A forensic audit IS NOT the same as an annual CPA review. Every town, school, business, etc is required to have a CPA firm look at their books. A forensic audit looks behind the numbers in greater depth for fraud and non-compliance with policies. The Town of Newmarket recently completed a forensic audit and found "significant concerns and problems with the town of Newmarket's fiscal controls".
This administration tries to silent criticism. If they have nothing to hide then why are they running?
It is time to find out what is happening and get new systems in place to make it known what is happening with our dollars!
OPEN COMMUNICATION??? COME ON! THERE IS NOTHING OPEN AND THERE IS SURELY NO COMMUNICATION FROM THIS DISTRICT! THEY GIVE NEW MEANING TO "DON'T ASK, DON'T TELL"
So..."the School Board is a legal body that is bound by the same Right-To-Know laws that govern any local entity..." Oh, really? Then how come the admininstrators routinely violate that law?
Probably because the lawyers they retain--at taxpayer expense--have advised them that the law contains no enforcement provisions, and the only recourse a requestor has if they don't comply is to sue them. Since few of us have the resources to pay a lawyer to litigate all the way to superior court, they get away with it.
Being bound by the law is one thing, following it is another. This is just another example of the half-truths these people employ to cover up their self-serving misdeeds.
Wake up. What is so terrible about asking this school distrcit to be transparent? Why are you so happy with the status quo? Do you think it is ok that the distrcit does not tell you where the money is being spent?
Have you seen the budget put together by the town of Durham? It is amazing. I just downloaded it from their website. It is 196 pages and it is READABLE!!! I am very impressed. I am happy with that budget. I am not happy with the school's budget. It is not the bottom line that I take issue with, it is how we get there--we have NO IDEA how we get to $38M. This is a problem and there is AN EASY WAY TO FIX IT.
Really, how can the school district argue against transparency. It is a real head shaker!
Go put your feet up and have your coke while I spend my free time fighting for what is right for our community and our kids! If the district has nothing to hide then they should not be so defensive?
True...why is the administration so defensive here? I just don't get it.
AND TO ALL TEACHERS....WE DO NOT WANT TO CUT TEACHING POSITIONS!!!!!! So, please stop believing the union and any misinformation you hear.
This is not an argument to get rid of teachers...it is an argument for more clarification and a easy to read budget. What if we found waste that we could then reallocate to the classrooms.
Go read Fosters today. A resident made a plea to remove $15,000 from the TIP for SAU office cabling. Does that affect the students in the classrooms? Could that $15,000 buy more smart boards, supplies, textbooks, expand field trips?
Let me start by saying I am not an ORCSD employee, but I do work in a seacoast area district. a couple of points:
-To say the district isn't transparent is a bit disingenous when evrything is clearly available and the greatest portion of the budget goes to salaries and benefits which were publicly printed in a newspaper last year.
=A forensic audit would be quite expensive, implies mistrust and likely will not reveal anything inappropriate given the audit and public certification done each year on the sxhool district. It would likely cost well more than the $15,000 you are looking to save on the TIP.
=Speaking of that, the leap made that cutting the $15,000 wouldn't impact student learning demonstrates a lack of understanding for how schools work and the relationship between administration, teachers, students, and parents. The investment should lead to greater administrative efficiency which creates more time for meaningful learning connections and communication betwwen stakeholders.
-You may not think that you do not want to cut teaching positions, but what should one think when efforts are made and indeed positions have been cut these past two years. With the gross misinformation(R. Speidel), let's not lose sight that meaningful cuts can only come with the elimination of positions.
-Speaking of Mr. Speidel, I have written previously of his use of comparing ORCSD and Bow as a totally dishonest comparison given the tax base of each town. Bow has a power plant that contributes heavily to the property tax burden; we have a university that doesn't
-For the few people, who I agree will never be pleased, it would be great if you could take your rhetoric and energy to the state house and begin to campaign for a fairer statewide solution to the cost of schools and property tax relief.
-I wish the School Board and administration would counter and communicate more to offset the charges made throughout the budget process. Town Councilor Clark's Resolution 11A was grandstanding at best, misinformed at worst, and pandered to the few voices that are constantly complaining with no realistic, constructive solutions. Mr Clark's lack of knowledge or worse, manipulation of power, in his resolution clearly was an affront to the fiduciary relatonship that legally exists in all NH town governments. His argument only holds weight in city governments and I suspect he knows better. My question then is what is his motive? As a Durham resident, I hope he is acting individually and his misuse of his position does not reflect the Council collectively.
My apologies for going on here, but everyone's behavior is draining energy from where it needs to be directed; teaching and learning...
AND TO ALL TEACHERS....WE DO NOT WANT TO CUT TEACHING POSITIONS!!!!!! Says anonymous above.
So what does it mean to faculty and staff when positions are cut all around them. When support staff is cut and makes the job harder for others; when teachers work in messy rooms because custodian positions were cut; morale suffers and everyone's jobs are all the harder. Cutting secretaries and custodians are just a bandaid - not a cure.
I like "my two cents'" approach -- fix the problem in Concord. That is where the solution will be found - not on the backs of local taxpayers, teachers/staff, and most importantly, the students.
You're the one being disingenuous. Here's a challenge to you: why don't you post a link to the information you claim is on the ORCSD website? You can't, because it doesn't exist.
Before I could say the district is transparent, I'd want to see something that looks like this: http://ci.durham.nh.us/DEPARTMENTS/business_office/2010_budget.html
That's what real transparency looks like. While there have been noticeable improvements in the last year or so, the District still has a long way to go.
These aren't problems that are going to be solved in Concord; they start here and the solutions are right here.
Am I the only one who finds it weird that while the Durham Town Council addressed a resolution to the ORCSD School Board, Superintendent Colter and Business Administrator Cox took it upon themselves to respond? Aren't they supposed to act under the direction of the School Board? What gives them the authority to step in with their views, in place of our elected officials? I think the tail is wagging the dog here...
The simple issue here is that there is a lack of trust between the public and the administration. Until they learn PR and how to develop a budget like the Town of Durham, this will continue. Until then, they hide behind the curtain and just hope we go away....well....look at this blog. We aren't going anywhere.
Also, good point on the rebuttal from the district...where is the accountability from the school board to the administration. Another simple fact...there is NONE!
All of these comments are nice but they mean nothing to me unless people stop posting them anonymously. I think there is a lot of misinformation, rumors and accusations going around that is not very helpful. Sure I would love to blast people anonymously as much as the next person but that does not help move the discussion forward.
I would appreciate the availablity of more information on the ORCSD website as most towns and school districts have. I can not find financial statements, curriculum or other standard pieces of information that we should all have access to read as taxpayers and parents of ORCSD students. The ORCSD must also develop a strategic plan and long term goals which are currently non-existent. What are the short term and long term goals of the District? How can we spend millions of dollars without established goals and a path to get there? How will we organize our resources in the most effective and efficient way to get there? Spending more money is not the answer if it is not spent wisely.
First off, thank you David Proulx for using your name. As one who uses her name on this site, I appreciate it. Remember, one should always consider the source! Anonymous postings are susceptible to automatic discounting.
Truly, the information in the ORCSD Budget/Fund 10 is difficult for any lay person to understand. I am still trying to unravel what / who is included in health benefit line items.
Two Cents, I am sure Concord is culpable to some degree. In fact, I am sure we could throw the net even farther. Nevertheless, we should try to improve upon what we can, close to home, first.
Certainly, I have seen some momentum towards greater transparency and accountability, but I believe there is still room for improvement.
Two Cents is just another bureaucrat sucking the life out of people who have REAL jobs. Sure, just go ahead and get more money from Concord...don't you understand that money has to come from taxpayers? You and your Spendocrat buddies down in Washington won't be happy until we're all dependent on the government for everything!
Nobody asked me, but...I feel like I've got to step up and rebut the gratuitous, anonymous attack on Roger Speidel. (I don't think Roger even HAS a computer, so somebody's got to do it!)
For the record, I only know Roger from attending School Board meetings; he's always there, and he's always making the same set of points. I can't say as I agree with him all the time, but I have to credit the fact that he steps up and make his arguments in public--something "My Two Cents" doesn't have the guts to do.
And everything I've ever seen Roger say has been well-researched...again, not that you have to agree with his conclusions, but the guy does his homework and gets his facts straight.
Speaking of which, that's something "Two Cents" can't seem to manage either. When he or she speaks of Roger's "dishonest" comparison of Bow to ORCSD, he goes on about how Bow has a tax-paying power plant with Durham doesn't. So what? Roger was talking about the level of spending per student, not the tax base. Who's being "dishonest" here?
That's MY two cents, and I'll gladly sign my name to it.
Mr. Bebbington describes Mr. Speidel as “well-researched” and he writes that he “gets his facts straight”. Mr. Speidel has repeatedly extolled the virtues of Montgomery County, MD as a district superior both academically and fiscally to ORCSD. Well, these are the facts. Look them up.
SAT Scores 2009 ORHS Montgomery County, MD Reading 561 532 Math 565 549 Writing 558 536 Total 1684 1617
Grad 96% 90% Rate
http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/rmhs/ Montgomery County Costs per Student FY 2008 Elem. Secondary Total /pupil $14,166 $13,344 $13,704 ORCSD FY 2008 $15,223 $13,977 $14,607
A few things to note- • There are 135,000+ students in the Montgomery County system. There were only 185,000 students in the whole state of NH last year. There are economies of scale with respect to transportation, technology, supplies, texts, etc. that lead to a lower per pupil cost. In addition, they have their own separate special education schools for students who can't succeed in the typical school setting. This is much less costly than placement in private institutions, the primary option in NH. • Maryland also excludes certain costs from their per student calculations for the same reasons that NH excludes them, yet Mr. Speidel never mentions that when he is quoting their fiscal numbers. Instead, he takes the total budget and divides by students, but quotes the post-reduction figures for Montgomery County.
Mr. Speidel is not honest and does not "have his facts straight". His comments have included references to the schools and the education students are receiving as "mediocre". This is both mean-spirited and patently false. Compare the SAT scores, Mr. Speidel. Our schools are not mediocre and neither are our children!
Thank you from the poster above! Finally we are seeing some balance to the spewing of information from Mr. Speidel that uses totally inapropriate comparisons that don't allow for informed decisions.His comparisons with the Bow District fals along the same lines, more from the tax base available for the Durham vs Bow communities. I know this notion has been shot down on this blog, but for all those complaining about taxes being too high, it really does need to be resolved at the state level. Local control doesn't need to be compromised for how money is spent or how an individual district evaluates quality and student success.
It seems though that many have lost the notion of public education serving the greater good, a primary underpinning of our Constitution. Most of us reponding on this blog have had the benefits of a public education supported by the taxpayers. Just because we may not have children at the time, doesn't free us from that obligation.
Oyster River has always supported a high quality education; that costs money. I don't see it being misused to the extent many here think it is. If the desire is deep cuts, that translates to teaching positions plain and simple. Arguing over a custodial position or putting off the implementation of a new phone system is not going to translate to lower taxes in any significant way. Those who ultimately serve on the Board come to realize this...just look at how Rief and Townsend have moderated their views! Kim Clark realized she couldn't deliver because the rhetoric of complaining about high costs doesn't match the reality so she quit.
This whole site is discredited - regardless if you put your name to it or not. Who says I can't just create a new name and post it on this site? That is what Pickle Boy did.
1) Blaine took the comment very well and has spent time reviewing the Durham Town Budget. He had also agreed (SB Meeting 2/10/10 - missing from the minutes) to adopt portions of it to improve presentation of the budget to the public.
2) The letter from Mr Clark misses on several fronts - well responded to by the Administration. I'll help remind with some math a 1st grader understands 4 is a majority and 4 current board members are from Durham - elected by Durham (Durham has the largest voting block in the district).
Before you claim you are 'not represented', I'll remind you to put up solid candidates and VOTE!
Oh yea, since this is such an acidic environment - most people that "would run" instead run away.
Folks - recognize progress, present fair and accurate data and perhaps, just perhaps people will listen.
3) To the person supporting cable at the SAU. C'mon, go back and review the tapes - they want:
multiple outlets per office, allowing for offices to be decorated differently. I have one outlet in my office - works fine.
they failed to maintain the wiring in the closet, making changes and failing to label those changes. Get a tone tool and a co-op and spend a morning tone testing the links and heck, grab a cable analyzer and actually test it. Heck - I know someone who will loan you one for FREE. I'm an IEEE engineer and know that your "Cat 3" cable plant will run 100Mbps Ethernet (that's what you blew the money on instead of 1000Mbps) very well.
Anyone that thinks for a moment that CAT 6 will result in improvements for student education - I fail to see how you could draw a link between a secretary, business administrator or central office administrator having faster links than our students have as 'improving their education'.
It's like saying a Cat 6 network in your house with Gigabit (1000Mbps) everywhere is speeding up your 4Mbps cable modem. Guess what - it isn't. The SAU office is still limited by its connection outbound.
Get a clue - focus on the issues and let's celebrate the improvements we've made so far.
A forensic audit IS NOT the same as an annual CPA review. Every town, school, business, etc is required to have a CPA firm look at their books. A forensic audit looks behind the numbers in greater depth for fraud and non-compliance with policies. The Town of Newmarket recently completed a forensic audit and found "significant concerns and problems with the town of Newmarket's fiscal controls".
ReplyDeleteThis administration tries to silent criticism. If they have nothing to hide then why are they running?
It is time to find out what is happening and get new systems in place to make it known what is happening with our dollars!
OPEN COMMUNICATION??? COME ON! THERE IS NOTHING OPEN AND THERE IS SURELY NO COMMUNICATION FROM THIS DISTRICT! THEY GIVE NEW MEANING TO "DON'T ASK, DON'T TELL"
ReplyDeleteSo..."the School Board is a legal body that is bound by the same Right-To-Know laws that govern any local entity..." Oh, really? Then how come the admininstrators routinely violate that law?
ReplyDeleteProbably because the lawyers they retain--at taxpayer expense--have advised them that the law contains no enforcement provisions, and the only recourse a requestor has if they don't comply is to sue them. Since few of us have the resources to pay a lawyer to litigate all the way to superior court, they get away with it.
Being bound by the law is one thing, following it is another. This is just another example of the half-truths these people employ to cover up their self-serving misdeeds.
No matter what the three previous writers hear, they will never be happy.
ReplyDeleteSo please Anonymous 1, 2 and 3,have a coke and a smile.
If you can afford that coke! ha ha!
ReplyDeleteWake up. What is so terrible about asking this school distrcit to be transparent? Why are you so happy with the status quo? Do you think it is ok that the distrcit does not tell you where the money is being spent?
Have you seen the budget put together by the town of Durham? It is amazing. I just downloaded it from their website. It is 196 pages and it is READABLE!!! I am very impressed. I am happy with that budget. I am not happy with the school's budget. It is not the bottom line that I take issue with, it is how we get there--we have NO IDEA how we get to $38M. This is a problem and there is AN EASY WAY TO FIX IT.
Really, how can the school district argue against transparency. It is a real head shaker!
Go put your feet up and have your coke while I spend my free time fighting for what is right for our community and our kids! If the district has nothing to hide then they should not be so defensive?
If Anonymous #4 is happy with the way things are, he's snorting coke, not drinking it!
ReplyDeleteTrue...why is the administration so defensive here? I just don't get it.
ReplyDeleteAND TO ALL TEACHERS....WE DO NOT WANT TO CUT TEACHING POSITIONS!!!!!! So, please stop believing the union and any misinformation you hear.
This is not an argument to get rid of teachers...it is an argument for more clarification and a easy to read budget. What if we found waste that we could then reallocate to the classrooms.
Go read Fosters today. A resident made a plea to remove $15,000 from the TIP for SAU office cabling. Does that affect the students in the classrooms? Could that $15,000 buy more smart boards, supplies, textbooks, expand field trips?
THINK ABOUT IT!!!!!
Let me start by saying I am not an ORCSD employee, but I do work in a seacoast area district. a couple of points:
ReplyDelete-To say the district isn't transparent is a bit disingenous when evrything is clearly available and the greatest portion of the budget goes to salaries and benefits which were publicly printed in a newspaper last year.
=A forensic audit would be quite expensive, implies mistrust and likely will not reveal anything inappropriate given the audit and public certification done each year on the sxhool district. It would likely cost well more than the $15,000 you are looking to save on the TIP.
=Speaking of that, the leap made that cutting the $15,000 wouldn't impact student learning demonstrates a lack of understanding for how schools work and the relationship between administration, teachers, students, and parents. The investment should lead to greater administrative efficiency which creates more time for meaningful learning connections and communication betwwen stakeholders.
-You may not think that you do not want to cut teaching positions, but what should one think when efforts are made and indeed positions have been cut these past two years. With the gross misinformation(R. Speidel), let's not lose sight that meaningful cuts can only come with the elimination of positions.
-Speaking of Mr. Speidel, I have written previously of his use of comparing ORCSD and Bow as a totally dishonest comparison given the tax base of each town. Bow has a power plant that contributes heavily to the property tax burden; we have a university that doesn't
-For the few people, who I agree will never be pleased, it would be great if you could take your rhetoric and energy to the state house and begin to campaign for a fairer statewide solution to the cost of schools and property tax relief.
-I wish the School Board and administration would counter and communicate more to offset the charges made throughout the budget process. Town Councilor Clark's Resolution 11A was grandstanding at best, misinformed at worst, and pandered to the few voices that are constantly complaining with no realistic, constructive solutions. Mr Clark's lack of knowledge or worse, manipulation of power, in his resolution clearly was an affront to the fiduciary relatonship that legally exists in all NH town governments. His argument only holds weight in city governments and I suspect he knows better. My question then is what is his motive? As a Durham resident, I hope he is acting individually and his misuse of his position does not reflect the Council collectively.
My apologies for going on here, but everyone's behavior is draining energy from where it needs to be directed; teaching and learning...
My Two Cents
AND TO ALL TEACHERS....WE DO NOT WANT TO CUT TEACHING POSITIONS!!!!!! Says anonymous above.
ReplyDeleteSo what does it mean to faculty and staff when positions are cut all around them. When support staff is cut and makes the job harder for others; when teachers work in messy rooms because custodian positions were cut; morale suffers and everyone's jobs are all the harder. Cutting secretaries and custodians are just a bandaid - not a cure.
I like "my two cents'" approach -- fix the problem in Concord. That is where the solution will be found - not on the backs of local taxpayers, teachers/staff, and most importantly, the students.
Hey, Two Cents:
ReplyDeleteYou're the one being disingenuous. Here's a challenge to you: why don't you post a link to the information you claim is on the ORCSD website? You can't, because it doesn't exist.
Before I could say the district is transparent, I'd want to see something that looks like this: http://ci.durham.nh.us/DEPARTMENTS/business_office/2010_budget.html
That's what real transparency looks like. While there have been noticeable improvements in the last year or so, the District still has a long way to go.
These aren't problems that are going to be solved in Concord; they start here and the solutions are right here.
Am I the only one who finds it weird that while the Durham Town Council addressed a resolution to the ORCSD School Board, Superintendent Colter and Business Administrator Cox took it upon themselves to respond? Aren't they supposed to act under the direction of the School Board? What gives them the authority to step in with their views, in place of our elected officials? I think the tail is wagging the dog here...
ReplyDeleteThe simple issue here is that there is a lack of trust between the public and the administration. Until they learn PR and how to develop a budget like the Town of Durham, this will continue. Until then, they hide behind the curtain and just hope we go away....well....look at this blog. We aren't going anywhere.
ReplyDeleteAlso, good point on the rebuttal from the district...where is the accountability from the school board to the administration. Another simple fact...there is NONE!
All of these comments are nice but they mean nothing to me unless people stop posting them anonymously. I think there is a lot of misinformation, rumors and accusations going around that is not very helpful. Sure I would love to blast people anonymously as much as the next person but that does not help move the discussion forward.
ReplyDeleteI would appreciate the availablity of more information on the ORCSD website as most towns and school districts have. I can not find financial statements, curriculum or other standard pieces of information that we should all have access to read as taxpayers and parents of ORCSD students. The ORCSD must also develop a strategic plan and long term goals which are currently non-existent. What are the short term and long term goals of the District? How can we spend millions of dollars without established goals and a path to get there? How will we organize our resources in the most effective and efficient way to get there? Spending more money is not the answer if it is not spent wisely.
First off, thank you David Proulx for using your name. As one who uses her name on this site, I appreciate it. Remember, one should always consider the source! Anonymous postings are susceptible to automatic discounting.
ReplyDeleteTruly, the information in the ORCSD Budget/Fund 10 is difficult for any lay person to understand. I am still trying to unravel what / who is included in health benefit line items.
Two Cents, I am sure Concord is culpable to some degree. In fact, I am sure we could throw the net even farther. Nevertheless, we should try to improve upon what we can, close to home, first.
Certainly, I have seen some momentum towards greater transparency and accountability, but I believe there is still room for improvement.
Just my two cents :-)
I always use my name!!
ReplyDeleteTwo Cents is just another bureaucrat sucking the life out of people who have REAL jobs. Sure, just go ahead and get more money from Concord...don't you understand that money has to come from taxpayers? You and your Spendocrat buddies down in Washington won't be happy until we're all dependent on the government for everything!
ReplyDeleteNobody asked me, but...I feel like I've got to step up and rebut the gratuitous, anonymous attack on Roger Speidel. (I don't think Roger even HAS a computer, so somebody's got to do it!)
ReplyDeleteFor the record, I only know Roger from attending School Board meetings; he's always there, and he's always making the same set of points. I can't say as I agree with him all the time, but I have to credit the fact that he steps up and make his arguments in public--something "My Two Cents" doesn't have the guts to do.
And everything I've ever seen Roger say has been well-researched...again, not that you have to agree with his conclusions, but the guy does his homework and gets his facts straight.
Speaking of which, that's something "Two Cents" can't seem to manage either. When he or she speaks of Roger's "dishonest" comparison of Bow to ORCSD, he goes on about how Bow has a tax-paying power plant with Durham doesn't. So what? Roger was talking about the level of spending per student, not the tax base. Who's being "dishonest" here?
That's MY two cents, and I'll gladly sign my name to it.
Mr. Bebbington describes Mr. Speidel as “well-researched” and he writes that he “gets his facts straight”. Mr. Speidel has repeatedly extolled the virtues of Montgomery County, MD as a district superior both academically and fiscally to ORCSD. Well, these are the facts. Look them up.
ReplyDeleteSAT Scores 2009
ORHS Montgomery County, MD
Reading 561 532
Math 565 549
Writing 558 536
Total 1684 1617
Grad 96% 90%
Rate
http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/rmhs/
Montgomery County Costs per Student FY 2008
Elem. Secondary Total /pupil
$14,166 $13,344 $13,704
ORCSD FY 2008
$15,223 $13,977 $14,607
http://www.ed.state.nh.us/education/data/financial.htm
A few things to note-
• There are 135,000+ students in the Montgomery County system. There were only 185,000 students in the whole state of NH last year. There are economies of scale with respect to transportation, technology, supplies, texts, etc. that lead to a lower per pupil cost. In addition, they have their own separate special education schools for students who can't succeed in the typical school setting. This is much less costly than placement in private institutions, the primary option in NH.
• Maryland also excludes certain costs from their per student calculations for the same reasons that NH excludes them, yet Mr. Speidel never mentions that when he is quoting their fiscal numbers. Instead, he takes the total budget and divides by students, but quotes the post-reduction figures for Montgomery County.
Mr. Speidel is not honest and does not "have his facts straight". His comments have included references to the schools and the education students are receiving as "mediocre". This is both mean-spirited and patently false. Compare the SAT scores, Mr. Speidel. Our schools are not mediocre and neither are our children!
Thank you from the poster above! Finally we are seeing some balance to the spewing of information from Mr. Speidel that uses totally inapropriate comparisons that don't allow for informed decisions.His comparisons with the Bow District fals along the same lines, more from the tax base available for the Durham vs Bow communities. I know this notion has been shot down on this blog, but for all those complaining about taxes being too high, it really does need to be resolved at the state level. Local control doesn't need to be compromised for how money is spent or how an individual district evaluates quality and student success.
ReplyDeleteIt seems though that many have lost the notion of public education serving the greater good, a primary underpinning of our Constitution. Most of us reponding on this blog have had the benefits of a public education supported by the taxpayers. Just because we may not have children at the time, doesn't free us from that obligation.
Oyster River has always supported a high quality education; that costs money. I don't see it being misused to the extent many here think it is. If the desire is deep cuts, that translates to teaching positions plain and simple. Arguing over a custodial position or putting off the implementation of a new phone system is not going to translate to lower taxes in any significant way. Those who ultimately serve on the Board come to realize this...just look at how Rief and Townsend have moderated their views! Kim Clark realized she couldn't deliver because the rhetoric of complaining about high costs doesn't match the reality so she quit.
At least Tom Bebbington has the guts to post his name. Once again your views are discounted if you post anonymously.
ReplyDeleteSuch a small circle of friends and ideas..... It appears only those contrary anonymous ideas are discounted
ReplyDeleteThis whole site is discredited - regardless if you put your name to it or not. Who says I can't just create a new name and post it on this site? That is what Pickle Boy did.
ReplyDelete1) Blaine took the comment very well and has spent time reviewing the Durham Town Budget. He had also agreed (SB Meeting 2/10/10 - missing from the minutes) to adopt portions of it to improve presentation of the budget to the public.
ReplyDelete2) The letter from Mr Clark misses on several fronts - well responded to by the Administration. I'll help remind with some math a 1st grader understands 4 is a majority and 4 current board members are from Durham - elected by Durham (Durham has the largest voting block in the district).
Before you claim you are 'not represented', I'll remind you to put up solid candidates and VOTE!
Oh yea, since this is such an acidic environment - most people that "would run" instead run away.
Folks - recognize progress, present fair and accurate data and perhaps, just perhaps people will listen.
3) To the person supporting cable at the SAU. C'mon, go back and review the tapes - they want:
multiple outlets per office, allowing for offices to be decorated differently. I have one outlet in my office - works fine.
they failed to maintain the wiring in the closet, making changes and failing to label those changes. Get a tone tool and a co-op and spend a morning tone testing the links and heck, grab a cable analyzer and actually test it. Heck - I know someone who will loan you one for FREE. I'm an IEEE engineer and know that your "Cat 3" cable plant will run 100Mbps Ethernet (that's what you blew the money on instead of 1000Mbps) very well.
Anyone that thinks for a moment that CAT 6 will result in improvements for student education - I fail to see how you could draw a link between a secretary, business administrator or central office administrator having faster links than our students have as 'improving their education'.
It's like saying a Cat 6 network in your house with Gigabit (1000Mbps) everywhere is speeding up your 4Mbps cable modem. Guess what - it isn't. The SAU office is still limited by its connection outbound.
Get a clue - focus on the issues and let's celebrate the improvements we've made so far.
spoken like a true computer nerd.
ReplyDeleteThe previous comment was spoken like a true computer nerd.
ReplyDelete