Catherine Sanderson reports on the Gazette reportThe Springfield Republican follows up (actually using the Gazette as a source)
UPDATE Monday Morning (quarterbacking): The crusty Gazette finally caught up with this story. Must be a tad embarrassed as they threw up a brief last night on Gazettenet, but back dated it to Saturday. And intrepid forever reporter Nick Grabbe had to resort to using persons "with direct knowledge of the situation," as sources but of course unnamed.
The Regional School Committee meets tonight in Executive Session to try to put together Dr. Rodriguez's going away present. For sure he will demand the rest of this year's salary (about $40,000) but he may ask for all of next year's as well ($158,000.) Probably will not have the gall to also ask for the $15,000 in housing/transportation. If so, let's hope the School Committee pays him off in pennies so he gets a hernia dragging them back to sunny Miami, Florida.
#####################################
UPDATE: Saturday around noon:
So sorry for not responding to all the Comments that occurred after I, finally, hit the "publish" button close to midnight last night as I then retired.
And sorry for deleting the post "We interrupt this regularly scheduled program..." which had garnered a few comments because I was sitting on this "A-Rod Strikes Out" story in draft for sooooo many hours that when I finally got the corroboration I needed for some reason it published below the placeholder, throw-away post signaling something BIG was in the offing.
So I just deleted that entire post (only the 2nd time in three years I have done such a thing.)
When someone taunted me by email about being out of touch on this story with the bricks and mortar media possibly beating me to it (and at that point it was written, the photo uploaded and my right hand was hovering over the publish button) I instantly flashed back to that great scene in "Tora, Tora, Tora" where the lowly staff Sergeant had tried to get his commanding officer to do something after the rookie commander of the USS Ward reporting attacking an enemy submarine at the mouth of Pearl Harbor, early on the morning of December 7.
The Commander, not happy about working on a gorgeous Sunday. barked "Corroboration, I need corroboration!" A few hours later he bursts into the same office with his eyes wide open and jaw hitting the floor and the lowly Sargent (busily answering the phone and stamping forms at a frantic pace) looks up, points his hand at the huge picture window overlooking the Harbor now filled with burning, dying ships and shouts, "There's your corroboration!"
ORIGINAL POST: late last night
After less than a year as the highest paid Amherst "public servant", School Superintendent Alberto Rodriguez will go the way of the previous (less than) Super, Alton Sprague who took his co-Superintendent wife, two months of taxpayer funded salary, and flew the coop.
In this case, Rodriguez will be winging back to Miami, Florida where "we play hard, hard, hardball" he bragged to the Amherst Bulletin last year, declaring he would have no trouble surviving in the People's Republic of Amherst.
Once again Maria Geryk steps up to cover as she did previously after the aged co-supers disappeared with two months left on their one-year contract, and most recently for the numerous days A-Rod took as vacation/sick time.
#########################################
SUPERINTENDENT ‑ CONTRACT OF EMPLOYMENT
4. TERMINATION: This Agreement may be terminated or modified by mutual written agreement of the parties. In the event that the Superintendent desires to terminate this Agreement before the term of the Agreement and his employment expires, he may do so by giving at least one-hundred twenty (120) days’ notice of his intention to the Committees. This Agreement may be terminated by the Committees prior to its expiration, for good cause, but not without prior written notice to the Superintendent of the proposed reasons for termination.
97 comments:
Jaw on floor...
Who's jaw could be on the floor??? Good God, doesn't anyone see/read between the lines, I have called it from the start people! PLEASE vote NO come tuesday march election on prop 2/ 1/2 override!!!! PLEASE for the sake of what is left of Amherst, this town we call home, send the message!
So Larry,
When do you think we will here from the town officials/school officials about a new "committee" fund being set up to search for the new super? oh, at our expense AGAIN!
If they are going to hold the new search for a a new super in the middle of the winter months why don't they search Hawaii or DR and have themselves a really nice vacation while their at it? OH, but if they really wanted to save money and help the town, they would be willing to look more locally for the next super, like CT or Easthampton! See you all at the poles people!
Taco Bell, Go outside of the bun" HA!
AHERST, can you give me an "A" is for ASSES, can you give me an "H" is for hypocrite, can you give me an "S",is for "socialites", can you give me a "T" is for taxes! What do ya' get? AMHERST, GET Y"RSELF SCREWED! RAH RAH RAH
The "M" is for "mind your own buisness" that is why is not included people, get it?
"A-Rod strikes out!" implies he went down swinging. Do you have any direct evidence he was terminated? If you do, you didn't present it. As far as we know, he doesn't want to be here an he's leaving.
What's the vindication in that?
Kelley thinks everything is about him. It's not. This is not about Larrey Kelly.
just like good old "Jack Nicholson" Mr. Anon Nitwit, "you can't handle the truth!"
Larry, I don't care what people say about you or criticize you for, you are a true "pillar" of the Amherst that should be, non corrupt, non connected, non brown-nosed. bully to you Larry for keeping true to what is right!
oh, just please dig a huge hole for all of us to drop dead in and get it over with! if this is how the town and school are going to keep on going, a track record of three years of this BS, just get it done already. why put us through more of this BS year after year after year..
I'm confused. Is this too good to be true? Or is this just wishful thinking? Or is this insider information? Help me out so I can begin to celebrate.
Why isn't Maria Geryk offered the job? And if she doesn't want it because (as I understand it) she has small children, why not redefine the job to meet her needs?
Hire a part-time consultant if she doesn't think she has the expertiese to be Supt, or more likely if she doesn't want to be the figurehead receiving the wrath of angry parents.
He**, hire her a live-in nanny if that is what it takes, it would be cheaper than this foolishness. And the district likely could screen & hire someone better than she could; maybe I have been in higher ed too long but as long as it was part of her compensation package and she reported it as income, I don't see a problem.
I don't know the woman, but everyone seems to like her and she does seem to do the Supt job quite well. And has been doing it.
I don't want to accuse the good Liberals and leftists of sexism, but if she were a man, she already would have the job. Call me a hard-headed conservative but when you have an employee who does the job well, you hire her for the job and it doesn't matter if she is a "girl."
And if you need to redefine the job to meet her personal needs, you do so because it is a whole lot cheaper to use the talent you have than continuing to try to bring it in from away...
Before everyone starts saying we should've hired the guy from CT-
I doubt he wouldn't have stuck around either. (He already had a date and plans for retirement (ready to do something different) and as his car racing was his #1 priority- he was taking time off to race (not sure if he documented this time!)
Folks were saying that "West Hartford" should've be painted on the car as a race sponsor.
I'll second the motion. And this from a geriatric white male.
What we need now is a healer, a team builder.
And NOT a person from a religious and cultural background where the only authority figure is MALE, and everything he states is taken as truth with no questioning. Doesn't play well in Amherst.
Also someone, who on their first week, doesn't tell the community that it should get ready for an override.
Also, also, a person who does not hire without any competitive bids, cronies from the past.
Maybe someone who feels strongly enough about the school system, to live in the community.
Come on, this is not rocket science.
Multiculturalism Run Amok.
What we need is the most qualified person, and he wasn't.
All that's left to discuss is the parachute.
Oh, I'm sure the Crusty Gazette will get around to it...maybe by Tuesday.
Link! Halp! Or if it is a rumour, or a prophecy - please state that. Nothing in the news, ARPS website, School Board site... anywhere.
Now the whole over-credentialed and over-compensated superintendency racket is a great subject, though. What the hell did we do before Doctors of Education proliferated across the landscape?
Come on Xenos you've been around here long enough.
I don't do rumors. As Joe Friday would say, "Just the facts."
Here's the good news from this unfortunate episode:
We have school employees who put the well-being of the schools ahead of their fear for their jobs. This took some intestinal fortitude on their parts.
Next question:
How many creeps are there trolling around the nation looking for an unsuspecting municipality for a career in education?
"Unsuspecting"? I thought Amherst was (overly) educated?
Maybe we should elect a School Committee with common sense.
If the world ended over a weekend- we would not know it.
Last weekend (Fri) a pedestrian was hit in a Sunderland crosswalk - I happened to see it on the front page of the Greenfield Recorder while at Cumbies on Sunday- other news sources did not mention it until Monday.
We need a good source for local weekend news- anyone interested in starting a blog??? LOL
I agree, more information please.
I really would like to emphasize that we must hold the responsible people accountable.
The SC IS responsible for hiring and negotiating the Super. contracts. They blew it with the Spragues and really blew with Dr. Rodriguez.
Am I saying Dr. R wasn't the right person for the job? No, we'll never really know that.
I AM saying his compensation package was out of line from the start and the SC is wholly responsible.
I've also heard that I'm not the only one who was completely turned off by the SC committee hiring process and the members on it who flip flopped on their hiring votes...in order to have "consensus."
From what I understand this is not an isolated case (not just in Amherst) of elected officials who misunderstand what their role is. They want to present a decision as "consensus" in order to sway the electorate (i.e. the taxpayers) into a complacent, trusting mood.
It's exasperating. We're adults and intelligent enough to work and pay taxes...we're not as gullible as that. If the majority on SC wants the candidate that's what happens; that's real. But when you observe the meeting and see a break then a re-seating and a member changes his/her vote in order to present "consensus": that's problematic and erodes trust of the taxpayer.
The housing allowance, the travel allowance...these were NOT good decisions. The termination clause in the Spragues' contract that allowed them to terminate and still get paid for such a lengthy time...atrocious.
And I know the accusations will be that the horrible "bloggers" and the "anons" chased Dr. R. away. But why did the Spragues leave?
There will also be the continuing excuse that the anti overriders are the problem.
And the rich teachers who are getting paid are the problem.
But what do the "bloggers" and "anti-overriders" have in common? Perhaps they have in common that each group is questioning whether the people elected to represent the taxpayer make responsible fiscal decisions. Perhaps these groups and others far less vocal are questioning why our town has not been able to manage a budget and ask for overrides over and over again.
Yes, we are in a pervasive economic downturn. But if you look back historically at this town, every override has been a "crisis" time. Prop 2.5 has been in effect for a very long time.
Learn to manage a budget within the constraints of the limit.
Pro overriders are asking our PD, firefighters and teachers to do that over and over again.
Instead we (as in our elected officials) support giving travel allowances, housing allowances, six figure admin salaries, etc. and pay the hands-on paras a small salary, begrudge negotiated COL's for public employees, and the list goes on. Ultimately the taxpayers really have only ourselves to blame if we continue to sit back and let our elected reps mismanage the budget.
Lastly: I'm an "anon" because I do not feel comfortable in this community not to be. I know there's quite a few people who believe that's cowardice, do not believe there's ever retribution for honest opinion, or have an income secure from anybody's influence. Unfortunately, I don't think that's reality.
E.S.
This time we should say: The job is paying $150K + benefits. That's it. No negotiation. You don't want to work for that? Don't apply.
Make that "unsuspecting municipalities looking to feel good about themselves and their commitment to diversity".
Anybody seen "The Music Man" lately?
Amherst is a great retirement community that's why high paying people like to come here. High pay, little work. I saw the music department hire a violinist to come once a week for 85k. Think about it that's 32 days of work for 85k. After 10 years he retired and now the state is still sending him a check. Are these supers that work one year able to cash in their retirement benefits?
Oh, we got trouble
Right here in the Town of Amherst
That's trouble
With a capital "T"
And that rhymes with "D"
And that stands for Diversity.
Remember BAMSS? (Being a Multicultural School System)
Well, this is BAM, right in the kisser of this community.
Kathryn Mazur next?
Larry-
Some of us are not that plugged in to the scuttlebut. I still can find no source for the story that the Sup. is resigning, giving notice about next year, taking indefinite leave - nothing but the story about the medical leave.
For all I can tell you could have manufactured the story... I do not care to make such accusations, but I don't know what else to make of such a scandalous story that is so completely unsourced. Please let us know how you know this, even if it is from a source at the town or school board on deep background.
One of the most incredible blogs on the internet... hands down.
Xenos, Xenos, Xenos:
I'm starting to wonder how you get so damn many hits on your food blog.
Christ! (I'm Catholic so I can get away with that), give me SOME credit for almost 30 years of journalism.
Yes, it is from multiple sources all super-reliable and on "deep background." And I had the balls to go with it.
What the Hell do you want for free?
Well, the timing would be right, resign before your performance review comes out, because you know that there is something bad in it.
But I really would like this to be just a little bit better sourced than Larry Kelly's Clairvoyant Thoughts....
I'd just assume it's true...
But one could wonder if LK is testing AROD to see if he really doesn't read that stuff...
Maybe we should contact Gus... I think his days are numbered in South Hadley.
This would all be just a bad dream, but.....
We lost a Middle School principal on the Super's unchallenged say-so, a woman (and I think the fact that she was a woman made her an easier target for him) who was well-liked and dedicated to the kids.
Mistakes like this have sad consequences.
A few weeks ago I posted how you know when a higher up is about to retire. They usually give themselves a huge raise and take a paid sabbatical. The next day I read of Wilson's retirement announcement. He just got a raise. Just think of Bulger's and Wilson's retirement check, 80% of 450-500K. We can't afford to keep people working but can afford big retirement packages. Wait till how pension system goes bust and then the fun will really begin.
One again Larry has created a climate of fear and intimidation that helped drive a perfectly good superintendent out of our community. You whip up a controversy out of nothing and then sit back and gloat. Shame on you.
Nice try, Anon 1:21 PM
But as you may learn, LarryK had nothing to do with this.
This was dedicated professionals in our school system who were quiet and polite until they were asked to speak. And then they blew the whistle. There was nothing "perfectly good" here.
One suggestion for the next Supt (other than hiring on competence and not racial purity) is to offer a fixed sum compensation package. In other words, the job pays X each year and the Supt can negotiate it however he/she/it wants to have it.
You can have the whole thing as taxable income, you can have an annunity or deferred compensation (lower tax rate at retirement) whatever you like. The job pays X and you get X and you get to divide X up any damn way you want.
This is how it is done in Higher Ed - there is a set sum offered to people like Holub and then it gets divided up from there. And I am not so sure Wilson is in the state retirement plan, he has only been here 10 years and may be in TIAA/CREF instead. I know faculty are given that option if they aren't already vested, not sure about administrators.
Well, it's out. Go to the ARPS website and you can see their salaries. I wouldn't trust Geryk either. There are things I've heard that I don't like. She appears very nice but I don't know. She is making pretty good money already! Look at how many we pay over $100,000 and how many we pay even $90,000 and there are quite a few above $70,000. No wonder some paras are upset. I heard that they don't even see $20,000 even after working there full-time for a long time.
Thanks Ed for your racist contribution. So, according to your logic unless a white person is hired the hiring is because of race not resume?
The para salary is so embarrassing that they don't even list it. You know, the people who actually deliver services to our children. The ones who can call a child by name.
Gus, Jere, Spragues, Alberto,...?
Wow, good choices.
"One again Larry has created a climate of fear and intimidation that helped drive a perfectly good superintendent out of our community. You whip up a controversy out of nothing and then sit back and gloat. Shame on you."
Anon, are you fcking insane?
To Anonymous 1:21 p.m. didn't take you long, did it?
"The SC IS responsible for hiring and negotiating the Super. contracts. They blew it with the Spragues and really blew with Dr. Rodriguez.
nd I know the accusations will be that the horrible "bloggers" and the "anons" chased Dr. R. away. But why did the Spragues leave?
There will also be the continuing excuse that the anti overriders are the problem.
And the rich teachers who are getting paid are the problem."
Don't blame this blog for creating the news, it only reports the news. This blog didn't force the super out of anything. It only made people aware of what was going on. Something that the press in a free society is suppose to do.
Thanks Ed for your racist contribution. So, according to your logic unless a white person is hired the hiring is because of race not resume?
There were two candidates who had been a superintendent before, and the one hired had not. That is a fact.
And if you wish to call hiring the less qualified candidate - who couldn't do the job - anything other than outright racist, I want to know what planet you are on...
I'd like to say that if the Superintendent is leaving I am very disappointed about it. If it's true that some of his underlings did not like him, I am not sure that is a bad thing.
Also, I want to know why we still have the same HR person in this district after a principal was hired (who is no longer here) who had a history of inappropriate behavior with students. I don't know that whole story, but I'd like to know it. If there is anywhere I could read about it, please let me know. And again, how come we still have the same HR person after something like that? Who got blamed for that? And why don't we have the expectation that our HR person could do a thorough enough background check. Call ALL the prior employers, it's as simple as that, or am I missing something?
After a principal was hired (who is no longer here) who had a history of inappropriate behavior with students.
The sad thing is that it actually was quite innocent - there was a boy who thought that he had enlarged breasts and the principal looked at him and told him not to worry about it. That is legitimate.
After a principal was hired (who is no longer here) who had a history of inappropriate behavior with students.
The sad thing is that it actually was quite innocent - there was a boy who thought that he had enlarged breasts and the principal looked at him and told him not to worry about it. That is legitimate.
I'm a 6th grader. I think I have a bump on my left testicle. I guess it can wait until Monday when my principal can look at it in his office.
Anon 10:39 are you for real? If so you are scary. Where is a link to the real story on that principal. Larry can you shed some light?
Anon 10:39
Really? Legitimate? Was that principal a medical doctor? Was there a chaperone present?
All you libs in Amherst are a bunch of looney tunes-- no wonder your schools suck.
Having principals do medical exams would help with universal health care and help justify their high salaries. Quick, add it to the reconciliation!
Will the super have the nerve to ask for travel and moving expenses back to FL?
"Amherst Regional High School Principal Stephen Myers intends to resign his post, following allegations that he asked a male student to expose a nipple and invited him to his home, which he told the boy had a hot tub....
http://www.fightcps.com/2002_01_20_archive.html
http://www.massnews.com/2002_editions/01_Jan/11702amherst.htm
http://www.westword.com/2002-02-07/news/follow-that-story/1
asked a male student to expose a nipple and invited him to his home, which he told the boy had a hot tub....
This is not the version I heard - although if true, I definitely would not be of the opinion I was!
The version I heard was that the boy was being bullied and was embarassed about appearing to have female-sized breasts. And in this country - for right or wrong - it is perfectly acceptable for me to bare their chests.
This is male chest, not testicle.
And the we-know-now-perv asked the boy to show him his chest and told the boy not to worry about what the other boys were saying. Had there been someone down in South Hadley to address bullying in a similar manner last fall, that girl wouldn't have died.
I SAW/HEARD NOTHING ABOUT A HOT TUB!
Yes the guy was at least gay-friendly, which was why UberPC Amherst hired him. Yes he had left Colorado under more than questionable circumstances that someone ought to have found out about - his leaving Amherst couldn't have been of the interest it was to the Colorado media without at least a few of them knowing a few rumors...
And yes DSS did take his adopted son away from him after this story broke. And yes, he was a creepy pervert whom this town should never have hired. Agreed.
But what he actually DID, if it was only what was publicly reported in the brick/mortar media at the time (Larry was part of it then) then he didn't do anything wrong.
In other words, can any of you, when faced with a similar circumstance, see yourself NOT doing this? A perhaps overweight boy is being bullied and you (the responsible adult) try to restore his self confidence? And maybe not quite the way the perv-principal did, but can't you see doing it?
Or do we just let these kids get bullied into suicide?
Again, why wasn't the HR person in Amherst fired over that kind of hire, when there was something significant in his past that would deem him not to be a safe choice for our children? It seems that in a school district safety should be the most important factor and if our HR people can't manage at least that much, then there should be a change.
This is an awful story that was clearly handled improperly. Would it be okay to look at a female student's nipple and invite her to a hot tub? More importantly, what was in this person's past that we should have been aware of? I am absolutely shocked that this incident occurred here and there wasn't a bigger fallout.
It is so ridiculous to me that people were willing to give the principal the benefit of the doubt just because he was gay. That is insane. Some pedophiles are gay!
And of course nobody should be bullied. But what does that have to do with being invited over to an administrator's house to use a hot tub?
I know this is old news but my concern is that we don't have the right person handling HR issues in our district. We should have known about that HS principal's past.
And, regarding a more recent matter, Dr. Rodriguez our Superintendent, should have been advised that he should include a brief explanation of his sick leave request (nothing to violate his HIPAA rights) when he made his request originally. That would have saved all of us a lot of hassle and embarrassment. Did you watch the meeting where the man had to expound on his medical issues? Is that the way to treat people? The SC and the HR person failed us big time in this situation. It is not okay with me to treat people with such disrespect. If there were other issues, so be it. But the sick leave request should never have been an issue in my view.
It is not uncommon for Massachusetts school superintendents to resign under political pressure.
In Amherst, they drop dead.
Consider that HS Principal Jack Heffley died of a heart attack due to what John Barutto called the "emotional manipulativeness" practiced in Amherst.
And Asst Superintendent Ron Bell's stroke.
Good job, guys.
Amherst -- Where We Eat Our Own (when they try to do the job we hired them for)
I hope he quit, for his sake.
Kevin
"Again, why wasn't the HR person in Amherst fired over that kind of hire, when there was something significant in his past that would deem him not to be a safe choice for our children? It seems that in a school district safety should be the most important factor and if our HR people can't manage at least that much, then there should be a change."
Why wasn't the HR person fired?!!?
Should've been asked AGES ago.
"And of course nobody should be bullied. But what does that have to do with being invited over to an administrator's house to use a hot tub?"
Superintendent Sayer did not respond to the nipple hot tub incident in a timely/ correct manner
Now he is the S Hadley Superintendent where the bullying of 15 yr old Phoebe Prince at the high school resulted in suicide
The village is naked and gross.
Want to place some bets on what it will cost for the parachute?
Betcha he wants six figures to leave.
And will anyone be looking out for how the deal affects an override?
Things to think about.
To Anon 8:55.
You seem to think that the principal's solicitation of the boy for gay sex was a noble way to deal with the bullying situation. And that if only this hero was in South Hadley recently to save the day.....sigh...
Another option would have been to address the bullies themselves, but I suppose it is 6 of one, half a dozen of the other.
The Gazette:
AMHERST - A School Committee lawyer is negotiating with a lawyer for Superintendent Alberto Rodriguez on the terms of his departure after only eight months on the job, according to several people close to the situation.
Rodriguez is the fifth person to lead Amherst's schools in the past two years. He has been a source of controversy many times since he arrived last July, from his annual pay of $173,000 to the amount of time he has spent away from the job.
Contacted by the Gazette Sunday morning, Rodriguez said, "The rumor of me resigning is untrue" but declined further comment.
I'd like to agree with Anon 8:55.
And if there are any overweight girls out there being bullied I would be more than happy to look at their nipples and reassure them and have sex with them to "restore their self-confidence".
Yay for me! I'm Anon 8:55's hero!
I've been trying to figure something out: why is it in your interest to undermine the school committee and sabotage superintendents?
As a leader in a charter school you need to continue to make sure that your school is an attractive alternative to the Amherst elementary schools as a way to attract students..... and what better way to do it than to relentlessly attack the existing non-charter schools and their leadership, causing chaos and creating disarray.
now I get it.
Well, she does live in the People's Republic...
Once again, people are attributing too much power in the public debate to Larry.
Everyone will eventually discover that this latest upheaval was strictly in-house.
Larry is, like the rest of us, simply an observer of the bizarre scene.
"This would all be just a bad dream, but.....
We lost a Middle School principal on the Super's unchallenged say-so..."
What part did HR have in it?
Ha ha Amherst you suck.
Signed, Williamstown
Oh no larry -- Genius Sue W. has deciphered things and is on to your diabolical plot. I TOLD you people here were too smart to fool! Aw shucks.
"Ha ha Amherst you suck.
Signed, Williamstown"
Ha! At least I am finally within walking distance of all those library books.
Xenos:
One of the books we all wish Zephaniah had included in his library theft:
"How to Have Decent Public Schools"
I find it quite fascinating that people who disagree with Larry will resort to making the blog a goofy mess....
because I can't see that conservative folks would be sabotaging this blog.
Therefore it must be people who think they are liberal.
You know the kind of liberal we have here: the ones that believe in freedom of speech, religion, etc. as long as it coincides with what THEY believe.
If you deviate from their viewpoint, you're not only wrong but must be silenced.
I sometimes disagree with Larry's viewpoint, I often disagree with his tactics.
But I read his blog and some others as well as the mainstream "reporting" locally in order to try to see many sides of issues....
I find that people often seek out media that reports items only with which the seeker agrees.
That amuses and frightens me.
Yeah, a very savvy local computer consultant who helps me out with IT stuff is now wondering why my blog seems to get hit with W-A-Y more spam Comments than anyone else who uses blogger.
Somebody trying to drive away my readers?
Yeah, a very savvy local computer consultant who helps me out with IT stuff is now wondering why my blog seems to get hit with W-A-Y more spam Comments than anyone else who uses blogger.
I can answer that quite simply: how many times has your blog been cited in the Brick/Mortar/TVtower media? Where would you target your spam? (Not that I would put anything past the Amherst Leftists - they are NOT liberals....)
I just want to commend Larry for breaking a big story. Now I know where to get my news about Amherst. Being newer to the area, it took my family a little time to find our way over here. Way to go Larry.
It was a good get.
Kevin you can't seriously believe the principals heart attack and Ron Bell's stroke were caused by bloggers. I know Mr Bell and I believe his stroke happened before this blog even existed. People in higher office have to deal with all sort of special interests pulling on them. I'm sure it's stressful but I don't know if we can blame their medical problems on even that. I sure the super had medical issures before he even took the job here. Amherst had nothing to do with his problems.
The superintendent in East Longmeadow was chased out of the system when his criminal interference with a police investigation could no longer be denied.
Slick Nick Young of Hadley fooled Granby's superintendent (who is okay in my book) and our school committee into supporting the pre-mature negotiation of his contract.
When all you need a doctorate and a lack of shame, it's a wonder there are fewer superintendents applying for jobs these days.
If a lowly school employee left mid year and used more vacation and sick days than they earned, (based on the time actually worked) they would have to pay back the school system.
Wonder how much A Rod owes Amherst?
It's official...
Gazette and Masslive have the scoop
Good point, Anon 9:39: it's almost as if he knew he was out of here and used up the vacation as fast as he could.
If we can get out of this paying him until July 1, I'll be relieved.
If we pay him past that??.....
Does anyone else see something a little predatory about these guys with doctorates roaming the country looking for the best deal?
It's official.
He's gone. Who pays for the last plane ride?
Sorry, I know who.
MANBOOBS SHOULD PAY
.
MANBOOBS SHOULD PAY
.
I am worried that some of the changes we need in our district might not happen now. I am worried that if we focus on hiring someone from the inside, they will not be able to accomplish what we need because of their ties to individuals in the system. We need an outsider here. Insiders have not managed to make the positive and much-needed changes that Rodriguez made in his short time here.
Unless we choose an insider who is just a teacher. Now that would be a risk (more or less risky than choosing Dr. Rodriguez in the first place?) but it would be a bold, well-informed risk in my view. Did Superintendents always have doctorates? Do they really need them? Are the most qualified people the ones with doctorates? The most dedicated? The most passionate? The best leaders? Not necessarily, in my view. If this teacher is a known entity, someone who is smart and dedicated, a leader and a diplomat as well, someone who has lived through redistricting, the realignment of curricula, etc. etc. I would support the right teacher from our district as superintendent. Again, a known entity who has been on the front lines.
Poll the principals and ask them if there are any teachers in their school who are smart leaders who could do the job. See what they think.
The human resources thought is a good one. HR people access more privileged information than almost all other people in an organization - particularly mid-sized ones like Amherst Regional. Their involvement in high-level, highly sensitive aspects is cushioned by layers of codified cya protection. They risk very little yet know a great deal. They can be very effective skeleton keepers. The savviest of them are similar to career bureaucrats at any enterprise - unelected power brokers whose chosen path lets them operate out of the spotlight.
So Kathy Mazur is the HR director. I don't know her and am not trying to scapegoat her, but here is what I do know:
She makes 92,400. She was the HR person when the pederast principal was hired. He had left his previous job under a similar homosexual scandal. Apparently she didn't know that, even though it was discoverable, and this put our kids at real and serious risk.
http://www.massnews.com/2002_editions/01_Jan/11702amherst.htm
How is this not gross incompetence? Ed says "It was 8 years ago, get over it" but is there a statute of limitations on incompetence? I hope not.
Just now, I saw Kathy Mazur on ACTV talk about "foci groups"--her plural of "focus group"-- as in '1 focus group', '2 foci groups'. I replayed it several times because I was so incredulous that someone could be so dumb. Look, I'm not William Safire, but why does this person still have a job? Can't she even google prospective principals or do a background check?
And by the way, if any principal ever asks my kid to show nipples and come over for hot tubbing, he is going to have a lot more to worry about than finding a new job.
Now on ACTV she is saying she doesn't want to do a search for a new super--"too much work" apparently. Maybe she is right--- first we should replace her.
F- Kathy
F- as in the grade "F minus"
Yeah, I think she should be fired because she wants to advertise in the Gazette for the new superintendent position. Do we really need an ad there? Come on, people.
Anon 9:36 said: "He had left his previous job under a similar homosexual scandal."
It wasn't a homosexual scandal - it was a pedophile scandal! There is a big difference! There is nothing scandalous (I don't think I spelled that right) about being homosexual. It's the pedophile piece that is scandalous.
And yes, ARPS should have known about the pedophilia - it was a big mistake to hire the guy.
"Negotiating the terms of his departure"??? Jeez, just depart. And now what good candidate in his/her right mind will find Amherst attractive? A revolving door loony bin where common sense and practicality take a back seat to worshiping at the altar of politcal correctness.
6:34 a.m. thanks for the correction. Yes, a pedophile scandal. That's what I meant. I have no bones to pick with anyone about their sexual orientation.
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