Elected board is wrong answer

RE 'SEARCHING FOR a superintendent, and answers,' Vivian Page column, Nov. 23: I disagree that the firing of Norfolk School Superintendent Richard Bentley argues for moving to the election of School Board members.

The Norfolk School Board hired Bentley to make changes then decided 16 months was more than enough time to correct years of damage. The board gave support for his plans then took it away in less than three months. The board approved his vision and then decided it wasn't clear enough.

The current board members have the best interests of the system at heart, but most lack either vision and/or ability to lead. But the big failure falls at the feet of the Norfolk City Council. At least two members, Councilman Anthony Burfoot and Councilwoman Theresa Whibley, publicly expressed displeasure with Bentley.

Once the City Council has appointed the School Board, it should be silent, at least in public, about board actions.

If the council doesn't like the actions of the board, or a member, doesn't the board serve at the pleasure of the council?

An elected board has some advantages, but an elected board also has some problems. In Virginia, cities can raise taxes only as allowed by the commonwealth. That is a problem our legislators will not solve. All boards, including school boards, are weak. They can make policy and have vision, but they have no means of controlling the funding for their policies. They rely on the city for funding, which relies on the commonwealth. An elected school board is no stronger than an appointed board, just different.

People say that an elected school board will have a better relationship with the council because its members aren't beholden to being appointed by that body. We need only look a little to our east to see what is going on in Virginia Beach, where the School Board is as dysfunctional as Norfolk's.

People say that an elected school board will be more accountable to the electorate. In Norfolk, we haven't proven we can elect an accountable council, so how can we expect to do a better job electing the School Board?