Democratic leadership style is best for our school system. I know improvement is inevitable for our school district if we allow democracy to reign supreme. Democratic leadership is for the people, by the people and of the people. I utterly distaste autocracy and oligarchy which are possible when one person or a small group or class governs and makes decisions to support their best interest and not what the masses want. It is very dangerous, particularly if power and control are more important to the rulers than the betterment of their people.

The essence of most oligarchy is to amass wealth and form corrupt alliances. They do not believe that disagreement or not thinking alike is, sometimes, tolerable.

My years on the school board has unbelievably uncovered to me our decisions, whether love based or not, trickle down to the children in the system.

For instance, if the board does not collaborate effectively with the superintendent to provide conducive learning and working environment, the students suffer.

We cannot afford to work against Early College when some of us have benefited from the program or have benefited from one sort of scholarship program or another. If Selma City School has an issue with Wallace Community officials, we should wisely and continuously take it up with them to the point that the children we are elected to help do not suffer by our actions.

Some argue our responsibility stops at the 12th grade. I am a parent who became a board member, so my responsibility for Selma City students goes beyond 12th grade; moreover, the students in question are not high school graduates yet. We cannot kill a good vision, and we cannot take the students’ blessings. We are not empowered to withhold good things from those who it is due when our efficacy is, also, measured by the degree of goodness, mercy, and vision that we do not interrupt.

Vision is setting a goal with the ability to foresee the good of the goal. The word vision comes from the Latin word videre, which is to see. What do you see in Selma Early College? Some may see unnecessary expenses, but I see students getting ahead in academics; I see children who gained associate degrees instead of just high school diploma; I see students who are academically prepared to withstand the competition at four year college; and I see students getting their bachelors earlier and at a cheaper cost. The Board cannot continue to betray its responsibilities.

It is unfortunate that instead of being the leader in our area relative to Early College, Selma City School system is talking about not even becoming a follower but to settle as a growth impeder.

If we are really serious about keeping Selma Early College, then we need to find out what Dallas County is doing and do better.