Kim Clark writes:
Tuesday March 9th the residents of the
I will be voting for Krista Butts and Ann Wright.
Ann Wright has been a very active parent in our district. Ann is committed to maintaining a high quality education to our children and has been active in her support of changes that improve the opportunities of our students. Ann will help to continue the important work on the Strategic Plan, and will have the ability to ask the tough questions that need to be asked as we continue to strive for educational excellence in our district.
Krista Butts has a strong background in strategic planning. As an independent thoughtful parent, she will also work hard to assure the education of our children will be first rate.
Krista will bring an open mind, the ability to ask tough questions, and the willingness to listen to all sides of any issue.
I believe it is time for a change. It is time to bring forward new perspectives and ideas that will challenge the status quo, reflect emerging needs in this dynamic world, and respect the work done by our hard working teachers. We need candidates that will find the balance between doing what is right for our students, supporting the teachers and making difficult choices in tough economic times.
Ann and Krista bring different perspectives and views as two unique individuals. I strongly believe out of the three candidates in the race, Ann and Krista will better serve the interests of our community by focusing on how we can best provide a high quality of education and curriculum, and ensure we derive the highest value from our tax dollars.
I strongly believe Ann and Krista are the two candidates that can support the work ongoing in our district, and help to guide our district to the next level.
Visit their web sites at www.ann-wright.net and www.kritabutts.com for more information.
Please remember to vote for our kids on Tuesday March 9th.
I will be voting for Wright and Taylor for the Board. Taylor was clearly the most prepared and clear with his responses at the last candidate's night. Wright and Butts both seem like quality people too, with Wright seeming to have an edge with a background and experience for being a contributing Board member at this time.
ReplyDeletewww.kritabutts.com doesn't bring one to a site. Neither does www.kristabutts.com
ReplyDeleteIt is really sad that people support candidates just because they aren't David Taylor. Though he is not a "taxpayer" groupee like some of the other board members (ie. O'Quinn, Brackett, Townsend, etc) he does have principled comments, thinks before he speaks, genuinely supports excellence in schools, and does make hard choices.
ReplyDeleteIt is sad that just because he hasn't supported a few initiatives supported by the varoius taxpayer groups that people have revised some history to suit their views and automatically dismiss him as a candidate.
David Taylor is definitely getting my vote.
David Taylor is NOT getting my vote. Have you been paying attention in the last few years? Taylor has stood against progress and has voted AGAINST supporting a strategic plan he seems so righteous in supporting during his campaign.
ReplyDeleteWhile he may be a good forum speaker, that does NOT make him a good board member. He uses these forums to make himself appear as something he is not.
Vote Ann and Krista for our kids and progress in our schools!
Avoid Taylor...his 12 years are enough. We cannot endure another 3! Term limits anyone!?
You know what? I cannot stand the accusations that Brackett, O'Quinn and Townsend are part of the taxpayer association. Have you heard anything from the DTA since the debacle last March? They were beaten down and seemed to have not recovered. I haven't seen any emails or signs up from that group. As for the 3 board members, they are their own individuals and should be respected.
ReplyDeleteForget the DTA or any other special interest groups in the town and move on. People are their own person and politics like this should be stopped.
David has had 12 years to make the changes he thought were needed in our District. Yet in the last three years he has not done anything positive for out District.
ReplyDeleteIf you watch the meetings then you would see how he gets bogged down in details and has not made strides in advocating for the very programming he has stated is missing in the schools. Did you see the one where he talked about the school calendar for 45 minutes? Are you serious? Talk about MICROMANAGING! This is not work the Board should even be doing. Give the administration some space and focus on REAL ISSUES instead of the stuff that the capable staff can do.
At the forums, he has talked about what is not working or needs improvement. He says that the website is not up to par and that the music program is inadequate. Have you heard him ask to talk about these things?
Does he ever bring something positive or innovative? No, in his own words he "sits on his hands", waits for others to come up with the ideas and then he shoots them down.
Then when asked about the strengths of the entire school district he said the writing program in the high school. Really? He did not even MENTION teachers or principles or administrators or special ed or all the support staff who make this District great.
Mr. Taylor is out of touch. He has been part of the institution for far too long.
WE NEED NEW IDEAS AND SOME ENERGY AND ENTHUSIASM.
VOTE FOR ANN WRIGHT AND KRISTA BUTTS!
VOTE FOR THE FUTURE--VOTE FOR ANN AND KRISTA
The forums showed how long he has been there. When talking about something he did, he mentioned his own website from over a decade ago. He has done so little for so long that he could not even recall a recent idea he has brought to the table.
ReplyDeleteThe "sitting on his hands" comment above was how he described his input in the strategic planning process. He has done nothing but sit on his hands. He has not offered any suggestions, he has not gone to any of the meetings and he has not supported the process from the beginning.
David should sit on his hands at home and allow some new voices to advocate for our students and actually get their hands dirty by doing some work.
You had your chance David, it is time to step aside.
Can someone who is supporting Mr. Taylor please list 4-6 things he has done in his 12 years?
ReplyDeleteI am undecided, and believe that if he has served for this long this should not be a problem.
I can see from Ms. Butts and Ms. Wright web sites what they promise, but Mr. Taylor does not seem to have a link. Thank you.
To Undecided....David Taylor did not put up a website or send out a letter to Fosters that I can see. He rests his achievements on the high school. However, he alone didn't build it.
ReplyDeleteHe also spoke of better communication and transparency but he has advocated against both in the past year.
When you say Mr. Taylor "rests his achievements on the high school" what does that mean?
ReplyDeleteWhen you state he is for transparency, but has advocated against both, can you also explain.
I don't often have the opportunity to watch board meetings due to a work schedule.
Better still, please list 4-6 things David has done in the last 3 years. This last term has been horrible to watch. I am shocked that he is running again. He seems unhappy and miserable being there. I give him tons of credit for going to all these meetings over the past 12 years but I am not sure what he is still doing there.
ReplyDeleteHe does not come up with ideas but he quickly and almost eagerly shoots down every new idea someone else brings to the table. He is negative and tries to shut people down. Look at the minutes from the last year of meetings. He votes down anything he can--volunteers, new committees, etc.
As a member of the Board for 12 years he should have reached out to new board members and attempted to mentor them. He has not! He is rude and mean and tells them all the things they are doing wrong and that they need to "follow precedent". It is sad and I hope people vote for Krista and Ann because we need ideas instead of naysayers.
A microcosm of the Tea Party; http://oysterrivercommunity.blogspot.com/
ReplyDeletePrevious writer... very constructive and mature. Please speak in current facts and not labels and names. It is interesting that in these blogs the David supporters call people all manner of names, but haven't given me any evidence for supporting him, other than vague references to our need for an elder statesman. If you can't have a constructive dialogue, then why are you here. It is reminiscent of middle school and makes me wonder whether they have any substantive reasons for supporting their candidate, other than "I'm voting for him because I always have." It is important to examine Taylor's current record and behavior at Board meetings. I used to support him, but in the past 3 years the behavior that I have observed in watching all of the Board meetings has completely turned me off. He is no longer a team player.
ReplyDeleteI can site an example of how Taylor put a kibosh on a good idea. He turned the track project into a 2.5 million dollar field project a few years ago and went to the PTO meetings to pitch the idea. I sat with a group of parents who were saying, "You have to be kidding." He was not at all convincing and was the worst spokesman they could possibly have sent to promote the project. If I were one of the people involved with the original track fundraising, I would have been furious with him. They had worked hard for many years,and then Taylor became involved and we haven't heard anything more about the track since that election.
ReplyDeleteAnd for you "labelers" out there... I am pro schools and I am not a member of any taxpayer group.
Ann Wright has almost as many years of volunteer service on various committees and in the schools as David Taylor has on the SB. [I really wonder just how much time DT has actually spent in classrooms with students over the last 12 years.] Ann is very thorough and thoughtful in her approach to decision making. And most of all, her mind is not closed.
ReplyDeleteKrista Butts is also a bright and thorough candidate. Her motto of vision & unity is refreshing.
I believe that both of these candidates value the involvement of the community and tapping into the resources of our citizens as volunteers.
My votes are with Krista Butts and Ann Wright.
Well, he does attend every meeting and is very active on his computer except when he leaves abruptly when he does not get his way. Plus he has to re read Good to Great many times since that is what he believes to be the ORCSD strategic plan.
ReplyDeleteDear 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.
ReplyDeleteIn 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.
Tea Party? Are you kidding....please Mr. Paul Gotsowski....use your name! I saw your comment at the deliberative session labeling outspoken people in the community as members of the tea party. What a poor excuse for nothing more than a measly pitch for a candidate.
ReplyDeleteThe members of this blog, in my opinion, are NOT members of the tea party. We are much too intelligent for that group! Also, USE YOUR NAME. How annoying. The only reason I cannot use mine is that I worked in the schools and fear for people that I know who may be associated to me. I don't want any rumors of lunch on the town.
Hey former teacher, my tea party comment has no connection to Paul Gotsowski...I don't even know him. Think of it though complaining about taxes and spending...wanting somehow to have programs without appealing to the greater good for paying for them. Heck, we even have a school board member who quit before her term was up and now thinks that her recommendations carry weight?? Anyone who falls for all this stuff also thinks Sara Palin is qualified to be President! I can't use my name for the same reason most can't...I have a connection to the schools as well. I am sure that by admitting this, I'll be accused of being some lackey on the public dime. What a shame...what a sham a lot of the arguments are!!
ReplyDeleteIf the previous writer has been watching all of the Board meetings for the last three years he or she would totally understand why Kim Clark resigned. David Taylor cut her off at the knees from the moment she got on the Board. His rudeness is in the meeting videos. If that was his on-camera behavior, then I can only imagine how he behaved off-camera. Kim Clark earned respect in this community long before she joined the Board. She was a trusted volunteer and advocate for the children of Oyster River. You are quite wrong... there are a very large number of people who listen to what Kim has to say. Didn't she receive more votes than David when she ran three years ago? And are you forgetting that Shirlie Thompson resigned for similar reasons the in the fall of 2008? Shirlie has served the ORCSD for many many years and has always put our kids first. But she could no longer tolerate the treatment of Board members. Maybe you should have a conversation with Kim and Shirlie and stop jumping to conclusions. They have a lot of influence in this community for good reason. They have earned it and they treat people with respect.
ReplyDeleteAnd the fact that as someone who is "connected to the schools," you cannot use your name is evidence that communication is discouraged in this community. This is part of the problem. Years ago David Taylor wanted open communication. It is a shame that somewhere along the line he decided that the public was a nuisance and should be kept out of the loop.
Please give us concrete support for David Taylor and stop the references to tea parties and Palin. Our arguments are shams? At least we are giving arguments and not resorting to elemtary school name calling.
This is another example of how the Taylor supporters can cut down his opponents, but can't site recent (within his last term)evidence as to why anyone should vote for him. He did not support the strategic plan, so don't give us that one.
I'm just getting caught up with these blogs... With reference to an earlier message above... It is interesting that when a person wants accountability for spending they receive a title of "taxpayer groupee." It actually sounds like responsible behavior in this economy. Oyster River residents are losing jobs and having work hours cut back (i.e., reduced incomes). When a Board member asks questions about how money is being spent, they are accused of being part of a taxpayers' group. It is strange how anyone who asks questions is considered evil. Don't we teach our kids to ask questions? O'Quinn, Brackett, & Townsend simply want bang for the buck. And that is smart at this time. Most of us our tightening our belts at home. But we don't want our kids' educations to suffer. Everyone I know in this community moved here for the schools. This is the time for thinking in new ways to be sure that we maintain the high quality of an Oyster River education. This is not the time to discourage new ideas and an evaluation of how we are doing things.
ReplyDeleteIt 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.
ReplyDeleteNow 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.
Yeah, you go previous anonymous writer!
ReplyDeleteWasn't Kim Clark the chair for a year or two? In that role, she wielded enormous influence over what was introduced and whether things passed.
Her so-called blame game should not be directed at others on the board but instead towards herself.
Kim, please spare us your stale rhetoric. It is getting tiring.
If you saw the school board meeting where David left, you probably would agree with what he did.
ReplyDeleteTHe chairwoman (Ms. Clark) denied him the right to explain a simple request - pure and simple. He asked again and received a curt, abrubt answer that was demeaning, insincere and down-right rude. I honestly felt for the guy I don't feel anyone on the board should be treated that way. Shame on board chairwoman for being rude and disrespectful.
If I was on the board in the same predicament, I don't know if I would be able to keep my mouth shut after that. I give David a gold star for leaving before his anger got the best of him.
David, if you read this, be assured that there are plenty of people out there who support you.
Wow. And I suppose that you were also watching the many many meetings when David Taylor treated Kim Clark disrespectfully. He has a way of talking down to the rest of the Board as though he is so much smarter than the rest of them. I've heard him quote enough inaccurate information at meetings to know that it is all smoke and mirrors.
ReplyDeleteWow. And I suppose that you also watched the many many meetings when David Taylor was disrespectful to Kim Clark? Taylor has a way of talking down to the rest of the Board members as though he is so much smarter than them & they couldn't possibly understand him. And I have heard him quote enough inaccurate facts that I can see that he is all smoke and mirrors.
ReplyDeleteAgain...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.
ReplyDeleteThe 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!!!!!
You vote for David Taylor if you live in some never-never land where voting against the strategic plan (twice!) means you support it, where walking out of a meeting where things aren't going your way makes you a mature elder statesman, where having no fresh ideas of your own but spending plenty of time shooting down others' makes you a visionary, and where being rude and condescending to members of the Board and the public alike makes you polite and thoughtful.
ReplyDeleteThose of us who aren't delusional will be voting for Wright and Butts!
Please stop rewriting history. David Taylor is rude, uncivil and adds nothing but negativity to the group. If you ACTUALLY watched any of the SB meetings, then you would have seen that Kim (while only Chair for about 8 months) did her best to conduct professional and meaningful meetings. She was corrected, harassed and interrupted by "senior" members of the Board constantly.
ReplyDeleteOn the night that David walked out, he was totally out of line and it is the Chair's responsibility to move the discussion along. That discussion was fruitless. David exemplified his unwillingness to be a team player. He stormed out because he did not get his way.
In reality, he has not contributed a thoughtful or innovative idea in years. He should have stepped down graciously 3 years ago!
Instead, he has stayed on the Board, not as someone to mentor and pass along institutional knowledge to the next generation of Board members, but as a disgruntled man who gets satisfaction from taking other people down.
My advice to those who agree, PLEASE vote Taylor out and then KEEP ON TOP OF THIS BOARD!!!! They really think there are 4 or 5 people keeping this blog alive.
It is time to wake the masses and TAKE OUR SCHOOLS BACK! This is a PUBLIC school. Enough is enough. In addition to engage every learner, how about we engage every citizen, too. We need to do away with "past precedent" and get people on the Board who are willing grab onto the rope and try to pull us out of this quicksand.
ANN WRIGHT AND KRISTA BUTTS--Bring 'em on!!!
The tape of the board meeting in which DT walked out is on this Blog. Watch it and decide for yourself.
ReplyDeleteKim was only the chair from March to December.
DT made her life a living hell the entire time.
He accused her and other board members of misconduct, with no evidence. Look at the tape, read her letter of resignation, and get your freakin head out of the sand.
He is a bully, plain and simple.
Please tell me what David Taylor has brought to the table. Please? I have heard nothing from him and his supporters that get me excited to have him on the Board. Time to go.
ReplyDeleteMs. Clark,
ReplyDeleteBeing the chair of the school board, you should know that Shirley Thomson resigned because of her rattling mouth at Young's every morning. It had nothing, repeat NOTHING, to do with serving with David.
Wow, attack the 76 year old Grandma who reads to kids and delivers teddy bears........ Nice.
ReplyDeleteIf you want to know why Shirley resigned ask her rattling mouth. Do not make assumptions and slam a long time civil servant. Shame on you.
Or better yet, ask me I will also be happy to fill you in.
Anyone who has paid any attention at all saw how David treated Ms. Thompson.
ReplyDeleteTotal disregard and disrespect.
Time to get over the loss and move on.
Stop blaming others for your loss, take a look in the mirror or better yet at they 400ish vote difference.
That was not a loss, it was a message.
Attacking Shirlie Thompson is like attacking a senior Mary Poppins. Come on & be a little more gracious when you don't get your way. It is over and you can stop now.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, Shirlie did resign because of David Taylor.
Word on the street is that Shirley rattled off her mouth too much at Youngs - where she eats every morning w/ the usual breakfast crowd.
ReplyDeleteHave any information you want kept a secret? Don't share it with Shirley. Nothing is sacred w/ her and she blabs her mouth off to anyone who will listen. I know this because she burned me once (one too many for me!) and I have listened to her share information from Board Non-Public Session -- something that is AGAINST THE LAW for a public official to do.
That is why she resigned from the board!
Sure, she has done great things - attend every basketball game at ORHS, a great cheerleader for the schools, read to children, etc. But all that doesn't excuse her babbling mouth.
A board member would be the only one to really know if she really shared anything from non-public session. If you are going to make such an accusation, state your name. Otherwise it is not to be provided with any depth or weight. Shirley Thompson is a highly respected member by the community by all but you Mr. Taylor and Ms. Portalupi. Get over it, she is loved and it is time for you to stop trying to tear her down. She resigned not for any reason other than she had it with the way the district was being run. I also know she resigned during the entire Don Maynard fiasco and if I had to venture a guess, she probably could no longer stand how that was being handeled. By the way she was also the town of Durham's first woman town counselor, a former woman police officer and her husband worked for the district for years and years. She is not just a cheerleader, she is an icon.
ReplyDeleteI have been informed that there is a misrepresentation as to why Shirley resigned.
ReplyDeleteLet me be clear, she did not violate right to know law. This accusastion is insulting, wrong and a very cheap shot. She resigned because she had simply had enough.
She chose to leave quietly because she is not one to want to cause any issues. There were those who then attempted to smear her reputation by stating she resigned due to discussing the Don Maynard situation. Let me be clear. Shirley would never violate right to know law. She is a stickler for following the rules, and to accuse her of anything such as this is disgusting, cheap and dirty pool. She was never "spoken" to despite comments by Howard that would say otherwise. She chose to resign on her own.
At the time when I heard individuals attempt to smear her, and say why they believed she resigned I asked her permission to make a statement for her. She refused, stating that she knows the truth and that is all that matters.
Bottom line, Howard never spoke with her. She resigned on her own, by walking into the SAU office with a handwritten note. She had been considering a resignation for months. In all her years of volunteering for the schools, and her Monday morning coffees with Tom Carroll, she suddenly was being treated with heartbreaking disrespect, and simply had enough.
How dare you take away from the reputation of a long life servant to this town. I agree with the Blogger above, the only one who would have information regarding whether she shared information from non-public is a board member, however I would also add employee at non-public who may occasional be present. How dare you make such an accusation and not have the guts to sign your name. How dare you attempt to take away a moment of what Shirley has done for this community. What could you possibly have to gain for such a heartless accusation? Please stick to real issues, not imaginary ones.
So, listening to her babble at Youngs about intricate details about school employees (information that was not discussed in public), discussing personal information is ok?
ReplyDeleteShe didn't violate the "right to know" laws. She violated the most basic of laws that govern elected officials in the state of New Hampshire. It is called non-public session for a reason. To hide behind a veil of "she's a Mary Poppins" is anti-thetical to good public servants. She violated the law and from what I suspect, there is at least one former school board member trying to cover her bases as she too may have violated the same law.
Besides, if she was a former police officer, she should know the law. It is quite clear in the school district's own Code of Ethics that a board member cannot divulge private info.
I agree. While She deserves accolades for her public service, she seems to have broken the Board's own code of ethics - if that is actually part of it.
ReplyDeleteDivulging any information from non-public session isn't just illegal, it is a violation of the public trust that the voters have instilled in them. Shame on those who do it.
Also, I think if Shirley had a conversation w/ the superintendent about this, then I think he would also be privy to that knowledge - not just Shirley. N'est-ce pas? I thought so.
Again, how would YOU know what was public and non-public. Get over it David, it is time to take your ball and go home. Game over.
ReplyDeleteI am definitely not David!
ReplyDeleteIf I sit and watch details at a school board meeting I think I will know what is discussed in public. When Shirley starts mouthing off about details about the Don Maynard fiasco and how she and Kim Clark were leading that charge and giving specifics about what was discussed in private session - I think that qualifies as non-public session. I didn't want to go into details but the previous poster pushed me.
Bloggers: Don't be fooled by the rhetoric from Kim Clark and her followers. They have lots of people fooled and this is proof positive.
Who cares who said what to whom. Stop the bickering and move on. You are ridiculous. I'm glad Don Maynard got reinstated. That was a black eye on the district for sure. And to parents whose kids didn't get enough playing time and wanted him fired....IT'S HIGH SCHOOL!!! GET OVER IT AND STOP LIVING THROUGH YOUR KIDS' LIVES!
ReplyDeleteAs for Shirley talking, STOP ATTACKING HER. What does it matter now...any why don't you just confront her in Youngs the next time you see her and the report back here what she said.
Dear "I'm not David"-
ReplyDeleteNo one will listen to you without your name. In fact, you should be pointedly ignored.
Giving your name to a matter like this which requires *credibility* is the ONLY strategy if you want people to believe anything you say. Otherwise, it is a useless attempt to smear someone's integrity and you are in fact the fool. Clearly, on this blog, it will not be tolerated--thank goodness!
Real debate--encouraged
Anonymous "overheard conversations at Young's"--ignored
Have a great day!
--Jenna