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Post by swampfox on Mar 19, 2009 6:28:28 GMT -5
Local School Superintendents appear to want control over who is running for school board vacancies. I just read a blog [ www.newhartfordnyonline.blogspot.com ] which talked about the New Hartford School District Superintendent's office wanting to know - before picking up the Petition, what the person's name was. Why? There is nothing in Education Law that requires this. The response given by the school secretary was, "this is the way it has always been done." Duh? Does this make it right. Shame on all those School Superintendents who feel they can reign with uncontrolled power from their ivory towers. Guess what: Concerned Citizens put the Petition on line and anyone who wants to run for a school board vacancy (and they should seriously consider changing the status quo) should go out and show that they can effect change. All it requires is going out and meeting the people and letting them know how concerned you are over rising school budgets and expenditures that have gone far above what they should be. Incidentally, this petition on the above website can be used for any school district vacancy. The only difference is the number of valid signatures that will be necessary. According to the election law, it is 2% of the last annual school district voters. Good luck to all who are interested in running for school board. Take back your school government and let them know you all care and are willing to invest the time and effort to ensure positive changes in every school district. |
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Post by clarencebunsen on Mar 19, 2009 6:55:03 GMT -5
I don't see how this rises to wanting to control who runs for a school board election.
My normal procedure when entering a school is to introduce myself & give my reason for being there. I would think any school administrator who does not know who is in his building & why is grossly negligent.
Actually, I think it is too easy to get into most schools. I would prefer to see at least a reception area with a sign in register.
I also would encourage a wide variety of citizens to be involved in school elections. However, I don't think I would support a candidate who tried to create a sense of fear through a hyped up controversy.
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Post by swampfox on Mar 19, 2009 7:05:31 GMT -5
You miss the point. It is control over the knowledge of prospective candidates not that they have not announced themselves...because they have.
The bigger issue are those who cannot get to the school district because they work from 8:00 a.m. til 5:00 p.m.
Your comment about hyped-up controversy is misguided and incorrect.
What should be asked, "why are not these petitions posted on the each school board internet?"
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Post by frankcor on Mar 19, 2009 7:36:07 GMT -5
In Rome, the act of picking up a petition package for school board election casts you into the public forum. The Rome Sentinel regularly publishes the names of anyone who has picked up a petition as well as the names of those who have submitted completed petitions (thereby, are actual candidates).
The reason for asking for your name may be as benign as wanting to keep track of who has picked up petitions so they can give you a call to remind you of the deadline for returning them -- "Yo, swampfox, the deadline is today -- do you have your petitions filled in yet?"
Remember, the clerk you asked does not determine the policy. You ask anybody why they do their job a certain way, invariably the answer will be "that's they way we've always done it." Rather than assume it's to intimidate potential candidates, why not call the Superintendent and ask him yourself? If you're going to be on the school board, you're going to need to communicate with him eventually. There's no time like the present.
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Post by swampfox on Mar 19, 2009 7:59:47 GMT -5
Calling to remind someone about a deadline??? Oh, come on now...since when has this ever been the case.
School Boards are tightly controlled by those who want absolute power. Remember, absolute power "corrupts!"
BTW: The Supt. was approached!
It is not the act of picking up the petition that puts one into the public forum. It is a properly executed petition that does.
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Post by WestmoGuy on Mar 19, 2009 8:24:40 GMT -5
It's NH. They do things how they want.
Sad thing is 90% of the people there dont give a crap!
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Post by frankcor on Mar 19, 2009 8:35:11 GMT -5
School Boards are tightly controlled by those who want absolute power. I am evidence that your claim is wrong. I ran for school board successfully and I did it without anyone in power approaching me or supporting me. I served three terms pissing off teachers, taxpayers and parents because I brought my brain to every meeting and voted according to my conscience. Power, schmower. If your statement is true for New Hartford, the people there have failed, not your leaders. |
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Post by swampfox on Mar 19, 2009 9:34:47 GMT -5
By the way, if you read the blog I linked to, a meeting was held with the
school superintendent. He had no other reason than that is the way it has
always been done. He gave his approval to put the petition online because
he couldn't think of a valid reason not to do it.
People need to start asking questions instead of accepting "that is the way
it has always been done." New Hartford claims to be such a progressive
school...show it by using the technology that is available. Not everyone
is able to get to the school during school hours; many people commute to
work. There is no reason to shut out anyone just because they don't have
the means to get to the school between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. And does anyone
think that they do not "break the rules" for their friends?
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Post by WestmoGuy on Mar 19, 2009 9:54:04 GMT -5
If you look at that NH Blog, nobody ever comments anymore.
There used to be lots. Like I said, nobody in NH gives a crap
except the powers that be.
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Post by swampfox on Mar 19, 2009 9:58:05 GMT -5
I beg to differ. How do you know who is "visiting" their blog and looking at information. Why did the NYS Attorney General serve the town with a subpoena? It wasn't to say, "good morning..."
It is not in what people say in resonse, it is the action taken by others and I do believe action is being taken, although sometimes slowly. Look how long it took for the DDSO Audit and prosecution? Some of the same players mentioned in that audit are tied to town individuals.
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Post by WestmoGuy on Mar 19, 2009 11:02:50 GMT -5
I beg to differ. How do you know who is "visiting" their blog and looking at information. Why did the NYS Attorney General serve the town with a subpoena? It wasn't to say, "good morning..." I don't know who's visiting her blog. I'm just saying there used to be a ton of comments on there, that's all. Now there are 1 or 2 from time to time. As far as the subpoena, 1st I ever heard of it was on here. Never gonna hear anything in the news about it, thats for sure.. Someone get Keeler going on that. He'd like digging into that and seeing whats up I bet. |
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Post by clarencebunsen on Mar 19, 2009 16:51:48 GMT -5
I read the blog, re-read your post. Not sure where the "secretary" in your post came from, no mention in the blog.
"control over the knowledge of prospective candidates " What the heck does that mean & why is it evil?
So they met with Mr. Nole, were unsatisfied with his answer & posted the petition themselves. OK, thanks.
However (there is always a however), anyone who can't get there to pick up a petition and can't find a friend or associate or supporter to pick up one for him probably doesn't have enough friends, associates or supporters to get elected. So the practical effect is pretty much nil.
It still seems like trying to make a controversy out of nothing to me,
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Post by dgriffin on Mar 19, 2009 17:10:37 GMT -5
However (there is always a however), anyone who can't get there to pick up a petition and can't find a friend or associate or supporter to pick up one for him probably doesn't have enough friends, associates or supporters to get elected. So the practical effect is pretty much nil. It still seems like trying to make a controversy out of nothing to me,And if so, it does a disservice to those on both sides of the argument. (What argument?  ) I was wondering; does the person who writes the NHOnline blog allow his or her name out, or is he/she anonymous? In my town, we have spirited discussions about the schools, taxes, etc., but I never saw anyone argue or post without listing their name. Maybe it's a Mohawk Valley thing, but anonymity in the public sphere strikes me as rather odd. I can see anonymity on general topic forums, such as here, where we often discuss stuff that could be considered personal, but to not use your real name when specifically discussing a public issue doesn't add much credence to a person's opinion. |
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