The last two columns in the Springfield News-Leader by Larry Campbell have hit a bull’s eye on my educational pet peeve target. When I first began teaching at Branson High School in 1972, I spoke with a friend of mine who was on the Branson School Board at the time. I asked him if it wouldn’t be productive to have the teachers fill out an annual evaluation of the administrators. I figured it would fit right in with their then-present policy of having students evaluate the teachers. His response? “Why would we want people to evaluate their own bosses?”
It became immediately clear to me that the board was operating on a business model. So, it was no surprise that the district was hiring its “minions” according to business interests: punctuality, attendance, loyalty, etc. Later, when I had left teaching and was elected to the school board, my former principal was heard to say, “That’s just what we need . . . an educator on the board.” He didn’t say “Bah!” but it was felt. No one on the board disagreed with his exclamation of disgust.
I was not very successful as a school board member. Needless to say, the votes were often 6-2 or 7-1. I was happy to be the gadfly, but I don’t feel that I accomplished much. However, I felt great pride and satisfaction a few years later when I moved to Springfield and ran into a former principal . . . a man who had been the high school principal when I first began teaching there. Introducing me to his new wife, he said, “This is Mike Brown. We taught together in Branson.” If administrators and boards were as interested in education as they are in the “bottom line” or profit motive, hiring good teachers might not be any easier, but at least we would be looking for the most promising characteristics in the candidates. Maybe we could even get a few students involved the hiring process, too!
About The Author
Mike Brown began his interesting and varied career teaching Freshman English at University of Missouri – his future wife Claudia was a student in his very first class!) After obtaining his Master’s, he taught for 4 years at the USAF Academy Preparatory School.
In 1971, he and Claudia returned to Branson, MO, where they purchased the Sammy Lane Resort from his parents, which they ran for 30 years. During that time, Mike taught English at Branson High School (1972-85), sat on the Branson School Board (1990 – 1996) and on the Branson City Council (1986 – 1992). He calls the overlapping years on the council and the board “interesting” and lets it go at that.
Mike and Claudia now live in Springfield, MO.
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