This address was written by NTARI president, Jodson B. Graves in response to a digital survey issued to residents of Jefferson County Kentucky, USA concerning upcoming elections for the role of Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) superintendent.
Q: What characteristics or traits are most important in the next JCPS Superintendent?
The roles of our next superintendent will involve leadership, personnel selection and development, curriculum development and maintenance, budgeting development and execution, maintaining responsive community relations, policy development and management, and representation of the intellectual community of Jefferson County Kentucky. When we think about character and traits we are typically reaching into our imagination for our heroes. We want to elect persons who look and "feel" like we imagine and then expect them to fill the also imagined role. We expect this person to please everyone, and endure the pressure from those they cannot. A conduit or junction is a hard role to fill with a human and as a human.
The Madrid City council employs an app to reflect public values in much the same way this survey is meant to, only they have found a way to automate it for public consumption. This level of efficiency has eliminated government jobs, but also handed its citizenry a voice in an age when voices can and should be heard from a distance.
Q: What are the most significant challenges a new JCPS Superintendent will face?
Implementing a system like this will certainly hurt the pride of teachers who have spent careers aiming to retire in administration and politics, but that is precisely where JCPS does not need its most experienced and committed teachers.
If JCPS implements this system on behalf of its stakeholders, our unique geography does have security considerations. For that, local resources like Code:You are available to train citizens to maintain the software to their collective specifications
Q: What are the biggest opportunities for the new JCPS superintendent?
The implementation of Consul Pro software with modifications will very likely cost less in development fees than a human superintendent will make in a year, that is $350,000 at current rate. Every year after, the cost of JCPS parents, faculty, students and community members collectively acting as the superintendent and publicly maintaining the system can be reduced to the cost of local hosting. Furthermore, the benefit of thousands of families in Louisville becoming proficient in basic coding and software maintenance can transform Jefferson County
The community of Jefferson County taking direct responsibility for their own district will set a precedent for Kentucky, the United States, and much of the world
Q: If you were selecting the new JCPS superintendent, what one question would you ask?
I would quote the description of Madrid’s Consul Democracy software on the Digital Public Goods Alliance website: Are you free? Are you secure and willing to donate yourself as a public good to be abused for the purpose you are to be charged with? Are you easy to use? Do you reflect public values as your core motivation and purpose, so that the parents and students of Jefferson County can take steps toward a collective-personal responsibility? Is your name John Henry?
Q: Any additional comments?
The Network Theory Applied Research Institute is a local 501c3 equipped for understanding and coordinating this task.
Q: If you know someone who would be a good candidate for this position please share their name and contact information
The parents, teachers, facilitators, students and community members of Jefferson County, Kentucky using a modified version of Consul Democracy
Get the free code here: https://github.com/consuldemocracy/consuldemocracy
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