Integrity Over Inconvenience: Why Our Students Deserve Two Minutes of Our Time

A Board Member’s Perspective on Leadership, Respect, and Legal Integrity

"What you do speaks so loud that I cannot hear what you say." Ralph Waldo Emerson’s timeless observation on integrity captures the staggering irony of our recent Board meeting. As a Trustee, I believe our most important "curriculum" is not found in textbooks, but in how we model leadership, respect, and adherence to the law.

The authority to vote rests with the Board, but the responsibility to provide the public with their full allotted time—regardless of their message—is paramount. I recognize that some colleagues may disagree with my public reflection on our processes; however, this responsibility is too significant for me to remain silent.

Data-Driven Decisions, Human-Centered Governance

For those who have followed my work, you know I champion data-driven decision-making. You saw a glimpse of that this past Thursday in my inquiries regarding cell phone policies and the Supplemental Employee Retirement Program (SERP). My questions focused on how these policies impact our students and our district's long-term fiscal health—the fundamentals of effective governance. We must ensure we are positioned to serve our students and families not only today, but for generations to come.

Data, however, provides only half the equation. True leadership demands transparency, inclusivity, and the humility to listen. As we navigate complex decisions and weigh difficult trade-offs, one principle must remain inviolable: our commitment to hearing from our students, parents, and educators. They are not just stakeholders; they are the heart of our mission.

A Disregard for the Democratic Process

What occurred at our last meeting was unacceptable. Moments before public comment began, Trustee Manuel Herrera requested and Board President Van Le approved the reduction of speaking time from two minutes to one minute. Students who had prepared carefully and waited hours were suddenly forced to scramble to rewrite their remarks right before our eyes. Teachers were compelled to gut their professional testimony on the spot.

Yet, this Board has worked diligently to ensure those with power—lobbyist, Councilmember, County Supervisors and State Assemblymember or their representatives—are given priority and ample speaking time. Are we suggesting that "political elites" are more deserving of our time than the students and parents we are elected to serve? Our actions on Thursday night showed the students exactly that. This wasn't simply a procedural misstep; it raises serious questions about our adherence to the legal frameworks that protect public participation.

Governance and the Brown Act

I want to be clear: I am not an attorney. However, since being elected, I have committed myself to the California School Boards Association (CSBA) Masters in Governance program, taking copious notes on the legal and ethical frameworks that protect the public's right to be heard. I share this perspective not as a criticism, but as a commitment to the excellence our community deserves.

The Brown Act, under Government Code § 54954.3, mandates that public comment regulations remain content and viewpoint neutral. The timing of the decision to halve speaking time—occurring only after the Board could see the students and their handmade signs—bears the hallmarks of viewpoint discrimination, a practice repeatedly held unconstitutional by the courts.

This disparity isn't just ethically troubling; it potentially exposes our district to legal challenges. This marks the second time members of this Board have potentially strayed from the legal mandate of the Brown Act within a year. We can no longer afford to be cavalier with the law. We were taught unequivocally in our training: you cannot change the rules of the game just because you don't like the players' message.

Leading by Example: Practicing What We Preach

During the break, several students expressed frustration that while they stood at the podium pouring their hearts out, some Board members were visibly scrolling through their phones. The irony was glaring: that very evening, our agenda included an item to limit student cell phone use due to the potential for distraction.

If we expect our students to put their phones away to focus on their education, the absolute minimum we owe them is our attention when they speak. While I recognize the need to occasionally monitor a meeting's online feed, there is a fundamental difference between a glancing check and a sustained distraction. Active engagement is the cornerstone of democratic governance. When we model distraction while demanding student attention, we evaporate our own moral authority. We cannot ask our students to be present in the classroom if we are not present on the dais.

Practical Solutions That Honor Both Efficiency and Democracy

Efficiency does not have to come at the expense of respect. If the concern is truly about meeting time, there are professional, constructive solutions:

• Reorganize Agenda Items: Move Public Comment and significant public input items earlier so students and parents do not have to wait until late hours to be heard.

• The Speaker’s Table System: Instead of the slow transition of individual speakers walking to the podium, we can set up a speaker's table at the front. By having multiple speakers sit together and pass a microphone, we can save significant transition time without cutting a single second of their remarks.

  
  

A Path Forward: Re-Committing to Governance

One-off training sessions cannot be substituted for a culture of integrity. I am calling on my fellow Board members to join me in completing or retaking the full CSBA Masters in Governance program together—not as punishment, but as professional development. We need to apply the legal and ethical frameworks that protect the public’s rights. Our Board works better when we are anchored by the same core knowledge of our duties.

Beyond this shared learning, I propose:

1. A "Student-First" Protocol: Ensuring those who prepare remarks are never silenced at the last minute by arbitrary changes to the rules.

2. Presence and Engagement: A "phone down" commitment during public comment. If we expect students to put their phones away, we must lead by example.
   

Holding Us Accountable

I call on our community—students, parents, educators, and the public—to hold us accountable. Attend our meetings. Speak during public comment. Ask questions. Democracy requires active participation from both sides of the dais.

Our students are watching. They are learning whether adults in power keep their promises. Leadership is about the courage to hear difficult truths and the willingness to improve. We can do better—and for the sake of the integrity of this institution, we must.

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Editor’s Note: Bryan Do is the recipient of the 2025 Santa Clara County Gold Award from the California Teachers Association for his service on the Board. The views expressed in this article are his own and do not necessarily reflect the positions or policies of the Board or the East Side Union High School District.