Consent of the Governed
“That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed” – U.S. Declaration of Independence
You are about to embark on a case study that displays the damage done by the public-school governance model laid out in the short series “The Problem.” While I freely admit that I have not scoured every school district in Missouri, clearly this one will stand out as the most covertly (and now openly) corrupt of the bunch.
Large Missouri cities tend to have local governance boards that are openly and unapologetically corrupt. Larger cities attract liberal people who seek unanimity of thought and action. Large cities tend to be populated with people who live rushed lifestyles. Large cities tend to attract an older population seeking centralized facilities. This has, state-wide but noticeably in Southwest Missouri, led to an explosion in populations in rural and suburban communities. This case study involves such a community.
People move from these big cities to smaller rural and suburban communities for a more casual, conservative, family-friendly lifestyle. Frequently, in the suburban areas of Southwest Missouri, the local school district is on the list of reasons to which families attribute their move. The study district is/was one of those. For years the level of corruption within this administration was under the radar for these families. More recently, it has been exposed. With that exposure comes a dramatic shift of blame.
Sure, even when the corruption was covert, the school board of this town was primarily to blame. In accordance with the accepted Missouri school governance model we've already studied, they had handed all government of the district over to the school’s administration, provided virtually no oversight, and accepted any explanation of questionable ethical standards the administration offered. School board meetings have become 2-hour rubber stamp sessions of 7-0 (on a lucky night a 6-1) votes approving everything the administration wants with virtually no discussion or dissent. And, item for item, those wants amount to increased power and money for the administration and legacy building for top level administrators competing for those big city jobs. But, with the now infamous exposure of the breadth and depth of this internal rot, the blame shifts dramatically upward.
From the highest level of government to the lowest, American political expression has always been understood to be at the consent of the governed. This idea goes back to Locke but was captured perfectly in our Declaration of Independence as the only legitimate governance model. Smaller local governing bodies have distinct advantages in this respect to larger State and federal bodies. Every single year significant portions of these bodies are elected. In this school board, a minimum of 1/3 of the board is offered to the consenting public every year. And, between elections, Missouri’s open meeting laws allow for an even more direct democracy than our democratic republican forms of higher government. Meetings are, each and every one, open and available for public input. So, yes, the proverbial chickens have come home to roost on the consenting citizens of this community. And with a vengeance. And to the detriment of each and every student the school serves.
One teacher who was a talented special needs instructor – gone. A teacher with an impeccable record, prior Teacher of the Year – gone. A talented instructor for the Junior ROTC program who developed a love for his students that was not unrequited and led them to a National Championship – gone. A direct attack on his students by the administration was finally required to force his resignation. And who is to blame?
In your safe, cozy, conservative suburb in Anywhere, Missouri have you ever looked at St Louis, Kansas City, or Springfield and wondered how parents can walk over the bodies of their dead and dying children in the streets on their way to the polls and vote for more of the same. Look inward for a glimpse at your future. To what are you willing to consent?
