School district should listen to public concerns

COLUMBIA — Although some in the Columbia Public School District claim not to understand the lack of attendance at “Chat with Chase” events, the reasons seem pretty evident to me. “Chat with Chase” doesn’t work because it’s the modern equivalent of a royal audience. If Superintendent Phyllis Chase was really interested in hearing what her constituents have to say and in being responsive to their concerns, she’d get out and get down with the hoi polloi by attending some parent-teacher orientation meetings, writing an interactive blog, responding to questions through a regular newspaper column, doing regular spots on The Eagle and KOPN public interest call-in shows, getting on the agenda at Pachyderm and Muleskinner meetings, or making use of Columbia Access Television as a public forum. To say that Columbia is a well-saturated media and communications market is an understatement.