Monday Update - The Will of the People
State High Vision
State High Vision Update
Monday, February 25, 2008
Meeting tonight! The SCASD board will hold their regularly scheduled meeting at 7:30 in the Board Room at 131 W. Nittany Ave. Although the agenda was not yet available for public view this morning as we were posting this message, we believe the proposal for the District Wide Master Plan may be included in tonight’s discussion.
WHERE WE STAND ON THE SELECTION PROCESS FOR THE OPEN SEAT ON THE BOARD:
With Barney Grimes’ resignation from the SCASD board, the community has again engaged in the process to select a member who will help take the district into the future. Given the intensity of discussion and debate leading up to both the May primary and November general election, the outcome of this process is very important. State HIGH VISION as a community action group CANNOT intervene or endorse in political elections but we can update the community on the process.
When Mr. Grimes resigned, the board opened the selection process for interested community members to apply. Fourteen (14) community members submitted their names for consideration by sending a resume and cover letter. Last Monday (February 18, 2008), the board reviewed the materials submitted by the interested candidates. In a written ballot, the 8 remaining board members voted for prospective candidates that they felt should be carried on to the interview process. After a lengthy discussion about the “break” in votes and how many votes it should take to elevate a candidate to the interview stage of selection, 7 candidates were eliminated and 7 were moved forward for interviews. Those candidates scheduled for interviews were Jillian Reese, William Moyer, Cathy Dauler, Bernard Catorna, Tim Eden, Mary Dupuis and James Pawelczyk. These 7 candidates were then randomly scheduled for interviews with the board – 4 scheduled for last Wednesday (February 20) and 3 for this coming Wednesday (February 27, 2008).
Last Wednesday, James Pawelczyk, Tim Eden and Bernard Catorna interviewed with the board. Cathy Dauler was denied a request to be rescheduled for this week after reportedly complaining that the process was slanted toward those who would hear the interview questions in advance and requesting a change in her interview time. The other candidates scheduled to go last Wednesday did not object to the process. As a result, Mrs.Dauler has been eliminated from the slate. Jillian Reese, William Moyer and Mary Dupuis will interview this week.
The controversy continues.
While we hope that the board will come together, look to the future, and vote the will of the people, the voting results from the February 18 meeting and later discussion suggest that the past and the future of the district continue to be at odds. Incumbent board member David Hutchinson gives us a glimpse into the perspective of those who continue to try to hold on to the old ways of doing business on his School Board Blog at
http://www.freewebs.com/hutch153/schoolboardblogger.htm
While it is interesting to get Hutchinson’s insight on the ongoing deliberations, putting this sort of material on a public blog raises questions about how serious he really is in trying to work with the new board members and brings into question his sincerity in prioritizing “unity” on the board – a criteria for the replacement candidate that was similarly identified by each of the 4 incumbents at last week’s meeting. We believe the community would be better served with more evidence of constructive teamwork than the “we versus them” positioning of the incumbent board members.
CNET as a community service
Last week’s meeting where the candidates were selected and the candidate interviews are being broadcast on CNET – Channel 98. If you cannot attend we urge you to watch the interviews on CNET. Schedule below.
State College Area Board of School Directors Special Meeting (February 18, 2008)
Monday, February 25 – 2:00 p.m.
State College Area Board of School Director Interviews: Set 1 (Recorded February 21, 2008)
Tuesday, February 26 – 8:00 p.m.
Thursday, February 28 – 12:00 p.m.
Friday, February 26 – 4:00 p.m.
Sunday, March 2 – 12:00 a.m.
State College Area Board of School Director Interviews: Set 2 (Recorded February 27, 2008)
Wednesday, February 27 – 7:30 p.m. – LIVE
Thursday, February 28 – 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, March 1 – 12:00 p.m.
Sunday, March 2 – 9:00 a.m.
State College Area Board of School Directors Meeting (February 25, 2008)
Monday, February 25– 7:00 p.m. – LIVE
Wednesday, February 27 – 4:00 p.m.
Thursday, February 28 – 4:00 a.m.
Friday, February 29 – 12:00 p.m.
Saturday, March 1 – 8:00 a.m. & 8:00 p.m.
Final Thought For Monday
It isn't what we don't know that gives us trouble, it's what we know that ain't so. (Will Rogers)