Small Town Politics

Small towns are great in many ways, even our town of Taos. But even those characteristics we like about small towns can be an irritation at times.

For example, we know just about everyone in town. Wal-Mart, the post office and the grocery store become social centers. Yes, it's nice to see everyone and visit, but there are times when I've only got five minutes to dash in and pick up a gallon of milk. Basically, I need to plan on at least a half an hour just to run in and grab a gallon of milk.

We also know all our town officials, legislators, and school board. Because not many people show up at the polls for these elections, usually the person with the largest family is usually voted into office. Thus probably the reason we have at least two undesireable school board members.

I have been trying for a few weeks now to get placed in a school to do my field observation for one of my classes at college. I'm in the ALP (alternative licensure program) to get my teaching credential. I am required to do so many hours of observation in a classroom, plus so many hours of teaching. Well, there are rules to follow to get placed in a classroom. I have followed all the rules, but my timing is now the problem. The school board and the district are now fighting like cats and dogs.

We have a new superintendent. She came on last year and was welcomed heartily by our town with a big welcoming party. When I met her I was thrilled but also wary of how long her welcoming reception would last here. She's Cherokee and Chocktaw. Our town is predominantly Hispanic, which means it's strongly patriarchal and the Hispanic (men, especially) will probably only treat her as a figurehead. In other words, do what they say, don't implement your own ideas.

So she's got two things against her right off the bat: she's a woman, and she's not Hispanic. Not being Hispanic means she will not cater to only Hispanic ideas. Being Native American, she will probably include and keep in mind our Pueblo people even more when planning and implementing new ideas and tactics.

Apparently, not long after she took her position, she was starting to be harassed by a couple of our board members -- I'm assuming because they were already butting heads over things. I didn't hear about this until a few weeks ago when an emergency "meeting" was called and everything came to light.

Two board members have been accused of 37 counts of harassment and racism toward our superintendent. At the emergency meeting, she was going to resign, but decided not to. As of last Monday, she is now on "administrative leave".

How this affects me is that it sets me back on my school assignments. I have not been able to get approval to do my field work. My paperwork is sitting in the district office with all of this chaos going on. The focus is on our superintendent and board, and obviously not on getting the daily work done.

This morning I called the principal of the school where I'm to be placed, and she is going to walk duplicate paperwork over to district to see if she can get the ball rolling. But it's a mess over there, and she's not sure what she'll find, either.

So I'm sitting here waiting and am not happy. When the town is squabbling, things just don't get done until the fight is over. *sigh*