Jim Butt, a new member of the Cheltenham Township SD (Montgomery County) board, has started a blog called — matter-of-factly enough — Jim Butt’s Blog. His focus so far appears to be personal and local, but any blog by a Pennsylvania school board members is something of a rarity. (At least that’s my impression. Links proving me wrong will be very welcome.)

Mr. Butt identifies himself as “an engineer, husband, father, manager, school volunteer, umpire, part-time gardener, no-time musician, and wannabe philosopher and economist.” Full disclosure: he asked my advice on one or two small points about about how to start his blog. That of course biases me in his favor. However, I know nothing about his politics or what he’ll have to say about his school board experience once he finds his voice.

His posts so far are thoughtful, if still diffident. Whatever he makes of his blog, a fresh board perspective is welcome. Those of us who’ve been on boards for a while are apt to forget how much needs explaining — and not necessarily accepting. As George Orwell wrote, “To see what is in front of one’s nose needs a constant struggle.”