Let’s look at what this year’s HVRHS graduates may have taken away as examples of adult leadership from the Regional School District #1 Board of Education and the Regional Schools Services Center (RSSC-Central Office) administrators. Here’s how I see it:
That you can, apparently, deliberately ignore written, approved and in force
procedures and policies and do whatever you want with no
accountability or accepted standards. An example would be the lack of proper monitoring and review by the Board regarding expenditures at the high school and central office.Another would be failing to address the appropriate annual goals and objectives for the superintendent to pass on for consideration to the All Boards Committee of Regional School District # 1.
That you can, apparently, ignore parliamentary law and state statutes thereby
stripping a board member’s right and those of the citizens he/she
represents sabotaging self-governance. For instance, the representative of one town whose member acts as the chairman, can without the knowledge or consent of the rest of the Board decide what will be referred to the Board’s attorney, who will be “allowed” access to the information/opinion and spend, apparently unchecked,taxpayer dollars for any issue he sees fit.
That, apparently, it’s perfectly all right to be intolerant of board members and openly lack common courtesy to the expression of ideas and opinion which may differ from you own.Note the actions of Board members, particularly in February/March. Isn’t that called bullying?
That apparently, it’s acceptable, after a graduating senior raises concerns to a local school board regarding bullying,for the Superintendent of Schools to appear to dismiss the student’s experience by saying in response to that concern: “Not all incidents are bullying, some are bad behavior”.
That regardless of plenty of evidence to the contrary, it’s seems acceptable to pretend that there are no concerns to be addressed thereby evading your responsibility and ignoring the school and Board’s mission, while obvious problems fester and grow. Inaction by the Board on what has become known as “The Pinkpank Report” is an example.
That, apparently, certain employees and/or board members are not held to the same standard as the rest and are excused from being accountable for their actions. Note the “Aeron Watson”/FCC incidents.
That apparently, the Board is inclined to dismiss contradictory evidence
and apparent irregularities in procedure in a statutorily required non-renewal
hearing and render a decision in what seemed to be planned support for the
administration.
Fortunately, a majority of what our students internalize lies within the confines of the classroom. If the words of the 2012 valedictorian, salutatorian and class president are examples of the depth of good teaching, learning and life-skills taught then there arepositive adult role models and routine examples of integrity and civic duty in our students’ school life. The Board and RSSC administratorsneed to follow that lead and act like responsible adults.
Patricia Allyn Mechare