At the end of a recent Board of Education meeting, board member AJ MacArthur asked a question. He wondered if having a child in the school system is a prerequisite to being on the school board. MacArthur said he was tired of hearing people say a child in the school system should be a prerequisite to having a board position.

What people are suggesting to MacArthur is having a child in the school system assures some element of “skin in the game.” They are indicating if he had children enrolled in APS maybe some of his decisions would have gone a different way… as in supportive of the learning environment instead of wasting time and money. For instance, maybe he would not have:

~ Voted down a 100% grant-funded rain garden project that would have provided hands-on environmental lessons in natural ecological processes for APS students and replace piping in the AHS parking lot.

~ Awarded a contract to a higher bidder, costing thousands of dollars.

~ Voted to add another law firm to the APS payroll. Kallman Law, a firm of two people with limited experience in the legal affairs of public schools, and considered an anti-public school extremist group that seeks to undermine public schooling.

~ Shown support for a Bathroom Policy that APS attorneys and the ACLU say is not necessary and will invite an expensive legal challenge.

If MacArthur were introspective, he may have realized why he frequently gets that comment. He could also just ask people why they feel that way. Elected officials should seek public input; especially if that official is actually interested in meeting the needs of the public instead of pursuing their own personal agenda.

MacArthur was, of course, being insincere with his question. He knows the answer. He just doesn’t care.

DIANE BAUER

Alpena