Pittsburg - We have a problem!
It appears from reading the latest issue of the local paper and making the rounds at the local coffee shop round tables the problem is a dysfunctional PISD board of trustees and lack of 'hired gun' leadership. This board and the 'hired gun' superintendent put all their eggs in one basket and the basket broke and spilled and cracked all the eggs. Not to mention we have 'twilight dee' and 'twilight dum' as members of the PISD board of trustees and they know not how to get out of the rain - much less how to run a multi-million dollar operation.
Upon further investigation it has been determined that it is TIME the 'hired gun' superintendent move back into retirement and exit the PISD system to prevent further damage to the spacecraft. After a public review of citizens from her previous job assignment it is best this spaceship be assigned a new commander. The current superintendent of the PISD has been identified as a P. T. Barnum type. Great showman and caters to the crowd of whom she is in the company of at the time. One individual did not have kind words to say about the job performance of their former superintendent who is now the PISD 'hired gun'. He even went on to say "I bet she told your board she only wanted to stay two years, but she really wants to stay 20. Don't let her are you school district will be in the same shape we are right now." Where there is smoke there is fire and I think we see the smoke and it is thick!
A 'hired gun' should have had at a minimum two options in hand if the bond failed. The PISD 'hired gun' had not a single option! This clearly demonstrates her lack of planning abilities and should be duly noted in her personnel file. The commander of the ship had no idea how much additional overhead expenses she would have incurred with new school infrastructure on the ground. No operation is going to be successful without proper planning and the abilities to carryout alternative options. There are other signs that the current 'hired gun' superintendent needs to move back into retirement, but you will have to do your own homework. Conduct a survey of the folks in her former school district to get a real perspective on her capabilities. This writer was somewhat shocked at some of the things being said by the folks in her old stomping grounds. What is amazing - it is reported that some of the same behavior patterns are starting to resurface here in her new assignment.
If PISD is to move forward it is time to remove the retread and put on a new tire!
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For several months before the school bond election, it was clear that we had some problems. An outsider described the origin of some of these problems. That description is repeated for those who missed an earlier posting on this blog. Perhaps some of the suggestions made in the last paragraph will now be considered.
Do Not Cause Economic Harm To Others
Those who know the difference between right and wrong would not intentionally cause economic harm to others. Yet those ready to vote “Yes” on the upcoming school bonds
will do great economic harm if they prevail.
Over the past ten years, I have observed Social Democracy in action in Camp County. I have observed how small voting blocs have been able to impose the will of small special interest groups on an unorganized and apathetic majority of property owners. I have observed our elected and appointed leaders getting others to rubber-stamp many of their wants. I have observed how those who question the wisdom and conduct of our leaders are ignored, or in some way punished. Over the past ten years, I have learned more and more about the dreams of many of those associated with the PISD, the city and the county. I share many of their dreams.
Some of our dreams include improving academic achievement, improving career preparation, uses of higher level curriculum materials, meeting higher curriculum standards, graduating more students who can qualify to attend top universities, more effective educators, higher salaries for PISD educators, more academically motivated students, more supportive parents and community members and updating academic facilities.
Until the coming of a visionary superintendent and those she attracted, the dreams remained just dreams. This year she unveiled her master plan to address most of the wants of the PISD. It is of little surprise that the majority of a school board made up of high-income individuals connected with local businesses or individuals having close ties to tax-dependent entities would agree with her master plan. Such individuals typically write off property taxes and seem little concerned with the plight of more typical property owners.
Now, some of these dreams have become the shared visions of administrators, teachers, most members of the school board, most members of the select facilities committee, and others with special ties to the PISD. Motivated by national, state and local mandates to improve academic achievement, those with shared visions have devised a comprehensive plan that addresses most of the wants of the PISD. Unfortunately, much of the comprehensive plan includes wants that are not needed. Much of the comprehensive plan focuses on improving physical appearances rather than upon improving the quality of education.
Unfortunately, implementing the comprehensive plan of the visionaries will require that property tax payers vote to borrow the maximum amount possible and in effect pledge their properties and the properties of others as collateral. Those who vote for the purchase of school bonds will be voting to raise the property tax rate to a historic high. Those who vote for the school bonds may be voting others into poverty and make the purchase of many homes unaffordable because of the resulting higher property taxes. Those who vote for school bonds may cause economic harm to those wanting to sell their homes by limiting the number of buyers who can afford the resulting higher property taxes. Those who vote for school bonds may cause future economic harm to children, teachers, property owners, renters, business owners, and to Camp County.
Much future economic harm will be done to our children by leaving them our debts. Teachers will be economically harmed if all local resources are spent on buildings property owners will be economically harmed by taking away their means of subsistence renters will be economically harmed by higher rents business owners will be harmed because consumers will have less money to spend and the county will be harmed by having less money to spend on infrastructure.
The great uncertainties in our local, state and national economies are forcing most of us to deal with reality and to consider the likely consequences of assuming any additional debt at this time. There is great concern that even our national leaders may not be able to prevent runaway inflation, the loss in value of our currency, loss of jobs, and the decline in our home values. I think that reasonable people will conclude that this is not a good time for higher property taxes.
As many of us try to adjust our budgets for increasing inflation and a lower standard of living, we question the wisdom of those who would add to our burden of debt. We question the wisdom of those who are stampeding us into an early vote without due democratic deliberation. We question the track records for academic improvement of those who would cause so much economic harm to so many to benefit so few. Some of us question how building and maintaining more athletic facilities will improve the academic and vocational programs. Some of us want to know how the academic and vocational programs will be improved by additional spending. Some of us want to focus on education issues and not be distracted and misled.
Only by involving a more representative facilities committee, knowing the amount of surplus tax collected, knowing the amount of tax payer money held in reserve, considering more cost effective solutions to perceived needs and postponing a school bond election will confidence in the PISD leadership be restored.
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