I am taking down the latest poll, but have recapped the results below.
Do you think the School Board Directors will answer our questions concerning the renovation?
Yes. They have been open and honest throughout the process. We will get nine responses. 5 (10%)
Yes. We will get one generic response "For the Board." 5 (10%)
No. 40 (80%)
Total votes: 50
Eighty percent of you were correct. I had no response from ANY of the school board directors. I don’t believe they were addressed at the Architect’s Update. To refresh everyone’s memory, here are the questions.
We have questions. We were ignored. We had a petition. We were ignored. Now, we expect it. Eighty percent got it right. How sad.
When Dan Rothschild started his blog, the school board was thrilled to get input. Dr. Steinhauer formed his Key Communicator group, again for input. Now he has a student key communicator group. The Key Communicators started out with these members listed in alphabetical order by first name:
Al Frioni
Andy Rhodes
Betsy Dillon
Bill Cooper
Blaise Larotonda
Corey Polena
Dan Goff
Dave Reese
Deb Smit
Diane Wainwright
Elaine LaBalme
Elizabeth Glantz
Frank Baker
Frank Hines
Gail Sieg
Hugh Beal
Joe Polk
John Schrott
Kim Ressler
Kristen Linfante
Larry Lebowitz
Mary Ellen Schmidt
Rob Gardner
Rob Papke
Ruth Foltz
Sheldon Campbell
Sue Fretterd
Sue Simmons
Tom Moertel
That is quite a list. We have two bloggers, athletic supporters, two running for school board, one running for commissioner along with her campaign manager and her sidekick, one running the courtroom, writers for the Mt. Lebanon Magazine, and only two signed the petition to cap the renovation to $75 million. He sure has his bases covered, doesn’t he?
The school board wants input, but they ignore our emails if we don’t agree with them. If we don’t go with the program, there is retribution. That is not very nice.
11 comments:
Part of the Board's job is to be key communicators for the Superintendent. How sad is it that the Superintendent must use unelected residents and now students to do the Board's job?
John Ewing
There is little doubt that the Mt. Lebanon School Board has decided to ignore its critics, and wrap itself in the safety blanket of its supporters. Part of this may be due to the Board's desire not to waste time with residents opposed to its plans, and part is likely attributable to the personal political and social philosophies of its vanguard members.
With respect to “retribution”: I'm not sure what kind the Board could effect, but I do know that in order to ignore one's constituents one has to know who those people are, and perforce compile a kind of “enemies list” so as not to inadvertently reply via E-mail to any one of them. I used to get replies from Mrs. Posti; however, even though I've never attacked her personally, my last messages were ignored. Very well. Be that as it may I don't propose to let the diminutive “Progressives” on our school board off the hook.
Of course the sad figures in this whole mess are the quiet, unresponsive mass of Mt. Lebanon residents; whose lack of involvement in their community's affairs puts them at financial risk, but whose property taxes are built into their mortgage or rent payments, thus removing them, by one fiduciary level, from reality. If they had to write property tax checks every July you can bet the situation would be vastly different.
Richard, is the "enemies list" in writing? Do the key communicators know who is on the list?
John Ewing
My guess, John, is that anyone who is not a key communicator or a school board director would be on that list. After all, there are 4,000 of us. That would be a safe bet.
Elaine
Mr. Ewing:
I used the allusionary phrase “a kind of 'enemies list'” in the rhetorical sense (thus the quotes). I don't know whether a list as such exists, or whether the “key communicators” are privy to it; but I do know that once upon a time I would get replies from at least a couple of Board members – usually Mr. Fraasch or Ms. Stipanovich. Once Mr. Fraasch left only Mrs. Posti would respond. My exchanges with Mrs. Posti had been strictly professional and polite, and I supposed she was speaking for the entire Board in her replies to my points; but even these replies have ceased.
I don't believe there is a formal enemies list, but I do believe there is a concerted effort to portray certain people as enemies by a select group of people.
Anyone remember this Bloglebo post: "Have we been hijacked" 3/22/11?
Here's an excerpt:
"A call for the community to reject the nay-saying negativity of a few residents with the same vehemence with which they have foisted it upon us."
Gee, were all those people that had concerns with the HS plan that BID WAY OVER BUDGET negative nay-sayers?
Also why doesn't Mr. Gardner, who is a key communicator, insist the current batch of candidates tell us what they stand for exactly? He included this thought in his letter:
"Demand that our candidates offer positions on issues so that we know what they stand for, not just what they are against. Most importantly…VOTE."
Elaine, made available a forum to ask the questions. None of the candidates responded, Mr. Gardner!
I do agree with Mr. Gardner on one important point. Find out all you can about the candidates and their positions, THEN VOTE!
- Giffen Good
Welcome back, Giffen Good! It has been a while.
Elaine
Never left Elaine.
Just got sick and tired of games played by people that think their and only their position is right for and about Mt. Lebanon.
More upsetting are the "sad figures... the quiet, unresponsive mass of Mt. Lebanon residents" that Mr. Gideon refers too.
It is sad... I'm betting voter turnout won't reach 25%.
- Giffen Good
I have had some personal emails about the key communicators. This sums up what was said:
Why would Blaise be on that list?
Ruth Foltz, manager of Howard Hanna, tells her employees that they ought not get involved with any opinions on the school board. Now that seems hypocritical to me.
I guess Dr. Tim is just covering his bases to control the communication.
Elaine
Everyone at the high school knows-athletes'hearings in front of Blaise are postponed until after they graduate.
Signed, a MTL student
I wonder if the ML student will tell us something about the athlete who had the postponed hearing?
How many athletes got a postponed hearing until after they graduate?
John Ewing
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