PRESENTATION TO WASHINGTON COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD FROM
RISING TO LEARN
Tuesday, January 20, 2026
Good evening, Mr. Evans, Board members and Dr. Sovine. As you know, I am Roger Stenersen, speaking as Communications Director for Rising to Learn.
Earlier this month, at your January 6th Work Session, five of this Board’s seven members who were present discussed and proposed revisions to this Board’s Operational Norms. Statements made at the end of that portion of the Work Session suggest a lack of understanding by some of you, raising concern among stakeholders of the school system. For example, Mr. Guessford in his closing remarks regarding the Operating Norms stated, “Just a reminder. These aren’t rules. They’re guidelines.” Additionally, President Evans agreed by saying, “Yeah. Yes. They’re just guidelines. Yeah.”
In the same discussion Mr. Burkett proposed that, when a Board member plans to visit a school, it should no longer be necessary to notify the principal in advance, as the current rule delineates. Though he suggested that no principal with whom he has spoken expressed disagreement with this idea, it is not hard to grasp that a principal is an effective subordinate to a Board member, and therefore unlikely to want to disagree for political reasons. The former rule suggested that advance notification be extended out of professional courtesy. In the absence of any positive reason to change this rule, are we to assume that professional courtesy is just falling by the wayside and is no longer an element of the Board’s values?
I invite you to consider that principals are busy individuals whose days typically require them to be in attendance at central office meetings, IEP meetings, and team and department meetings as well as assuring the safety and security of their students, teachers and staff by monitoring lunch, hallway transitions and parking lot activity; along the way, of course they are expected to deal with parental concerns, student disciple and telephone and email communications. It is unlikely that a spontaneous visit by a Board member will be able to fit into the thickly scheduled day of a principal and that this proposed change will greatly diminish Board members’ experiences visiting schools.
At the risk of being redundant, you should understand that the rules you adopt will now have the effect of policy upon their adoption, so they are not just guidelines. They constitute this board’s agreement to operate in a manner delineated by fourteen statements. As a sitting board member, conducting the business of the board, each of you is to hold yourself and your fellow board members accountable for operating in accordance with the agreed upon operating norms.
Your vote this evening will codify these Operating Norms and they will be filed along with all other Washington County Board Policies. The first line of the Washington County Board of Education Operating Norms says it all – “As Board Members we pledge to:…” “Pledge to” does not mean to take into consideration or to be guided by. A pledge is an oath or a vow. As individual board members and collectively
with this vote you are committing to operating in the manner delineated in the fourteen statements listed in the document.
You are establishing rules by which you are to operate, not suggestions. Lead this school system by example, familiarize yourself with, follow, and enforce the Board’s Policies, Norms, and Communication Policies as written and hold the expectation that those who do not follow and enforce them will be held accountable. Rising to Learn encourages you to begin with your Board Norms and Board Policy KD.