LCSD School Board Meeting Summary

When I liveblog an LCSD meeting, it kind of sucks my energy to do any kind of analysis. That said, here are some random outcomes/thoughts:

1) The board is learning to work together, filling in each other's gaps. (One could also read this as people covering for Rick, which is true, but only part of the story.)

2) The very, very tense discussion between parents, teachers and administrators regarding the math emergency suggests that there hasn't been a lot of communication between teachers and this particular group of parents. I hope the planned meeting at LHS regarding math is utilized to increase communication between the two groups.

3) Rick still has poor impulse control. Either that or he still genuinely believes that discussion is not needed once he figures out what he wants to do. Either one is problematic for a school board member.

4) The following comment drove me ballistic:

"8:39 PM: Alexander: This town isn't about secrets... when a board meeting happens, most people know what's going to happen."

This from the guy who developed a serious habit of adding items to the agenda after the meeting started. Granted, he's not done it quite some time, but I think the point still stands: He can't possibly have been serious.

5) The board passed everything unanimously. Come to think of it, I think they passed everything in front of him.

6) Despite Robinson's detailed explanation of all the things the LCSD is doing on the math front, Robinson came across as spinning. Hard. And I think the audience knew it. I read the audience as interpreting the declaration of emergency as happening because the district was getting bad PR.... and I can't say I disagree.

7) From teachers, parents need to reach out more to teachers. Teachers already work long hours and are willing to work with parents. Or so I've heard from teachers - and again, I can't say I disagree.

8) Wineteer's style as chair is to let people talk a lot more. Every person who commented during audience comments spoke for more than three minutes, and during the math discussion, parents were talking directly to Robinson and the board, even a few teachers.

9) I can't believe Alexander said this:

8:35 PM: Alexander: We're behind the curve; we talked four years ago about an alternative school, and "the answer was SAS". "How many more students will be thrown under the bus?" [emphasis added]

Were I a teacher, I'd be furious at this comment, coming from a board member. But what do I know?

UPDATE:

9a) It's worth nothing, as Robinson did, that SAS applies to K-8 students, not to the high school, which is where the math scores are hurting (they are, if I remember correctly, above the state average for K-8 students). So Alexander's comment makes little sense on top of being insulting.

10) It was suggested to me last night that the above comment by Alexander was just grandstanding, caused by his facing a recall vote. I think that's really plausible - in fact, I can't remember him doing anything outrageous since CARES declared they were seeking a recall of he and Wineteer. I keep vacillating between "he's laying low and trying to survive the recall" and "when is the other shoe going to drop?"

11) 8:53 PM: Alexander, regarding the possibility of a contract for alternative education: "We'd be better off giving the money to a charter school [than put it towards an alternative education contract]; maybe they could hire another teacher with it!"

That comment practically stands on its own. I will say that it's factually wrong, as the charter school and the alternative online school do not fulfill the same function.

Conclusion: I'm sure there is more, but it's late and I'm tired.