| Author | Message | ||
     Southorangemom Citizen Username: Southorangemom Post Number: 159 Registered: 6-2003 |
I am continually amazed that the superintendent does not listen to the community. His style of management contradicts what he says publicly -- that the parents and taxpayers have a voice in what happens within the school district. The BOE meeting on January 31, when Clinton parents expressed their very strong opinions about a full time principal, is just the latest example of being "out of touch." Interestingly, Dr. Horoschak discourages BOE members from coming into the schools and talking to teachers. I understand that micromanagement by the BOE is not a good thing. At the same time, how is the Board to make meaningful policy and decisions if they do not see, up close and personal, what is happening in the schools on a regular basis? If the only information they receive is reports that have been funneled through the superintendent's office, then the BOE members are as out of touch as the superintendent. I want a Board member who can assess for him/herself the reality of the situation in our schools. I am not talking about having BOE members attend school concerts and plays to witness "the best of the best." I believe the Board should witness mice in the buildings, the condition of the bathroooms, the culture of the hallways at CHS, the impact of slashing technology facilitators and teachers and support staff,etc etc etc. SouthOrangeMom | ||
| Reflective Citizen Username: Reflective Post Number: 724 Registered: 3-2003 |
I hope you run for the BOE! You already have your opening and closing remarks for speeches. | ||
| Dave Moderator Username: Dave Post Number: 5178 Registered: 4-1998  |
Where's Sunshine? | ||
| Southorangemom Citizen Username: Southorangemom Post Number: 160 Registered: 6-2003 |
Reflective, Gee thanks. I prefer to leave that honor to someone else. Know anyone who IS interested in running for the BOE? SouthOrangeMom | ||
| wharfrat Citizen Username: Wharfrat Post Number: 1553 Registered: 6-2001 |
SOmom- You have stated an opinion, that the BOE members are out of touch with reality, and are supporting it with "facts" (?) and impressions that are innacurate. For instance, all the board members, I believe, have students in the school system. Based upon the day to day contact their immediate families have with the school system, it stands to reason they do have regular contact with parents and teachers, and the conditions that exist within the schools. Once again, as stated in another thread--the proposal to staff Clinton with a 1/2 time principal was just that. The community spoke, the administration withdrew the proposal. This isn't unusual to our district. My school district where I am employed is wrestling with overcrowding. Like SOMA, this district will release the details of its proposal at one of its BOE meetings. At that time it will listen to the community and either modify, or maintain the details of its proposal. | ||
| Southorangemom Citizen Username: Southorangemom Post Number: 161 Registered: 6-2003 |
Wharfrat, I believe you are mistaken about "all the Board members having children in the schools". Mila Jasey and Rowland Bennett have adult children and Bob Little and Mark Miller have pre-schoolers [ Miller's older son graduated in 2004]. I am not sure about the other BOE members. I am not talking about anecdotal information gathered from one's neighbors or the teachers of your children. [Let's be real here - if the child of a Board member is in my class, am I going to be discussing issues other than what is happening in with that student in my classroom?] I am concerned that BOE members do not have the opportunity to enter the schools during the school day, they are discouraged from communicating with staff, they are severely limited in the back and forth exchange of ideas and opinions with the teaching staff. Consider this: information about the state of the schools is filtered by the superintendent or building principals, reports that have been edited for tone [or sent back to be revised] are presented as factual, discussions with BOE members take place only at meetings and are limited to the 3 minute rule. We are no longer talking about communication in the true sense of an open dialogue. We are, in fact, hearing only one point of view. SouthOrangeMom | ||
| nan Citizen Username: Nan Post Number: 1787 Registered: 2-2001 |
Mila Jasey has a daughter who teaches in the school system. I think that would provide her with valuable insight on what happens in the schools, don't you? And if you are saying that the policies related to BOE participaton prevent them from knowing what is going on, than what's the purpose of saying we need to replace the members we have now with new ones who are also going to be subject to the same regulations? | ||
| Bobkat Supporter Username: Bobk Post Number: 7501 Registered: 5-2001 |
Nan, in a normal world, and I admit SOMSD ain't normal, the Board makes policy and the Administration implements such. Members of the Board should have free access to the schools, be able to talk to principals, teachers, parents and pupils. I honestly find it hard to believe that that isn't the case here. I hope SOmom is mistaken. | ||
| Southorangemom Citizen Username: Southorangemom Post Number: 162 Registered: 6-2003 |
Yes, Mila Jasey's daughter works in one of our elementary schools. I doubt she has the opportunity to visit other buildings and find out for her mother what is going on. I don't recall saying anything about which Board members I support. My comments have more to do with the flow of information from teaching staff to BOE members. It is my understanding that Dr. Horoschak created the "rule" discouraging BOE members from visiting schools. To my knowledge, it is not written down anywhere. Clearly, BOE members should not be dropping in on classrooms throughout the day. However, why not hold discussion sessions during lunch periods? Why not allow staff to COMMUNICATE their concerns directly to those who create the policy? For example, there have been many posts on this board regarding the Language Arts curriculum. How many teachers have been asked if it works? If this is not the case, then why isn't something being done to ensure an open and free flowing exchange of ideas? PS I forgot that Brian O'Leary has a student at CHS as well as a child who graduated in 2004. SouthOrangeMom | ||
| wharfrat Citizen Username: Wharfrat Post Number: 1554 Registered: 6-2001 |
1. You are right, you didn't say which BOE member you support. On another thread you did voice support for birdbrain. Since it looks like his wife is planning to run, it sounds like you might have an agenda. 2. If you have specific knowlege of this "Horoschack rule", why not do us all a favor and present something more than innuendo along the periphery. | ||
| Southorangemom Citizen Username: Southorangemom Post Number: 163 Registered: 6-2003 |
Wharfrat, I have not endorsed any candidates. You are misquoting me. Why don't we ask Brian O'Leary this question: is there a Board approved policy that prohibits BOE members from entering the schools and talking directly to staff members? SouthOrangeMom | ||
| sac Supporter Username: Sac Post Number: 1813 Registered: 5-2001 |
Last I knew, Brian also had a child at Seth Boyden. Overall, I think that the BOE reflects a pretty good cross-section of exposure to and investment in the schools via their family experiences or potentials (past, present and future.) However, that is a different issue than whether they are encouraged or discouraged from visiting the schools. Dr. Horoschak is employed by the BOE, is he not? That leaves me hard pressed to understand how he could be setting out rules governing the BOE and how it works. | ||
| Dave Moderator Username: Dave Post Number: 5180 Registered: 4-1998 |
SOMom, What do you think Reflective and Sunshine think?????? | ||
| wharfrat Citizen Username: Wharfrat Post Number: 1555 Registered: 6-2001 |
SOMom- To continue our discussion I want to mention the following. 1) The board has two meetings a month. As you know the public and staff is invited to speak. Also, Brian O'Leary has posted more than once that people can call or email him. I seriously doubt this access is limited to the public, only. In fact, if memory serves me, Lynn Crawford, at board meetings, has mentioned more than once that she has talked to staff. Obviously, staff can get in touch. 2) My school district, wants to follow a corporate board model, where communications with staff and building administrators are handled centrally, in our case through the administration. I suppose if you don't like the administration you can interpret this negatively. However, nine board members with nine lines of communications is problematic. | ||
| johnny Citizen Username: Johnny Post Number: 1186 Registered: 5-2001 |
The BOE members should have unrestricted access to all schools at any time during school hours. Any restrictions give the appearance of Super H trying to hide something. | ||
| sbenois Citizen Username: Sbenois Post Number: 13111 Registered: 10-2001  |
I do not see anything in the policy manual that explicitly says that BOE members can't talk to staff. Policy 1100, which sets for the District organization, speaks of a chain of command to resolve problems, but there isn't anything that prevents the discussions. Indeed, a read of the policy manual indicates that the Board wishes for open communications. So I'm curious to know where SOMom got her thoughts from. | ||
| J. Crohn Citizen Username: Jcrohn Post Number: 2057 Registered: 3-2003 |
Seņor Kissy Love-Boy: "However, nine board members with nine lines of communications is problematic." How exactly is it "problematic" for BOE members to seek their own direct impressions of what's going on? I have a hard time understanding why you (of all people) would endorse a corporate boardroom model for a school district while not apparently endorsing any other aspect of corporate structure for school disticts. Aren't you supposed to be one of those speak-truth-to-power kinda guys? BobK: "Members of the Board should have free access to the schools, be able to talk to principals, teachers, parents and pupils. I honestly find it hard to believe that that isn't the case here. I hope SOmom is mistaken." Sortly after he was hired Dr. Horoschak apparently installed a provision to the non-teaching staff contract that forbade staff from speaking directly to BOE members. This included principals, and the rule was enforced. In, I believe, 2002, one principal was sent a letter of reprimand for having broken the rule, which the principal previously had not been aware of. As far as I know, teachers are not bound by the gag rule: their freedom of expression is guarded by SOMEA. Thus, when a BOE member says he or she has spoken with "staff," the conversation was almost surely with a teacher. | ||
| tjohn Citizen Username: Tjohn Post Number: 2910 Registered: 12-2001  |
What if a BOE member requests a private meeting with a principal? Surely that is permitted. | ||
| J. Crohn Citizen Username: Jcrohn Post Number: 2060 Registered: 3-2003 |
No, Tjohn, it is not, because the principal's contract forbids it. (That's my understanding, anyway--I'll be happy to have it corrected if it is wrong.) | ||
| kathy Citizen Username: Kathy Post Number: 1051 Registered: 5-2001 |
J.C., Wharfrat did not say that he supported the corporate model, only that it is also used in the district in which he teaches, and therefore shouldn't be presumed to be some off-the-wall paranoid creation of Dr. Horoshack. |
