"I did okay" part 'doh!'
October 11, 2013
By Mike Weland

On October 8, I wrote an editorial that began, "There is an obvious theory rampant in Boundary County that an elite cabal controls Bonners Ferry Badger sports, and the school board of trustees is unaware or in cahoots."

I've had people ask me my point, because as they read, the narrative dwindled to nothing.

I apologize. It had been a long night, and I am finding that I most often unwisely refuse to accept that I no longer have the stamina to carry a thought to conclusion.

I am apt to slip from what I meant to say, which may be hard, into something easy. In so doing, I let down not only myself, but those who take time to read.

I'll attempt to atone, and try to do so without violating the confidentiality of my position as an elected member of the school board.

I speak only for myself.

I have come to be astonished that so much of the school board's time has been dedicated to fretting over who should coach a team rather than who should teach a class.

I have been astonished how many times I've heard, from multiple sources, that the roots of problems can be traced to a coach's decision, often long past, to cut a student athlete from a team or game.

I'm astonished, and I begin to understand why our local school board members are unable to focus on issues of importance ... we are obligated and bound by duty to hear what you say.

We don't work in a vacuum; we serve you as best we can in accordance with law.

If you demand our time to consider decisions on who coaches whom, which coach offends whom or which athlete a coach sent a player to the sideline, we have to listen. And we can't often give a quick and easy answer; personnel matters are protected.

Sometimes, a good coach has to make a hard decision. Often that decision is not popular.

At it's last meeting, the school board heard in executive session the pleas of two people for consideration and justice regarding the board's coaching decisions.

I can tell you that each member of the school board gave full hearing.

I've come to learn the lengths this board goes to to give fair hearing to all ... regardless of topic. Chair Melanie Staples is ever willing to listen, even when, by law, we don't have to.

No member of the board, in my short tenure, has argued.

And over and over we hear, "There is an obvious theory rampant in Boundary County that an elite cabal controls Bonners Ferry Badger sports, and the school board of trustees is unaware or in cahoots."

Speaking for myself, that allegation is painful, and I refute it at every opportunity. I will hear, but I will not be told how to think.

As a school board trustee, I feel that I am obligated to listen to anyone; teachers, parents or students, who would take the time to share a point of view, and I've become convinced that each board member I serve with feels the same.

We listen, we hear. Most often, we hear of potential issues before anyone else, and know what is being done. We trust our administrators and principals. We have good people working on our behalf, and our students have great and dedicated people working for them, in class and out.

There are things we can't say as board members, and it is a frustration to hear argument ad infinitum that we aren't listening.

I can only speak for myself, but it's my thought that no cabal could take control ... others would listen, hear and speak out ... and they'd take time out of all they do to come tell us their side of the story.

It's a little bit funny. I'm so new I've heard very little from the alleged cabal, and much more from those who tell me I shouldn't listen to them; that they don't speak for everyone.

As a school board trustee, I will ever do my best to hear anyone who'd speak, and I am confident that I'm not the only board member so dedicated.

I get a tad upset when I'm told that I should not give everyone equal opportunity to speak, and I get terribly disappointed when I'm accused of making a decision on behalf of anyone just because of who they are.

I am in a position of trust as an elected trustee. Election did not empower me or make me wise.

I gained no mandate, I get no pay.

Personally, I am grateful for the alleged "cabal," no matter their motive or reason. I am grateful, too, of those who challenge; who take time to present a different point of view. Without fair and sometimes vociferous argument, decisions might become easy.

That would be called a dictatorship.