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One Year In





One year ago I wrote the following about the swearing in of new public servants on the Board of Education and in County Government:

I saw many folks last night who were giddy with the joy of the moment, reveling in the afterglow of winning the day, of being changemakers and history makers in our county. It was their moment, and that moment was sweet. But for me the afternoon and evening felt heavy wth the weight of oncoming responsibility. As sweet as victory may be, it carries with it unavoidable demands and challenges of leadership. 

Yes, those are good challenges to have. But they are challenges nonetheless.

Something that new BOE member Vicky Cutroneo said in her remarks Monday afternoon stuck with me. I’m paraphrasing:

“During the campaign someone referred to my supporters as unusual coalition.  I take that as a compliment and I’d like to thank my unusual coalition for their support.”

As we move away from the election and the swearing-in, it is my hope that these next four years are marked by many more unusual and unexpected coalitions. Nothing could be better for our school system and our County than public servants who work to draw together unlikely allies and surprising support. Those are the kinds of alliances to foster and build upon.

I believe that our newly-elected officials have the ability to do this. Whether or not they choose to work collaboratively and inclusively may depend on how much we, as citizens, affirm our desire for them to do so. So, in other words, we’re not off the hook. Our job does not end here. Just as we worked to get them elected, we must support their good choices and remind them if they begin to lose their way.

 This week was marked by an incident during a meeting of the County Council which Howard County Times reporter Ana Faguy described politely as “contentious.”  Over at the Board of Education, members were completely unable to elect a new board chair due to entrenched loyalties to particular candidates.

If ever there were a time for unusual coalitions, right now would be that time.

I believe that our newly-elected officials have the ability to do this. Whether or not they choose to work collaboratively and inclusively may depend on how much we, as citizens, affirm our desire for them to do so. So, in other words, we’re not off the hook. Our job does not end here. Just as we worked to get them elected, we must support their good choices and remind them if they begin to lose their way.

 When I wrote that, I didn’t know exactly how things would play out, but I had a deep uneasiness about what the future would bring. Now we are here. I think it would not be amiss to us to remind our elected officials that we care very much about having them work together for the public good. After this week I am also deeply troubled about how they treat one another as they perform their assigned roles. 

 Our elected officials took an oath of office one year ago which they have sworn to uphold. We, as citizens, bear an equal responsibility in remaining involved and maintaining the expectation of collaboration, collegiality and respect. It’s not simply that this is “a nice thing to do”, rather, it is clear after this week that we're not getting anywhere without it.

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