Trouble in paradise

The Pinellas School Board and the Pinellas Education Foundation have worked together for years, a picture of harmony and mutual admiration. But the relationship has hit a low spot over the foundation’s recent “white paper” proposing to give schools more power over how they are run.

E-mails this week between foundation leaders and some board members reveal hard feelings – not over the substance of the “white paper” but over the foundation’s aggressive push to get board members to formally endorse it.

It started with a decision by board member Janet Clark to bring an attorney with her for a meeting today with foundation leaders. She said she was following the direction of the school board attorney, who says the act of getting the board to formally agree on something outside a public meeting could be perceived as a violation of the Sunshine Law. Foundation leaders balked and said the district was carrying the law too far. See the e-mail thread here.

Then, board member Carol Cook sends the foundation an e-mail saying she won’t be endorsing the white paper because it could be used against the district. She notes the existence of a class action lawsuit alleging the district is responsible for the poor performance of black students. The white paper takes the district to task for not acting sooner to correct the achievement gap and the graduation rate, which stands at 67 percent. Cook said she’d be putting the district “at risk” by signing it.

Finally, foundation leader Bob McIntyre sends a biting personal e-mail to board chairperson Nancy Bostock, saying she has failed to lead on the graduation rate issue. Bostock, who is running for a county commission seat, was among the first to endorse the white paper. McIntyre says he thought Bostock would have “begun something meaningful” before leaving the board. But he added: “We were wrong.” Bostock, of course, has a different view. See the thread here.

The foundation plans a media blitz soon to promote the themes in the white paper.

Comments

[The Gradebook Is the Greatest]

May I be the first to say that public exposure of these types of issues will be the best for everyone concerned -especially our students.

Thank you all.

[Innocentchild]

From reading this and the attached strands, it would seem that the dirty tactics of some businesses have entered into the foundation, an organization that is usually started to be open and honest and working with our money to help all children, not threaten a district's leadership behind closed doors. And, did I not read that the data being pushed as truth in this white paper has many flaws in it? Why not wait for the new superintendent before implementing programs ---and, he or she can make sure they work for Pinellas kids.

[Jessica]

Thank you Janet for standing up for what you believe is right and true! Good for you! May you have a long and prosperous School Board career.

[Jessica]

Thank you Janet for standing up for what you believe is right and true! Good for you! May you have a long and prosperous School Board career.

That Nancy Bostock fiddles while Rome burns, and brags about her violin.

[Frans van Haaren]

I second 'The Gradebook is the Greatest'. Thank you Pinellas Education Foundation for bringing these issues to the public's attention and forcing a discussion of this important issue. It appears that Board members find themselves in an awkward position. I don't know why, but it is interesting and just a little bit of a surprise. Board members were elected (I presume) to represent the best interests of their constituents. Board members need to get used to the idea that it is not acceptable that only 2/3 of third-grade students can read at grade level, that only about half of our students graduate from high school and that the black-white achievement gap has not changed in the last 30 years or so. Someone has to be held accountable. If not the School Board, who else? It would be up to them to further query district officials to get to the bottom of these problems. The email-strands indicate that School Board members are much more concerned about their relationship with district officials than their responsibility to the people who put them in office in the first place. Let's keep up the pressure to get to the bottom of these problems.

Right now, middle schools in this county do not have a schedule because the district is proposing a schedule that is against their own contract with the teachers. We can talk about caring for kids all day. How about just getting to work and getting ready for this school year? It reminds me of those people who talk and talk about ways of doing the work, but never actually do any work.

test

It is not the businesses in the community that use dirty tactics. It may not even be the entire Education Foundation.

Terry Boehme, Bill MacIntyre and Gerry Hogan are the ones who think they can run the school system from the sidelines.

Man up, boys.

If you want to run the school system, get that college education. Work in classrooms. Run a school day to day. Work with students.

Or, you can take the "easy" way and run for office. Got good ideas? Want to run things? Open up your financials, your arrest records and let the light of sunshine fill your family's home. Put your name on a ballot and stand up to the public scrutiny necessary to become a duly elected member of the school board.

If you are not ready to do that then pipe down and step aside while the people who are experts in their field do the job they are hired to do.

I think it is time that people like Gus Stavros, Jean Whittner, Mitch Lee and others on the Education Foundation's Board of Directors stop lending their names to the partisan bully tactics their director uses to move his platform forward.

"The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing." MLK

Any one willing to cover up, make excuses or hide the truth about what happens in the highest levels of our local government is responsible for each and every child that fails to graduate in our community.

Our children deserve better.

Our children deserve honesty, integrity and intestinal fortitude.

Our local newspaper is supposed to ensure our community is well informed.

Is it really a mystery as to why we have behavior issues in our schools? Does anyone really wonder why bullies continue to exist? Ever wonder why "kids today" don't think honesty and hard work are important?

A wolf in sheep's clothing is still a wolf.

Thank you to the board members who paid attention in kindergarden. You were able to recognize the story plot from Little Red Riding Hood. Thanks for NOT signing off on the Education Foundation's plan.

For the board members who pretended not to notice grandma's big eyes and big teeth-I hope you get bit.

Peggy O'Shea, Nancy Bostock and Jane Gallucci were willing to step aside and let the "business men" do their job! Ladies, what made you think the men could do your job better than you?

The "plan" is an ill-conceived failure waiting to happen. The devil is in the details and none of the details have been properly vetted. There are no checks and balances in the "plan" and the public's trust, tax dollars and future are in serious jeapordy if the school system moves forward with this non-researched based approach to mismanaging schools.

I do however agree on one point: those trusted to educate our children need to step up to the plate. Bust out the research, talk to successful Af Am families and see what it is you have to do differently.

"Business men" are not educators. They do not understand child development or the scope and sequence of curriculum. And they certainly don't worry themselves with the details that make the difference between ordinary classroom interaction and extraordinary classroom interaction!

I wonder if Janet Clark contacts her attorney when she makes her "snide" comments on Tough Teach, a web site that has very little good to say about Public Education and most of their membership hide behind screen names. Is this a violation of the Sunshine Law, a sitting school board member making terrible and sometimes crude comments about the former Superintendent, other school board members etc. No wonder she needs an attorney when going to a meeting!

The poster at 7:06am this morning reminds me so much of Mary Russell. As a matter of fact it wouldn't surprise me at all if she has resurfaced with her long-winded, rambling on speeches.

If the writer is Mrs. Russell thank you for reminding me why I hope my vote was the one that voted you off the School Board.

Your comments made at 7:06am this morning show the hateful person you really are, I especially like the one, "Ladies, what made you think the men could do your job better than you?

I do agree our children deserve better, much better and it seems like the Pinellas Education Foundation is trying to work with the school board to make students our primary concern.
Melissa

[innocentchild]

Seems as if some are missing the point- check the strand of e-mails and board member Cook's e-mail - the board members' attorney seems to have advised them not to meet in private meetings with the foundation on their agenda....for the fact that there are laws against that and that there is some case pending that could be impacted by the statements made in the foundation's paper. I just read up on the "sunshine" rules and it is pretty clear that the board members should not meet and sign on something that is meant by law to be discussed in a public setting. Using mafia-type tactics - bullying - doesn't belong in education - a field where everyone is to be there for the child in an open & honest fashion. Can this school system of ours do better with EACH child - I hope. But, parents -- you, too, are responsible for the physical & mental condition that your children have when they enter the school door...setting the stage for how that child achieves. Single parent, mixed families -- doesn't matter -- make education and respect for teachers your priority so it becomes your child's priority. Hmmm - maybe our dropout rate will go down! Back to the bully-type tactics - seems like the chair, Mrs. Bostock, and the board members have offered the "sunshine" way for the foundation to bring their suggestions forth....but, guess that is not the way they like to do business. Looking at the e-mails, it seems like this Bob M and Terry B have their own agenda.

The foundation is not elected leaders. They need to be resolved, or step back.

[confused]

I guess I don't understand why the foundation needs to bully people? What do their board members think about Terry and Bob's behavior? I already know that the school board members are crazy, I've tortured myself and watched a few school board meetings. You can see they are not "all there". But I'm surprised at the foundation. These executives are behaving poorly, but I don't see that the president has any business knowledge, I believe he's an educator who went right into fundraising? Sad to say his agenda will take away from the funds he and his staff seem to have raised over the existance of the foundation. When all is done, I'm glad my kids were educated up north. Suggestion for school board - admit you screwed up and research what went wrong, and fix the problem - other states/counties seem to have figured it out. And for the foundation, focus on fundraising for the students and teachers in this county. With out your funds looks like kids/teachers will loose.

7:11am brings up a significant idea. In addition to monitoring websites, we should monitor Republican party meetings. I think that is where Peggy O'Shea, Jane Gallucci, Nancy Bostock, and Board Assistant Debbie Beatty met Terry Boehme, Gerry Hogan and Bob McIntyre.

[D Beaty]

I was told to check out this site - and, strangely enough, found my name (spelled incorrectly). I certainly will not get into an exchange here...but, I have not attended a Republican party meeting in over 12 years....for what it is worth. And, I have only met those individuals from the Foundation at district sponsored meetings and events at Stavros.

Thank you to Janet Clark may be a little premature after all we still don't know whether or not she supports the White Paper. She, by her own admission, hasn't been offered the opportunity to sign the agreement.
It is well known that she does not have the best relationship with the Ed Foundation to start with. Right or wrong she has successfully made this relationship worse by demanding to bring an attorney to her meeting. I don't know whether or not I agree with the White Paper but PCS does have Terry Boehmne on their payroll and I'm sure that this is not the first time she has been asked to meet with him during her four years in office. She never asked for an attorney before. Why now? Could it be that she is now running for reelection and wants some press? I don't trust her and her "experience". You may want to look at another candidate in her race who has taken a stand on this issue without an attorney.

[pat]

6:53, There is a bug difference between a candidate taking a public stand on an issue and a sitting board member meeting in private with an interested party to discuss an issue which is before the board. While I don't think there is anything illegal about the latter situation, I would certainly want a witness with me if I were the board member. Waiting to hear from all sides before taking a stand on an issue like this sounds like a prudent decision.

Thanking Janet Clark, Carol Cook and Linda Lerner is not premature. These wonderful women have a reputation for hearing all sides of an issue and making independent decisions.

The public sees the fairness in Cook and Lerner as they are handily re-elected time and again. This is Clark's first chance at re-election. The public will respond to her fairness, responsibility and hard work.

[Janet R. Clark]

I have met with Mr. Boehm and Mr. McIntyre on many occasions.

Terry Boehm is NOT on the PCSB payroll.

I met with Bob McIntyre and Gerry Hogan on April 22, 2008 at Mr. McIntyre's business office and discussed the concepts in the white paper. The meeting was productive and the gentlemen took copious notes.

6:53 am, you are correct that I am running for reelection. I don't need this kind of publicity, though and if you knew anything about me, you would know that I despise the nastiness that forms the basis of so many political campaigns. It detracts from the true issues, which are the children of Pinellas County and their education.

I am an advocate of returning a great deal of the decision making power to our schools. I had several conversations with Dr. Wilcox about this topic over his time as superintendent. I don't think it is outside the Sunshine to share that with you. While it may give others an idea of my feelings about local control, it is in no way specific.

I asked the attorney to accompany me so the Education Foundation would understand why I could not sign on to the white paper. By meeting in a serial fashion with board members and publicizing their support (or non-support) of the paper, they are circumventing the intent of Sunshine. It's as if the members are voting on an issue without the public's input and attendence at a duly noticed public meeting.

The specious arguments about having an attorney present in any meeting or computer forum is silly, unless board members are answering or posting their support or non-support of an issue one after another.

[innocentchild]

Year for Janet Clark....and, the others (candidates and members alike) who did not sign this document outside of their open meetings. This seems to have some major changes proposed for the schools in Pinellas - should not the Board and administration review it much closer than in an office with what sounds like some heavy-hand tactics...like in one of those workshops that we have watched on our computers???

[Frans van Haaren]

Why is everybody so concerned about procedures? The problem is that 1/3 of third graders has not learned to read at grade level, that too many high-school students do not graduate and that the black-white achievement gap has not changed in at least thirty years. None of this will ever change if we keep doing business as usual (we can all agree on that since it hasn't changed for at least 30 years). Let's just consider the proprosal on its merits in the context of the present situation. I personally like the idea that a principal gets to decide how to spend money in consultation with teachers and parents. That puts the accountability right where it should be. It will make it more likely that the principal will lead with students and teachers in mind. He would not have to worry about ingratiating the administrators at the next level as their evaluations of his performance would no longer matter ......Maybe that's why everybody is getting a little nervous about this proposal.

Michelle, above poster and long time Mary Russell hater had this to say when Bostock won in 2006:

Everyone,
I think you will find that with a little bit of peace and quiet the remaining and new board member(s) will be able to work together to come to more and better consensus. Policy and procedures already in place will run smooth. New policies and procedures will come together better and stronger. We will be able to hear what the others are thinking instead of their thoughts being drowned out by one voice. The new board will be able to talk with each other to hear and listen and understand where the other is coming from. The board meetings will become professional and respected. Personally I (and several thousand more) am looking forward to our new and improved Pinellas County School Board.

Michelle reminds me of Notradamus. NOT!

What would move Michelle to continue harping on Mary Russell? Someone harbors hate in their heart, but it's not Ms. Russell who, btw is a private citizen and did not ask to be involved in this debate.

Save your public discussion and criticism for public figures Miss Michelle-who ever you are.

HELLO!!! Anyone Home??

Our graduation rate is 67% one of the worst in the Country..not County...Country.

3 out of 4 Black Males will not graduate from High School this year.

62% of our High Schools are considered Drop-out factories, (7 out of 10) by a study done by John Hopkins University.

Janet Clark is using the excuse for an attorney present because of the White Paper drawn up by the Education Foundation.

The Foundation has been meeting with individual school board members for years discussing various issues and nothing has ever been said until Mrs. Clark might have been questioned about her role in Tuff-Teach and the sorry state of this District.

Let's start thinking about the students for a change. Enough of the in-fighting we are use to at school board meetings.

If you have a better plan than the one submitted by the Education Foundation... SEND IT IN....do something instead of this senseless chatting.
Bob

[Janet R. Clark]

Bob- I suggest you find an attorney who is familiar with the Sunshine Law to explain my concern to you. There is case law regarding serial meetings with school board members.
While you're at it, ask about limitations on political activity for 501(c)(3)organizations.
Oh, and it's Ms not Mrs.

[mom]

I may not understand all the components of the "white papers", however I wonder if the writer's while good intentioned, think this is the magic bullet that will lift kids from poverty, and erase all the obstacles that lower their chances for graduation. Control closer to the schools and classrooms. Hey that sounds great on the surface, I want specifics. Cutting beauracracy sounds great as well.Circumenting the sunshine laws, is not how I want the foundation to represent itself. I believe the 10th grade curriculum at the stavros center covers business ethics. Maybe we all could use a refresher course. Since I've donated to the foundation over the years, I can say I don't want the foundation being pushy or counterproductive to the relationship it has with the county schools. Let us all begin by staying focused on the kids. If Pinellas wants a major change, then they need workshops, research based evidence, and it needs to have a public announcement, then a vote by the members. Business owners would research a new product or service if they were about to change something big before they did it (hopefully.) The graduation rate is lower in areas where there is higher levels of poverty. Pinellas has areas of highpoverty. This shouldn't be a shock. The grad rate hasn't been great for years. Why are we trying to jump into something without looking at a well researched objective plan. I don't like shooting arrows without targets. I want research. I want proven results with the same demographic the foundation wants to help I wouldn't sign something that I thought could be against the law either. That would be stupid.

Well Janet I did find an attorney familar with the Sunshine Law.

If you didn't want to discuss the white paper, fine, just say so and that would have been the end of it.

Remember, the white paper was a collaborative effort of suggestions from members of the school board after visiting Okaloosa, business partners, and others.

The meeting could have continued with constructive dialogue about the crisis our educational system faces, and it is a crisis, as it did with the other school board members who had nothing to hide.

As far as political activity for organizations, you have done your best to keep beating on the Foundation or any other entity that seems to challenge your role as a school board member. I hope you will fight as hard for our students.
Bob

To mom: Your comments are well taken. But please keep in mind the White Paper is the result of more than two years of looking at a successful model. It wasn't developed overnight.

Change is not going to happen overnight. It will take years but we have to start somewhere. Please go to the studentsfirstpinellas.org website and see the data and the crisis we face.

I believe one of the stats is that 51 of the 67 school districts have a higher free and reduced lunch program than we do, yet 41 of those districts have a lower drop-out rate, so poverty isn't the major problem.

The Foundation meeting with individual school board members has been going on for years. It is a yearly event to exchange ideas.

You are absolutely correct there is "no magic bullet," but there are districts in this country making tremendous progress in education. All I am asking for us to do is look at them, see what they are doing and see if we can adapt some of their successes to fit our county, our school system and to do everything possible to keep our children in school. A 67% graduation rate is a crisis, 3 out of 4 black males dropping out of school is unacceptable.

Please don't shoot the messenger. What we must do is work together for a common goal, a common cause to make Pinellas County Schools one of the Premier Districts in the State.

The Pinellas Education Foundation, Pinellas County Schools and the Pinellas County School Board have been working together for 20 years; the results, the creation of Enterprise Village, Finance Park, the Stavros Institute and the soon to be completed, Jacobson Culinary Arts Academy located in Tarpon Springs.

Together we have accomplished much for the students and teachers of Pinellas County. We can do it again.
Bob

[Janet R. Clark]

Bob- Do you honestly not remember the meeting I had with you and Gerry Hogan at your office at Ditek on April 22, 2008 at 1 PM? You were meeting with all the school board candidates about the philosophy of the white paper. I assume this was some sort of screening.

I have no problem discussing the white paper, but the white paper was not an effort produced in collaboration with school board members. Perhaps there would have been a more embracing attitude had it been.

And if you think I have something to hide, why don't you just say it instead of continuing with your innuendoes? It seems to have something to do with http://www.tuff-teach.com/pcs/index.php

[Confused]

In the threads above, Ms. Clark seems eager to educate the public on her view of the legitimate activities of 501(C)(3)Non Profit Corporations. To paraphrase her comments, perhaps she should "find an attorney who is familiar with the limitations" of advertising an entity (for which she is listed as both the Registered Agent and President) as a Non Profit when it appers it no longer holds such status with the Florida Department of Corporations.

From the Tuff-Teach website referenced in Ms. Clark's most recent posting:

FAQs: "Tuff is ....a non-profit organization ......"

From the SunBiz website today:

"Status: Inactive, Admin Dissolution 09/15/2006"

There is an interesting article on this week's issue of LeoReports.com which further explores this topic.

http://leoreports.com/leoreports14.aspx

[mom]

The Foundation does so many wonderful things and I don't want this to cloud the respect I have for Gus stavros and all of the business and families that donate to the foundation. I do however want to see and hear much much more about how much control individual schools will have. Again on the surface that sounds great. I have three childen in the public school system. I wonder how bussing and food service at each individual school will improve achievement. Would it even be cost effective? There are so many state and federal laws that must be followed with both. I wonder if the white papers, while good intentioned, could overtax individual principals. They are already doing more and more with less support. They are also not always qualified for those added responsibilities. I think it is better to slow down, work in the sunshine, get buy in from parents and families and the principals and teachers alike. Have they been involved? We don't even have a new superintendent yet. I don't know enough about it to support it and Okalossa County, demographically is a little different socially than Pinellas. I think we need to look at other districts too. I am glad people want change, but it seems the recent reforms aren't reforms just budget cuts. If the county and state isn't willing to invest the money in good programs, high paid employees, then part of the equation will be missing.I think the school board members probably interpret things based on law and are trying to be careful and thorough and not get themselves into an issue with the law. Private business, has less state law and federal law interference. When you work with agencies such as JWB and others who receive public funds just like the schools, there is more redtape. As I would tell my kids, stop fighting, play nicely, and work it out. All sides need to buy into it and there is room for compromise so all sides feel comfortable moving forward to help kids. I am glad and encouraged we want to improve the grad rate. What is working for all the kids in the county that go to school and make good grades, behave, score high on their FCAT's and SAT test? My daughter is getting an excellent education at Seminole high. We are involved and caring parents. We have expectations. She likes her classes. So for the students, like mine and many others they are fully benefitting from their public education. We have a subset of students that need targeted. Start working there then move to something larger. The county doesn't have money for sweeping changes. I have two more coming through the school system. I don't want college prep and classical k-12 education changed completely. College bound students need to have lecture and lab, that is how colleges teach for the most part. Beef up Ptec for those who want to have career classes. But you must have the money to do it.

Businesses need to pay for thier own employee training programs.

Public schools are supposed to educate the bulk of the public. They were never meant to be job training programs or colleges.

They were meant to take kids off the street (and back in the day, the unions wanted kids out of the factories) and provide for a literate electorate.

It is not the public school system's job to train Brighthouse Networks employees.

Businesses are simply looking for a way to exploit children and tax payers. The feds give income tax breaks to businesses, local citizens subsidize the property taxes of local businesses AND every govt. entity provides "chamber" type crap advertising businesses.

Now you want to use our limited education funds to train your employees AND convince kids they are getting a great deal by getting hired as a low level employee with a "bright future" in fibre optic cable laying, slopping bite sized appetizers for the Education Foundation yuckity yucks or if the girls are really lucky, slopping hot wings at your organizations' major sponsor-Hooters.

Enough already. Get off the government trough and fend for yourselves.

In the mean time, school board members ought to be thinking about what is good enough for THEIR kid not someone else's kid. Make the system work for all kids just like you want it to work for your kid!

Wow! What planet are you from???

Obviously you haven't been in touch with the real world lately.

Maybe in you infinite wisdom you have a plan....care to share it with us girls slopping wings at Hooters?
Missy