Friday, November 30, 2012

Can a politically fractured school board but up a united front?


Since we’ve already covered the No voters position in an earlier post, today’s Daily Times shares the views of one Yes voter. I wonder if all the other Yes voters share his views.

AJ: …the board had plenty of chances to voice its opinions and that modifications were made along the way.  
I haven’t read the document, but Mr. Recovery pretty much told all of us what he was going to put in the recovery plan the moment he showed up. I haven’t noticed any modifications as he seemed to stick to his original script. 
 A.J.: …some modifications, including the request for a five-year timetable, were suggested too late in the process. 
Wasn’t Mr. Recovery late delivering his plan? How many extensions was he granted? If Mr. Recovery was late, how late were the suggestions? Was this suggestion presented with the modifications approved from the previous statement?
 A.J.: Republicans should have had better attendance at both community meetings and weekly board sessions hosted by Watkins.
 I hope that community meetings and weekly board sessions were not the only opportunity the board had with Mr. Recovery. If at least a few board members were in attendance at these sessions and a secretary on hand to take minutes, couldn’ t the ones in attendance fill in the ones not in attendance? They could have borrowed one of my video cameras to view the meeting later if the school district doesn’t have one. 
A.J.: Johnson said he never heard the community request the board step aside in favor of a receiver. 
And the community believed the board could work with Mr. Recovery if they went with his plan. That doesn’t seem to be the case according to the No voters. 
A.J.: I wasn’t 100 percent with the plan, but the community was fine with the plan.
What proposal of yours did Mr. Recovery reject? 
A.J.: Republicans voted against the plan because the Democrats are likely to gain control of the board following the 2013 municipal election. 
This statement is exactly why no one takes the school board seriously. Instead of trying to deflect politics in lieu of putting up an appearance as working together as a unified body to give the students the best possible educational opportunity, you publicly make a meaningless statement that only incites those of us who care. Hell, the way things are going, there won’t be an elected school board in the next few years anyway.
 A.J.: …they’re crying over sour milk…“They voted no. They have to live with that. They just sold their community and their children out.”
I don’t hear anyone crying. I see the No voters preparing to stage a legal battle. Are you going to join them or will you sit on the sidelines and watch? What’s your plan or are you packing your bags and going home? At this point in the process, that’s the sell out move.

 Click HERE for more

5 comments:

  1. the plan is BULLSHIT,IT WILL DESTROY A SCHOOL SYSTEM THAT HAS ALREADY FAILED,AND IT WILL BE AN ALL-CHARTER SCHOOL DISTRICT,SCHOOL FOR PROFIT,WHICH WILL FAIL ALSO.THE ONLY WAY TO GIVE THESE CHILDREN A CHANCE IS TO BREAK UP THE CITY INTO THREE SECTIONS,AND SEND THE KIDS TO THE SURROUNDING DISTRICTS,TO ALLOW OUR CHILDREN A WHOLESOME SCHOOL ENVIROMENT,THE ONLY SCHOOLS WE SHOULD HAVE HERE IS ELEMENTRY EDUCATION,AND THAT SHOULD BE RUN BY WIDENER

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  2. I'm all in favor of a wholesome school environment, but if there's no wholesome home environment, what do you think will happens to those kids when they bring the ills of home into those community? There's a differnt tolerence level for the nonsense we've put up with from students ans parents!

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  3. I think there should be a mandate on parental invovlement in the schools anyway and in the district schools if the parents fail then they should be fined, Harsh yes but in our community here in Chester our children have been left to fend on their own for too long...the "elected" school board has been nothing short of a big joke...they can't put their differences aside long enough not to argue in front of the community in school board meetings let a lone put them aside to put up a front of unity, the republican majority always votes against the dems...just because the can and why for goodness sake didn't they get someone to replace the one they lost before the election....this "recovery plan" is a direct result of the school board, not having a permanate Sup., and the non invvlement of the majority of the parents in this community...yes I was there and one of the few parents that went to Harrisburg and atteded school bard meetings regularly....and yes I took my children out of this failing district to save their futures and give them a good education, my one child attends WPCS and the other is home schooled....there is enough blame to go around and none of it should be on Mr. Recovery...

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  4. The plan has some good and some bad but still my question is why I always see the School Board Democrats (Johnson, Richardson, Warren, and McClain) at the community meetings and not one Republican on the board? There was more than 6 meetings and not 1 of them show face, to listen to the community input. That is saying a lot, Hell why Wanda Mann is still President??? Should the President be at ALL community meetings? This is just sad....just because some Board Members who use to work at City Hall then got fired should not take it out on the Children of the CUSD just resign.

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