BOE Travel dollars

Again we read that MNPS BOE member George Thompson is unhappy about his share of the travel money allotted to each Board member. From this morning's City Paper:

Thompson serves as chair of the executive committee for the Council of Great City Schools, an organization of the 60 largest urban school districts in the country, and he said because of his position he is required to travel more than other board members.

If his position at the Council of Great City Schools 'requires' more travel. I suggest the Council of Great City Schools pay his travel expenses.

And while it seems like a good idea, I'm a little concerned about Steve Glover's solution to the travel money problem:

Board member Steve Glover, elected in August along with five other board members, said he solicited private funding and contributed some of his own money to attend a conference in Colorado recently.

I think it's reasonable for citizens to ask who those contributors were in order to assess whether there is any conflict of interest or influence buying here.