My first experience with the State Auditor’s office occurred in the mid 1990’s when I taught continuing education classes at Lake Washington Technical College. Our secretary’s husband was a seasonal grounds worker for the campus. One night he mentioned to his wife that the grounds crew was sent over to the then college President’s residence to remove and install a new hot tub. The old hot tub was subsequently transported to the Director of Facilities’ home. Shocked at the implications, our secretary reported it to the State Auditor. When the investigator showed up, the members of the grounds crew lied to protect their boss, the head of grounds who was caught in the middle. There were no records to review. There was no action against the President or the Director of Facilities.
I tell this story because I do not see how the State Auditor, who is strictly looking into financial wrong-doing, can thoroughly investigate the Edmonds School District. Many of the issues at the District relate to competence and ethics which is not their purview. After all is said and done, their books may have the appearance of propriety (i.e. since they’ve have taken the opportunity to shred many key documents). The heart of the matter is how the leadership chooses to spend the dollars they have and how they conduct themselves.
Currently the state legislature is contemplating a bill to expand the types of crimes committed by teachers that would trigger decertification; including poor professional behavior. There is nothing in place created for check and balances on school Directors and Administrators who are the stewards of millions of dollars and are the examples for the rank and file.
I bring this up now because in April when the Auditors report will be published I know it will not be enough. For after he left Lake Washington Technical College, the Director of Facilities was accused of again of wrong doing at his new place of employment, the University of Washington Bothell Campus. Only this time he was caught and dismissed. The President retired without any consequence to his action. I urge that OSPI intervene and investigate. The students, parents, staff and taxpayers at Edmonds should not have to wait until the current leadership moves on to become a problem elsewhere in the system or retires. Education dollars are too precious to waste.
Claire Olsovsky
14 comments:
OK,
So its ok to through $3 mill out the window.
So its ok for me to sit at my desk and do nothing all day then.
I will start doing nothing all day thank you! I think I might get bored. No, I like playing games all day!
If the auditor's don't find anything. This district will be a mess for years to come.
Then these people come to the gates, I hope I'm their to kick em right in the hole. "Thats the devils hole".
We had an opportunity to make a change last November. Unfortunately the voters failed by reelecting the current board members. Now is the time to start recruiting and organizing for the next election. With new board members there is a possiblity of change.
There is an alternative to waiting for the next election cycle: RECALL. It is a provision allowed in a democratic society. It's sorta like impeaching a federal official, but it's a tool reserved for the PEOPLE to make mid-course corrections in their local elective officials.
Choose the two or three most vulnerable board members and begin a recall campaign to remove them from office. Local papers would HAVE to report the movement; it is news, after all. With the recall campaign in the minds of the public, there would be a better opportunity to raise these ethical, if not criminal, missteps and affect change.
Claire,
What is the bill number for the legislation that threatens easier sanctions on teachers but not administrators? We should find this out and STRENUOUSLY object to all of our legislators.
This sounds to me like a way to make legitimate the treatment that we saw at MMS: bullying, the silent treatment, principal's pets, the use of name calling, differential treatment of programs, targeting of those who are good teachers but who simply don't agree with the principal or his/her allies. This is not the road we want to go down.
We don't want that to be presented as an example of appropriate behavior for our children.
There is an article about the bill on the Seattle Times web page. Look at the February 25 entry under education. The bill has good intentions.
Guess the district didn't learn anything from the warehouse porn guy cause now in HR they have a sub. named Maggie using Waddles profile at least that what it looks like. The emails coming from that area are headlined with Tina's name but signed by Maggie! Some lessons are hard learned.
What are Waddles? Are you telling me that Tina is also on leave of absence? And who is Maggie? Just curious......
Is Tina Waddles on leave to play with Traci Penney that is on leave too. Wow can I be on leave so I can play with Chuck Penney that is on a leave too.
I know lets all be on leave so we can play with each other. That sounds like alot of fun. HR can you ok my leave.
Can you beleive all these leaves!
HR sounds like a fruit tree with alot of leaves.
Profiles don't mean a damn thing to administration. What a bunch of goons. All the porn on Chuck Penneys computer was under his profile. TEEN PORN!!!!!!!!! HIS LOGIN! HIS PASSWORD! They absolutely do not give a rip! For the record, Tina Waddell is a good friend of the Penneys.
While legislation is needed (has been for years; I remember a teacher in the 60's who would have come under these proposed rules) to give administrators (have administrators sought this power before?) leverage to remove sex offenders from teaching, I am still concerned with the "poor professional behavior" phrase.
My recent experience with the administration of Edmonds doesn't give me confidence that they would use this power as intended. They already use the no trespass order to silence those who would engage them in an honest examination of their actions. If there is a way to define "poor professional behavior" and use it against their critics, I fear for any employee of the district.
I finally figured who Maggie is.
She talks like, looks like Laura Barney. She sometimes is a little rude when you talk to her on the phone. Of course, she is the sister to Laura (who is making more money then the other subs who used to sub for Tina. I guess that is how the system works. You need to know the right person!
Yup, as the old saying goes, "It isn't WHAT YOU KNOW, IT IS WHO YOU KNOW! Sad but true.... especially at ESD #15.
I wish I could have hired my sister while working at ESD #15; she would have been a loyal, dedicated, caring employee just like I was, but that wasn't good enough for the District! They seem to hire cast-off's from Everett School District, who take time off just for a hang nail and get away with it! The old regime at HR are all REAL employees who have REAL work ethics; seems like new hires within the last 5 years (or so), are lacking skills, dedication, loyalty, and certainly don't have Customer Service skills. What a shame.....
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