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http://windsorlocks.patch.com/groups/schools/p/east-windsor-high-school-principal-resignsEast Windsor High School Principal Resigns
Category Archives: POSTS, COMMENTS, VIDEO AND AUDIO
REGION ONE BOARD OF EDUCATION REGULAR BOARD MEETING TONIGHT AT 6 PM IN THE LIBRARY OF H.V.R.H.S. Reply
This meeting tonight is a REGULAR meeting. That means you can show up and speak of anything on your mind about education (for three minutes). Please spread the word and let’s get a great showing tonight
to reinforce what we want the board to do.
Here are some quotes from Region One Board Chair Jonathan Moore in an article in Sunday’s Republican-American: Why the principal quit Kent school board member blames budget battles by Lynn Mellis Worthington of The Republican-American Quotes like these, from the Board Chair only inflame an already hostile situation beween baord members, the board and the public, adn the public and the administration. It is more written proof that the Kent Board Of Education must take immediate steps to replace Mr. Moore ad Region One Representative from Kent. Reply
Here are some quotes from Region One Board Chair Jonathan Moore in an article in Sunday’s Republican-American: Why the principal quit Kent school board member blames budget battles by Lynn Mellis Worthington of The Republican-American
Quotes like these, from the Board Chair only inflame an already hostile si
tuation between board members, the board and the public, and the public and the administration. It is more written proof that the Kent Board Of Education must take immediate steps to replace Mr. Moore ad Region One Representative from Kent.
Quote 1:
“He was fully intending to be here for five to seven years,” Moore said of a conversation from a year previously in June 2012. Harnett served as principal for two years.Moore blamed the district’s current climate and ongoing budget debates, during which critics have targeted the superintendent and assistant superintendent. The district is set for its sixth budget vote on Sept. 17. After watching the public discourse about the superintendent and the assistant superintendent, Moore said, Harnett felt he was next in line and he didn’t want his reputation “trashed.”
Our response:
Mr. Harnett was NEVER trashed by any board member, all people have to do is to view the Board Of Education Meetings on the robinhoodradiotv CATV6 YouTube page: http://www.youtube.com/user/MMilesWHDD?feature=mhee
for the past two years to see Mr. Moore is again, not telling the truth. The video is unedited, and tells the truth, something Mr. Moore is incapable of doing. Mr. Harnett “trashed” his own reputation by making inaccurate comparisons of Housatonic Valley Regional High School and the local Prep Schools, and never apologizing for the comment. Mr. Harnett “trashed” his own reputation by telling local residents time after time that students would not have to carry home heavy textbooks from school when he knew that the iPads would NOT have textbooks on them. Mr. Harnett “trashed” his own reputation by,a t the last possible minute, proposing massive teacher cuts in the 23rd hour of the budget process after a month earlier telling the board that such cuts would not be advisable. Again, just review the board meetings on YouTube for the past year, THEY DON’T LIE.
Quote 2:
Moore said Harnett also found it disturbing that a member of the Region 1 board was saying that his contract was not going to be renewed, Moore said, stressing that this was not true in any way.
Our response:
Again, review all the Region One Videos, NEVER, NEVER was anything like that mentioned in a meeting, not even mentioned, and never even implied. More lies from Mr. Moore.
Quote 3:
One of the last straws was the budget removal of the iPad program, which was a plan to give each HVRHS student an iPad mini. Moore made the motion to cut the $94,000 from the budget, because there was not enough time for implementation this school year. It was ironic because Moore said he’s been working the past three years to encourage technology development at the high school.
“With the iPads, he felt like he was undermined by people on the board,” Moore said.
Our response:
The iPad program NEVER was properly introduced to the full education staff at Region One (just ask teachers at H.V.R.H.S). It would have fallen flat on its face, like the implementation of “paperless meetings” Mr. Moore started at the Region One Board meetings this year. That fell flat on its face due to no preparation, or plan to transition to it. Teachers and other personnel at the high school were never brought into the iPad program to help plan and implement. It was, once again, just rammed thru. Again poor or no planning by the administration and Mr. Harnett. No one was against the technology, just the poor planning of the implementation .
Quote 4:
Moore and Chamberlain had conversations during the summer with Ian Strever, who was later appointed interim principal after Harnett’s resignation. This allowed Strever to have a transition plan in place and be prepared for a smooth opening at HVRHS Aug. 26, Moore said.
Our response:
Once again, for Mr. Moore and the Superintendent to have conversations, and not to include board members either in the process, or in keeping board members updated on the situation is not only poor judgement, but unethical, and improper. The Region One School District is not the personal property of the superintendent or Mr. Moore. Again, the go-it-alone, exclusionary practices of the Board Chair and superintendent have put the Region One budget, board, and high school in the position it is now. And that position is disarray, dysfunction, and division.
If the Kent Board of Education does not act quickly to end Mr. Moore’s pathetic, incendiary, and divisive actions, it will be responsible for the further downward spiral of the educational success, efficiency, reputation, and lack of focus of Region One.
Mr. Moore must be relieved of his duties now, it is obvious his main concern is not the education of Region One students, the passage of the budget, and interaction with the taxpayers who fund our educational system. Being a board chair and running Region One is not a sole partnership of the board chair and the superintendent without input from other board members, the public, students, and staff of the high school. Unfortunately, that, as evidenced by Mr. Moore’s words, is what we now have and explains why the region is in the unstable situation it is in now. A two-person dictatorship of a publicly financed education system is not only bad management, it quite possibly is illegal, but it definitely is unethical. It’s time to stop this now.
Region One Report was started in March 0f 2012! It is time to re-state what this blog is all about…. Reply
In our first year (10 months) we had 27,546 visits! And boy did we think that was great!
Now in our second year (9 months) we have already surpassed 58,702 visits!!! And so far, this year alone over 86,000 hits!!!
Thanks you for your support, together, we can bring Region 1 and it’s board back home to its students, teachers, employees, residents and taxpayers!
Our original mission remains unchanged!
This blog is for anyone who cares about the Region One School District, parent, teacher, non-certified staff, administration, student, whoever…to voice their opinions, and concerns of the administration of Region One without identifying themselves, without fear of retribution from Region One Administrators… You may post documents, links, whatever.
Welcome! First of all, let’s describe this blog! It is a safe haven for all who wish to report on what they know is going on with the Region One administration in the day-to-day operation of the district. You can post here anonymously, without fear of retribution from the administration.
You can post documents, videos, or just your comments. It will be updated by the administration of this blog when new information comes to light, and it will be updated with information that has already been brought to light on other media. In addition, this blog will contain some personal observations of Marshall Miles, its creator. These opinions and observations will be solely those of Marshall Miles, an alumnus and long-term supporter (and for many years parent!) in Region One. These opinions and observations do not, and are not intended to, represent any of the companies that Marshall is connected to or affiliated with, i.e. WHDD AM/FM, WBSL-FM, Robin Hood Radio. com, CATV 6, robinhoodradiotv, Tri-State Public Communications, Inc., or any of the underwriters, management, or employees of these companies.
It is our sincere hope to bring more information to light regarding what we consider to be the poor management of our wonderful school system over the past several years, and to inform and educate the public in the region from a different viewpoint of that of the administration, and some members of the Board of Education. When you make a post, it will be reviewed before it is posted, so please be patient!
Thanks for coming, and please spread the word … let’s bring Region One back to a working relationship with the Board of Education, the administration, and the public. The time has come for the Board to act like a board, rather than a satellite state following the dictates of the Central Office.
Region One students get half-day off so teachers can attend conference that is in conflict with the school schedule 4
Wednesday Sept 25, Salisbury Central School, Sharon Center School and North Canaan have changed to an early dismissal day( a half day) to accommodate training of teachers set up by the Assistant Superintendent in conflict with the regular school schedule. Kent Center School and the Housatonic are not participating on that date. In Kent the Kent Board of Education is allowing students to be dismissed for a half-day so teachers can attend professional development but the principal was not sure exactly what day it will be. Principal Florence Budge requested the authorization last 
Thursday for early dismissal for Sept. 20 or Sept. 30. She said she had asked Assistant Superintendent Diane Goncalves for an alternate date for the presentation on the “student learning objectives,” which are part of the new teacher evaluation system. The rest of the region is training on Sept. 25 and that is not a good date for Kent Center School, Budge said.
See video of the Salisbury Central School Board Of education meeting on the half-day by clicking the link below.
$25,686.13 ( a partial cost of the poor handling of this matter by the Region One Administration) Reply
From the Saturday edition of the Republican-American
The Kent Board of Education did not reveal its plans Thursday after losing a residency appeal by the Bishop family in August.
Board Chairman Paul Cortese did reveal that the board spent $25,686.13 on the investigation, attorney fees, as well as court and filing fees on the case.
Aden Bishop’s residency was disputed and the Kent Board of Education decided to investigate during the 2012-13 school year whether the Bishop family was considered a resident of the town. An investigation was done and the superintendent informed the family it had been determined they did not live in Kent full-time and therefore needed to pay tuition for the past four years of schooling. A hearing was held in June and an impartial board, appointed by the Kent Board of education also decided the Bishops were not residents.
Barbara Bishop appealed the decision to the state Board of Education and the board upheld the appeal Aug. 23 and reversed the original decision.
After meeting in executive session Thursday evening, the board decided that it would be “studying the decision and seeking counsel’s advice.” Cortese said that he alone would discuss the case with the board’s attorney and not the full board.
Who was right or who was wrong is not the point here. The point, well just look at the case Region One spent thousands of dollars on, and look (by clicking on the link below) at the Bishop’s case. Another example of poor administration and the “flushing” of over $25,000 dollars down the proverbial drain.
http://regiononereport.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/kentdecpdf174.pdf
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Karen Davenport, Agricultural Science and Technology teacher and department chair, advisor for the National Honor Society, Agricultural Council and Student Assistance Team, and co-chair of Relay for Life at Housatonic Valley Regional High School, CT, and co-owner and operator of Tollgate Farm in Ancramdale, NY, has been awarded the fifth annual James C. Kapteyn Prize.
Please click on link below
This is one of the main people responsible for arts being so successful in Region One…congratulations “Muff”! 1
This is one of main the people responsible for arts being introduced on a broad scale, and now so successful in Region One…congratulations “Muff”
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Again, the chairman is clueless…. 4
From today’s Republican American…..
Parent vote cited as key to Region 1 passage
BY LYNN MELLIS WORTHINGTON
REPUBLICAN-AMERICAN
KENT — The solution to getting a budget passed in Region 1 is for parents to get out and vote in favor of it, according to Jonathan Moore, Kent’s appointed representative and chairman of the Region 1 Board of Education. Moore suggested Thursday that members of the Kent Board of Education spread the word and encourage parents to vote Sept. 17 during the next referendum. The proposed budget, which now stands at $14.4 million, has been turned down five times since May. The fifth budget proposal was rejected by 144 votes.
Detailing what was done at the regional meeting Wednesday, Moore said $3,000 was reduced from the budget. “Do we have any reason to believe it is going to pass this time?” asked Kent board member Rob Ober.
Here are some disturbing “nuggets from Moore” (and our responses)……
Moore said he doesn’t believe parents are voting.
At every meeting there has been representation from, taxpayers, parents, grandparents, students, business people, a wide cross-section of the public (he MUST be blind not to see this)….
“I don’t think the real stakeholders are voting,” he said. “I don’t believe parents are voting this budget down.”
“Nuff said. And this folks, is why we are at a stalemate….
“They want to undue legally binding contracts. There’s no way to do that,” Moore said.
“A budget should be a reflection of a community’s values ” Moore stated. “By voting it down you’re saying you do not value education but that you value getting your own way more.”
Again, the chairman is way off base, right now, the public would settle for what the administrators did last year…cut one year off their new contract. (It was legal last year when they did it, and it would be legal this year if they did it. The dangerous thing about Mr. Moore’s comments….is that they are condescending, arrogant, and full of lies. His contempt for taxpayers, parents, grandparents, and most especially the students he claims to want to serve is astounding. Kent should replace him on the Regional Board immediately.
From this mornings Republican-American Reply
Voters might fill Region 1 seat
School board post could be put on ballot
BY RUTH EPSTEIN
REPUBLICAN-AMERICAN
CORNWALL — Voters will have a chance to weigh in on an ordinance that would make the town’s representative to the Region 1 Board of Education elected rather than chosen by the local school board. The selectmen will seek counsel and discuss it at its next meeting on Sept. 17.
A discussion on the proposal that came from Republican candidate for first selectman Kenneth C. Baird and selectman candidate Heidi Kearns was held at Tuesday’s meeting of the Board of Selectmen. Selectmen concluded it was an issue that should be put before voters.
Baird said four of the six towns in the region elect their representatives. In Cornwall and Kent the local school board appoints that person. If the position becomes elected, he said, the town would have the choice of who it sends to those meetings.
“It appears that with the budget being turned down, people are not being heard,” said Baird. “The hierarchy has changed. The board is doing what the administration wants instead of the administration reporting to the board. There’s been a change in checks and balances.”
But Selectman Richard Bramley noted the system has worked since Housatonic Valley Regional High School was established in 1939. He said there’s a long history to the way representatives are chosen. “Ultimately I have no problem with going to the town to see if they want to change the method,” he said.
Bramley said his concern lies with the possibility of all board members changing at the same time. Currently all members are either elected or chosen every two years.
“What’s more important is who is elected or chosen, not necessarily the method,” he said. “I’m undecided how I’d vote. I understand the arguments on both sides.” Baird said if the person is elected, he or she would get feedback from the townspeople, not just board members.
The current Cornwall representative is Philip Hart, who also serves on the local school board. Baird said it might be better to have someone who isn’t on the elementary school board and Bramley agreed, saying such an arrangement is too big a job for one person.
Originally Baird and Kearns had talked about circulating a petition to get the matter on the agenda of the October annual town meeting, but Baird said that wouldn’t be necessary if the selectmen agreed to put it on the agenda.
Members then agreed that legal counsel and other research was needed before bringing the question before voters.
They also agreed that electing a Region 1 board representative would not be on this November’s ballot in the municipal election.
Kearns said there is obviously a disconnect between the board and the voters now. “We should let the voters decide, not just six people.”