I am compelled to comment further on the position taken by the Greater Lafayette Chamber of Commerce on our recommendations for the governance of the Lafayette Parish School System [to read the proposal, click here].
It is essential to recognize that the public school system belongs to the public who pays the bills. Citizens have the right and responsibility to be engaged and to voice opinions on the performance of the system.
The Chamber is not quarreling with the school system’s administrative leadership, but it continues to question and challenge the mode under which the school board operates. The system has talented, dedicated people. However, the system hampers their innovation and their ability to take risks.
The system is out of date. We dress differently today than we did 40 years ago. We travel differently than we traveled 40 years ago. We communicate differently than we did 40 years ago. Yet, our school system operates in basically the same fashion it did 40 years ago.
While progressive school systems discuss “always on” classrooms, we get bogged down in discussions of whether school board members ought to have high school diplomas.
Lafayette Parish is poised to propel itself to the next level. Citizens demand high-performance health care. They expect high-performance arts and culture experiences, and they voted for modern technology infrastructure. The Chamber and many other interested groups want our schools to be part of that exciting, successful future.
Rob Guidry is president and CEO of the Greater Lafayette Chamber of Commerce. To send him an email, click here.
