This summer, the Board of Education for the public school system in Maryland has approved funding for a new Ombuds position. Nonetheless, several candidates for the school board have expressed concerns about the plans. Mostly, the issues are cost and independence. “At this time, I cannot support the ombudsman position because I do not believe an employee making $115,000 can be an impartial, neutral third party,” candidate Jay Mason said. The new Ombuds program is budgeted to cost $115,000 inclusive of benefits. (Frederick News Post.)
Related posts: Howard County Schools Hires New Ombuds and Plans New Limits on Authority; New Ombuds for Queen Anne Public Schools; Prince George's County Public Schools Hiring First Ombuds; Frederick Community College Weighs Ombuds Program; Frederick County Public Schools to Appoint First Ombuds.
This is really interesting to me as an ombuds and as a current school board member. The district has some work to do.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing!
Scary that a decent salary alone could supposedly make an ombuds partial and biased. Of course, this is BS and the Board candidate who said it surely knows as much. But that's a worrisome critique.
ReplyDeleteI agree.
DeleteMaybe the board member means that only someone making more than $115/year ($500K/year to start, perhaps?) could be an impartial, neutral third party.
ReplyDelete