Kudos to the new Courier Times website. There's three separate stories posted here about Wednesday night's Morrisville school board meeting.
The first story is member Joe Kemp urging the board majority to do their homework before making changes. The story is sad in that Joe Kemp needs to use BCCT columnist Kate Fratti as his means of communication because the Emperor and his blindly subservient accomplices are unapproachable and indifferent. If you're not pleased with the way the current Stop the School majority is acting, drop them a line at SchoolBoard@mv.org. If you copy savethemorrisvilleschool@yahoo.com, I'll print it as well.
In the second story, the board's shameful treatment of Dr. Elizabeth Yonson is chronicled. Memo to the Emperor and accomplices: You're lucky that Morrisville has this talented administrator at all. If she doesn't sue the ever living crap out of you, it's because she's a better human being alone than you could ever collectively aspire to be. Go. Have the common decency to be ashamed. Especially those board members who keep talking the big talk about being independent, but when the Emperor commands, you keep on running to his beck and call. You may talk the talk, but the audience can clearly see the walk, and it doesn't match the talk.
The third story mentions the dilemma of economics. How do you pay for what you need? Parents are well versed in that daily struggle. Are average taxpayers? Yes, they are. But do some of them really understand the definition of a "community"? Let's also note that the reporter neglected to mention why the millage is lower. Answer: The penny-wise and pound-foolish bond defeasement.
MV school director pleads his case
Posted in News on Thursday, June 26th, 2008 at 3:01 pm by Columnist Kate Fratti
Morrisville School Board member Joe Kemp today in an email urged the board majority, yet again, to do its homework before committing the troubled district to big change. Kemp, a minority member, worries the board leadership’s serious interest in a plan to tuition out high-school students to save money isn’t being aired in open.”The board should have [Solicitor] Mike Fitzpatrick draft formal letters to any and all school districts or private schools that we may wish to consider for a tuition program. He should also give us his opinion about the legality of such a plan,” he said.
“Talks should be held between a committee of the board and the teachers’ union with legal representation on both sides to see if there is any way to tuition students that will be acceptable by the union.
“We should find out if privatizing our high school means that all private school students would have their tuitions paid by the district. We should consider hiring an architectural firm that works with school districts to tell us the costs of converting our MHS to either a grade school or a K-12.
“We should find out the costs regarding busing as a factor in sending high school students out of the district and would that then make the district a busing district.
Superintendent contract shortened
Posted in News on Thursday, June 26th, 2008 at 4:37 pm by Courier Times reporter Manasee Wagh
Morrisville’s school board majority approved shortening Superintendent Elizabeth Yonson’s contract at Wednesday night’s meeting. The contract was revised to three years instead of five.Yonson has been with the district for at least three years. The previous board renewed her contract for five years, from July 1 this year to June 30, 2013.
Under her leadership, Morrisville schools made several gains, including high performance levels in elementary school math.
Board President William Hellmann did not provide a concrete reason for shortening her contract. He thanked Yonson for doing an exemplary job and said a shorter contract was a better choice.
Yonson herself said it was an irregular course of action. After their first contract expires, most Bucks superintendents who get their contracts renewed do receive five-year contracts, she said.
Fewer taxes = fewer educational services?
Posted in News on Thursday, June 26th, 2008 at 5:09 pm by Courier Times reporter Manasee Wagh
Residents in Morrisville can expect to pay $321 less in taxes next year.
The school board approved a $19.88 million budget Wednesday.
Taxes will lessen to $3,371 for a homeowner with the borough’s average assessed property of $18,000.
Those who were eligible for the homestead/farmstead exclusion will see a further decline of $218.
But there will be consequences, warned administrators. The new budget doesn’t account for all of the $2.2 million needed for special education services and additional money needed for alternative and charter schools.
The district will find a way to pay for all of those uncontrollable costs, but cuts may need to be made in other areas, said administrators. The state mandates that special education and charter and alternative schools must be paid for fully.
Friday, June 27, 2008
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6 comments:
This all reminds me of another intellectually uncurious yet ideologically rigid know-it-all President, surrounded by hard core cronies, using a disaster, lies, and distorted information as an excuse to trample on laws and rights to achieve ultimately discredited ideological ends that will take many years to remedy. In one case, the disaster (9/11) was real. In Morrisville's case, the disaster (total financial doom for all) is hypothetical.
A noun, a verb, and 9/11 - that's all you need.....
"There's an old saying in Tennessee — I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee — that says, fool me once, shame on — shame on you. Fool me — you can't get fooled again."
I just realized that my analogy is way off. Although they both claim to have strong business backgrounds, G.W. Bush has an MBA, whereas W. Hellmann has a CPA. My bad.
Ok....I haven't emailed the school board often, but honestly I feel that if falls on deaf ears. SO....I want to start an email compaign. Anyone have any email addresses of higher ups, PDE, Governor, Pope anyone that will listen. I am ready to start!
ALSO, I'd like to ask Sharon Hughes personally when was the last time she walked thru ANY of the three schools when school was in session?????????? I am sick and tired of her "I think everyone is doing a fabulous job" Attitude!
HAS SHE ever had to chase a kid that ran out of the school and into the streets surrounding Reither, I think not! I have friends that work as Aides and I hear what they have to deal with on a daily basis. Cutting the alternative schools is only going to add to the problems. There were kids in my son's class this year that were unbearable and had it not been for the aides in the class, Lord knows what it would of been like!
I don't want to sit and wait anymore to see what is going to happen in three years. YES I UNDERSTAND there are problems!
And isnt Marly on the school board! NOT THE TAX BOARD. Her comment about her being there to cut taxes just lit the fire under my arse!
Whew..I need that rant link again!
Dianne has a great idea. I will start a new post for email addresses where we can send complaints.
The Pope does have an email address. It's benedictxvi@vatican.va. In Italian: benedettoxvi@vatican.va
damn..now I wish I took Latin/Italian when I was in school?
A five year contract is lookin' pretty good now that the inflation rate tops 5.6% and rising.
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