Thank God for Freedom Of Information, Public Documents and Open Meeting Laws.
From: amherstac@aol.com
To: westmorelandD@arps.org; mazurk@arps.org; hajirf@arps.org
Sent: Mon, Mar 15, 2010 9:20 am
Subject: Public Documents Request
Amherst Regional School Committee
Hi,
Could I please get copies of the evaluation materials mentioned in the Sunday Springfield Republican article on the sudden departure of Dr. Alberto Rodriguez specifically from Regional School Committee Chair Farshid Hajir: four notebooks filled with "impressions" of the Superintendent's performance created during meetings with faculty and staff which Hajir attended in his role as School Committee Chair--thus making the materials a public document.
Thanks,
Larry Kelley
The Sunday Republican reports
Hi,
Could I please get copies of the evaluation materials mentioned in the Sunday Springfield Republican article on the sudden departure of Dr. Alberto Rodriguez specifically from Regional School Committee Chair Farshid Hajir: four notebooks filled with "impressions" of the Superintendent's performance created during meetings with faculty and staff which Hajir attended in his role as School Committee Chair--thus making the materials a public document.
Thanks,
Larry Kelley
14 comments:
Can't fix it if you can't see it.
Yeah, you would think after Hajir filled say, two notebooks, maybe he should have taken action or at least shared it with his committee.
This is interesting.
There are exemptions for personal records but that stopped applying when the notebooks became used in the evaluation of the Supt.
There also is a public meeting law issue here - the deliberations should have been in public. There are two relevant exemptions - a discussion of a personnel matter other than professional competence and four notebooks tends to lead toward the "professional competence" issue.
Second, the "contract negotiations" provision is only applicable when the other party is not himself already present in the meeting. In other words, the SC went into executive session to discuss negotiating strategy versus the supt, but he was there already, and thus it was not a legitimate executive session.
Third, all allocations of money have to be voted on in public. All contracts approved in public - I don't see any way around this. And thus the SC has to vote on his golden parachute, in a public meeting.
It will be interesting to see how they handle this.
Of course they can deny me on the "personal record" exemption, but as you point out the Supervisor of Records in Boston would agree with my appeal and, eventually, overrule them (although that would take a year.)
Meanwhile folks will be thinking, "What have they got to hide?"
.yrraL, si reywal s'adnelG ohw tuo dinF
...stiuswal eht wolloF
tuorT peeD
What I'm wondering is, why do you (or I) need to know? This seems like an unnecessary invasion of privacy for everyone concerned, unless you think he was unfairly railroaded out of town; which couldn't possibly be true, or we'd be hearing much more of an uproar from folks upset about it. Just because you can make a request for public documents, doesn't mean you should. There is such a thing as basic human decency that should, at least in some cases, trump the public's right to know
Amherst Regional Middle School principal Glenda Cresto resigns after 1 year on the job
Resigned? Give me a break.
basic human decency?
As I recall during the last budget "crisis" the then school committee (some of the same members) privatized the "lunch ladies", affecting modest retirements etc.
There's other examples that those of us who've observed this town's fiscal "management" over the years could provide that demonstrate definitions of human decency are arbitrary, at best.
HT
'Seller's market' for superintendents complicates search for school leaders
By Dan Crowley, on GazetteNET
03/15/2010
NORTHAMPTON - Even as school superintendents remain in high demand, most of those working in Hampshire County earn salaries well below the state average, though a few are creeping closer.
Former Amherst School Superintendent Alberto Rodriguez, who left his post abruptly last week, was the only area superintendent earning more than $150,000 in base salary, a Gazette survey finds.
In addition, he is one of about 60 of the commonwealth's 277 school superintendents who leave their posts each year, a turnover rate that prompts some districts to offer more attractive compensation packages, according to education experts.
"Supply and demand has certainly been changing the landscape," said Tom Scott, executive director of the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents. "There are so few candidates out there compared to what there used to be. It's a pretty tough market right now."
Maybe we can live without one. The principals seem to think so.
"Maybe we can live without one. The principals seem to think so."
Then let them take the job on a rotating basis and split the $150,000 between them. While a principal is on the job the vice from that school takes over. Use our local, proven talent and develop them at the same time.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YodKRx7PfTM
God I hope you don't try to make a living doing PR. Scanned photos, no music. Ick.
How many leaders are necessary?
Regional SC
SC
superintendent
principals
vice principals
deans
associate deans
assistant deans
directors:
curriculum, etc.
and
I'm sure I'm missing other titles here.
"basic human decency?
As I recall during the last budget "crisis" the then school committee (some of the same members) privatized the "lunch ladies", affecting modest retirements etc.
There's other examples that those of us who've observed this town's fiscal "management" over the years could provide that demonstrate definitions of human decency are arbitrary, at best.
HT"
Exactly.
Fck these vipers.
Post a Comment