Amherst School Superintendent Maria Geryk (Lady in a Blue Dress)
Not that anyone noticed -- except perhaps for her dutiful husband Kurt -- Amherst School Superintendent Maria Geryk launched her blog two weeks ago. Well at least I think it's hers.
She doesn't actually sign it, and the promo that only today appeared on the main school website states, "Superintendent's office launches blogsite," meaning it may very well be ghost written.
But hey, it's a blog. Sort of.
And I genuinely applaud any public official who works to increase transparency via communication with what Jay Rosen so perfectly described as, "The people formerly known as the audience."
Therein lies problem #1: no interaction with said audience via comments. Not overly surprising since the blog was impossible to find until yesterday. But I would not be surprised if it continues to stagnate when it comes to comments because of problem #2: B-O-R-I-N-G.
Headlines are supposed to attract readers not repel them. So far we have "Regional Budget 1-28-14" and "Amherst Budget". ZZZZZ. Tell us something interesting about each in the headline. "Regional Budget Hurting" or "Amherst Budget: Best Ever!"
A good blog post should always include a photo, video or illustration. So far, nada. But links are included in the text, so that's good.
Frequency is also vitally important. Blogging is like exercise: the more the better but a minimum of 3 times per week. So far we have only one post per week.
A start anyway. And a journey of a 1,000 miles starts with the first step. Even if it's a baby one.
I guess you don't see the pattern here.
ReplyDeleteIt's bound to be better than the one Larry Schaffer ran while he ruled the Republic.
ReplyDeleteI actually easily found the blog a few days ago when I went to the arps website. It did not just go up today. There was an announcement and link to it prominently displayed on the 1st page.
ReplyDeleteAccording to Maria the link went up on the main page yesterday.
ReplyDeleteNo anon comments on that blog. What is a CAN supposed to do.
ReplyDeleteYes somehow I can't picture someone in the system critiquing the budget in a negative way while using their real name.
ReplyDeleteYes somehow I can't picture someone in the system critiquing the budget in a negative way while using their real name.
ReplyDeleteHeck, I'm thinking the consequences under the public records laws....
Maria Geryk mentioned the first blog post at a school committee meeting two weeks ago & indicated then, if I am remembering correctly, that the first post was written by Mike Morris.
ReplyDeleteI wonder when/if she'll launch her Superintendent's Advisory Group.
Her blog is terrible. It's all fact and information based. Where's the ranting, innuendo, name-calling, unfounded smearing, pontificating, and childish behaviour?
ReplyDeleteSure could use some satire (which requires it's own special font).
ReplyDeleteI like the blog done by the Greenfield Schools superintendent. It's informative & entertaining. http://www.gpsk12.org/gps_updates/superintendentjournal.html There was a great post on school budgets on Jan 31st.
ReplyDeleteThe Greenfield Schools are doing some great things these days without breaking the bank.
Greenfield is highly under-rated, Maria would do well to look there. The Greenfield master plan was written by RKG Assoc, who gave us the Amherst housing plan. God bless her, if she can get anything little thing done in this town.
ReplyDeleteMaria Geryk is a horrible superintendent and clearly not qualified for the position she is in. That the parents of Amherst allow such an atrocity that is the school administration to drive the system into the dirt is really sad. The answer they profess is to give it time and that the school has a multi-year plan and we should wait. This is not a football team. It is children lives and every year wasted is ten years lost. What a joke.
ReplyDelete