Thursday's CCT had some interesting background on the latest chapter in "Johnson v. Sandwich School Committee, Marshall, Linnehan, Kangas and Crossman" which will be appearing in Barnstable Court later this month.
According to the Times: In her affidavit, Johnson levels new allegations, saying her appointment in 2008 to the permanent superintendent's job was made by a school committee seeking to reform the district. "I was also able to deny patronage appointments to uncertified and unqualified individuals who have historically used the Sandwich Public Schools as an employment agency," her affidavit alleges.
The CCT doesn't go into the gory details, but as many people will recognize, here's a recap of some past history:
During her first week as Interim Superintendent, Dr. Johnson made it clear that all staff must be properly certified and licensed for the classes they were assigned to teach. This led to some retraining, some reassignments, and some going away parties. And more than some hard feelings!
Later, she supported efforts by members of the School Committee to pursue what appeared to be long-standing irregularities in Community School financial practices. For years the Community School had been profiting by renting out facilities that the School District paid to maintain. While there was usually some sort of "in kind donation" back to the District --- State law is very clear that District K-12 funds can not be diverted for Community School operations. More hard feelings!
Then, she worked to reduce the exorbitant prices that Cape Cod Collaborative was charging for transporting SPED students. Even after BUYING vans, she saved the District and the Town a substantial amount of money. (Yes, even considering insurance, and the cost of writing our name on the vans!) More hard feelings!
Then, she worked to reduce the cost of some SPED services by bringing more service providers in-house -- rather than utilizing higher priced outside contractors -- including the Cape Cod Collaborative. More hard feelings!
Still wondering why so many people seem to have an axe to grind?
9 comments:
Gee – if that’s how you remember things Bob (a former School Committee Chair) and its how I remember things (another former School Committee Chair) and its how a number of other current and former School Committee members remember things, and, there’s even current and former Selectmen with the same recollections, and somebody gets around to deposing all of us, I wonder how that might influence the success or failure of Dr. Johnson’s suit?
The Truth Maker would ask Bobby , do you think that when this house of cards, starts to come apart will we any better off?
Every member of this majority school board has a confliction and have joined together in hopes of discrediting Dr Johnson before every tax payer become aware of the complicity they all are involved with to suppress the TRUTH.
The truth shall set them all free and then we might find ourselves back educating our children like we should.
I think you guys should pool your subpoena fees and take a few of your old colleagues out to dinner!
What guys? S.C. members? S.C. members should be busy hiding all their personal assets like yesterday from Dr. Johnson's attorney. At this point and with all the credible present and former elected officials willing to testify on Dr. Johnsons behalf, Subpoena fees and taking their collegues to dinner should be the least of their worries.
They are soooo clueless at what damage they have done they don't have enough common sense to even resign from their seats.
Judges are always looking for the facts, the facts and truth are on Dr. Johnson's side.
9 months of behaviors on tape destroying Dr. Johnson's professional reputation based on rumors, vendettas, & voices in Crossman's ears is gonna be costly to them personally. But they are too out of it to even understand whats comin their way.
The way the evidence and witness list is growing -- I doubt the insurance company is going to want to spend much litigating this case! And.. since this case seems to be based on "getting even", i wouldn't be surprised if insurance didn't cover it.
Why would they insure against a "willful" action?
I smell another (much larger) settlement...
You missed one.
The Town's Annual Report shows Jessica Linehan as a teacher earning $625.21 in 2008. There's no mention of her in either 2007 or 2009, or on the faculty list of Forestdale School where she reportedly worked.
What would cause her to disappear from the District after only working here 2-3 days ?
Is it a coincidence that she fled at the same time Dr. Johnson came on board and started checking certifications?
What a mess. The article was amazing. It talked about things a buzz in the commmunity and accepted as reality. I was surprized to read such plain talk. At the same time relieved it was out there.
The concept of the dangers of government organizations and school districts becoming cottage industries is not new. The evidence of the distructive nature on progress and professionalism in governmental organzations is not new. Then of course there is the cost financially of poor management decisions.
We don't like to admite schools are as vulnerable as other parts of government because we are bond culturally and as parents to want to believe schools are filled with the very best people and intentions. And I'm sure they are fillled with well meaning people. But the managment issues can't be ignored.
Parents and communities are vulnerable. The schools have our children 7 or more hours a day, five days, a week..... We need to depend on them. The cost of education in our town budgets is the highest piece in all towns like us. When management fails, things are out of our hands on a day to day basis. If the only accountability for us is in a vote one day a year, that is not very timely. If management if failing, it is failing 365 days a year and we are effected all that time.
The trumoil our school district is in is a microcosm of challenges districts across our country are facing. The question is what can we as individuals do about it? Thanks for the blog Bob.
Linehan walked out after just a few days at Forestdale. She gave NO NOTICE -- she left the k-8 school in the lurch at the beginning of the school year. The problem seemed to be "too much work" -- oh there's a stunning surprise. Apparantly, it's not "ALL FOR THE CHILDREN"!
I think its pretty funny when people claim I "haven't got the guts" to publish their comments -- when THEY "don't have the guts" to sign their name!
They must have this blog confused with the Emptyprize -- or the voices in certain SC members' heads -- or the BS certain union leaders like to feed to the local audience.
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