Northwestern C.A.R.E.S.
Community Advocates for Reforming Excellence in our Schools
Our Purpose and Goals
- The people that live in the Northwestern Lehigh School District want to be informed and know what’s going on with decisions that effect academics, students, teachers, extra-curricular activities, etc. We will distribute this information.
- To have an organization where people can get together to share ideas and thoughts about the school district’s issues that need to be corrected. Then, through an organized effort, take action to correct them.
- The people that are paying the school district’s bills want to be informed about what exactly it is they are paying for. The way the system works everywhere else is when someone pays a bill, they get a copy of the receipt. It’s reasonable for the people that live in this community to get a copy of the receipt of the bills they are paying. We will distribute these receipts.
- To assist individuals or groups that would like to voice their opinion or correct, change, or accomplish something within the school district. We will assist them on how to navigate the politics of the school board and the administration.
- To attend school board and committee meetings to see and hear first hand what is going on. We will video tape meetings and webcast them to benefit the people who are unable to attend, yet have an interest in knowing what’s going on.
- Collect information by asking for it, or by right to know, then distributing it by email or handouts.
Northwestern C.A.R.E.S., you would have a difficult time if you tried this here in Lebo!
3 comments:
Video taping public meetings is a right guaranteed to every citizen in PA under the Sunshine Law.
Don't go praising this school district for publishing a prelimiary budget. They decided not to release any documents any longer until after decisions are made now.
This community group got a copy of the preliminary budget and posted it. You won't find a copy of it on the school's website.
Dear Anonymous,
Thank you for posting on my blog. Normally, I would not publish any comments that are not signed, but based on the content of your post, you are from Northwestern C.A.R.E.S. Yes, video taping is a right guaranteed to every citizen in PA under the Sunshine Law, but we are dealing with a School Board that isn't very transparent. They are not happy with our audio recordings, and would probably have a heart attack if we showed up with a video camera. We share your pain when you speak of withholding predecisional documents. They are pulling that one here too. Also, at last night's policy committee meeting, you can hear me ask for public Joint Steering Committee meetings. You can hear this on our website's podcast 02_01_2011 Policy meeting
You have a beautiful website and I commend you for all your hard work. I am glad that I heard about your site.
Elaine
Anonymous-
I should also add that the citizen comments are at the end of the meeting. You can hear two of us during the last ten minutes get into a heated discussion with the District Solicitor about the Sunshine Act. It isn't pretty.
Elaine
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