Chester Upland School District to be run by outsiders for next 3 years

The beginning of the end has officially begun. All the legal wrangling has had the predicted results and Mr. Recovery is free to do his thing.

Here’s my take on select statements made in the Daily Times today.

The Chester Upland School District will be placed under receivership for three years. 

Hurry. Take pictures of what’s in place now so you can compare it to what will be in place on December 12, 2015. The before and after will be starkly different.

He assumes all the power and duties of the chief recovery officer and school board.

We now have a one man school board.

Our first order of business is to find a great superintendent who will commit to a long-term contract.

Will there be another nationwide search, or is there someone waiting in the wings. The speed of the decision will determine that answer.

The petition for appointment of Joseph P. Watkins to serve as receiver for the Chester Upland School District is not arbitrary, capricious or wholly irrelevant to restoring the school district to financial stability,  It is the exact petition the Legislature required to be filed under this set of circumstances.

Capricious = characterized by or subject to whim; impulsive and unpredictable.

In other words, the judge said, “I’m cool with Mr. Recovery. He’s not your problem.”

If district officials questioned the constitutionality of the distressed schools law, Judge Kenney said the board should have challenged the law to the state attorney general. He added that any issues regarding the legality of details included in the recovery plan were not matters for this court decision.

In other words, the judge said, “ Get that mess out of here. You’re barking up the wrong tree. I can’t decide on that. Go holla at the AG.”

Republican board President Wanda Mann declined to comment on Kenney’s ruling. When asked whether the board planned to appeal the decision, Mann hung up the phone.

In other words, “I have no comment.”

A.J. wished Watkins the best in implementing his plan. The Democrats had voted to adopt Watkins’ plan, believing the board would maintain some influence. “I wish we were still on board and still had voting power because he was going to work with us. I really thought that.”

I guess there’s nothing wrong with putting Mr. Recovery on your Christmas Card list and wishing him the best. Personally, I’d find it frustrating trying to work with him based on the response Mr. Recovery has given the board's proposals up to now.

The parents are the key. They have to step up and make the principals and teachers make sure their students are prepared to be educated.”

Is it the principals and teachers job to prepared students to be educated?

Watkins must submit quarterly progress reports and attend board meetings. He also has the power to modify the plan by submitting a petition to the Court of Common Pleas and can employ financial and legal experts to help implement the plan.

We’ll be looking for Mr. Recovery’s first report at the end of March. I hope he won’t ask for extensions. If he IS the school board, there can’t be a board meeting without him, can there? Expect to see a few lawyers and MBAs receiving fat pay checks to help figure out how to become fiscally sound and 'implement the plan'.

Happy Holidays!

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