Regional School Committee and their attorney Tom Columb this evening
The joint meeting of the Amherst Pelham Regional School Committee and Union 26 met in open session this evening at the Regional Middle School from 6:00 PM until 6:04 PM and then retreated into Executive Session until 9:34 PM, even though the published agenda called for only 55 minutes.
Last week they also went into Executive Session for two hours and fifty minutes for the same stated reason: "To conduct strategy sessions in preparation for negotiations with nonunion personnel."
Which is of course Superintendent Maria Geryk, the highest paid employee in the town of Amherst.
And yes she still has two years (with an option to renew for an additional year) left on her contract so obviously the "negotiations" they were discussing is not simply a contract renewal.
At last week's meeting the Committee was supposed to discuss and release the Superintendent's annual evaluation due June 30th, but that was put off until Monday, a meeting that was then cancelled at the last minute.
Since Ms. Geryk was not present either last week or this evening (or at last night's Wildwood School Building Committee meeting) no discussion could take place -- in open or closed session -- of her job performance.
But something pretty darn interesting must have been discussed. For over six hours now. In secret.
The Wildwood School Building Committee has met several times over the last year or more. How many of those meetings did Ms Geryk attend? I'd guess few, if any. Mike Morris is the point person for the project. I know you hate to hear that Larry but there is nothing unusual about Maria Geryk not attending school building committee meetings.
ReplyDeleteWoW-Go Figure-this Maria Gerky thing is going rancid fast-a bit past the normal "Due date" expiration for average superintendent tenure-so where-oh where-are all these "Gifted-better educated" school / union booster's-now ?? ( Hands in YOUR pocket-Mebe ???)
ReplyDeleteOn summer vacation I suspect. Tax dolllars at work during work ! It is called multi tasking .. They were probably listening to a parent concern at the same time on the phone.
DeleteAre we ever going to be able to see the evaluations ?
ReplyDeleteNothing new here...just Maria and her school committee cronies violating the Open Meeting Law while Maria pilfers from the school coffers at your and schoolchildren's expense! Follow the money pilfered by Maria and her corrupt gang by adding up the salary and percs paid to Maria, Maria's team of lawyers, admistrators, so-called social/restorative justice contractors, staff and teachers who are paid to recklessly incite division and retaliate against school committee members, teachers, staff, parents and students alike who dare to disagree with Maria or promote an honest evalulation of her professional competence (or incompetence as that may be).
ReplyDeleteIts a big price tag... Thats for sure. Never mind the unmeasurable costs to teacher morale, our kids ( bullying ) , principal turnover, retention, , training new staff etc.. She can't even pull her big girl panties up and hear the truth. I mean I'm assuming they were bad because they are released and she is throwing a fit about them and having her lawyer involved. If the evals were good they would available. I don't believe the SC enough to matter wouldnt follow the rules I think it's an excuse... a lawyers excuse.. I hope the SC hss seem through the antics, especially in Pelham. If not a vote out is nusrified ! Same in Amherst !
DeleteIm am average person with average perceptions of the situation. I wouldnt have to draw,my own conclusions if someone were to actually share information. Perception is peoples reality. I am not the only one citizen in town that sees the evaluation hold up / the WW project / this Hiza mess as gross misconduct/ incompetence on the part of this administration. If that makes me worse than Ed.. Who is very knowledgeable about the laws etc.. I'll take it.
DeleteLarry, is it true that Ms Geryk hasn't attended a Regional SC meeting since March? Is there anything in her contract that stipulates her required participation in SC meetings? Has she been participating in Amherst SC meetings? Pelham SC meetings? Its hard to imagine that performing her duties does not include regular participation at SC meetings...
ReplyDeletehttp://onlyintherepublicofamherst.blogspot.com
Deleteits in this blog of Larry's from May
She showed back up mid to late May and has been around mostly til this last couple of meetings about her evals. Which I think they csnt discuss if shes not present. So I see it as a possible stall tactic. I don't know the rules but I think she has to be present for them to go public. I think they have to be approved by certain time or they dont count. Which is why I think they didn't come out the way Maria was hoping.
DeleteShe's been at one for sure, but I think that's about it.
ReplyDeleteA secret?Oh no! Not a secret! Please, please I beg you anything but that! My old Irish American Latvian Chinese Aruban mother told me this is how it would all end. My god! A secret school committee meeting! The horror! The horror!
ReplyDeleteI can hear the shallow rumor mongers at work here. DIdn't I just see a 3 headed monster walking into the police station? Oh my God! Lions and tigers and bears! The sky is falling!
Larry is it true that CAN 11:43 is an escaped convict? Is the chief of police still writing himself checks on the Amherst account to pay for his late night pizza runs?
How long before the bill of rights expires?
Larry, my god, how can we get through this? How many angels are dancing on the head of a pin? Who does Donald Trump's hair? Will the Amherst schools sink into the quicksand this year?
Please Larry, you are the only one who has the answers.
I'm surprised these nut jobs have the time away from Donald trump's convention to even write to your blog. Soon they will be home from Cleveland chanting " Give Hillary a prism!" or that other favorite "Rock her cup!"
Thanks for saving Ed and the universe Larry.
Larry tracks and watches alot. He attends just about every meeting in town . So itvis logical to ask him things such as has MariaG been missing meetings.. Thus not doing her job. Larry did actually post a a story about marias long MOA NOW from evening meetings. I fpund it very interesting that she could skip her responsibilities for as long as she did. And if this is Kurt.hope she was at least cooking u dinner.
Delete"Thanks for saving Ed and the universe Larry."
ReplyDeleteHey I saw the Geryks down the other end of the sewer pipe
admiring whatever Cap'n Hood's been flushing down the toilet.
Whatever it is I can tell you this with certainty...
It absolutely
DOES
NOT
stink.
-Squeaky Squeaks
p.s. F'em. ~EVERY SINGLE~ one of em.
Lot's of procedural issues noted, lots of suspicions aired, lots of hubris, sturm und drank both from, and about, the school administration, school committee etc. But what's staring us all right in the face is the school system's - and thus the Superintendent's - performance, or more accurately failure to perform:
ReplyDelete- Retention and graduation/yield statistics
- MCAS performance
- Cost per student
- Bullying, and variances in disciplinary action
- Achievement "gap"
- Exodus to charter, private and home schooling
- Decrease in home values as school system no longer attracts - now repels - people considering an Amherst address
Speculate all you like about the intrigues... the failures are right out there in the open for all to see.
9:01
ReplyDeleteIn the words of Barack Obama:
“I think it is important just to be absolutely clear here that some of the fears ... just don’t jibe with the facts.”