Shawnee Mission parents push back against public comment policy change

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. — Some mother and father within the Shawnee Mission Faculty District say a brand new coverage might stifle their voices, and so they’re hoping an online petition might help them hold it.

Shawnee Mission board members will vote July 26 on whether or not to cease streaming public feedback on YouTube and whether or not to maintain these feedback restricted to half-hour. It’s a technique the district began throughout the pandemic.

Victoria Savich has attended college board conferences for 11 years. She stated it’s a discussion board for folks to have their voices heard.

“That’s the one a part of the college assembly that oldsters, academics, even college students sit up for listening to from,” she stated.

However with the proposed coverage, their voices might solely attain those that attend the assembly.

Savich stated a petition that her pal, a fellow Shawnee Mission dad or mum, began on change.org will present the district many mother and father don’t need issues to vary.

“Transparency and being inclusive, we eliminate these, not livestreaming and solely half-hour, you eliminate each of these points,” Savich stated.

The general public remark livestreaming ban is in response to YouTube flagging the district for misinformation broadcasted during a meeting last spring.

Former Shawnee Mission West scholar Greg Stephan stated he agrees the feedback ought to proceed to be streamed.

“You do should cope with misinformation generally,” he stated. “However usually folks ought to be sensible to deal with it. There ought to be extra info than not sufficient.”

In an announcement to FOX4, the Shawnee Mission college board stated: “The Shawnee Mission Board of Schooling values enter from the general public and has numerous technique of receiving ideas from the general public together with emails, digital instruments, Mail and feedback throughout recurrently scheduled board conferences.”

Savich stated that’s not sufficient. She desires different mother and father to help the petition to present mother and father on a regular basis they should voice their issues and stream the discussion board for different busy mother and father who can’t attend the assembly.

“Your one opinion is likely to be influencing 100 folks,” she stated. “You simply by no means know.”