Are school committees across Massachusetts truly powerless? Are they simply a leftover anachronism from that simpler, less expensive time before Education Reform?
According to Lawrence School Committee member James Vittorioso, they are. Vittorioso, who has no opposition going into this fall’s election, tells Eagle-Tribune reporter Mark Vogler that there are “at least 1,000″ people in the city who are worthy to challenge him, but, “nobody is interested in running for my seat,” because they witness the constant futility of his efforts to improve local education.
For some reason, he still calls his office, “a very important, nonpaying job,” but adds that education reform, “gives the superintendent dictatorial powers over personnel. And we’re powerless.”
Huh? Hardly.
Superintendents indeed have absolute power over personnel – and a good thing, too. Does Vittorioso seriously think it would be better to have endless political squabbling by committee members over hiring, firing and assignments of staff?
School committees have plenty of remaining power. They are supposed to set policy and performance standards by which the, uh, superintendent is measured. That has plenty to do with improving education, but too many school committees give away the store to their superintendents. Jim and his colleagues ought to spend their time using the power they have, instead of wishing they could still meddle in personnel matters.
