Grateful for Prudent, Diligent and Inclusive Leadership for Culver City schools

It's that time. 

The time to take a step back and count all our blessings.

For our Culver City community, the occasion coincides with the end of a term for two School Board members: Patricia Siever and Karlo Silbiger.  Both of them are going back to extremely busy lives, as accomplished scholars and educators. I'm sure they're thankful for the many opportunities that a less demanding leadership role will afford them.

At their last Board meeting last night, many community members expressed how grateful they felt for their leadership over these last four years.  Both of them reflected over their experiences as Board members.  

It was clear to me last night that we have much to be thankful for having had two leaders such as Karlo and Patricia on our School Board. Both of them represented three important qualities that we seek in our elected officials: prudence, diligence and inclusiveness.

As trustees of the tax dollars we invest in our schools, we expect them to be prudent.  Karlo and Patricia, along with Nancy Goldberg, raised many concerns that needed to be addressed before voters were asked to invest in our schools.  In support of this position, the Superintendent has moved effectively to build a more thorough, open and transparent process.  This legacy of prudence is an important contribution they leave behind.

Board members must be diligent, they must ask questions to make sure their decisions are sound.  Ms. Siever was known for asking many questions that helped her make informed decisions. And it's critical that Board members ask the important and sometimes difficult questions.  Even though it was his last meeting, Karlo raised questions about the graduation rates of English Learners.  He noted what a small percentage of students graduated prepared to enter our state universities. And he urged the new Board to focus on this and other critical issues in the years ahead, as he has done.

And Board members must promote inclusiveness.  Karlo reminded us of his efforts to ensure Board meetings are held at City Hall twice a month, making it easier for more members of the community to participate and remain involved. He also made a point that with the departure of Ms. Siever, our School Board will not reflect the rich diversity of the student population in our district, while clarifying, that he believed that a person, regardless of their race or ethnicty, could represent others effectively. Both Patricia and Karlo, and Nancy Goldberg supported my campaign, expressing their commitment to ensure all of our communities are represented, and I am deeply grateful for that.

Finally, it seems important to me that Board members must show two seemingly contradictory qualities: patience and a sense of urgency, both steeped in a commitment to equity.  In his final reflection, Karlo, perhaps because he was the youngest Board member, juxtaposed two points that showed us what a powerful leader we were blessed to have for the last four years.  He talked about how surprised he was at how slowly he was able to bring about change, even as a Board member.  Then, he went on to list a seemingly endless and remarkable set of accomplishments.

It seems to me that young leaders often light the path that the rest of us must follow.  

Thank you Karlo and thank you Patricia, for your years of service.