'Take a step backward to move forward' with Muns as board chairman

Editor:

Contrary to George Duehring's Sept. 24 letter, leadership is exactly what the Columbia County School Board needs. Blind subservience to the superintendent benefits no one, except maybe the superintendent.

What is equally troublesome is that the school board members don't realize how badly a leader is needed. They need a leader to instruct them to follow their own policies. They need a leader to encourage them to attend more than one continuing education meeting a year. They need a leader who will assess the strengths and weakness of the Columbia County school system and strive for improvements. An experienced leader motivates others to be prepared and well-informed for upcoming meetings and events.

In June, when Tommy Price announced his retirement, they should have started educating themselves on the process of hiring a new superintendent. It is such a huge responsibility and undertaking.

It took them three months to assemble a search committee. At the first meeting it was obvious, even to the casual observer, that the board members were not prepared for the meeting. The members of the search committee were not given any information. It appeared the board had not even considered what the role and responsibilities of this committee would be. The board members couldn't even tell the committee the minimum requirements they were looking for in a superintendent. The board basically told the committee, "We need help."

That's an understatement. Without Price leading them around by the hand, the board doesn't know what to do. They are in dire need of a strong independent voice. The current board is concerned about Lee Muns because he is a former board member who asked tough questions and was accountable to the public. This board is not interested in a leader with those qualities.

Sometimes you have to take a step backward to move forward. Returning Lee Muns to the Columbia County School Board is exactly what's needed to push this stagnant group forward.

Heather Thomas

Evans