Let's make this one a contest!
My nomination would be:
Susko questions the fact that Crossman made no disclosure during the discussion of pool costs -- despite the fact that she is a paid employee at the pool. Crossman launches into an explanation of her discussions with State ethics --- but never acknowledged that she is still required to disclose her conflict EVERY time she takes part in a pool-related deliberation.
Here comes the bizarre part -- a few minutes later when Susko comments that she was very familiar with the service provided by the current copier technician from her days of employment at the Forestdale School -- Linnehan chimes in with nonsensical comments about Susko being the one with a conflict of interest!!
Did Linehan think Susko was sleeping with the copier technician? What POSSIBLE conflict could remembering a copier technician from her prior job present to this discussion? What possible economic benefit could Susko receive from this decision?
Maybe her experience with this particular vendor should be ignored? That would certainly be in keeping with the appparent "No Relevant Experience" platform that got several folks elected lately.
I'm surprised that Linnehan still shows no understanding of the Ethics laws -- despite the fact her husband is a Sandwich school employee (as was she -- very briefly).
Second thought, nothing surprises me anymore!
26 comments:
I nominate all of them for skipping right past Dr. Johnsons’ remarks that she and her team have already designated $1.5 million in budget cuts for the coming year and instead focusing like lasers on: copier costs, the salaries of 2 secretaries and, of course, Spinnaker.
Maybe somebody might have asked: Hey, what are you going to cut?
Evidently, “big picture” thinking isn’t a specialty of the house.
The only thing worse than what these folks choose to discuss is what they choose to ignore. By their own admission they’re $2.5 million in the hole and Marie wants to discuss the same $37,000 she discussed previously. Read the minutes Marie!
I also nominate Jim Pierce for not knowing what the heck he’s talking [ever] about but always saying it with confidence!
Is it a coincidence that BOTH Mr. Pierce and Mrs. Marshall ran unopposed at their last election? I think not.
I bet that doesn't happen again.
Pierce is clueless. For him to be wandering around PTA meetings and School Committee meetings saying there is more money than people think is irresponsible and ridiculous.
We need to face reality and start preparing.
Mikael,
You läsa alltför mycket in i sakerna. Där var nej ta miste på! Många kommentarerna de/vi/du/ni är postat till roa vännerna och de/vi/du/ni är då flyttat så de viste inte upp online för åren till komme. Där er litten historia JAG kanna re - skriva! ( och , JAG er mycket länger än Lipkin! )
Bob
Another beaut was Jim Pierce saying there's plenty of money! So I guess we don't need the override afterall. That whole $2.5 million shortfall for next year is apparantly going to be "no problemo" -- who knew Jim Pierce has a big stash of cash on the municipal side for the schools! That's terrific. Do his BOS brethren agree with this assessment?
OK, OK, I've waited and waited but now I have to post the winning comment.
When Jess said: "In my heart I want to say yes but I cant...." I wonder, was she speaking to the Committee but thinking of her spouse, or, thinking of her spouse but speaking to the Committee? It was a bizarre comment - even by Jess standards of bizarre.
It was shocking when Mrs. Linehan accused Mrs. Susko of a conflict of interest. She continually makes a fool out of herself. I feel kind of bad for her. Mrs. Kangas is another fool. She can't seem to broaden her thinking to focus on the big picture....just the piddly little things like the bus issue - get past it already. They don't care about the kid's education just their vested interests and/or the axes that they grind. They are unprofessional and should be ashamed of their behavior. It's disgusting.
Linehan really is an embarrassment. Which library does she work at? She has absolutely no understanding of what she says -- or the answers she gets ... despite getting the same answer multiple times!!
Maybe she'll realize how far over her head she is ads quit next Spring.
By far the most disappointing member is Crossman who presented herself to the public as competent, capable and fair. She is a manipulator and a con.
How many times did she say: I can be open minded during her campaign?
Jess and Marie are well meaning dolts. They just cant help who and what they are its genetics (they’re stupid).
Crossman on the other hand is probably smart enough to know what she’s doing - which makes her, by far, the absolute worst of the lot.
She is narrow minded, biased, mean spirited and grossly unfair – she is without a doubt the most horrific addition to the school committee since Sherry.
I absolutely agree with the previous person. I voted for Crossman because I thought she would be an impartial voice of reason.
I was wrong.
Her entire focus is to save her damn pool -- regardless of the cost to every kid and taxpayer in Town.
What a waste of someone who IS capable of doing good work.
What makes me most angry about Kangas is that I voted for her. Shame on me!! While she doesn't have a whole lot to offer at the meetings, she needs to do is lose the surly attitude that she has toward the superintendent. She acts like teenage girl. It's highly unprofessional.
The weird thing is that we are watching a nasty little troll with (maybe) a high school diploma interrogate a Superintendent with a PhD, a background in educational administration, and 40 years experience.
Talk about a power trip!
Last year I watched her get up and babble about the budget on-camera -- until Simmons told her that the budget she was looking at was already passed the prior year-- and that they hadn't started work on the next one yet!
Worse than Clueless -- but she was elected. Voters are getting what they deserve -- too bad the kids deserve a hell of a lot better!!
It's bizarre -- here's a nasty little troll with (maybe) a high school diploma growling at a Superintendent with a PhD, a background in educational administration, and maybe 40 of experience.
Kang-aroo just has no idea what she's talking about.
Sherry Marshall has always been in over her head, and gets the nostalgia vote. Jessica Linehan snuck in under the radar. Marie Kangas has never hid her ignorance and caught the voters sleeping. But I agree that Nancy Crossman has been the biggest disappoinment because she duped the electorate.
Unlike the aforementioned, Crossman is intelligent and professional. She could have brought some common sense to the Board. She ran on the platform that she would ask the tough questions and keep an open mind. She has done neither.
I have two childern in the Sandwich Public Schools, and my investment in this town was based SOLELY on the school system. It actually sickens me to watch the unbelievable irresponsibility that this SC demonstrates consistently. None of this is funny. These four have dug in their heels, and their obstinance and petty grudges infuriate me!
I now look at my kids and am sadly relieved that they will be graduating out of Sandwich Public Schools fairly soon. That is very sad indeed.
I also voted for Nancy Crossman. I also believed that she would be fair and open minded in her role on the committee. She seems, as previously stated, intelligent and professional. Several people that I have spoken to also voted for Mrs. Crossman based upon the same assessment. Boy were we all wrong. She has been a disappointment.
While Mrs. Crossman may be intelligent, she does not bring a balanced approach. I believe that she stated that she voted against renewing Dr. Johnson's contract because that's what the people that voted for her wanted. Well, I voted for her and my vote (as is the case with many others that voted for her) was not a vote to remove Dr. Johnson.
I don't think that there is much hope of the other getting any of the other three to realize what removing Dr. Johnson will cost the town from a financial and educational perspective (nor do they seem to care). I hope, as do many others, that Mrs. Crossman has the good sense to realize the impact that this may very well have on our town and our children.
I received a post about an elected person's spouse -- while interesting, it was a little over the top -- even by blog standards. People who run for office are fair game -- but their families usually aren't -- no matter how nasty said family member may be!
We were stupid to think that one would have slipped by ya Bob. Although, it was factual about the little dictator.
This seems like a good spot to make my first post. The Dr. Johnson soap opera reminds me of Bill Belichick, the Patriots coach for those who don't follow sports. Here's the analogy:
Belichick is a tremndous X's and O's guy. He knows football inside and out. A great coach of technique and basics. His mantra, posted on the lockerrom wall is "Do Your Job".
He is arguably one of the most successful coaches of all time, but certainly in the past decade. All he does is win and get results.
Yet, and here's the fun part, there are people that hate him. Why? Well, he knows more than they do. He was not accepted universally as the right person for the job at the time. He gets frustrated rather quickly with stupid questions that have no meaning. He has a...ummm...questionable "management style". This means he tells people to do their job right, you know, for the good of the team. It's worth noting - most of the crowd that doesn't like him comes from talk radio. People with nothing better to do than complain about nothing. People with zero experience coaching football. People looking for attention. People with ulterior motives. Yet game after game, year after year, Belichick gets results. With a salary cap. Hmmmm. Sound familiar?
To Anon. 1:35pm - I was wondering if you ever met the nasty little troll. Is she really as bad in person as she seems on camera? I would like to meet these people in person to see and hear first hand what we are dealing with. I did read their bio's prior to election, and it did say that they all had college degrees of some sort. But you obviously can get one of those easily. If anyone reading or posting has actually met these "fab" four, lets hear the inside scoop!!
Rich Longueil, Perfect observations and analogy!
4 Stooges have disliked Dr. Johnson on a personal level from the get go. None of them have given valid just cause reasons either. Why? they don't have any valid reasons other than she is not afraid of tackling the SEA Union lousy teachers or questioning the Comm. School from stealing our children's educational dollars.
We as a town need to resolve this mess asap, so our schools can move forward in a positive way.
The 4 stooges need to retake the vote and honor the signed April contract. If they don't I hope they are sue personally for putting our town in jeopardy deliberately. Insurance companies will not cover the blatant negligence of these four.
I would strongly encourage people to call school committee members (and selectmen) directly or attend a meeting and have a discussion with them yourself so you can form your own opinion.
Please don't rely on others' impressions (OK, even mine!) -- You need an unbiased view of people's capabilities & performances.
I have had amazing conversations with people ready to rip my head off based on stories they had heard that were complete bullshit. (pardon the French .. but "based on erroneous information" just wasn't strong enough!)
Don't rely on the rumor mill --- Please call or email the members and ask them directly about their motivations -- their phones are all on the School website at: http://www.sandwich.k12.ma.us/School%20Committee.htm
They may be very nice people, but the facts are that they are putting the town and the kids' education in jeopardy. What are their motivations for doing what they do? Is it the union, is it the Community School, grudges that they hold against people or perhaps a mixture? A lot of people would like to know.
The Truth Maker would respond by stated they all got caught with the hands inside the cookie jar.
They had no way to explain there way around what they did and once it was before the public the attitude came out in defending all the years of wrong doing. So they formulated a contrivance to eliminate the person that brought all this to light. Enough said.
Anon 4:31 -- your comment was not published. You said "If you read the evaluation" and then launched into unsubstantiated heresay and inaccuracies (sounds nicer than "bullshit").
The evaluation was done in public -- EVERYONE saw it ! There was no smoking gun -- even the two negative members refused to make a single written comment.
I was there -- if you call up the video online you could see the whole thing. Of course, maybe you WERE there also but are just spreading more BS?
I read the evaluation and there were written concerns about the super.2nd of all I received the info about the hire directly.3rd are you telling me the asst super hiring and firing 6 months later did not happen.What i stated was factual and you know it.
Anon 6:59 -- I wrote the evaluation and read it on camera. There were no serious concerns in writing that were not expressed on-camera. Marshall & Linehan submitted no written comments - period. I believe you can find that eval on-line as part of the minutes of that meeting.
I have no idea about the hire you speak of -- I assume you have no info about the "other side" of the story -- I'm not going to speculate on that here.
The Asst. Supt situation certainly did happen. Following an unprecedented cut in State aid, AND following the advice of legal counsel, the Committee accepted the Superintendent's recommendation to eliminate the Asst. Supt's position. The alternative at the time was to eliminate 2-3 teachers.
The Asst Supt situation is obviously tied up in litigation at the moment -- but the Committee voted to take that action based on the advice of legal counsel.
Coincidentally, its the same legal counsel that told the next Committee that the Superintendent did not have a valid contract -- which will likely lead to the next lawsuit.
At least somebody is making money in town!
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