Monday, October 12, 2009

DSBN parking lot

This is just another accommodation review article from the Welland Tribune -- on the commencement of a five-school elementary review in Welland -- but the nugget of info I was surprised by was actually at the bottom of the article.
For future meeting dates and more information, visit the board's website at www.dsbn.edu.on.ca — click on the Accommodation Review button and then East Welland. Kartasinski said those looking to see the process in completion can view the Niagara-on-the-Lake accommodation review online that was recently wrapped up.
A “parking lot” has been set up online. Anyone with questions about the accommodation review can post it on the parking lot, and expect a timely answer also to be posted online.
Each Friday all answers are collected and answered, she said.
All information from the parking lot is printed and given to all members of the committee for future reference.
I think this is a fantastic idea that should be used by every school board for every accommodation review. It should even be expanded, so that any committee-member questions and such are posted online as well. I've been to a few meetings -- and I imagine this is repeated elsewhere -- where the committee members and staff are passing around information, answers to questions, etc. and the rest of us in the audience sit there stumped.
It's a great measure of responsiveness and accountability for the DSBN to take this step. Is anyone aware of any other board doing something similar?

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

It's a great idea and it's not done everywhere. It's pass-the-answer by the board staff chairing and attending the meeting who do it all actually.

Only the ARC members in our board could ask questions, or, anyone attending the ARC meetings could ask a question or raise a concern.

Also the minutes of these meetings were notoriously late in posting to the board website.

Eventually people tuned out of our process because they believed a decision had been made anyway and nothing the board folks said changed the mind of the community.

Education Reporter said...

That's unfortunate, and I've seen it happen elsewhere too. As frustrating and maddening as it may be, if you disengage from the process why should your perspective(s) be listened to?

Hugo