Hometown Sanity!

As I finished reading the Lebanon paper, I found this oped regarding the recent events in the Lebanon Community School District.

It makes me happy. Someone finally stood up and said something sane:

We all have a tendency to get tunnel vision when our personal interests are involved, and teachers and principals are not immune. Similarly, it seems that board members and some members of the community become so “tunnel-visioned” that they become obsessed with single issues. It may be a dislike of the Superintendent of Schools. It may be an unwillingness to change and accept growth. It may be personal political maneuvering. It may be the philosophy that a winning football team somehow makes for a successful school district and we can ignore behind the scenes issues no matter what they are. Or it may be that a charter school is the “flagship” of the district and warrants all of a person's passions and dedication. While each of these are important to consider and keep in balance, the Lebanon Community School District is much more than any of these single-focus issues standing alone.

Go read. While the author points to a lot of district successes, I should note that he does not rule out the possibility that Jim Robinson is an authoritarian administrator. There's plenty of room for the guy to be both good and bad. If there is such a thing as human nature, that's it.

And I am SO GLAD someone fired back in public, with their name attached, and in the newspaper. I'm also not surprised it's someone with age and experience.

On the other hand, the fact that Tilford, the author, hasn't been an employee that long might be latched onto as a reason to ignore him. You tell me.