Any good manager would want to know if there are problems in the delivery of services to customers. Yet, the Board of Education seems to use data only to justify to legislators the need for more money, instead of what it's supposed to deliver. Matter of fact, one of the board's stated goals is to get more money, and one of the great accomplishments in its annual report is the creation of the "data warehouse." I wonder how many stockholders in a private corporation would consider that a success.

The board should create a management information system that provides on-time information to principals, helping them monitor the progress of each child, including minorities. Principals must also be free to share information with the public, rather than first having to obtain "front office" permission. The challenge the State Office of Education faces is that it has many offices gathering data that do not relate to each other; and rather than providing information upon which local schools can monitor results, it places a needless burden on school teachers to gather data instead of teaching students.

It seems the problem is not simply one of more money as the Board of Education claims, rather how they oversee and provide policy direction to the state system as a whole. It is the board's responsibility to make sure the system educates all children. Information collected should be readily available to front-line workers so they can carry out their responsibility for educating students, instead of carrying on a useless paper chase.

It seems that if the board was performing its responsibilities for making sure legislative intent — state and national — was carried out, those advocating for minorities would be satisfied. It's not a good day for Utah when the federal government has to argue with state leaders to make sure minorities are given equal access to education. At least one legislator, in Reagan tradition, has stood up to do the right thing for all children in spite of the criticism she has received for challenging the federal government. That's leadership. And change always starts with one person.

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Utah native John Florez has founded several Hispanic civil rights organizations and has served on the staff of Sen. Orrin Hatch and on more than 45 state, local and volunteer boards. He also has been deputy assistant secretary of labor. E-mail: jdflorez@comcast.net