Thursday, March 24, 2011

Quote of the Day:



“  I just want the school committee to spend as much time selecting a new superintendant as they did on the copier contract. ”
(Name withheld)

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

I am hearing that SACAT chose not to broadcast the last part of the interview meetings when the Committee debated their "need for speed" in filling this position -- with no site visits, and regardless of whether the finalists met their own published standards.

ALSO -- SACAT is taping tonight and will not broadcast it until tomorrow -- probably AFTER the new Superintendent is crowned.

Why bother ?

SACAT usually provides a great public service -- but these are two bonehead decisions by them in two days.

taxpayer and parent said...

I would imagine Dr. Johnson's lawyer will love Jess Linehan's letter for his case. Saying the Superintendent is keeping people from Sandwich and all the other slander. That's not what I hear in other towns. People ask, what is the problem with the Sandwich School Committee? Unbelievable article by JL, really puts things in perspective.

Anonymous said...

We hope they spend as much time on creating a permanent policy that will protect our children in the open showers and locker rooms.

Maybe we need to hire someone to man the main doors and pool area, we were able to go to the pool area this afternoon and entered the lockers and shower rooms with no problem at all.

No staff were in those showers or lockers room monitoring our children!

This situation is still dangerous for any child using those open showers and locker rooms especially since it's been publicized for all the pedofiles.

HonestAbe said...

Connections here; connections there; we pay taxes for the privileges of the connected in this Town. Isn't that nice? Anon 3/24 4:30 I'm with you throw the bums out on May 5. I will add to vote only for new Selectman, as well. There's more brewing than just what's happening with the school. Time to make a full sweep and start fresh.

The Truth Maker said...

The Truth Maker, witnessed the first time all year that the conflicted school board members did the right thing. The chair did not allow any public imput and it looked like perhaps we would have a huge debate as to who should get the job.
I was rtather surprised when every one chose the canaidate they picked. That decision was made with some rather shocking results.
For the very first time, common sense, prevaled at a School board meeting.

Given they had brought forward two conflicted candidates, they really had to eat a little crow and pick one of the two that remained.

You could tell after the vote that some were not happy with the way they voted.

Perhaps they voted to save a little face from a whole year of unprofessional behavor and hope it will change what folks think about them as leaders?

Perhaps the light bulb came on and they realized that discression is a better part of valor?

Time will tell if the sheep are still wolves and are just buying some time to plan the next event.

Keep watching this soap box unravell, it should be very interesting to see what the voters will do this spring to send a message that results in better leadership to this board.

I would take pity on any new super under the present conflicted schoool board members, should changes not be made.

Our school district will be facing a union that will be asking for more money and they will not take any hostages, Let us hope they also have a light bulb come on and see the big picture of educating our children in todays economic climate.

Mr. Smith said...

Who brought two conflicated candidates forward. The vote was 7-0 and with all the negative bs that the truth makes slings if any sc member was unhappy with their vote Iam sure they would have said so. Iam a Sherry supporter.She doesn't play to any one group (encluding Dr. Johnsons supporters) It would have been easyer to roll over and play dead but she choose to fight for what she believed in. Never once did she get into the pissing contest that this blog is famous for. Never once did she slander anyone as this blog's commentors have done. Its to bad that such a good person as Sherry is that she has had to go thru what she has had to in the last year. Heh Bob please post this in the interest of fairness

huh? said...

Opinions are like belly buttons ... everybody has one ... (although some are fuzzier than others)

12:14 sounds confused -- yes, the Board voted 7-0 for Canfield. BUT there were still 2 candidates with conflicts ... one would have had family members under his supervision, the other had been on the Board of the MASC, the independent consultant brought in to run the search.

They posted your comment -- but I'm not sure it will be seen as a useful endorsement!

Mr. Smith said...

When one deals with unreasonable people one doesn't expect any thing less than negative comments. The SC did not bring those conflicted candidates forward as the truth make implied. I don't care if you think its usefull. Bob thank you for the post.

parent taxpayer said...

Sherry is a good person. In fact I have no doubt everyone has good intentions but when ignorance, gossip mongering, power trips, dysfunction organizations play a huge part in the culture, even good people make huge mistakes. Oh and last but not least enabling.

This is America. Bob has a right to blog and people have a right to speak. Mr. Smith is practicing the very thing that leads good sensible people astray, actually thinking that judging is the way to remedy a problem about good people not getting along. I just hope one day the "unreasonable people" of Sandwich will be allowed to know what horrible act Dr. Johnson was judged guilty and that of that caused this mess. But we probably are not smart enough for it.

We have yet to see if this is a good outcome, but for now having the SC united is good enough. The majority did one thing very well this year. They would not be moved, so everyone had to give up.

The Truth Maker said...

The Truth Maker would say to Mr. Smith, you perhaps did not ask that question of the person who was paid to find candidates. I did.
The candidates that fell out of the mix, were decided upon by the steering committee.
3 members of that committee came from the school board.

At no time did the person that we paid to do this search was ever knowledgable in regards to Matt[Those were his words to me last night]

It is apparent the three school members were aware of the conflicts, but chose to ignore it.

Anonymous said...

Anon 3:04, No one is suggesting Sherry is a bad person. In fact, she is a very nice person. She is just a lousy school committee member. She, and a couple others on the committee, are in way over their heads.

Dr. Johnson was fired for doing her job. Nothing more - nothing less.

The thing that should scare everyone is the fact that the same voter and parent apathy and ignorance could lead to the same situation with Dr. Canfield. We need to pay attention in this town. Things are getting to a critical stage here.

You have an opportunity in May to change things. Grasp that opportunity.

The Truth Maker said...

The Truth Maker would add that we need two new members that have the wisdom and courage to work and lead us out of this sad state of affairs that the conflicted four have brought to our school district.
We nned those that really and truely have a capacity for using what God gave us to think with and placing the children of our schools above the petty personal problems that have transpired here all year long

Anonymous said...

It has been crystal clear for years now that Sherry Marshall's agenda is protect the Community School and pool friends at the expense of the childrens' educations. She condoned using K-12 monies for 22 years to go to prop up the failing program of the Community School & Pool and then defends using our kids K-12 monies because they do in "kind services". WTHell is that b.s. game. Pool Maintenance is $150,000. a year and then our kids have to shower next to adult naked people that could be pedofiles.

This town has gone off the reservation! For Sale sign can't go up fast enough, we worry noone in the right mind would want to move here after the last years insanity.

moving on said...

Agenda driven politics, while natural, is costing the tax payers money by producing poor managerial results, wasted time and money and last but not least progress. But it also doesn't allow local government to grow in it's effectiveness, and professionalism. The focus of local politicians needs to be what they are suppose to do for the people of Sandwich, which is become executives to the town government, decide on priorities through an executive lens, and move the business and the professionalism of town government which includes the schools forward. School Committee members have particular and important mandates in their work, but executive skills still apply if they are to truly protect the schools and move them forward. Time for Sandwich and in fact all municipalities to grow up and face the challenges of the future.

Someone on this blog likes to criticize PTA and other women group presidents in an attempt to illustrate leadership principals. OK, but let's use it differently. PTA's and other non-profit groups are becoming more sophisticated in how they do business and in who they choose for leadership. If you see success in non-profits you see an organization, which depends heavily on volunteers, able through good executive leadership skills to accomplish much. If you see longevity and success you see an organization that has honed it's organizational success by producing good policy. Municipal government and civil servants, (paid, elected or appointed) need to become more sophisticated in their work, process and organizational procedure. In short they need to become smarter.

Politics and politicians may like to believe that they are exempt from the need to grow and change but that is not true. We need not only smarter people in our town government, but people who believe in government and not just their own agenda's. The work of government requires working together, problem solving, being aware of the big picture, establishing short term and long term goals, etc. Those in the trenches each day have the luxury of being a piece of a professional culture on a daily basis. Over 100 folk in town are part of our government without that daily organization reality and education. But their professional skills and personal maturity can't be lacking if we are to move forward. When it is, it costs the town human capital, dollars and cents, trust, and progress.

Anonymous said...

huh?

Anonymous said...

We will NEVER give up!!!! Marshall and her gang must go on May 5!!!!!