Op-ed: Don't reduce role of school board's minority advisory committee

This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Rumors are circulating that the Utah State Board of Education (USBE) is contemplating a change in the organization of the Coalition of Minorities Advisory Committee (CMAC). As a former chair of the state board and as an active observer of educational leadership in the state over the past four decades, I am alarmed. Such rumors concern me.

Over a decade ago, the state board recognized a problem in its ability to perform judiciously: The elected board has had little or no representation of the state's important minority groups. Perhaps at some time in the future the board will have membership by diverse ethnic groups, but for now none have been elected. Wisely, I believe, the board decided to create CMAC.

CMAC "works as an advisory group to provide information and to consult with USBE regarding educational needs and services for culturally and linguistically diverse students of Utah, with the goal of promoting student achievement." In our growing culturally diverse community, I believe this committee is vital; their power should be strengthened, certainly not diminished.

Over the years of its existence, CMAC has contributed importantly to the decision-making of the state board. Several illustrations come to mind, for instance: active involvement in the development of the English Language Learners master plan; strong input in establishing a more appropriate "N" (number) size for ethnic groups under No Child Left Behind law; inclusion of representatives of the growing refugee population; participation in the steering committee for the Statewide Equity in Action Conference; support for adoption of the Utah Compact regarding immigration; and actively developing anti-bullying recommendations.

Now, there is talk of actions which may reduce the power of the committee as a representative group of the minority community: eliminating their identification as a group representing minorities, reducing representation on the committee, eliminating their power to select their own leadership and increasing board control of the group.

No action has yet been taken, so my message is cautionary in nature. Nothing should be done that would reduce the influence and contributions of this committee. The number of our neighbors and of students attending public schools is increasingly diverse. The future will demand that their voice be made stronger — certainly not weakened.

I encourage the current state board to consider any change with caution, and do everything they can to increase the strength of CMAC as a group representing this underrepresented segment of our society.

Kim R. Burningham is a former chair of the Utah State Board of Education.