School board director Katie Rose Q and A

School board director Katie Rose took some time recently to share her thoughts on what it means to be a stakeholder in Bellingham Public Schools, or any public school system.  Who are they and what is expected of them?

While students are the primary focus (stakeholder) of an educational system, Rose wanted to explore the bigger picture — how everyone is a stakeholder in public education because schools play a huge role in a community. We always say students are our future, but what does that really mean? It means they will be the stewards of key public spaces and private businesses, as well as in our vital institutions, whether they are medical, governmental and educational.

Q. When the board refers to “stakeholders,” what does that mean? Who are the various stakeholders in our district and community?

K. Rose: One way to think of our school system is like an orchestra. Our kids are the soloists. Their performances matter the most, but they don’t run the concert. The rest of us in the community—from parents, family members, teachers, support staff, community organizations, the school board, legislators at all levels, taxpayers, etc. — we are the conductors, stagehands, instruments that are foundational. Even though stakeholders may have different degrees of influence or interest — anyone who has something to gain, something at risk, or some influence in the district is a stakeholder. Every stakeholder is key to how the music is heard. 

Our strategic plan The Bellingham Promise includes the phrase “collective commitment.” How does this relate to stakeholders and the board’s work?

K. Rose: Education means expanding possibilities for every child — no matter who their families are, what their backgrounds are, or how well school has served them in the past.

It’s not just the right thing to do for our kids; our local economy, civic life and community health are all impacted by the quality of the district. While some stakeholders are closer to the system, we all have skin in the game.

The Promise recognizes that it takes all of us working together to create a system where every child truly has the chance to succeed and contribute to our community. In many ways, The Promise is the score for the stakeholder orchestra. It's a strategic plan created by community stakeholders and it forms the music we're all working together to make.  The board is like a tuning fork, metronome and conductor stand all in one: we set the tempo, make sure everyone is in tune, and monitor the performance to make sure we're following the score set for us by the community. 

BPS is facing funding challenges, similar to other districts and public agencies. What is the board’s role when budgets are tight? How can stakeholders affect change and/or influence?  

K. Rose: Schools are how we prepare our kids—and our communities—for the future. The legislature sets expectations for what all schools in the state must provide, but unfortunately hasn’t fully provided the resources to meet those expectations. Their choices directly determine how many teachers can be hired, how many nurses and counselors are available to children and even how well our facilities can be maintained.

School buildings are common infrastructure of any community. In addition to the classrooms and spaces attended by nearly 11,000 students, these spaces are also key community gathering locations, and home to the most accessible sports and recreation in our community.

The services schools provide are the foundation for our state economy, civic future and community health. They are where most of our kids learn basic job skills and the ins and outs of civic life. Underfunding not only widens the inequality between districts, it also shifts costs onto families, staff and local taxpayers. 

We are lucky to have such deeply dedicated staff who work so hard for our shared vested interest in a sense of belonging. Schools are one of the first places we learn to be in a community.

The board’s role in uncertain budget times like these remains the same as in more prosperous times.  To return to the music metaphor, we make sure the system makes the best music possible with the resources we have by monitoring budgets and outcomes, advocating at the state-level for equitable funding and by balancing the needs and priorities of all the different stakeholders. 

Something I hope we all remember is that in a school system, the primary stakeholders (our students) often have the least power to change the system they have the highest stake in, while those with the most power—legislators—may never step foot in a classroom. This is why the rest of us have so much responsibility to step up. To affect change, stakeholders can make their voices heard and amplify the voices of others. I encourage you to reach out to your state legislators and elected officials to ask them to fill the gaps left in school funding. This shows our kids and elected officials we believe in and value a fully funded educational system.