The York County School Division Board have been entrusted by the community to carry out the work of public education. It is the work of the community to make sure the board’s work is done well by holding them accountable. In short, it’s our job to make sure they do their job.
Gone are the days when we could turn to daily distractions and just assume the best interests of York County students, teachers and staff were being taken care of be trustworthy board members. The luxury of not needing to pay attention to the YCSD board has instead become an imperative to monitor every action or inaction.
It will take all of us, each contributing time and effort in order to hold the current board accountable.
Actions you can take now
Sign the Petition to Remove Lynda Fairman - If you reside in District 5, opportunities to sign the petition asking for her removal will start September 28th. Stay tuned!
Attend YCSD Board meetings - This may be difficult for those working outside the home until 5 p.m. or for parents of small children. If you have more flexibility in your schedule, please consider showing up for those who wish to come but can’t. YCSD Board Meeting Schedule
Sign up to speak at YCSD Board meetings - The board chair is severely restricting the amount of time for public comment which makes it even more crucial for #SaveYCSD supporters to snag speaking spots at each meeting.
Prepare your remarks for board meetings - Writing your thoughts down before you speak or speaking from a prepared text or notes will allow you to cover more issues in the time you have for speaking. Try to address issues on the current agenda, instead of only rehashing previous issues. Of course, if a previous issue, tactic or statement by a board member has relevance to the issue at hand, it is appropriate to bring it up.
Be flexible - It has been so encouraging to see speakers yield their time slots to parents or educators with a pressing need to speak. Cooperating with other supporters of #SaveYCSD not only gets more issues passionately addressed, it also serves as an example to narrow-minded board members that collaboration and kindness are worth exercising.
Bring a sign - With the public comment time restricted, it’s likely that you may not get to speak, so put your thoughts on a sign to hold up at the meeting. Stick to the issues and avoid personal attacks, hateful speech or anything that could be construed as threatening.
If you cannot attend board meetings, watch online - You can watch board meetings online live or watch the recorded session at a later date/time. We also need folks who will watch the board’s working sessions. Meetings are broadcast live on YCSD-TV (Cox Cable channel 47 (SD), Cox Cable channel 87 (HD), and Verizon channel 39) and on YouTube. While you’re watching, consider taking notes on the issues and statements by board members. These notes could be helpful at a later date and can provide a good foundation for writing correspondence to the board.
Write. Write. Write. - In addition to maintaining a presence at every meeting, we must also maintain a strong presence in the board’s email inbox, mailbox and voice mail. Your correspondence when combined with others can have a real impact. Write emails about your concerns. Write letters and mail them to the board. Write editorials for regional newspapers, neighborhood publications or for sympathetic websites. The more people who know about YCSD’s rouge board members and their agenda, the more likely it is that they will be voted out at the next election. Remember to stick to the issues and avoid personal attacks, hateful speech or anything that could be construed as threatening.
Research - If the board suggests YCSD hire a new company or vendor or if they propose a new policy - research it. It may be a beneficial choice or it may be a sweetheart deal for a fellow ultra-conservative. We won’t know unless we research it. Independent research helps maintain transparency and accountability and cuts down on rumor and gossip.