As most have come to expect, there were several bizarre comments during the last week's School Committee budget discussions. A couple of the highlights:
Despite the fact that the Committee employs a Superintendent with a PhD in Education, and despite the fact that the Superintendent employs a staff of Administrators, also with advanced education degrees; the Committee has chosen to second-guess the individual teacher assignments in the Administration's budget proposal because THEY (despite their complete lack of wisdom, training, or experience) would prefer to see another High School Social Studies teacher -- not another Literacy teacher!
I hope they did this because they felt that Literacy is waaaaaay over-rated -- and not because a School Committee spouse is one of the High School Social Studies teachers!
Yes, said member did recuse herself from that discussion, but the balance of the majority coven all made impassioned pleas to save the position - include one who actually submitted a written statement of support for the position in advance of the meeting -- despite the fact she had never even heard any public discussion of the issue! So much for public debate and committee collaboration!
Then, there was the expected wail of "we need more time to review the budget". These issues have been percolating for months (while they were enamored with copy machine selections!!). There were no surprises in the budget document they saw last week. A decision was reached to ask the Selectmen for more time. Two nights later, the Selectmen announced that the budget schedule was set by Town Charter ... and their homework was due -- whether the dog ate it or not!
A more immediate current year budget concern -- the Schools will likely need to fund more than $80,000 to pay the Minkoff settlement. I would be curious how the Committee proposes to fund that -- in the CURRENT year.
And, if the Minkoff case cost the Schools $80,000 (after insurance) what do you suppose the Johnson case will cost ? Since that is likely to settle in the current year also, what kind of litigation reserve account has been established?
The fun continues ...
8 comments:
If Johnson had prepared the budget by her time frame the sc would have had time to look at it.If her case gets dismissed I guess we don't need to worry about those monies
You mean after all the campaign promises of "more transparancy", the gals are conducting business behind closed doors! Who would have seen that coming? Especially after Kangas announced in the middle of town hall that her, Crossman, Linehan and Sherry had already decided that Sherry would be the chair. That was before she was sworn in! I guess Crossman must still be listening to those whispering voices in her ear before she votes -- the public obviously doesn't know what they want or need. But the voices in her head, er - I mean ear are directing her quite nicely!
welcome back, marie --- there are only 3 other people crazy enough to believe that statement.
I hope anon 12:23 is Kangas -- it'd be sad to think anyone else would believe that horse puckey. The coven is actually starting to believe their own bs! This committee is the laughing stock of every other school committee on this peninsula! What a circus!
Check your facts before you mouth off 1:19 and 2:34.Are you telling me you have spoken with every othe school committe on this peninsula to make that statement. Ask the super about her 12/30/10 time frame to get the budget to the sc.It didn't happen. Iam not marie
The discussion of a literacy staffer versus a social studies staffer is a nice preview of next year’s self inflicted budget carnage and cannibalism. It will be an amazing display of teacher union self mutilation.
True, someone will have to cut another $80,000 from the current budget for legal settlements (that’s likely 2 more staffers) but the fireworks wont really start until the next budget cycle when $750,000 of one-time grants applied to the current budget expire, the teachers’ payroll automatically grows by another $1 million and folks start to realize that cutting the fuel budget hundreds of thousands based on last year’s warm winter was a tad short sighted.
Town Budget junkies and number wonks already have next year’s school budget another $3 million in deficit easy.
Fans of octagon fights, horror movies and survival tv shows will be glued to SACAT on Wednesday nights next January as the teacher union turns on itself in a grotesque and destructive survival of the oldest and most tenured death match.
Government is usually a reflection of how involved, informed and educated the voters were that chose their officials...... Sandwich has been getting a big fat F in that department, the voters were duped by these women. We are in worse shape than we thought.
Oh did the SC have a meeting on 12/30 -- nope. And knowing the dire budget shortfall they were facing this past fall, did the SC even discuss this situation during any of their mtgs. Nope. I believe a quick review of SACAT tapes will prove that time and time again, the "coven" was far to embroiled in a battle of photocopy toner (3 meetings -- REALLY) and even better a full hour was dedicated to the discussion of exactly where the security desk would be located in the lobby. I distinctly remember "Looneyhan" discussing the exact location of the desk for an ungodly amount of time. PLEASE -- these gals didnt give a flying fig newton about the budget shortfall despite many warnings until December! Then they threw the whole mess at the Super they just fired and told her to "get it done". At one particular meeting during Nov/Dec, the "coven" was so verbally brutal, disrespectful and outwardly rude to the Super (who they trust implicitly with the budget) that she left that meeting and went straight to an ER where there is now documentation of a blood pressure of something like 180 over 130 (not exact -- but an unbelievable number). Yes, this SC is out of their minds. Does anyone who follows this nightmare really believe that if the SC had "the budget" 2-5 days earlier, that they'd even know what to do with it. Go back to the toner ladies -- you seem to do your best work selecting office supplies!
Post a Comment