The students in Region One don’t get a re-do. Their education process should not be a “work in process” as it has been described. There should not be flaws and unforeseen difficulties. Had a well thought out plan existed, the chaos we are all experiencing would not exist.
Here is an excerpt from the Board Chairman’s letter to the editor on April 25th.
“Will all of the flaws in the implementation of the new practices be fixed immediately? Probably not. Changes of this magnitude are only made with a few revisions and adaptations for previously unforeseen circumstances.” Really? And that’s OK???? It shouldn’t be.
Sign the petition today – ask for the system to be removed. Take the time to create a proper plan, gain support from the teachers and the parents – and create a system that best teaches our kids. The kids deserve a real education.
Here is the link to the petition. https://www.change.org/p/pam-vogel-pam-vogel-remove-the-new-grading-policy
Monthly Archives: May 2018
FIFTY THOUSAND DOLLARS!!! Vogel must go Reply
We are told the Superintendent approved a $50,000+/-expenditure for a conference in Boston. FIFTY THOUSAND DOLLARS (includes conference fees, hotels, food, travel and substitute teachers). How many teachers went? Why are we paying for the Superintendent to continue to attend all these educational seminars?
Confusion reigns again at Region One Reply
Bob Whelan had to reconvene the initial budget meeting!!!! And once again he did not run it….Bob has the board secretary lead him by the hand! He should be replaced as chairman.. More…
Highly Irregular Practices For This Years Budget 1
The Region 1 Budget Timeline
April 5-Public hearing to present 18-19 budget, approved by the Region 1 BOE.
The community is alerted to a $491,000 excess in unused funds.
May 3-A new revised budget is announced. There is a $1 change in the 18-19 High School budget that is not reflected on the bottom line.
There are also funds added in the estimated revenue summary that are not reflected in the revenue detail for the 17-18 FY on all 3 sections(High School, Pupil Services and RSSC).
Note that NEASC had a 0 on the budget line for 16-17 but $20,825 was spent that year. For what? $12,000 was budgeted in the 17-18 budget(they were at the school in March) but the estimated expense is now at $18981. Almost $40,000 for accreditation when they told us they budgeted high at $12,000.
The pictures below show changes in the current 17-18 budget.
One is the changes from the 17-18 budget (dated 4/6/17) compared to the 17-18 column on the 18-19 proposed budget(dated 3/20/18) compared to the same column on the 18-19 revised budget(released to public on May 3).
The other is the changes in the Expected expenditures column for the current 17-18 budget to the Expected expenditures in the revised version.
These are highly irregular practices in the real world.
Please VOTE NO at the referendum on Tuesday, May 8!
SPREAD THE WORD TO ALL YOU KNOW…VOTE NO!!!!!! 1
An article for North Canaan residents 2
Dr. Alicia M. Roy, Superintendent, New Fairfield Public Schools
For the second year in a row, the teachers’ association cast a vote of no confidence in Superintendent Alicia Roy.
Amy Johnson, vice president of the New Fairfield Education Association, said in a Thursday school board meeting that the association stands behind last year’s vote, when 70 percent of teachers voted no confidence in Roy.
I just want you to know teachers feel their voices are still not being heard,” Johnson said. “It’s a top-down style of management, and we would really like to see a new road ahead of us.
“I’m just speaking for all of us and the way people are feeling,” Johnson said. “We hope that you consider what we’re saying.”
A Letter From Denise Cohn To the entire Board and administration on the change in the budget….UFB 2!!! VOTE NO!!!! 8
Attached please find a draft of just page one of your revised budget compared to the one approved at the hearing – data was downloaded from the Region1schools.org website.
Bob Whelan has stated on Facebook the only items changed are the expected expenditures in your revised budget. That is not true. Every column except 2016-2017 actuals have changed. The budget column for 2017-2018 has changed, the $ increase, the % increase and the bottom lines for every column, has been revised, including last year’s approved budget (used this year for comparisons).
Attached is an excel spreadsheet for just page one (its a long spreadsheet). The white columns are the original, the green is the revised and the yellow are the changes. You can also look for yourself at the bottom lines on each column between the two documents disseminated to the public.There are many changes and I cannot imagine how you can change the numbers in the 2017-2018 budget when it was approved a year ago. This is very misleading and deceptive to the public.
Please also provide an explanation (either yourself or Bob since he has offered to be an expert on the budget and will answer any questions)
1) why the Superintendent Professional Development is now more than $10,000 over budget and what, exactly, has come up in the last 30 days to warrant an additional $5000 expenditure before the school year ends.
2) What are we spending an additional $10,000 on “Public Relations” – who are we paying and why?
3) How is it possible you expect to spend an additional $200k+ of the taxpayers money over and above what you presented to the public 30 days ago? It was stated those funds would go back to the individual towns – and now you have decided to spend half of it?
I will not argue with you on the legality of changing a document without board permission – let the State Election Commission sort all that out. But I would like an answer to the questions above.
Marshall Miles UPDATED Editorial: VOTE NO Region One Budget Reply
UFB!!!! 4
The superintendent of schools of region one has updated and put on their website a proposed 2018/19 updated budget… this is totally illegal as far as I know …and I spoke to three region one board members Who knew nothing of this updated budget.. no meeting was held …and the budget that was to be sent to the people has now changed
Since the region one board voted on and approved it..and they’re going to have a region one budget meeting the day before the budget vote and then present this budget …and as far as I know that’s not legal as we have not had a chance to look at it …this is an unbelievable situation developing in region one and we hope that you all call the region one offices at 860-824-0855 and express your disapproval this last minute