Goldberg Tries an Old Variation : School board president steps down; should it be a full-time job?

Jackie Goldberg, president of the Los Angeles Board of Education, has decided not to run for reelection in order to return to classroom teaching. Her decision resurrects the issue of the proper role of the board in the massive district.

Board members often complain that the excessive demands of the office, and potential conflicts, prevent them from holding full-time jobs. (They earn a maximum of $2,000 a month on the school board.) That moderate income makes it difficult for some members to juggle mortgages and other obligations. Mindful of those difficulties, a majority of the board recently sought a waiver from the State Board of Education to become full-time officials with annual salaries of $55,000.

But larger salaries aren’t the answer. In fact, the answer is shorter hours. Here’s why: Instead of working full time at micromanaging the district, the board should concentrate on broad policy matters and leave the day-to-day running of the school district to the new superintendent, William Anton, and his large team of administrators.

The hard-working Goldberg spends an average of 50 to 60 hours a week on school board business. A single parent, she supports the pay raise proposal and cites her love of teaching as her primary reason for leaving the board after eight years of serving the Hollywood-Wilshire district.

And precisely because she is a teacher, Goldberg knows firsthand how children succeed. She has been committed--some would say driven--by her belief that every child can learn. Despite her experience, and her intellectual expertise in education, she has rarely addressed learning and achievement because the board has spent so much time on logistic nightmares like overcrowding. So her frustration is certainly understandable. And so is her belief that a full-time board would somehow make things better. It wouldn’t.

The board will miss Goldberg’s leadership and vision. She consistently put principle ahead of politics. Her return to a classroom will benefit some very fortunate students.