BOARD UPDATE 11-22-99
Core Knowledge
"Core Knowledge is alive and well", so said Dennis Spinella. Spinella informed the board about how he has xeroxed all of the core knowledge math sequence and has given it to the math curriculum committee to integrate into our math curriculum. My- he's been busy. Spinella has also been busy trying to arrange a field trip for the board to visit a "core knowledge school". When the board was asked by Duryea if they could participate is such a trip (remember the board had requested this trip) they hemmed and hawed and said that it depended on the dates. Core Knowledge may be alive, but it's not "well".
Privacy Problems
I addressed the board about how the district is under investigation, once again, for privacy violations. I also informed them about a recent event that I heard about where an employee possibly violated parents' right to privacy when he released private info without permission. Mr. King, our district attorney, will be looking into the matter.
I also pleaded with the board to get our employees training in privacy in an effort to stop these violations. I asked three simple questions:
1. Do new employees get training?
2. Do substitute teachers get training?
3. Does the board have any plans to get training?
Bonfield responded something to the effect that I have had all week to ask him these questions and he wasn't going to respond to them tonight.
I think his response, or lack of response, pretty much tells the tale.
I then asked the board if they had a response to these 3 questions.
Mr. Roberts responded directly to question 3. He said he was not going to get training in privacy- stating that he has already had it.
Roberts can be amusing. Of course he isn't going to get training, last night was his last as a board member. To say nothing of the fact that he was responsible for a state investigation and subsequent finding that the school board violated a parent's right to privacy in 1997. The investigation found that he was not acting on behalf of the board in an official fact finding capacity. I guess his training didn't take!
Releasing IQ scores to board members
Deborah Wells addressed the board with concerns that the information and educational records that were being requested by Adams and Christmann were too sensitive to be released. She went on to point out that the study, as proposed by Christmann, would not improve the education of our students and may well be in violation of Chapter 4 and privacy regulations. Dr. Christmann asked her how she knew so much about these records if they were private. She responded that everything she had heard had been discussed during a public board meeting. Christmann was referring to a statement Bonfield made several weeks ago that only one student didn't take the state assessment because of religious objections. I, too, heard this at that meeting. I guess Christmann didn't. What is interesting here is that Christmann seemed to be implying that Wells had somehow violated some educational regulation or law by "knowing" that only one parent had religious objection and didn't take the test.
This shows that Christmann is not only ignorant of what had been said in public by the board, but also ignorant of educational privacy laws and he himself needs training in this area.
What he doesn't understand is that only employees and board members are required to to follow these regulations, not parents and citizens!
Adams and Christmann want to know why some students didn't take the state assessment last year. Christmann thinks that knowing IQ scores might shine some light on why they didn't take it. Deborah Wells is concerned that the board does not have this right - to look at individual scores. I think she is right. Mr. King, our attorney is still looking into it.
Adams is new representive to Vo-Tech
Roberts used to be the Voc-Tech rep. Now that he is gone, they had to vote for a new rep. Well, Adams is it. Just last week, Adams made a statement to the effect that the vo-tech was the dumping ground for all our problems. Expect problems with the vo-tech program in the near future!
Har-Mer renovations delayed once again
Roger Weaver, consultant, said that he would have his findings concerning the use of a metal building at Har-Mer ready by the Dec. 6 board meeting. Well, not any more.We will now find out if Har-Mer will be torn down and replaced with a metal structure during the Dec. 13 meeting.
Student Rep Silenced! Once again!
In a stunning display of arrogance on the part of our board, more specifically, Duryea, the student rep will now have to clear everything he wants to present to the board with Bonfield.
So much for free speech and equal participation on the board.
It would appear that the student has some concerns that the board finds embarrassing and would just as soon not deal with in public.
This is sad.
Executive Session
Less then an hour into this meeting, the board held an executive session for "personnel".
Unless the personnel issue will be voted on that night, a school board will hold these private meetings at the end of the open meeting. I can only assume that this executive session was to deal with items on last night's agenda.
These personnel items appeared on the agenda as well as several others:
Accept the following resignations:
1. Reness Sisco, Moraine Kindergarten
2. Leslie Mahood, Middle School Cafeteria manager
3. Patrick Huth, High School physics teacher
Item #3 was added to the agenda late- on 11-17-99
It is interesting to note that later in the meeting, after this private meeting, Adams made a statement to the effect that they also discussed computers during this meeting.
Executive sessions, by law, are limited to certain issues. All other discussions must be held in public.
Personnel Issues are one issue that may be dicussed in private.
I can only assume that when they talked about computers in this private meeting that it was somehow connected with the "personnel" issue.
