Saturday, February 2, 2008

[LCSD] A Question

If Rick Alexander is as smart and caring as his supporters maintain, why does he come across during district meetings as someone who doesn't care to work with others or follow the rules?

I realize the two are not necessarily mutually exclusive, but as a general observation, being smart and caring about the future of the district and its students would, I think, lead one to be interested in working with other district staff/school board members/etc as well as actually reading the relevant materials (board policies and procedures, the Sand Ridge Report, etc).

So what's the deal? How can we explain the apparent disjunct between the claims made by Rick's supporters and what myself and plenty of other folks have seen with our own eyes at board meetings?

To wit: If Rick is really such a good guy to have on the school board, then why does he keep sandbagging half the board as well as the district staff?

Any thoughts?

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

One idea that is we all play the game that corresponds with the field it seems we are on.

Another thought is that he's been horribly...I mean HORRIBLY dissed by Robinson in the past. That might be informing his perception of the playing field.

Anonymous said...

One more thought on this -- Not everyone shares the same view of what is and isn't legal -- what the rules are and aren't. Rick's views on this aren't the same as yours or some others, but there are many who feel he does stay within his legal boundaries and these are not dumb people. The administration doesn't like him, so they and their attorney scream foul whenever he does something they don't like and it's different from how they are used to seeing things done (rubberstamp model).

I have no idea why he didn't read that report. Maybe he didn't think it worth his time? I don't know. He does have other obligations beyond his volunteer position on the school board, and yet I know he does devote hours to his board duties. I know some bloggers mock his talking to people who call out to him in restaurants or call him on his cell, but he spends hours listening to parents/community members.

He also is committed to honoring the confidentiality of people who fear for their jobs (or fear a punative transfer) if their reports of various JR actions are traced to them. He's in a touch spot -- working to be credible without hurting staff who call him by being as specific as some demand.

I don't agree with every stand it sounds like Rick has taken, but I deeply respect commitment to improving our district and the education of our kids.

Me??? I would have read the report. But you could never pay me enough money to be on a school board after what I've witnessed these last few years.

Anonymous said...

ie,
The lawyer is not Jim R.'s lawyer. He is from the firm hired as the District's lawyer. That includes the School Board. (And the lawyer Rick hired on these issues hasn't given him different info either--just loopholes in the system.)
What exactly do you mean that not everyone shares the same view on what is and isn't legal. When did "legal" become subjective?
And why would you respect someone who manages to just scrape by legalities with barley breathing room left. That is not a good example of anything but how to be barely legal. Is that what you want your kids to be--barely legal? Get away with whatever you can and have an escape route or at least a good blame-game if you get caught?
Wow!

Dennis said...

Anonymous,

Legal is very, very subjective. Any attorney will tell you that - heck, if the law were objective, why would we need lawyers?

If there is a perception that the legal counsel retained by the District is not serving the school board, perhaps it indicates that the school board is wrong about the law, or has decided to not follow the legal advice given by legal counsel.

I suppose another possibility is that the legal counsel is seen as being in JR's pocket because JR agrees with the legal advice given.

Anonymous said...

It is quite clear that IE has no clear understanding with what goes on with the school board and legal issues. If she gets all her information from Rick then I can understand her misunderstanding. Rick has been on the board for more than 4 years but he still does not know how things are done or what the role of school board members are suppose to be. He is in the meetings saying things that made himself even confuse. Wonder why everyone he knows is confuse. Ray Weldon his closest friend does the same with the city council.

Anonymous said...

It is quite clear that IE has no clear understanding with what goes on with the school board and legal issues. If she gets all her information from Rick then I can understand her misunderstanding. Rick has been on the board for more than 4 years but he still does not know how things are done or what the role of school board members are suppose to be. He is in the meetings saying things that made himself even confuse. Wonder why everyone he knows is confuse. Ray Weldon his closest friend does the same with the city council.

Anonymous said...

Dennis,
What I mean about 'subjectiveness and the law' is about statutes, policies, rules, that are clearly stated and binding. Those are NOT subjective. {And subjective interpretation will NOT keep you out of trouble with the law--in fact it is likely to keep you IN trouble with it....]
The subjectiveness comes in where they are silent or could be interpreted in more than one way.
That has not been the case with our School Board. Some on it are just thumbing their nose at the laws that won't let them do what they want and keep trying some other angle. That does not make the law subjective, it makes those people subjective about the law.
Big difference.
Rick A. has tried several different lawyers and he has not gotten the answer he wants yet. Now he is trying to keep within the "law" (only in order to avoid any more delay--not because he is law-abiding in spirit) but STILL not play by the rules. He is not behaving as a good role-model--unless you want to emulate being barely legal.

Anonymous said...

"I have no idea why he didn't read that report. Maybe he didn't think it worth his time?"

It's his job as an elected official.

"He does have other obligations beyond his volunteer position on the school board, and yet I know he does devote hours to his board duties."

Yeah, it's unpaid but it's not like he didn't know that before running for the position. I don't think we would excuse other elected officials (paid or unpaid) of their actions because they "didn't have time" to read something. The man should devote the time to staying informed on all school board issues because that's what he signed up for. Phone calls and community contact aid in that process of staying informed, but that in no means accounts for the whole process. Just because it's an unpaid position and he has "other obligations" doesn't give him an out.

 
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