The new regulations now call for Public Meeting Agendas to be posted in advance along with Meeting Notices to give residents a chance to tune in or drop in for matters they may be concerned about. While the law requires they be posted in a public place, it doesn't specify a "convenient" public place. (Seriously, how many people wander over to the Town Clerk's Office to check the bulletin board each morning? But, I'm not going to have THAT discussion!!)
I'm sure both the BOS and the School Committee are meeting the LETTER of the law very nicely.
The Selectmen are also meeting the SPIRIT of the law. Anybody can request an automatic email from Town Hall with a link to Thursday night's BOS agenda, which includes a detailed meeting agenda, and some related documents . Sort of a "Play at Home" edition of the BOS meeting.
The School Committee ? Not so much.
The School Department does have a link to the meeting agendas on its website, but the agenda is hardly informative. In fact, if you look at the agenda for the December 15 meeting it mentions no significant discussion of the Community School fiasco except for an update under the Superintendent's report. The Supt. appeared to have had nothing to do with that Community School report (so much for truth in advertising!) Had the true content been known, I can think of several people who would have been there with opposing viewpoints!
Since the newest members of the SC expressed so much concern about "community involvement", "transparency", "public input", "public information", "improved communication", blah, blah, blah ..., a few questions spring to mind:
Why is there no detail or attachments on the Agenda?
Why not use an email list to distribute the agenda in advance and MAYBE attract some interest from folks who may really care what happens in the schools?
Why has so much discussion of the Supt Search process been happening off-camera? Probably legally posted meetings -- but why hide?
Why is the Committee allowing "unscheduled" Special Guest Speakers to meetings who are allowed to pontificate without rebuttal?
Why is Public Forum scheduled BEFORE discussion of the Superintendent Search process this week? Doesn't the Committee want to know what the public thinks of the search process -- and maybe the folks who will be "randomly" appointed to the latest search committee? So much for Community input.
What have you done to improve the past practices which so many of you previously condemned? (Hint: Nothing!)
Why has there been no response to the Community School Audit report? If you disagree with the report, respond and put that disagreement on the record. Unlike the creatures under a 5 year old's bed -- It's not going to go away if you ignore it!!
How's that new copier contract working out?
16 comments:
Hey Bob, since most of the SC members are probably too busy to read your blog and more than likely doing their homework before their meeting tonight (or at least getting a quick venom infusion), why don't you and/or Guerin go to open forum. Many of the issues you raise should go before the camera. NOt that I'm suggesting that more people watch than read your blog, but it is a good suggestion!
Not to mention the things that are on their skeletal agenda then when they are reached, someone announces that they will be discussing them at a later date due to this or that reason. I waited and waited back in late fall for a discussion of the MEJ issue (which was on the "agenda" and then when reached it was put off due to whatever they had discussed in executive session or something (I missed the exact wording due to a lapse of my own).
Ok, so we have a balanced budget; added in positions that will help our HS teachers meet the state requirements; received a giant grant and are now being recognized by Plymouth as a school system to use as a model. Yep..I get it, the Super is still unfit. Are you kidding me? Well, if your husband is a highschool teacher that surely has no intention of changing his ways; if you have a conflict of interest regarding your community school sidejob; if you "got nuthin'" and can't understand all that speech and "stuff" (did she really say stuff when discussing the speech positions?), or if you are just hoping your handpicked homegrown local boy will run the ship (and let me tell you that search committee is rigged.. so is the survey) then I get it. If you are one of the other three who actually have the town/children's interest at heart and not a personal agenda, I wonder how you do it each week. I hope more people write editiorials, and speak at public forum. Write a letter and send it to a SC memeber who can/will read it. Don't let the imaginary annonymous folks run our school and our property values down.
So you figured it all out too. Exactly.
Dr. Johnson's critics, most notably School Committee Chair, Sherry Marshall, have repeatedly criticized the way the superintendent was selected three years ago. Well, people better be paying close attention to the way this seach committeee is shaping up. We have a bitterly divided school committee, yet all three SC slots were filled by members from the majority side (Marshall, Crossman, and Linehan). The two teacher representativives were chosen by SEA president, Laura Carlyle. So much for having a balanced view represented on that search committee. I completed the survey, but like so many who didn't, I feel this whole thing is a sham.
Can't be any worse than the last "selection" committee -- 2 out of the 3 finalists never came back for their second interview!!!
They did a really great job checking out their candidates !
It's nice that Jesse gets to help pick her husband's new boss! And -- Extra points on the interview if the candidiate likes to swim!!
Anon 6:52AM:
You can criticize a search committee for a lot of things, but I would ask how you would ensure that finalists come back for a second interview. They are often being considered for several positions and many personal factors weigh into their decision. This has little to do with how well the committee checked out the candidates.
I can see why a candidate may waffle -- but IF (emphasizing "IF") you really are serious about presenting a candidate to the Committee and the public -- somebody needs to have had a serious conversation with the candidate to be sure they are willing to continue in the process.
Occaisionally, you lose one. But ... what are the odds of losing 2 -- especially if the 3rd candidate was essentially a non-starter anyway (she had already been declined by several other area districts.)
I wasn't on the last committee, but I've been on other ones in other places -- that last one sounds like it was a set-up. This one doesn't sound much better.
Question: Who is preparing the agenda packet for the BOS? Who coordinates the email list? I could be wrong, but I don't think the answer is the BOS to either of these questions. Input yes, but the actual document is created and distributed by Bud et al.
So, if you are not happy with the information available before an SC meeting, the first question is who is responsible for making sure it is complete and available on the website?
Deja Vu Sleeping Apathetic Sandwich!
Sherry's third "Random Bag Job" search for Superintendant is in the workS again.
She ran Dr. Young's search group and picked her, then her and Heras hated her because she wouldn't allow them to micromanage her. Majority on 2004 search committee was also on Sherry's promised "completely random" 2008 search committee.
Only three candidates picked, two never showed for interview?
Dr. Johnson was deliberatly excluded because she scared the old status quo groups shi less!" with the changes she wanted to make in Sandwich schools.
Dr. Johnson's mistake is that she actually does her job and make the employees do their jobs as well. Most supers stay under radar and collect their paycheck! The last committee saw the bag job coming! They blew thru the small town political B.S. and picked Dr. Johnson for the benefit of the CHILDRENS' EDUCATION! NOT THE UNION, NOT THE COMMUNITY SCHOOL & POOL PEOPLE.
I think the bigger question got lost here.
Last year people ran for School Committee claiming awful communication by the Committee. What has been done to improve the situation?
Guerin and Simmons need to run for May's Election! Maybe the sleeping apathetic voters have woken to see the error in not voting now!
Save our town's property values reputation and our childrens' educations!
Where the heck is that judges ruling on Dr. J's contract anyways?
Serious question... Is there any way, at this point, of keeping MEJ? (if she would stay).
It appears the SC members that are railroading her out of town... care not for the children, their tenure on the SC, or anything else other than making sure they succeed in replacing her.
I am actually looking for a serious response, in hopes there is still a way...
I believe she would probably stay if given the opportunity.
From what I have been reading and hearing, my own opinion is that the easy way is if there was some turn-over on the Committee and the new committee members vote to reverse the previous reversal and recognize the original contract.
The uglier way will be when the Judge rules she has a valid contract and the current Committee realizes they have the option of honoring the contract --- or paying her anyway. Given the current fiscal situation, that would be a tough pill to sell to the taxpayers.
The situation is going to be ugly either way. Unfortunately, I doubt the current committee Majority, the Community School crowd or the Teachers Union will back down or allow any reconciliation.
With them as a continued thorn in her side why would she want to stay?
It's depressing.
Never mind want to stay, she has to stay. We need her. More, now then ever!
Seriously the super. seatch team only has SC reps from the 4 majority players. That is absurd.
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