Wow –AmaZING!
Do you honestly think the Board holds back agenda’s as if the truth can be hidden? We did not get the walk-on agenda until about 9:30 and we spent from that time until we HAD TO open for public session asking questions. ALL OF US!
How many of you came out last night? 12 maybe 15 and 2 spoke?
You can’t fight a war sitting on your ASSES! And guess what else -- I can’t fight WHAT YOU ALL DON’T STAND UP For!
I for one count on you sharing your concerns and pointing out discrepancies. YOU ARE MORE INTIMATELY AWARE of what is going on than I will ever be able to be, or have TIMELY access to information on, as a Board Member or a Community member – BUT I need to know BEFORE the VOTE is cast! My vote is not for sale but I certainly want it to be based on all the information and facts available!
There I sat witnessing no public outcry with what had been presented and having not seen any obvious unfair action on the part of the salary treatments presented and question those I did. YOUR SILENCE said to me personally that you too were OK with what was presented.
There was ONE person who got up and brought to OUR attention a fact that I was not aware of and YOU CAN BEST BELIEVE – I won’t rest until HER QUESTION is ANSWERED! But had she not come to the mic how would I have known? I am not presented with a nice spreadsheet that shows previous salaries and then the new proposed salaries… PERHAPS that is a consideration we should require, but the fact remains I was presented with the same agenda you were about an hour prior to you receiving it.
I have been present at EVERY SINGLE Donaldson hearing -- over 16 HOURS! So know this – I didn’t and don’t take the decisions I made last night lightly. I prayed and I voted my conscience - -but I’m one of nine and if you remember nothing else -- remember that!
There were 60 minutes worth of opportunity for THIS COMMUNITY to GET UP and SPEAK UP about this agenda and you all did NOT do it.
As a Board member I am presented with information and I ask the relevant questions, but I DON’T HAVE YOUR QUESTIONS in MY HEAD. If you don’t come up to the mic and ask it/them – HOW DO I or any of the Board Members know what your concerns are? I told you all when I was elected DO NOT SIT Back -- come out and hold me accountable.
I as a Board member have entrusted the interim CSA to do due diligence with regard to assessing the workforce based on student needs and economic viability, and I have held her to that standard and questioned as intently as I could without interfering in her responsibilities to manage the day-to-day operations.
The salaries were set by the UNION Contracts. The contract obligates this district to apply a specific salary treatment according to a SALARY GUIDE. We don’t get the salary guide, nor do we have input on it. The CSA and BA are responsible for the salary treatment calculations based on the agreed upon rate. 4% on $40,000 looks a whole lot different than 4% on $150,000…but it’s pure mathematics and has nothing to do with individualized decision making.
NONE of this was easy. I repeat NONE of THIS was easy! For folks to comment so caustically and haphazardly about the time spend on this process and the outcome is insulting.
One thing is for sure though…Once the war is over and the troops have been bloodied – is NOT the time for YOU to come in on your gleaming WHITE HORSE offering up sanctimonious opinions and "yall should have done" dictates.
I was there! I cried! I fought!
I was at the meeting last night. I arrived around 8:05pm, left about 10:15pm and the meeting had not yet started. Prior to my 10:15pm departure there were a group of individuals who left because they could not sit there any longer. There was definitely more than 12 or 15 people that showed up in total.
ReplyDeleteI can only speak for myself but I prefer to be presented with information ahead of time versus right before a meeting is supposed to start. Getting the information early, allows me to read it, digest the information, then if necessary put together questions or suggestions I might have. I can't speak for the people who wound up staying but maybe they would've/could've been in a better position to inform or question the items that were entered at the last minute if they had a clue that was going to pop up. But then that wouldn't make it last minute.
I walked away from last night's meeting totally upset with the entire process of allowing people to sit and have no clue as to when the meeting is truly going to start. With me not being privy to what actually takes place during Executive Session, I want to believe that the meeting can be had and accomplish alot without keeping the community waiting for as long as what was done last night and last week. Maybe Donaldson meetings should not take place the same night there is a scheduled Special/Regular Meeting and if this needs to be done on this same night, then maybe the hearings should start earlier in the day. I don't know the proess of when a board member has a question about the agenda, how do they get it answered. However, I don't think enough time is given from when the Friday packet is received until the meeting actually happens to receive all of the answers to questions that fellow board members may have, to give a well informed vote.
This next statement may not apply to the masses but it applies to a few...people tend to not come out to these types of meetings because they start late and end extremely late. Some people would need to either bring their children with them or leave them home and if they have to choose, they would ultimately choose to stay home.
It is unfortunate that not every minor detail is provided to the board members that would help you make the best decisions for the children. I suggested before and I'll say it again, if the CSA (interim or permanent staffer) does not have all of the information, then the people who actually have the information because their job is directly impacted, should be the ones presenting to the board; along side the CSA. I don't think that would violate any of the statutes or policies that currently exist but will research that for myself. We tend to expect the head to know all of the intricate details but the reality of that being the case is very slim, as they have other areas that are more of a primary focus for them. That's what allows them to employ people underneath them.
I really wish that I could've been a part of last night's meeting. I was truly looking forward to being a part and I'm pretty sure I would've had something to say/add.
Lindsay
Renata- I just want you to know that I agree with you completely. We cannot use hindsight to judge your actions. That is why I truly appreciate the fact that when I send the Board information to consider when making decisions, you seem to make the right decisions. I can't always come out to meetings. As a matter of fact, I can rarely come out because many times the meetings are held at times that other city meetings are occurring and/or the time of the meetings coupled with my family obligations (two small children) don't allow me to come out. After all I must keep my own house in order if I expect my children to be successful. And that is my priority. So I do appreciate the opportunity to provide you with information for you and the rest of the Board to consider while making decisions. I elected you because I thought you could make the right decisions. So I respect the decisions made. If I ever don't agree, then my vote will be my action as it was this last election. Thank you for your service.
ReplyDeleteRenata If the public had been aware of the agenda before the meeting you could best believe the meeting would have beed full. How can you justify getting information 1 hour before the meeting and voting your conscience on administrator's making close to $100,000.00 that do not have any kind of effect on the classrooms. Wow! I did not vote you in to make poor descions like that. I had faith in you and I am very disappointed. We need teacher's in the classrooms, not adminstrator's. I am very Disappointed. I had Faith but now it's gone. Did you take any trainings offered as a board member? Do you really care? I think not
ReplyDeleteEven if there were more than 15 people there ORIGINALLY it in NO WAY was CLOSE to the amount of people IMPACTED by the decisions that had to be made that evening and they should have been there to speak up.
ReplyDeleteThe meeting should have never been scheduled for 8 PM; we had 16 hearings at 10 minutes each; that's already 2.5 hrs and that doesn't include the necessary discussion we need to have to wrap up the hearings. There was no way we could have made that start time. And I shared my aggravation with that incorrect time notification.
To your assertion of starting earlier etc...the
Donaldson hearings were scheduled for three days in addition to the TUESDAY Regular board meeting. These were all SPECIAL MEETINGS. I have a day job as do nearly all of the board members and so we started earlier each session-- as early as we could make the meetings. Monday was the last day and action had to be taken and therefore the public had to be invited to the proceedings.
I agree the information is not provided in a timely manner. I would prefer to receive information sooner than Friday especially since it is MY SATURDAY and SUNDAY I have to use to go through the materials. Definitely plan on seeing if it can be provided sooner.
We all have our druthers, expectations and opinions as to what should be, could be etc... I hope you share your research with the public so that they too can become more informed about the requirements of BOE proceedings, meeting schedules etc. I think people need to understand as much of the innerworkings as possible in order to become both effective community members and potential board members.
I wish the Donaldson hearings could be publicized so people can really see what goes on and again those seeking Board seats can be prepared for dealing with such issues.
to poster 9:22AM Im quite sorry you did vote for me because I would expect my supporters to be a lot more intelligent then you obviously are. Again -- the salaries are not a part of OUR purview it is REQUIRED according to the contract. Got it. So -- if the CSA offers employment -- and GUESS WHAT-- that's who decides who gets a recommendation for a job offer -- the salary is set.
ReplyDeleteHow many people who received non-renewals were retained? How many librarians? How many teachers were let go? How many retained?
You don't even talk from a fact based perception. You have some personal issues and are to cowardice to REALLY say what it is...but when you are ready let's have some REAL GIRL TALK.
Renata, you are a respected member of this community and people who know you know what you stand for. However, for you to boast about how many hours you put in for hearings, late meetings and such is just that... Boasting. I'm sorry and no disrepesct but that's what you signed up for when you campaigned to become a board member and received the support of many people in this town. It's not necessary for you to be so sarcastic and jugdemental when people challenge your OPINION! You are a voice of one and we know that you are only able cast your ONE vote, give your opinion, speak out on whatever issues you deem necessary. However, you cannot ignore that the decisions made by the Board for higher salaries, raises, and new positions, does not sit well with the people who are losing their jobs, while other highly paid administrators who do NOTHING are revered!
ReplyDelete5:50 AM you couldn't be MORE WRONG. I was not boasting. I was answering the charge that I had not put in the time in this process. BUT YOU don't get to see all the nice things people throw at you when you "sign up" to care. Additionally, if I didnt respect others opinions I wouldnt blog about mine and then post comments like yours. I have a right to be annoyed at the PERSONAL attacks but I am learning this community and this work and no matter what I do and/or why there will always be those who don't get it. I get that and I write about it.
ReplyDeleteAnd I SIGNED UP to make a difference in the life of these children and I am getting pretty darn frustrated with having to deal with GROWN FOLKS mess and not able to actually get down to NEEDS of our children. THAT's WHAT "I" signed up for... I didn't sign up to be accused by folks of some pretty harsh and ridiculous stuff and by who quite frankly sit on their butts while I'm out there trying to make the best of a bad situation.
You really don't know me because if you did you would know boasting is so NOT a part of who I am.
Again -- I was there for all 16 hrs so I'm not ignoring anything -- I heard them...I felt them and there are probably lots of folks who don't deserve their jobs but I didn't create tenure or the rules that govern it, nor is it within my jurisdiction to recommend termination of anyone. It's NOT DONE LIKE THAT!That's a misguided notation of this community. The CSA has to bring forth her recommendations in essence "THE AGENDA" and then it can be voted up or voted down. Note the walk-in agenda was a consented agenda -- It was ALL or NOTHING.
And finally -- when I take the time to blog about a matter let me be clear -- I'm not trying to prove or disprove anything or anyone instead I'm providing the FACTS as they occurred so that those who wish to know the truth can. Thus enabling dialog... BUT when I'm accused as even YOU have done I have a right to respond. I human 1st and foremost and my response is just like your opinion -- valid.
When my 3 years are up I really hope that this community -- if NOTHING else -- learns the process of the BOE and its members.