Democracy reduces risky investments of our school taxes. Discussing educational spending with all stakeholder groups & deciding democratically together BEFORE money is spent will reduce incidents of appeals to undo spending that was unworkable for a given stakeholder group that was not consulted up front. 

• Learn more about combating local ed $ waste

Sole authority is a fragile governance structure. As long as our district is out of compliance with Shared Decision-Making, the Administration and Board of Education make all decisions in our district. These "sole authorities" can be compelled through the chain of command to carry out decisions made higher up, even if they disagree. By implementing democratic processes for decision-making, we make our district more stable and resilient to weather changes and more reflective of our community's values. This is critically important in times of heightened uncertainty and rapid change.   

• Example: Limiting Admin veto power parameters

• Learn more about the democratic process we seek

Let's face it: there are times when we disagree and the interests of various stakeholder groups--district/school administration, teachers, parents, unions, community partners, etc. --do not always align. But when all groups are able to bring issues to the table for discussion and find resolution collectively and democratically, this ultimately benefits the entire school district community. When one stakeholder group makes all decisions, conflicts of interest can occur. And the voices, concerns, needs of groups with less power (currently all but the administration) are suppressed or ignored. Meaningful representation from each stakeholder group aligns decision-making with all groups' interests and moves us toward the possibility of true resolution. 

Example Provisions We Seek: 

• Each stakeholder group chooses/elects their own representatives for committees instead of the current set up which places this power in the hands of the Administration.

• Any stakeholder group representative on a committee can submit items to be added to the meeting agenda. Currently the agenda is set by the Administration.

• Materials for review distributed to all before meetings, with ample time for committee representatives to review. Currently the administration withholds item agendas until start of the meeting or right before.

• Meeting schedules are to be published in advance, for transparency.

• Learn More about our take on representation, accountability, and transparency

We seek a better school climate for all stakeholders. When all stakeholder groups' interests are welcomed at the table and afforded an honest, equitable chance to make a case for their positions; when all fears of retaliation can be set aside; we can be frank with one another and address challenges facing any of us head on, together, this, we believe, will make KCSD a more welcoming environment for students, teachers, parents, community partners and other stakeholders in the Kingston public school system. 

• Example: Blind voting and transparent vote tallying

• Learn More about reducing stakeholder fears in decision-making 

Watch or Listen {Fast Forward to minute 24:00} to Radio Kingston's Planet Seniors show Host Rita Vanacore as she speaks with one of our coalition members, Britta Riley, an elected KCSD Shared Decision-Making Drafting Committee Delegate. They discussed the upcoming school board election and the push for shared decision-making in our district 3/24/25.