Editorial
School board's quest for a vision

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The Seattle School Board has to develop and publicly articulate a unified vision. This critical task is more urgent than anything else on its agenda.

The board's failure to act on Superintendent Raj Manhas' contract was the last piece needed to complete the puzzle that is the board. Board members cannot agree on Manhas because they agree on very little. This is potentially an impasse that leaves 47,000 students and 8,000 employees in leadership limbo while the board spends the next month sorting through what it describes as its issues.

Board President Mary Bass and members Sally Soriano and Darlene Flynn plan to spend that time gaining insight into how Manhas leads. It is a shame they weren't able to gather this information in the 15 months Manhas has been superintendent.

Some board members appear to be making up reasons to force Manhas out. They say he needs to be more visible in the community. This would come as news to many citizens, including those at the recent dinner for the Garfield Black Achievers. Manhas was there but few, if any, board members were present.

Seattle and its school children deserve better. But it is unlikely they'll get it as long as the board diverts its attention to a task already accomplished. We have a superintendent. He is doing fine. Move on.

Manhas offers the right mix of strong managerial skills and broad educational vision. A former banker, he has balanced the district's $443 million budget twice. He's shown firmness and compassion in decision-making such as when he removed former Chief Academic Officer June Rimmer and ushered out principals who weren't improving their schools.

Inking a five-year contract with the teachers union in a time of tight budgets was another accomplishment. Manhas' vision of stability for flagging South End schools persuaded the union to concede some of its bargaining power to ensure less turnover in those schools.

Manhas has raised district morale to a level reminiscent of the late Superintendent John Stanford. Administrators, principals and teachers credit Manhas with building trust and empowerment.

The board should turn its attention toward creating the kind of deliberative body that works for our schools. Board members such as Bass, Soriano and Flynn ran for election on an activist platform. But now they're on the inside grappling with a large, complex institution. They should not relapse and return to the role of naysayers. Outside facilitators could help the board members respect each other's ideas and work better as a team. It could help them conceive a common vision. A mediator could move them beyond temper tantrums over a previous board choosing Manhas.

The alternative is a board that continues to treat everything its members inherited as suspect. When one tallies up the support of this city for its schools, from levy funds to private donors, there is a deep reservoir of commitment to schools — and that's what is at risk.

Tomorrow: Run for the schools