SOS: Help me create a name for this action committee

In My Humble Opinion
1

Save Our Schools?

A few concerned parents and citizens in my town are forming a group to back some school board candidates for the next election and possibly a recall before then. We need to come up with a name for the group. I might also put together a logo; simple, something we can use for press releases, flyers, and the WWW. It can’t be elaborate; we need it fast and cheap.

So help me create a name for the organization. The problems we are facing is a district superintendent that controls the school board instead of the other way around. He has honed his tactics thru intimidation and favors. People that owe their jobs to him are reluctant to oppose his policies, and he continues to increase his influence. It’s a power and ego trip.

Several times recently, the board has rubber-stamped his requests to fire teachers, staff or principals. The superintendent is good at coming up with excuses when the press makes inquiries, like “we are restructuring” when no such topic was ever discussed before. When he wants to fire someone, he hauls out declining enrollment figures; when he wants to hire assistants or brothers-in-law, he uses the increasing enrollment figures instead.

There have been 3 student suicides in the past 2 years, and although it is hard to place blame directly on the administration, the ambience of bullying is often cited as a factor. The superintendent has ignored the problem and not offered much help in counseling or grievance groups, unlike the teachers, who are alarmed and actively pursuing solutions. The superintendent’s stock comment is, “Everything is just fine.”

In the case of a principal who was fired, no accusations of impropriety were ever made and a large number of signatures was collected from the public urging the board not to fire him. The principal is qualified, well-liked by teachers and students, and an enthusiastic school booster, and the kids even held a rally in his support. Nevertheless, his contract was not renewed until the protests became too much to ignore, then he was “restructured” into another job.

The school can be proud of academic excellence and fiscal soundness. Credit for the academic quality I give to the teachers and principals, not the superintendent. But part of the fiscal soundness may be the super’s penchant for NOT spending some funds that are made available, and the students lack some programs that they could greatly benefit from.

So our group wants to replace the school board with candidates that will act responsibly, be more representive of citizens’ wishes, and not be a pawn in the superintendent’s game plan. Of course, the kids come first. Give me some name ideas! Other than the obvious “Save Our Schools,” the name of the town (Sevastopol) could be worked in, although “Citizens for a Better Sevastopol” might be confused with a TV network. The resulting acronym needs to be considered.

Any ideas?

2

Steer away from the use of the acronym SOS for this one if you can. There’s already a suicide help group using SOS, Surviors of Suicide.

3

Thanks, Burrido. But SOS is used for so many things – Save Our Ships, Save Our Souls, Save Our Sandwiches – that it has probably lost its luster for or association with a specific cause.

I wish I could come up with a good, catchy name/slogan. “Parents for a Responsible School Board?” Too long. “Move Sevastopol Forward?” No good as an acronym. “Go, Team!” Too generic.

I guess Madison Avenue lingo isn’t my strong point. :slight_smile:

4

Am I correct in believing the Superintendent is a staff position, and not subject to re-election or recall? And that technically the Board can keep or fire him? Are this guy’s machinations well known to parents?

I suggest simething using the guy’s first and/or last name. “Stop ___________”, but maybe the name will suggest something cleverer.

Another thought is to make it something positive – “Parents for Accountability”, things like that.

I also suggest to you not to attempt a recall unless there is very clear evidence of fraud or malfeasance, not simple stupidity and poor decision making. Also it seems that you would need to recall the majority of the Board to make a difference, virtually impossible to manage.

How big is the Board? Do you know exactly who the “problem” members are? Does the election cycle work like the House or the Senate – do they all face election every time or are the terms staggered?

You might also look into whether you can have citizen sponsored initiatives on the ballot. Perhaps you can impose some operating rules on them.

5

I didn’t intend this thread to be a discussion on the issues, just the group name. But now that you asked…

…Yes, the superintendent has a 2-year contract with more than 18 months remaining. He is hired and/or fired by the board. However, he has managed, thru clever political manipulation, to control the board rather than the other way around. Some parents are well aware of the problem, but Mr. S. is pretty good at rallying support, especially; when the support owes their jobs to him.

The board is 6 members, elected for 3-year staggered terms, so 2 come up for relection every year. Some members are not in Mr. S’s pocket yet.

Thanks, Boyo Jim, for your questions and advice. But right now, we need a good name more than anything.