2025-10-15

October 10, 2025

The September general meeting was held on September 9, 2025.  The meeting was relatively uneventful with exception that we finally removed Baqir!

Baqir, Patton, and Troncoso attended remotely, using dubious excuses for not being present, as the law now requires.

Agenda Item 9.01: Adoption of the Superintendent's Goals

As part of the Effective School Boards framework (and as part of Superintendent Joyner's contract), the board has to assign the superintendent a number of goals that span a 3-5 year period.  We're in the process of going out to the community to develop those longer-term goals, so in the meantime, we're going to adopt a small, 1-year goal so that we can utilize the Effective School Boards framework and dedicate the majority of our meetings to tracking the progress of those goals.

The goal for this year is relatively small and targeted: we're going to get this year's 5th graders (who are learning English as a second language) to end the year with a proficiency score in reading of 14% (up from 12% at the end of last year).  There are plenty of good reasons for this particular goal, but the real win for me here is that we're actually, finally, going to be devoting our board time to student outcomes.

Next month, Joyner will provide the board with a couple of milestones for tracking her progress, and then after that, each subsequent meeting will primarily focus on her progress toward those milestones.

The motion carried unanimously.

Agenda Item 9.02: Rejoining DSBA

Back in 2023, during Patton's first meeting as president, he led the board in getting out of DSBA (the Delaware School Boards Association), even though the board had previously approved paying their dues to the organization.  However, because someone talked to him, he now wanted to get back in.  Great!  I'm on board.

The decision would have been unanimous, but Trauth made a comment about board members having to have paid for their own mandated training after the board left DSBA, and Patton withdrew his motion and submitted a second one that included reimbursing any board members who paid for their own attendance at DSBA events while the board was not a member (from 2023-2025).

The motion carried 6-1, with Trauth voting no.

Agenda Item 9.03: Declaring a Vacancy from Nominating District F

As you know, I've been trying to get someone, anyone, to follow state law with regard to Baqir's residency.  Naveed Baqir, who represents Nominating District F, has not been present in these United States since January of 2024.  He has admitted it.  He has stated publicly and clearly that he is living in Pakistan.  He has never once been back to the United States (probably because of a(n alleged) federal warrant for his arrest).

Prior to June 30, 2025, the law was a bit murky.  It required a school board member to be a resident of their district, but it didn't define that term.  In fact, different places in the law use different definitions for what that means.  On June 30, 2025, HB82 was signed into law.  This clarified that a school board member must be an inhabitant of their district, defined that term exactly, and required that they spend at least 75% of their time in their district.  Around October 2, the allowable-25%-absent threshold was crossed, and Baqir was clearly in violation of the shiny new law (the district's legal counsel firmly believes that because the law did not state that it was retroactive, so the clock for Baqir started on July 1, 2025).

Troncoso spoke highly of Baqir for whatever reason, stressing that he brought 100 new families into the Christina School system.  She neglected to mention that those families came to the district because Baqir's private school failed and shuttered its doors.

Patton also praised Baqir, not for any particular reason, but mainly in contrast to me ("who has been a disgrace on this board for as long as he's been on it"), on behalf of "the political machine" (yes, Douglas Manley, famously on good terms with the Delaware Democratic Party [that is sarcasm]).  Patton played the hits and reminded everyone that I don't attend graduation ceremonies, which is somehow related to Baqir not being in the country for 2 years.  Graduation ceremonies are nice, but that's the time for the students and their teachers to shine; the board doesn't need any special attention on their special days.  I also don't go to most sportsball games, concerts, plays, etc.  I'm available when I can be, but my schedule is not particularly compatible with student-centric events.

Baqir spoke up and also repeated the half-truth about the families that he brought into the district, but he focused on the old hits, primarily his support for a student who was unjustly arrested by UD police after graduation in 2023.  I want to stress that yes, while Baqir was outspoken in his support, he was not there to actually do anything.  While Baqir was off in Pakistan, I was present in person at the press conference where they announced the lawsuit against the university.  Part of representing your district is actually representing it, being there in person when it matters.

Lou reminded everyone that none of this was about Baqir's character, his contributions, etc.  Rather, it was about the law.  The law requires that a board member actually be present in their district.

Trauth echoed Lou's sentiment, stressing that this board is a law-abiding elected body and should follow the law.

The motion carried 4-2-1, with Patton and Troncoso voting no, and Baqir abstaining.