|
|
|
January 19, 2012 Opinions |
|
|
—Editorial—
The Jan. 2 School Debate
Although we understand Kyle Knight's concerns about following state and federal regulations when it comes to designating which days students should attend school, we feel it necessary to make a couple of observations regarding the 5J District's action to hold school on Jan. 2, which was a legal holiday.
The 2011-2012 calendar was approved and made available to the public in April, which should have given students, parents, teachers, school staff and 5J Board members ample time to request a change if they were dissatisfied with the decision to have school on Jan. 2. We understand that BEA President Tim Smith did raise concerns. However, it was late December and with the Christmas vacation, the District felt there wasn’t ample time to make a change and notify everyone who would be affected by it. We agree.
When the calendar was created, those involved were intent on scheduling as many full four-day school weeks as possible, which when the change from five days to four days took place was raised as a concern by the communities.
Given the choice of adding an additional day of school in the summer over taking away one day of a break that had already lasted two weeks in the winter, from our perspective we would have been inclined to chose Jan. 2 as well. Although not perfect, compromises have to be made somewhere.
Outside of government and state agencies, most entities conducted business as usual on Jan. 2 so we are assuming that a lot of parents and spouses of school staff and faculty had to work that day anyway.
And let's not forget, going to school, although required, is a privilege that many children do not have in other countries and it shouldn't be taken for granted nor made menial by a holiday issue. Should the school district be expending so much time and energy over the Jan. 2 debate, which is now over and done with, as opposed to focusing on providing the best education available resources will allow? We don’t think so.
Having made these points however, the only real concern we see with having school on Jan. 2 is the District's legal inability to "compel" students to go to school that day. When many students don't feel "compelled," as demonstrated at the Baker High School, they won't go to school. This is perhaps where parents should be involved in making the calendar decisions and then they could enforce it with their children.
Not unrelated to the Jan. 2 decision, is the current School Board's apparent inability to work together to resolve these issues. If Mr. Knight felt like he had to go public in order to be heard, then there is something wrong with this situation. If, however, he failed to adequately express his concerns to the board before going public, we don't have much confidence in his ability to work together with the rest of the school board and administration as a team player. Either way, we see room for improvement. But we do appreciate Mr. Knight's eagerness to bring the District's actions to light for public scrutiny as they should be, and it appears holding school on a legal holiday in the future will be more carefully considered. Mission accomplished, enough said. (DS)
—Letters—
School District Made A Bad Decision
To The Record-Courier:
Holding school on Jan. 2, a federal and state holiday, was a mistake. While other government agencies were closed, Baker schools opened.
The school district’s response, that they would recommend we don’t do this again, was a smart move. I am still concerned about statements made by the superintendent that “Those who chose to skip or promoted skipping are making a judgment that is ethically challenged. It is the behavior of those who skipped that bears scrutiny, not the district’s.”
It is wrong to have teachers teach half a class. It is wrong to start a new year with almost half of the students in some schools behind. It is outrageous for the district to attack those that decided to spend the holiday together as a family. ORS 336.010 states that school districts can’t compel either students or teachers to work on any legal holiday. ORS 187.010 defines legal holidays.
I praise the actions of many school districts and four-day districts like North Powder who put the welfare of their student’s education before their pocketbook, by changing the school day on New Year’s Day.
School board members Andrew Bryan and Lynne Burroughs who supported, and sponsored the 2011-2012 calendar chose to put the School District at risk. It was the job of the district and board as an employer to tell the union it was a legal holiday. The school board is elected to represent the community, not the teachers’ union.
The majority of the board does not represent the best interests of the community and the students’ education. Some board members are nothing more than a rubber stamp for the district and the status quo, who get offended when someone questions their actions. They then accuse me of violating my oath of office for holding the district accountable. Like when Bryan, Burroughs and Mark Henderson voted to create a weapons policy that violated the state and U.S. Constitutions, and then knowingly continued to support this illegal policy until the possibility of a lawsuit arose. This district and board seems to think I answer to them. I answer to the people of this community who elected me over the past leadership and I will fight for the community and the best interests of the students.
“When you can't make them see the light, make them feel the heat.” President Ronald Reagan
Kyle Knight
Baker School Board member
A Knight’s Tale
To The Record-Courier:
It falls to me to take School Board Member Kyle Knight to task for his need to publicize himself to the detriment of the 5J School District and of his own integrity. In the latest episode, our hero discovered that some teachers at Baker High School were behaving strangely on Jan. 2. Knight eagerly called all of his media sources to condemn the District for holding school on that day. He did not call the school board chair, school administrators or the superintendent to find out if anyone had really complained. Had he done so, he would have found that there were zero complaints from parents. It seemed clear that the kids were ready to be back in school and the parents were glad to have them there.
The calendar was negotiated between the Teachers’ Association and the 5J Administration, approved by the School Board and advertised to the public for nine months without complaint. But our hero determined that an evil had been planned and perpetrated on the community by the Superintendent and the previous 5J School board. Contrary to Knight’s statement re the law, the district and the teacher’s association have the right to choose to work on legal holidays as do many other employers and employees. How many of you worked that day?
Out hero sought to verify his claim of community outrage over school on a legal holiday. No luck. Then he thought of the Oregon Department of Education (ODE). Shortly, there were four “parents” who called that government agency refusing to give their names in fear of reprisals against their children, and complaining about Jan. 2. Our hero soon called the ODE to discover if there were complaints. He proudly sent me an email from a very confused secretary at ODE.
Our hero did not mean to slander the parents of the 5J District. He does not know that our parents call those who have control over their problem, not some state agency. That they do not without their names, because they fear none of us — not board members, not administrators, not the superintendent, A clear case of sound and fury signifying nothing.
Lynne Burroughs, 5J School Board Chair
Baker City
Why Can’t My Daughter See The Fire Trucks?
To The Record-Courier:
My name is Alex Sealey. I went down to the Baker Fire Station to get my burn permit today. I took my 2-1/2 year old daughter with me because she wanted to “see the trucks with the lights.” After getting my permit I asked to take her back to see the trucks. The firefighter who was helping me said, “We are too busy to take you back to see the trucks.” So I asked him if they were responding to call a and he told me “no.” This is the second time in the last month and a half that I have taken my daughter down there and both times they have told me the same thing.
Now a little history on me: My family moved here in August of 2011. We moved from La Grande were I was a volunteer firefighter for Island City/La Grande Rural Fire Department. The only time we ever turned people away was if we had a call that we were responding to, after all the trucks and equipment are publically owned.
As a citizen we have every right to see these trucks. Now I could see turning us away if it was after business hours, but it was mid day when we went down. My question is, if they are too busy to take a 2-1/2 year old back to see the trucks for about 5 minutes, are they going to be too busy when someone really needs them?
Alexander Sealey and Family
Baker City
Political Hopscotch
To The Record-Courier:
Well blow me away, remember that game called Hopscotch? Doesn't seem to get played much these days other than what takes place in Washington.
Yes, it is pretty absurd to see what is happening now and how the President can play his game of hopscotch right over the Senate, Congress and even our Constitutional rights. I just wonder how long it will take before we see who trips up who this year.
It makes me wonder with what happened with the governor in Wisconsin, why Congress just doesn't plan a sit out agenda and see what the President has left to go on other than his own power to do whatever he very well pleases and to go far and above and beyond the Constitution. So much for our Constitution and how it is getting hammered and blown out of proportion with nothing left of it. Before you know it we will probably have no Constitution.
I wonder how much more, given the current agenda, it will take to pull the wool over our eyes by Washington under the guise of what some would call taking care of business. No wonder the debt crisis, etc. can never get settled, and it never will so we might as well face these problematic issues and be ready for whatever.
What really is bothersome at that is how can one blow so many thousands of dollars just to take a trip to Hawaii and wherever; and then come back and blow his own whistle about his intentions? He then blames the others for not being there during their recess to get the job done. To me, he isn't any better. So who is kidding who in these issues? And then not to mention making our budget crisis even more so, just to take a vacation etc. Maybe staying home and watching his budget and expenses like everyone else tries to these days to make ends meet would be worth while. A sense of practice what you preach.
With my wonderful clients that I have for my ironing services and all this was a really good year to make do for family and clients as well on a small scale and it was awesome to pay for it all in cash. It was awesome of how blessings came to us by the few who did what they did for us and all this past year.
It doesn't seem like anything will be free and clear these days given the issues no matter how hard we try to strive to see that accomplishment as a goal for ones self worth and ambition. Well ready or not here we come 2012. Is this a case of cheers or Cheerios?
Coffee Anyone?
Baker City
|
|
|
