Government of the BOE, by the majority, and for the Chair

During the Finance committee meeting on Saturday, February 2, Board Chair Doreen Richardson said, and I quote, “people elected us to lead; it’s not their job to understand what we need”. After the referendum defeat Tuesday, I would deduce that nearly 61% of the voters disagree with the Chair’s philosophy. As a Board member, parent, educator and taxpayer, I disagree with her. Citizens need to understand the needs of their school system.  Taxpayers expect we do our due diligence and not be the “rubber stamp” expected by the Administration.  I believe we, elected officials, must be accountable, fiscally and ethically, to every Windsor resident and taxpayer, not just public school parents. Most important, we serve the people who elected us, not our own self interests. But, that is not how this current Board conducts its business. We are in fact the most dysfunctional Board I have experienced in my 20 years as a parent in this town.

In my six years on the Board of Education, I have never once written an editorial or publically spoken my mind. That changes today. I do in fact have a First Amendment right of Free Speech and will exercise it to enlighten the Windsor community as to the partisan shenanigans of the current Board leadership. The truth must be told about the conduct of this Board in the matters related to the process and procedures ignored and disregarded to serve personal agendas. What will be obvious in the end is that the People and the minority members of the Board, Republican and Independent, are being disenfranchised and disrespected.

Dr. Marlon James, a UCONN professor at the time, was brought to Windsor in June 2010 for his P.O.W.E.R. Hour presentation by the PRESS organization headed by Doreen Richardson. In fact there was discussion at that time attempting to bring Dr. James to work with the district, but his cost was prohibitive. On June 25, 2012 when Dr. James presented his workshop to this Board, I specifically asked him what was different today than in 2010. His answer, “it would not work with the top (leadership) from the district down” back in 2010. The difference in leadership is a new Superintendent and a different BOE Chair.

In fact, the BOE workshop called for June 25, 2012 was scheduled by the Chair and the Superintendent. But, Bylaw 9321.1 states, The Board may schedule special meetings for the purpose of conducting workshops to provide its members with opportunities for planning and thoughtful discussion. To be specific, and according to an email of 6/21/12, Dr. Villar had a “90 minute conversation with Dr. James, discussed the matter with Mrs. Richardson in her capacity as Board President and the meeting was scheduled”. To clarify a point, it was Mrs. Richardson that introduced Dr. James to the Superintendent as per his comments on September 12, 2012. The entire Board never had any discussion on scheduling this workshop. I was not impressed with anything I heard from Dr. James during that workshop, and in my opinion, I take issue with his presentation as I was insulted by his biased information. After 2 hours that evening, the Board left with no decision on the matter of Dr. James.

In early July, a parent asked me about the university professor coming to the high school. Baffled at the comment, I asked where they heard that. It appears Doreen Richardson shared with her closest allies that Dr. James was coming in the fall to “fix the high school”. Concerned I misinterpreted the June workshop; I made an appointment with Superintendent Villar for the afternoon of Wednesday, July 18. In our meeting he confirmed that in fact we had NOT committed to any work with Dr. James. I shared the information I received, very concerned that the Board Chair was making such statements to parents even before the full Board met to take a formal vote on the matter of Dr. James. Did she already know in July her Caucus would fully support her mission? Did she even acknowledge that there was a bidding process in place and bylaws that need to be followed with contracting services for the school district? Did she even care?

The attitude displayed by the Board Chair has been arrogant, controlling and disrespectful…just turn on a meeting! She has been on a crusade for the last 8 years and finally has in place the democratic majority who have disregarded the public outcry of concerns with the Board’s conduct and disenfranchised the voter’s opinions. Recently, Mr. Ken Williams has lobbied at the last 2 Policy Committee meetings that he wants Bylaw 9323 to be changed so that it takes 5 Board members requesting an item to be placed on the agenda instead of the current 3 members. This would guarantee that the majority party could totally ignore vital issues and errors that should be bought up for discussion and public debate.

This is not what I signed up for! I did not run for office to be bullied by the Chair or other members of the Board. I ran and have served on this Board to ask the tough questions of the Administration related to the district’s programs and policies that ensure the best education for our Windsor children – not to blindly and unquestioningly follow others.