If the Secretary does not read communications to the board, and does not know what the particulars are she is voting on, then she has NO PLACE being on the Board Of Education…
Please watch the attached video.
(Here is what was released on May 23, Laura you can feel free to copy this
)Here’s a list I requested from the library media specialist of exactly what the $4,212 pays for:
1) Commencement video takes the first 15 to twenty hours
2) Weeding (assessing older materials and disposing of those that are:
a) no longer relevant/accurate; b) not circulating and not unique; c) redundant, in disrepair or in an outdated format).
3) Inventory of all materials.
4) Re-distribution of materials on shelves as various areas grow and diminish.
5) Introduction to new systems (for example, this summer we are supposed to change our video editing program from Sony Vegas to Avid, an industry standard. It needs to be purchased, installed, and we have to have a remedial knowledge of how to use it).
6) Requisitions, purchasing and meeting with salespeople from book and database companies.
7) Cataloging materials purchased over the summer.
8) Cleaning of the studio area, which is used by students all year without supervision and is a disaster area by May.
The first two years I was in the library, I requested more summer hours, because 80 hrs is not sufficient to get all of this done. We are behind on weeding, reading and redistributing of shelf space. The library assistant has more than she can handle in also doing inventory and handling all of the bookkeeping, as we continue to buy over the summer. These are tasks that cannot be performed when students and staff are here as our first priority is always to support and instruct the Housatonic community.
So, my questions are:
1) What is the administration’s plan for getting this work done next year?
2) How many other items are in the proposed budget that the superintendent – where the buck is supposed to stop – knows nothing about?
3) What else has the board majority cut from the proposed budget without knowing what they were eliminating?
4) Does the board majority intend to continue cutting budget items in ignorance of what they are cutting?
The rep from North Canaan starts out saying, “I’m still not understanding what they do” (good thing she doesn’t teach English) then when told what exactly what they do, switches to “My question is what part of that can’t be done while students are still in school?” Get it straight, rep from NC!
Also charming is the performance of the chairman. Instead of being embarrassed because he doesn’t know the answer to the rep from NC’s question, once again he displays his essential rudeness by interrupting me when i start answering the question. Nice modeling of manners for our students, Mr. Chairman!
— Gale Courey Toensing