A Hot Time at the Board of Ed Meeting

Tonight's Board of Ed meeting was supposed to be a low key affair -- over in a few minutes with just a few quick bits of business to handle. There weren't even any speakers from the peanut gallery so Hannya and Jason and the ReformED crowd didn't even get a chance to bloviate all of their "concerned citizen" malarkey and advise Dr. Brown of school "reform." But that's not to say there was any dearth of malarkey. On the topic of the Extinguished Educatrix Board members had their boxers in a knot. It seems they objected to the high minded folks at NYSED, John King and Katie Campos et al, imposing this lady (who was run out of L.A. by way of  a 200K + buyout) on Buffalo Public Schools and telling Buffalo to pony up her outrageous and exorbitant salary demands. "An unfunded mandate in the form of a persona non grata," as one wag put it.  Oh but it gets better. "Judy" as she 's been jauntily dubbed by all, only has to spend 25 days here between the opening of school and the end of December. Lacking any hard numbers we will use Florence Johnson and Mrs. Kapsiak's figures. Kapsiak reiterated that Board members only earn 5k a year and this woman is expected to make nearly that per diem. Here's a little sampling of the gnashing of Boardfolk teeth as the "Judy" Eliott debacle was tossed around like a South Park High baloney sandwich toward the end of A lunch :

"Judy" Eliott, complete with LA hair and buyout package not so much a favorite of Ralph and the Sisters. Click this text and see where she gave a keynote address, then click the green arrow and see who the sponsors are and I think you'll be able to figure out why charter school loving NYSED found her to be so the cat's arse 

6:57
Mary Pasciak: Johnson, re: the contract for the distinguished educator: I really am offended by how this is being executed. We never had an opportunity to discuss it. Everything is being done without our input, without our participation. We have a board that is dedicated to increasing student achievement.


This document is so cumbersome. When I read it, it's like I've given all my rights away as a board member.


I was elected to represent the interests of the children.  ( by taking trips and going shopping) If our attorney says we must approve this tonight, I will approve it, but it will be under protest. I think it's an absolute disgrace that everything that's done at this board table will be reported to the commissioner.


If the distinguished educator decides in favor of the two charter schools by an outside entity, but the board opposes it, who (prevails)?
6:57
Mary Pasciak: Johnson: If this is to be paid, why can't it be paid by state ed? If we do this per diem, we're paying the distinguished educator more than we're paying anyone else in this district.
6:58
Mary Pasciak: Hernandez: I knew this was coming. We all knew this was coming. We've been talking about the distinguished educator for months.


The problem I have, this was a document created at the state level and then just sent down to us.


The commissioner is asking us to approve a contract paying $190 an hour plus $275 a day for travel expenses, and we haven't even met this individual yet.
6:59
Mary Pasciak: Hernandez: We have to struggle with the position we've taken and the oath we've taken -- any time we allocate resources anywhere, we have to be cognizant of what the public will say about it. (Including this year's travel itinerary Ralph?)


If we approve it, we have to say we approved a document for an individual we haven't even met yet.
7:00
Mary Pasciak: Kapsiak: I wonder what would happen if we got criticized for our selection process of the superintendent. And here the state is asking us to approve a contract with someone we never met, never even had a phone call with. In my mind, that's not right.


7:01
Mary Pasciak: Licata is asking if the state set the salary. Attorney Chris Putrino said no.


Putrino: The initial request for compensation was significantly higher.
7:01
Mary Pasciak: Licata: Seems the most troubling aspect of this agreement, this individual, working from wherever, will be making determinations about what is best. I think this is a bureaucratic train wreck waiting to happen. This is ridiculous. This is a ridiculous exercise of power.
7:02
Mary Pasciak: Petrucci: Where's the money going to come from to pay for Dr. Elliott?


Smith: I don't have an answer. In one of the letters, the commissioner said they could assist with identifying funds to pay her. In one presentation, they said Title I funds could possibly be used to pay a distinguished educator.


7:03
Mary Pasciak: Petrucci: I did have a conversation with Dr. Elliott. She said she would make herself available for a conference call with the board.


State Ed declined our request for a conversation with them about the distinguished educator. But we could submit questions in writing.

But when New York State Education Department did the same thing to teachers on the APPR and tried to jam absent students into the mix so teachers can be duly disciplined for the failures of these MIAs and their absentee parents, Board members sniffed and acted put out. They tried to paint the BTF and Phil Rumore as self serving renegades for refusing to sit there and take it from a rookie commissioner who never even broke up a hallway fight but thought he was going to strut into Buffalo and tell us what's up. Well it looks like the BTF has set the precedent. The Board decided to roll the dice and refused to sign Judy's contract according to Ralph Hernandez "in contempt" of NYSED's edict.  I hearken back to the infamous line delivered by Mae West in My Little Chickadee when the judge asks "Madam, are you trying to show contempt for this court?" Mae takes a beat and breathes "No, Your Honor, I was doing my best to hide it."  And so are we.  $190.00 an hour plus $275 a day for hair gel and parking. Get Real NYSED