The Observation Deck

It is customary for the President of Lakewood City School District Board of Education to provide incoming comments after being elected to the position by members of the school board. These comments were delivered by School Board President Matthew John Markling during the January 18, 2011 regular school board meeting of the Lakewood City School District Board of Education.

“Awake Through Transparent And Accountable Leadership”
By Lakewood School Board President Matthew John Markling


Are we awake?

In his 1964 Nobel Peace Prize Lecture entitled, “The Quest for Peace and Justice,” Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. warned that:

One of the great liabilities of history is that all too many people fail to remain awake through great periods of social change. Every society has its protectors of the status quo and its fraternities of the indifferent who are notorious for sleeping through revolutions. But today our very survival depends on our ability to stay awake, to adjust to new ideas, to remain vigilant and to face the challenge of change.

Are we awake to the educational and financial changes facing our children in 2011 in spite of overwhelming community support for our most recent operating levy?

Are we awake to the status quo and its fraternities who are constantly focusing us on their own self-interests and relentlessly lulling us into indifference with respect to the real educational and financial challenges facing our children in 2011?

Are we awake and prepared to adjust to new ideas, to remain vigilant, and to face the challenges of educational and financial changes head-on in 2011 rather than daydreaming of a twentieth century image of Lakewood?

Yes, we are awake. And we will remain wakeful only through transparent and accountable leadership.

We are awake through transparent and accountable leadership that improves upon the academic integrity of the Lakewood City Schools.

We are awake through transparent and accountable leadership that continues to improve upon the benchmarks of student achievement mandated by state and federal laws.

We are awake through transparent and accountable leadership that continues to develop the skills of our faculty, staff, administrators, and board members which are necessary to improve student instruction.

Most importantly, we are awake through transparent and accountable leadership that continues to build upon the trust and support of the Community, including our parents and students.

While the temptation to slumber is always present, we are indeed awake. And I look forward to remaining awake through what will be a great period of change for the Lakewood City Schools in 2011.





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A transparent and accountable school board, wonderful. Maybe we're going to come out of all this just fine.

Nice sentiment.

Is the electorate awake?

Or are we going to re-elect current bobble-head board members or their chosen successors will be on the ballot this year?

Bill

Bill Trentel wrote:Nice sentiment.

Is the electorate awake?

Bill

Bill

That is the million dollar question.

We have 1 school board member that believes in transparency and accountability, and the
others that believe he should be run from office as a troublemaker. Did not even want him
as board president because he dares to post schedules to Board meetings for the public!

One board member that believes he works for the students, the parents, and the
community and as their employee has to build trust, and openness so they understand the
schools and the issues the schools face. And the other board members that think he is
crazy for not just thinking that way but saying it out loud.

We have invested far too much in this city to run it like it was 25 years ago.

We need more board members like Matt, not less.

Yes, Is the electorate awake?

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Jim O'Bryan wrote:We have 1 school board member that believes in transparency and accountability, and the
others that believe he should be run from office as a troublemaker. Did not even want him
as board president because he dares to post schedules to Board meetings for the public!

Matt Markling is doing his best to make the board more responsive, accountable, transparent and involved. It's an up hill struggle. I suspect his fellow board members will be working overtime to defeat him in the next election.

It's going to be an interesting year.

We are set to have appointees in Wards one, three, and four and an appointee in the at large position and as Mayor. It seems like a good time to mount a challenge against the status quo. Should our elected officials be selected or elected?

Should our school board serve the student and the community or the LTA? The behavior of the Geiger Hold overs reminds me of the behavior of Tom George who responded to every new idea with the statement, "The employees aren't going to like that!".

Something to consider: The schools collect nearly $70 million per year, most of which is transferred to cities like Avon Lake and Bay Village. That's $210 million in transfers over a three year period. Do you think that has no affect on the financial health of the City?

Even though I should cash out I've decided to double down.