“Duanesburg School Board President Shayne Mitchell is an example of everything wrong with school boards today.
As an elected leader, he is a representative of the community, a steward both of its children and taxpayers as well as an advocate for all students and public education.
Mitchell has chosen not to get a pulse of what the community thinks about vaccines and advocate for them because it may be divisive. In reality, his non-action is actually creating more divisiveness.
Leaders should never have their head in the sand avoiding tough topics.
As a board president, he must have a pulse from all stakeholders on important issues. He should be participating in the NYS School Board Association’s (NYSSBA) annual conference, where they vote on the key issues the association lobbies for change with the legislature and regents.
His board should have an advocacy committee participating in NYSSBA’s legislative lobby day, where local boards connect with local legislators to alert them of key issues in their district. If you don’t survey the community, how do you know what is important to them?
As this is a tough topic and regardless of the outcome of the survey, wouldn’t it be better to have this information and send a letter to the groups determining the final outcome, so your community has input on the decision?
Instead Mitchell has abdicated his responsibilities, leaving his community voiceless on an extremely important topic. This is failed and lazy leadership at its worst.
Will Farmer
Burnt Hills
The writer is a former BHBL School Board member.”
read the entire article
Farmer, Will. Schenectady Daily Gazette 27 February 2023.