Skip to main content

More of the Same

Good morning, class. Are we ready to discuss the assigned reading? Was there anything in the text that you found especially interesting?

Blair Ames wrote a comprehensive piece about new and returning members to the Board of Education. He quotes new member Christine O'Connor.

"The only thing I can do as an individual is listen and be very thoughtful in my decisions," O'Connor said. "I will do everything I can to facilitate proper teamwork."

It's a positive comment in a positive article that makes one hope for a new day on the Board of Education.

Tom Coale, on his blog, HoCoRising, is a little dubious about that. He respectfully points out that "...BoE politics continue to be some of the nastiest in our County and I don't see anything in the results that would change that."

Our stage is now set for the first board meeting after the election. We come to the election of officers. Returning Board member Dr. Janet Siddiqui is elected Chair. We may never know what turn of events caused Dr. Siddiqui to scuttle her plans to run for State Delegate (and consequently generate a lot of local ill-will by switching places on the ballot with her spouse) but I must say Chair of the Board of Education is a respectable consolation prize.

Next up, Vice-Chair. Ann De Lacy is nominated to serve in the position again. Cynthia Vaillancourt nominates Sandra French. The rest of the Board disallows the nomination because Ms. French is out of the country, therefore she hasn't been sworn in as a member of the Board. So she isn't eligible to be nominated for Vice-Chair.

The vote is 5-2 against, with new member Bess Altwerger voting with Ms. Vaillancourt.*

I just have to pause for a moment here. They couldn't even allow Sandra French, the longest-serving member of the Board of Education, to be a candidate for Vice-Chair because of a procedural point. They couldn't even allow it to come to a vote.

Why? Well, these sorts of things are usually arranged in advance, and this was clearly not in the scenario. More than that, if Sandra French's name had been permitted as a candidate, these same Board Members would have had to go on record as voting against Sandra French in order to accomplish what they had agreed to do--that is, to re-elect Ann De Lacy. And that just wouldn't look good.

Not so fast, says Cynthia Vaillancourt, and nominates herself for Vice-Chair. Well, that's easy. Sure, they can vote between those two names without making anyone uncomfortable.

The vote is 5-2 against, with new member Bess Altwerger voting with Ms. Vaillancourt.

In my opinion, these actions make it quite clear that these members of the board are not listening, not thinking, and not collaborating. If anyone thought the Board would get the message after Cynthia Vaillancourt was returned to the Board as the highest vote-getter, now is your time to be disappointed. Or outraged. Or disgusted.

This was a prime opportunity for "the powers that be" to show flexibility and civility. They squandered it.

As I have said before, I don't know Dr. Siddiqui at all. What I know now is that she has an opportunity to use her leadership to reach across the divisions on the board, shake up the entrenched positions, and set the tone for a Board of Education our community can be proud of.

If she does not, it's just going to be more of the same.

 

 

 

*I believe Ms. Vaillancourt also suggested postponing the vote until Mrs. French could be present. Also rejected.

 

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Teacher Gifts

Today is the last day of school before the Winter Break. It’s a good time to remember the far-reaching nature of our public school system. You may not have children. You may have sent your children to independent schools. It matters not. You will be impacted one way or another. Yesterday I read a long thread on Facebook about several waves of illness in the schools right now. There’s influenza A and norovirus, I believe. And of course there’s COVID. Apparently in some individual schools the rate of illness is high enough for school admin to notify parents.  When I was little the acceptable holiday gift for a teacher was one of those lovely floral handkerchief squares. (I don’t know what it was for male teachers. They were rare in my elementary years.) These days the range of teacher gifts is wider and I have fond memories of Target gift cards which I have written about before. I think it’s safe to say that giving one’s teacher Influenza, norovirus, or COVID is not the ideal holiday...
1 comment
Read more

They Can Wait

This is not a typical Saturday post. That’s because, in my community, it’s not a typical Saturday.  Oakland Mills High School, after years of deferred repair, needs massive renovation. It’s pretty simple: when you don’t fix a problem it gets bigger. The school system itself said the the OMHS school building was  "no longer conducive to learning" back in 2018.  2018 .  But Thursday the Boad of Education voted to push it out of the lineup of important projects which will be given the go-ahead to proceed soonest.  In my opinion it’s a terrible decision and sets a dangerous precedent. To explain, here’s the advocacy letter I sent in support of Oakland Mills High School. I was rather proud of it. I am writing to ask you to proceed with needed renovation at Oakland Mills High School in the most timely and comprehensive manner humanly possible. I have read the letter sent to you by the Oakland Mills Community Association and I am in complete agreement. You are extremel...
1 comment
Read more

F ³: Who Belongs at the Library?

  One of these things is not like the others One of these things doesn't belong Can you tell which thing is not like the other By the time we finish our song?* Did you guess which thing is not like the others? Did you guess which thing doesn't belong? If you guessed this thing is not like the others Then you're absolutely right.  Our library promotes equity. Our library promotes literacy for adults who have come here from many places. Our library promotes accessibility to materials and opportunities. Our library is hosting multiple Harry Potter themed events?  Tell me this isn’t so. J.K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter book series, has and continues to use the profits from those books to advocate for laws that diminish the rights of trans people. She has and continues to use her fame to influence public opinion to view and treat trans people negatively. In short, Ms. Rowling is using the Harry Potter book series to make transgender people around the world less safe....
1 comment
Read more