Why do we have Cissy? How much does she make? It never stops. The coffees are NOT being held at Coffee Tree on Washington Road. There is no Coffee Tree on Washington Road. The announcement is shown here (original version before correction found here) and here. Note: The coffee house locations will both be on Washington Road at Uptown Coffee and Orbis (formerly Aldo's Coffee.)
Why can't the District get with the program? No budget posted along with the agenda tonight. It was posted that the special budget meeting was going to be held in the Jefferson Middle School Library, when in fact it had been moved to the Jefferson Middle School Auditorium. The Superintendent and Board President Reports are not posted unless I mention them here. They can't spell Markham for the Odyssey of the Mind teams. The board is voting on the OM trip which is in Philadelphia, but according to a parent here on the blog, it is in the Poconos.
Seriously, folks. I do this FOR FREE!!! And they want to eliminate the community service coordinator??
The simple answer Elaine is that all these people operate in an evironment where there are no real evaluations. It's an environment of: "Ask me no questions and I'll tell you no lies."
ReplyDeleteSure, they say they are constantly evaluating, but where is the evidence, where are the reports?
Our superintendent just received a substantial raise based on meeting his goals for the previous year.
So lets see, superintendents goals "#5. "Fiscal Responsibility – The Superintendent will operate the District in a fiscally responsible manner and identify and implement cost saving strategie."
I'll ask, if he's operating the district in a fiscally responsible manner why are we hiring PK at $41,000 to show him how to beg for money like some third world orphan.
Such incredible financial management that even PK's Mr. Oshry admits: we've never worked for a public school district before. Larry Lebowitz is of course excited that we're the first district in Pennsylvania to hire a professional PR firm to publically beg for money.
Sure Larry, when I get on an airplane, I can't wait for the pilot come on board an exclaim: "this is going to be fun, I've never flown one of these before!"
Don't question publically about cutting programs, sports teams, supplies and/or closing schools.
Nor, raising taxes, cutting the community service staffer [note: key words community service] and charging students for parking.
As you point out Elaine, information goes out with school names misspelled, locations wrong.
One can overlook comments here by residents, even obvious factual errors. We are just unpaid observers, the people footing the bills.
But staffers, making good money that can't even spell a district's school name correctly is inexcusable.
Andy Bradford
This article from last October
ReplyDeletehttp://www.yourplum.com/plumadvanceleader/article/districts-following-plums-lead-eliminating-pr-position
says Ms. Bowman made $62,220 and has been employed with the District since 2000.
David Huston
Mr. Bradford,
ReplyDeleteYou said, "The Superintendent will operate the District in a fiscally responsible manner and identify and implement cost saving"
In a professional setting the CEO would implement cost savings and report them to the Board after implementation. In the MLSD he reports them to the Board to get permission from PTA members and Teachers' Kids to take action.
Unfortunately, if one of the Board doesn't like what they here in executive session, they leak the information and the decision develops opposition. The CS coordinator is an example.
Eventually, this behavior will discourage quality candidates from applying to MLSD. They will look to USC and others who will take remedial action when necessary instead of putting up with cry-baby board members.
John Ewing
Mr. Ewing I didn't say: ""The Superintendent will operate the District in a fiscally responsible manner and identify and implement cost saving."
ReplyDeleteI only reproduce one item from the suoperintendents list of goals.
If the board believes a $2 million budget shortfall and the necessity to beg for money is fiscally responsible behaviour, then both stewards of the district need to go, becuase of stock is falling fast.
Andy Bradford
No one said fund raising is inherently badm John. The district through the PTA, sports groups, bake sales, car washes, wrapping paper and candy drives has been soliciting cash from private sources for years.
ReplyDeleteThe problem with the latest incarnation lies in that - first they believe they will get someone to pay $30 million for their overindulgence on the high school project.
Second, once they get that money, exactly when do you believe the fiscal responsibility kick in?
It most likely will resemble handing a fiver to the wino on the street. You give so he can get himself something to eat only to find him later in alley drinking Thunderbird hidden in a bag.
Furthermnore, I was always taught, there is no such thing as a free lunch.
Andy Bradford
John, according to The Almanac: "USC asks teachers for concessions, both Patrick O'Toole and Director of Business and Finance Frosina Cordisco with a salary is $125,452 are setting an example by taking a pay freeze."
ReplyDeleteEnough said.
Andy Bradford
They can fundraise all they want. Let them knock themselves out. It can be the Board's new focus and let's hope they raise $30,000,000.00, just don't ask me to pay for it - oops, too late.
ReplyDelete-Wilma Zellers
Mr. Bradford,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your responses. We have the government the D.A. S. asked us to vote into office. Your question about fiscal responsibility kicking in is a great question.
Does this community really want fiscal responsibility. or do they really want an open spigot of dollars flowing their way? Let's see:
1) a $900,000 grievance from just 19 teachers, and
2) a $40,000,000 Building C torn down and replaced over the objection of the District's structural engineer, and
3) a new Building to replace Building C several feet away, and
4) letters written to the Almanac attacking the character of the structural engineer by two board Members, and
5) Moving the tennis courts several feet for $1,000,000, and
6) a HS built for a larger enrollment when the lower grades have fewer students per grade level than the HS, and
7) not announcing the grievance until after the HS bids were accepted, and
8) a 10% tax hike in the face of a reassessment to pay for the HS, and
9) a 4.15% teachers Contract with a 4.4% salary hike in the last year negotiated in a low inflation environment with a very low Act 1 Millage Limit increase, and
10) begging the Municipality to pay $1,000,000 in District Expense to turf and light Mellon field with Municipal taxes in addition to School taxes picking up the bill, and
11) padded budgets that allowed the District to put millions into the Capital Project Fund and pre-tax the community for the HS. and
12) pressure on financially responsible Board Members to not run for reelection or resign, and
13) Ignoring DeJong's recommendation to keep the ed-spec committee, renamed the Design Advisory Committee, who were ignored when they were not allowed to meet during the Schematic Design Phase of the HS project, and,
14) the CAC not being formed until late enough that their deliberations and recommendations were not made until the Schematic Designs were 95% complete, and
15) a Board that deliberately ignored the Municipal Zoning Requirements at the advice of their Solicitor, whose Associate could not write a Brief compelling enough to overcome the Zoning Board's objections in court, and
16) a Board who ignored a petition with almost 4,000 signatures.
"nuf sed"
John
John,
ReplyDeleteI hope that PK can raise 30m because it would be an unexpected winfall the entire community would benefit from immensely! Unfortunately, I believe that the residents will ultimately pay for the "Giffen Good"!
"what the kluck"!
Constance Spicuous Consumption
It's been mentioned before so I'll state it again. If the school board (snicker) can raise 30 million in private donations (snicker snicker) then that 30 million should be used to offset any tax increases. Period. But I guarantee those idiots will try not only jacking up taxes but ALSO taking in private money to spend on their silly school. That way, they can always point to tHEIR bottom line and show people how they "saved" 30 million in public dollars. They're all crooks. They're tiptoeing around the law. And I can't believe state and federal investigators aren't at the district offices right now turning over file cabinets and putting handcuffs on people. This is the kind of abuse and anti-American behavior we see too often in government. Yes, I said it--the Board is anti-American. Got a problem with that statement? Let me know and I'll happily debate it.
ReplyDelete