Centering Student Voices, the Path for A.I. and Why Belonging Matters with School Board Chair April Chandler and Vice-Chair Anne Donohue

Weeks ago on the podcast, I know we had Dr. Rashid and Mr. Pepper on, and one of the questions we asked them is actually something I'd like to pose to both of you, Chair Chandler and Vice Chair Donahue.

With the Department of Education unfortunately reduced to nearly nothing today, state departments of education and local school boards, where you both sit now, carry a great deal more authority and responsibility.

Could you both talk about how this level of added autonomy might be beneficial? And also just provide one or two examples of programs that are better supported at the federal level as opposed to the local level.

In general, I think the advantage of having local control In many areas is that we can set standards that are a better fit for our community, right? We have a huge and very diverse student body, and we have a significant amount of financial resources, right? So the needs of our district and our students is gonna be very different from the school district in Abingdon, Virginia, which is way far south in a heavily rural farm area and a very, very small community.

So when the federal government or even the state sets standards for various requirements, they have to look at big picture.

And obviously it's important that someone is setting those standards, but the advantage, I think, for us, any time we have local authority and control over issues, is we get to zero in more on what are the needs of our specific community, and then try to meet that need.

Well, um, you know, it's so interesting to me, and I really think this illustrates the, the benefit of board work because when I looked at this question, I didn't have a positive, right? I only have worries.

Mm-hmm.

And then of course here's Anne who's like, "Oh yeah, I like this.

It's local control." And I'm like, "Yes, local control." I mean, because local control is actually a really important key component of local governance, and there is a strength there.

But when it comes to the recent changes to the Department of Education and all the reductions that have occurred-

Mm-hmm

...

most of this is anxiety-inducing for me.

Sure.

One of the things that I value in, in terms of governance and apply to as, as a standard to my governance lens is consistency.

And so what I worry about is that without the federal government at the helm setting a national standard, that the actual delivery of services, the standard, all of the things that have in the past, even civil rights enforcement, whether or not the people at the local level are delivering services with fidelity, without that consistency and leadership at the federal level, I am worried about how districts acro- across the nation will be impacted by these changes.

To some extent, often from our lens, it's good and it, I, it doesn't feel as harmful because maybe we have a good relationship with the commonwealth government, right? Like, we have faith in our own abilities and the abilities of the state government to take these actions and to deliver these services.

But in thinking about what it could be like and, and how the interpretation could be so different from state to state and county to county and town to town, it really does undermine the idea of public education to me.

So it is something that I worry about.

Don't know that I would've come up with something that might be beneficial, but I do appreciate that Anne did, and I don't disagree.

But I think really what I would worry about the, the most is special education.

Mm-hmm.

Right.

Because special education delivery and fidelity in those services is so very important.