The scene was something out of a French absurdist play. After weeks of budget deliberations and an attempt to keep county spending under control, the Wicomico County Council met for a regular session on Tuesday. The regular session went relatively smoothly. Two members of the County Health Department showed up to discuss their budget immediately after the regular session. Then the council broke for lunch. End of Act I.
Before we move to the second act, we need a little context: The county council has been struggling to cut spending. While they have not sought to cut jobs, they have not shirked their duty to the taxpayers either.
ACT II
After lunch, Wicomico Board of Education Superintendent John Fredericksen, several board members, a full complement of more than adequately-paid bureaucrats, and most of the School Building Commission strolled in to meet with the county council. Given the county’s current fiscal problems, you would think that the WCBOE would send a tight contingent sans entourage. If all of those BOE employees have time to hang out in council chambers we have to ask – are these people really necessary to the education of Wicomico’s children?
First up, the School Building Commission. While spending almost 45 minutes claiming that they didn’t want to discuss funding for the proposed Bennett Middle School, the message was clear – We need to build the school because costs will just continue to rise.
One of the more disturbing, and absurd, segments of ACT II came when the chairman of the School Building Commission (after repeatedly arguing that the school met the “reasonableness” test, whatever that is) told council that they should give the WCBOE a dollar amount that they want to spend on a new school and that the WCBOE would work towards that number.
Think about this for a moment. If the BOE can shave $1 million, $5 million, etc. from the proposed school’s cost, why don’t they? They should proposed to build what is absolutely necessary to educate kids rather than attempt to defend the bells and whistles associated with this homage to the WCBOE’s collective ego.
The commission’s chairman belittled the council’s attempts to spend tax dollars wisely by asking the rhetorical question:
We could put up a pole building, but would it be optimum for our students?Former councilman, and current commission member, Marvin Long later made a similar, and equally insulting, statement:
I would hate to see us build a warehouse.To these attempts to portray the council as the “bad guys” who are denying little school children a safe, secure, and productive educational environment, Councilman Joe Holloway stated:
I’ve been disappointed. This building has over 60 corners. I don’t think anyone is calling for a pole building. We all agree that we need a new school. It will be easier to get it if it costs less. The bottom line is can the cost be brought down by simplifying it?
Bizarrely, this segment of our little play was civil and intelligent compared with what follows in ACT III.
ACT III
Several weeks ago, the county council forwarded a series of questions to the WCBOE. Their hope was to receive responses in time for the council to study them prior to their meeting with the WCBOE on Tuesday. When did they receive them? Late Monday. The council received one copy, so that it was impossible to have the bundle of documents copied and distributed in time for Tuesday’s meeting. In addition to the requested documents and answers were two sheets. One contained the following memo from Supt. Fredericksen to the council:
As we prepare for Tuesday’s work session with the County Council, we hereby request that you provide responses to the attached list of questions. We believe that a give-and-take approach to solving the many issues of Wicomico County would lead to a fruitful discussion. Please contact me if you have any questions.
Thank you for your cooperation.
The second sheet contained nine questions which we will publish later.
Presumptuous? Oh yeah! Arrogant? Beyond words.
While the idea may be sound, there is little doubt that the intended spirit was not one of a genuine desire to fix problems. Last year it took the council four (4) weeks to receive copies of travel expenses. To add insult to injury, a member of the WCBOE staff admitted that it only took pressing a few buttons to retrieve the reports. If you are a member of the public, forget about receiving information about board spending.
Councilwoman Stevie Prettyman opened up the discussion by bringing up the questions submitted by the WCBOE. BOE member Ron Willey went ballistic. He argued that the council had no right to demand the information they periodically seek:
“We’re getting grilled. I feel like you are just looking to put your finger on something. You asked for travel last year and now you are asking for them again. You asked for salary information again.”
When it was explained to Willey that every county department had to undergo the same type of scrutiny, BOE president Michelle Wright piped in – “We’re not a county department!”
Technically, this is correct. However, the county’s charter states that the county council has a right to financial information from any department, agency, or organization which the county funds, or partially funds.
Councilman Joe Holloway made this observation:
“This is public information. What’s the beef with us asking these questions? We get this same information every month from other county departments. It took me FOUR months to get that information.”
While our elected officials have to fight to retrieve information, the BOE simply does not feel that they owe the taxpaying public either fiscal restraint or simple transparency. When Fredericksen stands before the county council, or any other group, and states that the BOE wants to “work with you”, or claims that the BOE will provide whatever information is requested, he is simply being disingenuous. If he wasn’t, the county council would not have to wait months for information that is readily available. While it took four months to deliver a computer report of BOE travel expenses to council, it was only the actual receipts which took time to copy. However, that request wasn’t made until AFTER the original report had been delivered to council and they combed through the report and specified which receipts he wanted to see.
One of the day’s highlights was Wright’s claim that she did not believe that they were there to discuss the budget. Either Mrs. Wright is too obtuse to serve on a school board, or she was attempting the usual BOE bait and switch. Council president Gail Bartkovich pointed out that it was the BOE’s office which determined that Tuesday would be the day to discuss the budget because the other dates offered by council weren’t convenient.
While Tuesday’s display saddened just about everyone there (except for the BOE employees, I’m sure), this should serve as a warning to the hard working taxpayers of Wicomico County. If the members of the county council won’t stand up to these wanna-be bullies, the taxpayers could well wind up paying more for a service that continues decline in perceived quality.
Citizens need to stand up now!
28 comments:
The BOE could save some money by getting rid of the "double dippers" People that have retired (are getting retirement benefits) and been rehired. They could also have more efficiency in the Bus routes. The problem with the members on this Board (minus Mrs. Holloway) is that they do not think creatively and its all about them and NOT the kids or the teachers in the classroom. I hope that the Council CONTINUES to grill the BOE. As far as Mrs. Wright's comment about not being a department = CLUELESS on where the money comes from. Us - Taxpayers. Thank you for your work, Stevie, Gail and Joe!!!
Yes, Thanks to the C. members who stil sood up for we the people!
The BOE should be made to publicize everything spent!!! I am sure the people will be amazed!
Keep up the "watch" -----Stevie, Gail & Joe!! God knows they need to be accountable to you & the taxpayers in this County. To much has drifted by for way to long!!
This is just unbelievable. This is the primary reason why most every county in Maryland has an elected school board. Unfortunately, the WCBOE's own Delegate Norm Conway played games to spare this board from being replaced. Norm and all those old cronies need to go home.
They better check Mr. Willey and find out why he doesn't want to report the Travel. Maybe it's because he is using it to go see his daughter in Massachusetts. He who protest too loudly.
Mrs. Conway
Mrs. Willey
Who else double dips? Kind of funny since both husbands are in very influential positions over the board of Education!
Joe can you get to the bottom of this?
How much was the trip to China? Could've Skyped.
Nepotism is alive and well at the BOE. A fringe benefit of being in upper management is to have your children or other relatives get jobs there. And the HR director has kept her job by making sure this happens.
to all council members: please continue to hold the BOE accountable. this is OUR hard earned tax dollars that pay for this failed system.
To Gail, Joe and Stevie: Obey all of the charter, not just parts that are convenient to you.
if the council wants accountability and transparancy, they should also familiarize themselves with state and federal mandates that the BOE MUST comply with- it does no good to only look at part of the picture- I suspect there is waste and not just with the BOE- the county talks about revenue being down... building requests lower... has that department been reduced? waste is not limited to BOE- and, no, I don't work for them
What a freakin joke....pay now or pay later.
I say boot out the council and put people in this position who support education.
It is a darn shame that the most precious resource we have, kids, are being denied what they deserve because of BS.
I am glad to pay my share of taxes and even support much more. In most states, there is a separate school tax to support our kids.
Shame on all of you.
The HR manager is terrible and so is the department. Any call to them is an infringement on their day. Talk about nepotism! Just look in that office alone. They certainly aren't a resource to anyone who works for the WCBOE.
What is really interesting with these comments is that some of them are from employees of the WBOE. Just ask some the employees who have worked for must of their lives and they will gladly share what a farce the WBOE is.
Give the Board what they need to educate our children.
Give them what they need to educate out children, but not use our children to get more than you need to fill your pockets. If the teachers had to take some sort of pay reduction like most everyone else, I may have a little more trust in the whole thing.
I think the board has had more than enough funding until they can get some of these schools to meet Annual Yearly Progress.
In Wicomico, 10 schools (42 percent) did not meet AYP.
However, in Wicomico, graduation rates increased for the second straight year.
What is wrong with this picture? We are failing to meet AYP as a county but graduation rates are up?
Oh, fantastic!
Well, here is why that is true, folks:
Bridge projects. Bridge projects you ask? What might they be? Well, if a student fails a portion of the High School Assessment (Algebra for instance) they can re-take the test. . .if they fail again they can do a bridge project. This is basically a workbook of basic skills (in the failed area) that a student completes. The Wicomico County Board of Education pays some board employees, usually former teachers, to coach these kids through the packet of worksheets. The packet then goes to superintendent John Fredericksen for a signature. These kids will earn a score of "basic" and that will allow them to graduate. They, however, will hurt AYP for the county with the basic score. So more graduates with little intelligence. Typical. Strict standards rendered useless by loopholes and backup plans and "just in case we fail" parachutes.
read:
http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/news/education/blog/2009/01/will_the_hsa_requirement_hold.html#comments
I should add that basically, depending upon the number of points shy a student is from passing HSA, they may have multiple bridge projects to complete. Each one makes up for 20 points missed on their HSA.
Read:
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:UVOp4QqCzOMJ:silverchips.mbhs.edu/story/9642+hsa+%22bridge+projects%22&hl=en&gl=us&strip=1
“It’s fair to let students who fail the tests do a project because it gives them another chance to meet the graduation requirement,” she said.
read more:
http://www.theblackandwhite.net/2010/10/29/students-take-different-routes-to-pass-hsas-earn-diplomas/
Who are we doing a favor by doing this? By watering down standards? Not the students. That much I can tell you! Oh the dirty little secrets. . .do a search on bridge projects on the internet. . .not easy to find this stuff. I learned about it from a Baltimore Sun article. Outrage!
Check page 6 of this document from WCBOE's homepage:
http://www.wcboe.org/schools/phs/assets/files/HSA/HSA_Bridge_Plan.pdf
There is no way to fail other than not to complete the bridge projects!
What does this tell kids?
Oh screw the HSA, i'll just do bridge projects if I can't hack it.
I'll still graduate!
. . .unless they care about whether their school meets AYP of course. . .then they will buckle down and pass honestly. . .har har
http://www.wcboe.org/schools/phs/assets/files/HSA/HSA_Bridge_Plan.pdf
i'll try again
see pages 6 and 7 of the .pdf file
Sounds to me like the board does not like to answer to anyone. To me, an employee is someone you hire to do a job.
You tell them what you want done, and they do it or you get someone else who will.
It looks like the employee is telling the boss what to do and what it will do. If I were their boss I would fire them and find someone more cooperative and does what they are told.
Surely I would not have to look far for some people to replace them with.
If they do not want to provide information that will allow them to be reimbursed, deny the reembursement. One problem solved.
If they can't or won't find ways to reduce costs, hire an outside architect company to do so. Two problems solved.
Discontinue double dipping. Let them live on their retirement and hire someone who needs a job to replace them. Three problems solved.
Interesting reading these comments. These are the times true leadership shines. Thank you county council memebers and stay strong. You have many citizens behind you. We are depending on you.
G.A. , it's all about the children!
NOT!!!
Getting a little sick of that statement.
11:02 Yeah the teachers need a pay cut!?!??? What kind of stupid comment is that!!! So now the teachers end up paying for supplies for the kids, practically raising them and paying for the school too? YOu want them to feed and cloth the kids also? What a joke the way some people think or I should say don't think!
3:38
Does this writer suggest that the county council is not abiding with some parts of the county charter? What's this all about. Tell us, dear writer, don't just insinuate. Come on Joe, dig it out. 3:38, what are you holding back?
Sorry I can't sign my name, because of retribution fears.
If I hear the idiotic threat from you BOE employes / Teachers Union morons one more I think I'll scream.
So anyone who asks for accountability from the BOE wants to HARM the children!
No jagoff, NONE of us want to harm the children, we are sick of the lazy opportunists at the BOE that are seeking to line their own pockets ON THE BACKS of the children that you profess to want to help.
What we want is increased accountabilty of YOU PEOPLE!
Almost all at the BOE seek to reward a certain demographic within Wicomico at the expense of another.
Anyone who seeks to unmask this little game by trying to get at the records is threatened with being branded "against the children".
Fredericksen and his cronies seek to reward their friends both political and otherwise through the promise of reward with tax dollars.
Why do these people want to build ANOTHER school?
First, it rewards a certain demographic to keep the votes flowing in for liberal Democrats
Second, it rewards a certain class of contractors with strong ties to O'Malley
Third, it rewards the BOE employees/appointees with the potential promise of future rewards/appointments
While on this matter get receipts from transportation and see how they are blowing our tax dollars. New shirts, jackets partys, lunches, just had a big party for one employee and I'm sure they used our tax dollars. Why is Board owned car driven back and forth daily to Ocean Pines at our expense. This department is way over do for an over haul with top first. Please get the receipts and check this one department out and it will blow your mind
Anon 0532 -
DITTO!
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Anon 0602 -
I'm not sure if I understand your comment. I have only argued "It's for the children" with tongue in cheek.
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Anon 0716 -
I have to agree with you on this. I, for one, have never argued for a cut in teacher pay. I know that the overwhelming majority of teachers are honest, caring, hardworking people.
However, for purposes of disclosure, I do support school choice, merit pay for teachers, and the abolition of "tenure".
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Anon 0751 -
Ditto!
I would be interested in knowing what Anon 1538 is referring to as well.
Except for one Board member, the rest are nice but clueless rubber stamps for Dr. F. They ask few questions and accept whatever half truths they're given as answers.
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