarding the education of Ozark children and the governance of the school district.

Thursday night, a citizen was removed from the meeting for merely murmuring from her seat when the school board discussed renewing a data agreement that gives students’ PII (Personal Identifiable Information) to both DESE (Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education), and a third-party entity, NWEA.

That the data agreement and data transfer has been ongoing for many years is an important point.

Have parents authorized or have they been properly informed about the amount and type of private information sharing of their students and families? Have they been informed of the implications for the children?

The citizen did not jump up and down or scream or yell. She did not stop any board proceedings. She threatened no one. Her two chair neighbors simply corresponded their disappointment. She merely gave voice to her disappointment. Additionally, as the person who was sitting next to her, I also expressed dismay over the decision to give away student data, which can be used to determine a child’s future (see here).

In fact, I was the one who actually said, “Shameful” when the board voted against tabling the issue. This was after another citizen had spoken to the board about the danger of sharing students’ PII. Two board members, Mark Jenkins and Christina Tonsing, voted against signing the agreement until it had been looked into further, however, the motion to table the item was defeated on a 5-2 vote.

Apparently, the school board had also passed a new “decorum” policy earlier in the meeting (the public part of which began soon after 3:30 p.m. and lasted until after 9 p.m.). The targeted citizen was not present at the meeting nor did either of us see the flyer on the door when we arrived at the meeting at approximately 5 p.m. and 5:30 p.m, respectively.

 

Board President Sarah Adams Orr

 A few hours later the new policy was enforced by a police officer who threatened to arrest the targeted citizen if she did not immediately leave the meeting. It was a shameful spectacle of board overreach.

That the school board is unable to act with the decorum and respect it is insisting others use, and is unable to handle the least criticism speaks volumes about its own fitness to serve the public good.

Instead of forbearance and professionalism, instead of reading the brand new policy in the meeting so that all were aware of the restrictions, they essentially laid a trap for an active citizen who has been questioning the board for some months regarding a variety of issues.

Isn’t the essence of education the ability to communicate knowledge in a way that brings understanding, that fosters confidence in one’s position and the ability to defend it?

The Ozark School Board’s action at the Oct. 19 school board meeting betrayed a weakness of both character and confidence in their decisions. Board President Sarah Adams Orr objected to the “outburst,” and said the offending individual would be removed if there was one more incident. But within a moment or two, the board suddenly took a recess, only to return with a police officer who demanded removal of the citizen. While the video did not catch the whole event, there is almost 3 ½ hours of audio that prove the complete innocence of the ousted citizen. It is clear and conclusive. And the live-stream of the meeting should be released as soon as possible to reflect that.

Patty Quessenberry, member since 1997

 In my opinion, the citizen was targeted because she is critical of some of the board’s actions and is not afraid to say so. In fact, I would suggest that the new “decorum” policy was approved and hastily posted on the door (it’s hard to say when it was actually posted and I cannot find an online version of it), and then used to justify removing her from the public board meeting.

She was targeted by a school board that is arrogant and unused to being challenged. We have seen this across the nation as citizens begin to take back the political power that resides with the People. If the school board had an ounce of decorum and understanding of their public role, they would publicly apologize to the citizen.

Barring that, they should attend a County Commission meeting to learn how to conduct a public meeting, where the People’s business gets accomplished and freedom of speech is not feared, even if it's disagreeable.

@right2winozarks #ozarks #missouri #schoolboardmeetings #bully #police #sheriff #christiancounty #freedomofspeech ♬ action dramatic cinematic(1308615) - makesound