2024-05-08

May 8, 2024

While I list this under "regular meeting recap", I'm beginning to think that the word "regular" is doing a lot of work.  These meetings are anything but regular, and the total lack of organization and disregard for anyone's time is emblematic of our dysfunction as a board.

Agenda Item 5: Approval of the agenda

This is literally the easiest thing to accomplish, and we struggled for over an hour to approve the agenda last night.

Item 11.02 was a placeholder item placed in the agenda in advance in case we needed it, and we didn't need it.  In executive session, we noted that we would be striking that item from the agenda.

However, Alethea Smith-Tucker made a motion to approve the agenda without 11.02, 11.10, or 11.12 (and moving 11.05 up to the first item).  That was a dick move: 11.10 was specifically added by Monica Moriak to discuss the superintendent's evaluation, and 11.12 was specifically added by me to discuss accomodating board member elect, Amy Trauth.  Instead of actually having a discussion in public (which is the job of the board), Smith-Tucker wanted to silence any agenda items that she did not like.

I offered an amendment to the motion that would re-include 11.10 and 11.12, and that amendment as seconded.  Robert's Rules of Order, which govern our meetings, has a simple rule: one motion at a time.  After the amendment was seconded, the board had to vote on whether or not to accept it.  Pretty easy.

President Patton and Smith-Tucker, however, have an understanding of meeting mechanics like your family's weird house rules for Monopoly: they seem to think that amendments can only be accepted if the person who made the original motion likes them, and that's just not how it works.  We are a democratic body making decisions by voting, and the rules are the rules.  Anyway, for whatever reason, after some arguing, the board (against my will) voted to briefly adjourn to read the rules or something.  I don't know; I hung out in the crowd and talked to the people there.  After a while, they came back out and resumed the meeting.

My amendment to the motion was defeated, and Smith-Tucker's modified agenda passed.  Should have been like 2 minutes; lasted an hour.

Agenda Item 8.01: President's report

Patton decided to rant for an hour or so about whatever perceived slights he felt needed to be aired to the entire community (I won't get into details, but he brought up some things that I certainly would not have entered to the public record).  He was mostly trying to complain about the factual items outlined in the report that I sent to the board last week, but after a while, he started playing the hits and recounting things that had absolutely no connection whatsoever with my report or my motion to vacate, and when he got back around to complaining about the constable salaries (because of course he did), I left the room.  That is no way for any board member to behave, let alone the board president.  I reappeared once the superintendent's report was underway.

Agenda Item 11.05: Disciplinary actions

This was moved up to the beginning of section 11 when the agenda was approved.

Motion 1: No (carried)

Out of nowhere, Smith-Tucker made a motion for a vote of no confidence for the superintendent and his administration.  This would almost be comical if it wasn't so blatant.  While fighting over the agenda, we literally had a discussion about needing to evaluate the performance of the superintendent, and Patton made it clear that his belief is that the superintendent could not be evaluated until "all the data" (whatever that means) has been collected.  However, Patton also thinks that he has enough data to make the determination that he has no confidence in the superintendent.  If that's the case, then why not hold the evaluation now and take any actions based on the results of that evaluation?

Of course, we know that the answer is that Patton is on the record stating that he will never support the superintendent, and is thus at odds with the district that he has been elected to serve.  This friction will only continue to cause trouble in the district and drive employees (teachers) away.  Who would want to work for a school district where the president of the board actively attacks the superintendent of that district on a regular basis and rants about employee salaries in public session?

Motion 2: Yes (carried)

Two things you need to know about me: I can't eat wheat, and I'm not a fan of genocide.

With how terrible things are going over in Gaza with the help of the United States, I thought that it was time that Christina School District join the fight and publicly denounce the genocide.  The board agreed.

The wording was as follows:

I move that this board denounce the ongoing genocide in Gaza and advocate for peace.

The motion carried 5-0-2, with Baqir and Patton abstaining for some reason.

I had a couple people ask me about the wording for "peace" instead of "ceasefire".  Ceasefire is a weird term; it is temporary in nature, more of a truce.  If we're going to take a position, I want to take the position that we want true peace, and not a pause in the genocide.  Citations Needed Podcast had a news brief on this very topic today (specifically in the redefinition of the term by the United States); I recommend that you take a listen if you have 23 minutes to spare.

Motion 3: No (carried)

(This motion technically came up after 11.05 was handled, but it belonged under 11.05.)

I at least expected this motion; this was covered in executive session, unlike the vote of no confidence.  This motion was to put a letter in the superintendent's file outlining the board's complaints against him.  From what I can tell, this letter is also the justification for his suspension without pay for 3 days.  The letter is meandering and it, and the suspension, go against Delaware State law for handling an employee disciplinary matter.

Agenda Item 11.03: Elementary math curriculum adoption

Motion: Yes (carried)

The trial of the new math curriculum has been going on for quite some time, and the teachers were a little nervous to present to us (some of them were afraid that we'd override their choice).  However, they opened with a skit (a skit that got me; I thought that a fight was going to break out, but it was all part of their bit, and they presented wonderfully), and the demonstrated their competence and passion in front of everyone last night.

Of course the new elementary math curriculum was adopted unanimously.