I applaud Mr. Lippel for his admonishment of the board regarding the student representatives. What possible improvement does Mrs. DiNardo think will be accomplished by changing the selection process? I’ve seen firsthand that every student selected under the current process has been respectful, articulate, and unafraid to voice student concerns. The solicitor will now spend thousands of dollars to revise the policy that will be endlessly debated and in the end make no difference. This is another example of BW board members focusing on trivial matters while ignoring much more important issues. Case in point is the fact that not a single board member thought it important to follow-up with Dr. Lutz regarding this exchange from the 4/25/12 budget meeting minutes: “Mr. Schmotzer asked if in the budget there were any initiatives that will enhance education and Dr. Lutz said there were”. I would think the board would jump at the chance to highlight such initiatives to the community. But since not, I will: Dr. Lutz, what are these initiatives? What are you doing about STEM education? How does BW stack up against the STEM programs in other districts as described in the 6/1/12 edition of the Pgh Business Times (PBT)? The district has a PBT subscription and copies are kept in the rack outside the board room. I would encourage everyone who attends the next meeting to review the page 19 interviews with 8 school superintendents regarding their STEM initiatives.

DiNardo wants to make the student representative positions winners of popularity contests. Instead of choosing a person for their scholastic achievements, just pick the most popular and be done with it.

It is ok though for them to put students on the school board that are related to the school board members, which doesn't give other students in the school a chance for this position. This was a discussion last year between a few of the students that wanted the opportunity to represent their class at the school board meetings. They knew before they were even interviewed that Victoria Schmotzer would get the position, when they heard that she applied for it. They can set qualifications on who can run for this position also, have a 3.5 GPA, involved in Community Service, etc. Other schools use this method of electing students to the school board and it works out well. I wish they would have in place that if your related to anyone on the school board then your child can not apply for this position, would give other students in the district a chance of making a difference to our school board.

Jumping in for a moment here to remind folks to be very sensitive now. We are referencing a minor at some points, so let's please be gentle and use caution with our words.

The presence of board meeting student representatives is primarily for the benefit of the students. If the student body thinks the selection process needs to be changed, I have full confidence this issue will be brought to the board just like other issues. In that case, the students and high school administrators should draft a revised policy subject to final approval by the board and solicitor. That’s the grassroots driven democratic process we want to foster to address real concerns, not a top-down driven process based one or more board member perceptions. And I hope the readers don’t miss the main point of my original comment, which is that this board needs to be much, much more proactive regarding the critical educational issues necessary to ensure all our students are fully prepared. As a parent of high school student and as an engineer who sees firsthand the critical energy, environmental and other issues facing this nation and the desperate need for young people with the technical skills to address them, I’ve taken the initiative to closely follow what other districts are doing and to bring this information to the attention of Dr. Korchnak and Dr. Lutz with very specific recommendations. It’s clear, however, that nothing will change unless this board ends their hands-off policy regarding education and starts doing the same, which in turn will not happen without more parent pressure. If you want the best for your children, you’ll have to demand it.

Brian, I wonder if the school board even listens to the students that represent the students at the meeting, if they are allowed to have a voice in the decisions, if they are heard on what needs changed at the school. I would personally love to see a limit on the number of years that a member could be on the board. Maybe 2 terms (8 years) at the most. Every year voted in 2 new members so that we have old and new members on the board. We do need board members that want better educations for our students, people that want to see test scores improve. I'm hoping that with Denise Sedlacek coming back that she can motivate the school board to spend money on what is important, our children future.