Saturday, March 6, 2010

A Letter from Kim Clark to Undecided Voters...

This post was from Ms Clark in response to an undecided voter's comment in the next post below addressing why NOT to vote for David Taylor.

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Dear Undecided, As a former board member I can help you out a bit. I do believe at one time David was an effective board member, he is generally nice person and cares about our schools. However,my personal experience with him would lead me to believe his time has come and gone. David and I clashed from day one.

In all my years of volunteering, and working as a teacher I never had anyone treat me with such disrespect. Other board members currently serving have also experienced this frustration. It does get in the way of getting the job done. When citizens came foward to present facts regarding the grade scale, they were marked as trouble. When efforts were made to improve communication and understanding with the towns, he blocked those efforts at every attempt. He has accused board members of illegal activity, talked back to the public who come to speak.....knowing they can't respond, and has blocked teachers from participating in important discussions such as those on the grade scale. This is the David I served with, and while I am sure there must be some things he did in his previous terms, an open minded contribution to our schools was not one of them when I was on the board. He voted against a contingency fund for teachers as well as voting against the charter of the Strategic Plan. He has not worked with new board members as a mentor, and in fact I would argue often sits back to watch them fail.
My first few meetings as chair he would literally mumble under his breath and then accuse me of breaking the rules on purpose, when in fact I was simply trying to learn and following past practices, which suddenly had to change since I was now the chair. Is this who we all want for three more years?

I will also remind everyone that during the Don Maynard fiasco, during the close loss of the theater program, and during the grade scale debate this senior member of the board.....well all I can say is....there are more reasons not to vote for him. Please also remember that Shirley Thompson, a servant of this town since the 1960's resigned rather than serve with him another day.

I hate to become negative, but the attacks on those who simply have become involved have angered me. Why are we not presenting facts, sticking to facts, and having a spirited debate on the facts. Young parents have become involved in this community because they care deeply about continously striving for excellence in our schools. They volunteer at the PTO, support teachers and it is this support of teachers they fight for. When I visited with teachers in all of the schools last fall they were pleading for help and support, which they are not receiving with this current central office administration. Please support a change, the time has come.

21 comments:

  1. Thank you Kim Clark. A lot of us really do appreciate all that you have attempted to do for our kids. We only wish that you had joined a "team" when you joined the board. Thank you for pushing for what you believed would benefit our kids.

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  2. It truly amazes me that people take Kim "Sarah Palin" Clark seriously. Lots of blah, blah, blah and no substance. I see nearly three years (an incomplete term) on the board and absolutely nothing to show for it.

    Now she wants us to take her seriously? As chairwoman of the board, she had a supermajority on her side and she still couldn't pass her agenda. Come on folks, wake up and smell the coffee.

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  3. I guess you just proved the point. Even with a "supermajority" on her side, with David blocking every attempt this board didn't stand a chance. Thank you for providing yet another reason to NOT vote for David. Just so you know, Kim Clark is SO NOT a Sarah Palin. In her three years we saw a grade scale change, a strategic plan underway, and attempts to improved communication with teachers. That is all I am aware of as someone who half pays attention. Ya, nothing to show for it. Seriously folks, I am still waiting for what David has done in the past three years except for attacking others.

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  4. I concur. The David supporters are the ones who haven't given us one lick of evidence to support him. That above entry simply pushes us away from him. How many times do people have to say it??? Name calling doesn't win you ONE vote. You are being incredibly childish and unproductive. If David is so darned incredible, then knock yourself out & convince us! And we don't want to hear about what he did five years ago. We want current truthful evidence. But no one seems to be able to provide it for these blogs. You really aren't doing a very good job of supporting or promoting your candidate. Don't talk to us about substance. And S-T-O-P calling people names. It is seriously cheesy and is getting very old.

    Oh, and David has obstructed progress. The previous entry is correct.

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  5. Commenter #2... you are not helping your candidate. Get a clue.

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  6. Commenter #2... you are not helping your candidate. Get a clue.

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  7. Twas the night before the election and all through the district not an argument was stirring for DT. I have been checking in with this Blog to see why I should keep my mind open, why I should wait to decide. Yet here we are, the night before and all I have seen are attacks on a Mom who served the town, and is not even running, and no reason given to support DT.
    I will be voting for Ms. Butts and Ms. Wright.
    If Ms. Clark was running, I would be voting for her. To serve a full term or a partial term and to continue to stay engaged, is to be commended.
    Shame on those that attack anyone who chooses to serve our district. DT thank you for your service, but I must defer for the "time has come for change."

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  8. Kim Clark is a quitter. Nothing more. Her voice is meaningless.

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  9. Well said, I'm with you. The DT supporters couldn't have made a better case for the support of Ann Wright and Krista Butts. I really wanted to listen. But the DT supporters made a choice. Rather than try to convince the undecided voters, they slammed Kim Clark and labeled anyone who discussed DT's voting record. David really needs a better support team! Or maybe David should have given them some substance to use for amunition?? Food for thought.

    Thank you David Taylor. But I cannot think of one reason to support you this time.

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  10. Hmmm... a "quitter." Could that be yet one more label??? You people amaze me. Put on your big boy/girl pants and support your candidate. Why can't you understand that there have been people on this blog who could have been convinced. I am one of them. You have quite clearly blown it. I personally hope that it translates into the vote tomorrow.

    You are pretty naive, actually incredibly naive, if you think that Kim Clark has no influence in this community. She earned the respect of many people long before she served on the Board.

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  11. Again...why should we support David Taylor? It seems no one can answer that. For the voters....BE CAREFUL!!!! The speeches you hear from him on the campaign is NOT the same person. Look at all the comments on here WITH EXAMPLES! There are also references to actual factual voting records and personal accounts from TEACHERS.

    The evidence is overwhelming and the only thing the Taylor supporters can do is label as morons, idiots, and "Sarah Palin".

    The time for change is tomorrow...VOTE!!!!!

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  12. Can't wait to vote tomorrow!

    Make the WRIGHT choice!

    We need the best BUTTS in seats on the Board!


    WOO HOO!!!

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  13. "Her voice is meaningless." What a nice way to talk about someone who served our community as a PTO Chair at Moharimet, a Board member, and then a Board Chair. When David walks out on a meeting, he is pitied by his supporters. When Kim Clark resigns, do to her frustration with David Taylor's bullying, she is condemned by his supporters. Minimizing any citizen's voice by referring to it as meaningless does not sound like a democracy. What a sad way to look at a community servant.

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  14. I teach so I can not use my nameMarch 9, 2010 at 6:39 AM

    Kim Clark contiues to work hard for the students and teachers for this district. Her records stands, she has taken a stand.
    What has David done?
    We now know his supporters can only seem to attack.
    We knew they did not defend us, the teachers that need support.
    Please remember positions are being cut. A Library Aide, a long serving secretary, many aides to students.
    I did not hear him once stand up for these postions that have a direct impact on students.
    I have seen Kim do this in previous Blog posts as well as her very public resignation.
    She could have quit quietly, she did not.
    She took a stand and tried to wake up the community to what the teachers have been enduring under the recent leadership.
    The David I witnessed at the candidate night, I wish was the David that had served. He is not, and should not be provided the seat on the board.
    I will be voting for Krista Butts and Ann Wright today.

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  15. I am confused, is Kim running again?
    There seem to be more attacks on her than on David.
    Maybe we should write her in.

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  16. It is all a distraction to avoid discussing David's actual accomplishments.

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  17. Kim in the past year:
    1. Brought the teachers into the budget process, for the first time the school board visited us and asked us what WE wanted.
    2. Brought back the all day meeting with administration to discuss the budget.
    3. Helped provide enough support for the strategic plan. A plan that it is now underway with many teachers input.
    4. Ran open, friendly meetings. Please note during her tenure, the entire atmosphere of the board/public/teachers improved.
    5. Ran efficient meetings. David chose to leave a meeting after she made the valid choice to not call on him again. It WAS time to move the discussion and she made a tough call, it was the right call.
    6. Stood up for students and teachers with a voice that we do want to continue to hear from.
    David in the past year:
    1. Voted against a continegnecy fund for teachers.
    2. Pushed for a custodial supervisor, but never once stood up for the MS library aide position.
    3. Voted against the charter of the Strategic Plan. A charter that many teachers contributed to.
    4. He now says he would like a return to civility, however please remember he attacked board members and make public accusations that were later proven false. The division he speaks of, was created by him.
    5. Did not mentor new board members.

    My vote today will be for Wright and Butts.
    Please base your vote on facts, not re-written campaign propaganda.

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  18. The previous entry should have run right beside Taylor's strategically placed letter in Foster's today.

    Thank you "I teach."

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  19. I have been reading all of these posts and still have not seen anything that David Taylor has accomplished. I have not seen anything from him promoting himself - signs, flyers, etc. I have read about and witnessed his actions that to me are not forward thinking, protectionist and closed minded.

    The folks that want to bash Kim for presenting facts should counter with facts about David Taylor rather than name calling. It seems that this is all you have to respond with. How sad.

    David Proulx

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  20. Congratulations to Ann Wright and Krista Butts! What an exciting time for the school district.

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