School Board: 7 elected members, or a 'team of eight'?

Have you ever attended a Sun Prairie School Board meeting (or watched on TV) and asked, "Why is District Administrator Tim Culver seated at the left hand of the board president"?

If so, you're not alone. we've even asked former board president Mary Ellen Havel-Lang about it. Her response was that Dr. Culver is a critical part of the board team. Hmmm. Have you also noted that Dr. Culver gets the privilege of speaking out at the board table during meetings...a privilege that is not extended to residents? If so you may have also noted that Dr. Culver has the luxury of presenting the last word, and frequently rebuts the presentations of district residents....yet the residents do not have the right to re-but Dr. Culver's "spin" on any given issue.

It's simply not right for the District Administrator to sit at the board table or be treated as a board member. He certainly wasn't elected, and more importantly...he is an employee of the school board. We certainly believe that the board and the administrator need to have a good professional working relationship...but that does not include a seat at the "big table". He should be offered a seat at the side table, whether other members of the district's administration team sit, whether they can be available to respond to questions from the board.

We've since learned that Sun Prairie is not alone in this "team of 8" practice. Read more about this issue at: http://www.peytonwolcott.com/TeamEight.html