Face it our school committee is rogue

Let me start by saying in all my years  I have never witnessed so much ignorance  especially by a school committee . So lets start  our evaluation.

Scott Lyman I have to say is on top of this  and should be on this board . I found the fact that  Miller did her utmost best in trying to throw Dayle Dorion under the bus and was very happy to hear  he felt  like  most of us she deserved a public apology .  It was distasteful at best .So I can give the answers  to two of his questions :



1- Nothing was ever mentioned  about  the missing 460,000.00 except the  so called SHORT FALL that was announced to the media .
Answer: The so called short fall was due to Miller  did not know to calculate school choice and  different districts that paid at different times.

2- Exit interviews
Answer: No exit interviews were done  or considered.

I have also been looking at the school committee minutes and  found it concerning that all financial reports  are distributed electronically , and that  the minutes to the meetings ended in April 2016.  I also spoke with two Vernon parents at the meeting who  stated that in all the years we have had our children coming here, (11 years total )  their was not an amount of the  tuition listed  on the Welcome letter . Up till this year it was always listed.They found this concerning.
I also read where Miller  stated  that there was no contract with The Town of Vernon with regard to tuition or policy concerning out of state students . My question to PVRS district do you have the money to cover the cost of the loss of Vernon?  Thats a big hunk of change  to lose and to quote that old saying "don't look a gift horse in the mouth " should be taken seriously here . Vernon is buckling down and so are the  schools. Keep focused on this . They won't lose  like we will.

While also reading  what minutes they have  up,I see many mistakes already in progress.

First mistake made -When  the wording to Budget Sub committee was changed to Superintendent .
( March 2016 report) Watch them books. Templeton is now being audited from 2013 - now . Oh and FYI the  Town mgr the asst superintendent spoke  of talking to is leaving as of July 11th/ Its the years he was  in office in question  and during the so called nuclear option was used  to get Millers budget that was voted down 3 times to pass.( That came in from Templeton  in case your wondering) As you can see not really a reliable source for information .

The beginning of the end for Sharon Jones was when she was appointed as Admin of SPED. ( Just from Millers record  I can assume the torment started and bullying to the point Sharon would leave. ) Shortly after  Sharon is gone.

Now  to the meeting
 To tell the  people what they can and can't discuss in open meeting about citizens concerns I have never witnessed anything like what happen here last night .Might wanna check with AG office  concerning  that .

Also  for a SC member to say
 "We don't have to let you guys speak. You get to because we let you." 
Now thats an idiot  who has a chip on his shoulder that needs to be knocked off so let me explain this to you .
Come voting time we will have ALOT to say and you will speak ONLY if we allow you. Some how you all seem to think your above everyone else, well I have news for you, we elected you in and we can elect you out! You work for us too :)  Hows that for speaking ! Be advised  your on notice that we are watching  you .

Than the one from Bernardston
Its all here in Black and White no gray talking down to the people in the room. Again you are where you are because the PEOPLE IN THE ROOM ELECTED YOU . Kudos go out to the man  that put you in your place.
The people on this board seem to forget you also work for us .  You would NOT be having these  issues if you did your jobs! 

I feel badly that  parents would feel this way : 

All that I can say is that I am at a loss for words for what I witnessed last night..... and that doesn't happen very often. I felt like I was in the twilight zone.... Never have I witnessed such ignorance,

and another 
 
I have to say, I have attended many school committee meeting in the past almost 24 years of my parenting career. And in all that time, I have never felt so treated with disdain in all my life. I really felt like they were allowing people to speak purely because they had to, but not hearing a word they said. Very Disappointing.



 You call this  doing your jobs?

Maybe they need a little reading material  concerning  OML
Section 22. Meeting Minutes; Records
http://www.mass.gov/ago/government-resources/open-meeting-law/open-meeting-law-mgl-c-30a-18-25.html#Notice


Asst Superintendent - I will put MONEY on it  that you did not write that letter you read  . Just by how it was read shows this was  not written by you . Its also a fact that Miller loves writing letters  and having others sign her dirty work .



The Rubic they  stated they  used to evaluate  Miller
http://www.doe.mass.edu/edeval/model/PartIII_AppxA.pdf

Miller was evaluated using four standards: instructional leadership, management and operations, family and community engagement, and professional culture.

 I already said what I had to on this. I find her to lack in leadership, management and community engagement . ( read the blog you will get it )

For example at the  2016 going away party  she leaves before its over and goes in the hall and states " this might be funny if I knew them"  Miller had a year to get to know these kids and intermingle with them, she chose not to. So much for engaging .

To state her performance is “proficient” is incomprehensible. Makes you wanna step back and  say " how competent are these people running this board? To the two who get it  when reality hits the others you can  walk away with a clear conscience the consequences for the others  will be  there own undoing . 

To watch the video of last nights meeting  it will be shown here
http://www.bnctv.net/schedule
you can also  get a dvd.

NORTHFIELD — While more than 75 parents, teachers and students turned out to express their concerns with Pioneer Valley Regional School District Superintendent Ruth Miller at the school committee meeting Thursday, the majority of the committee rated Miller’s overall performance “proficient” in her first end-of-cycle evaluation.
Eleven committee members rated Miller on a scale that ranged from “unsatisfactory” to “exemplary.” Five, the majority, deemed her performance “proficient.” Two said her performance was “unsatisfactory,” two said it “needs improvement” and another two said it was “exemplary,” resulting in a range of differing opinions.
The ratings were read during June’s committee meeting Thursday, in the school’s cafeteria.
Miller was evaluated using four standards: instructional leadership, management and operations, family and community engagement, and professional culture. Again, the majority, often accounting for four or five votes, found her proficient in these categories. One or two committee members opted not to answer in each of the four categories.
The School Committee encouraged members of the audience who were interested in seeing the detailed results of the evaluation to approach the central office for a copy, stating that the document is public record.

In response to questions about how the evaluation was conducted, committee members explained that each of them received a rubric, the standard for which is established by the Massachusetts Association of School Committees. The members had six days to thoroughly and thoughtfully complete the evaluation. In it, they praise what Miller has been doing well, and provide detailed feedback for how she can improve next year.
Prior to the evaluations, a handful of community members again voiced their concerns, while others spoke highly of Miller.
“We have done everything but let her do her job,” said Claire Brennan, inclusion specialist at Pioneer. She commented on the disrespect she has seen, particularly through a blog at pvrsconcernandissues.blogspot.com.
“My concern is that we have lost sight of something,” she continued. “I think we have lost sight of putting students first.”
Assistant Superintendent Gail Healy also read a statement.
“There was a lot of time spent selecting a superintendent,” she said, adding that “it is not uncommon for a new person to be a scapegoat.”
Miller has been targeted by many community members, who feel she has led to what they see as excessive staff turnover in the past year.
“Pioneer is a top-notch school district,” Healy continued. “I challenge the naysayers … to move forward. The majority of us would like to get back to focusing on what you hired us to do.”
Scott Lyman, a former principal of Bernardston Elementary School and Gill Elementary School, inquired into whether exit interviews had been carried out with staff members who have recently resigned, as he had requested at the last committee meeting.
Committee Chairwoman Patricia Shearer said simply that answers to Lyman’s and other questions should be put on the Pioneer Valley Regional School District website within the next two weeks.

                                                       We are going nowhere till this is resolved.