Note: If you aren't interested in my whining about the Marysville School District, just go to the next entry.
We figured it was over. Three board members were defeated in a landslide vote, the new board members would work to return the district to some semblance of respectability, and everyone would live happily ever after. A long slog ahead still, yes, but the end was finally in sight. Then the news arrived that the lame-duck board was going to extend the crappy superintendent's contract for another year. They'd been too busy to do it over the summer, they claimed, so it would be the last act of the old board before the new board came in.
Too busy over the summer? Doing what? It required a three second vote, since the discussion had apparently already taken place (in March, no less). The only reason to delay to vote was because they weren't certain about it. And the only reason to finally vote on it in the last meeting before three of them were booted was pure spite.
So people asked them not to extend the contract. Ken Schram did another commentary on it, key quote: Call it what they will, it will be seen for what it really is. (Quack Quack) Spite. The Seattle P.I. chimed in with their own thoughts: The voters' mandate for change was clear. So, Marysville residents have the right to be shocked by plans, first reported by The Herald of Everett, to extend the contract before a new majority takes office. It was clear Monday morning that public opinion was running overwhelmingly against extending the contract. Well, it was clear to everyone but the lame-duck board.
The Monday board meetings agenda was posted, and the item at issue was listed as being after the public input portion of the meeting. Thus the meeting drew a standing-room only crowd. Hundreds of members of the public came to protest the decision and urge the board to not extend the contract.
But it was too late. The school board changed the agenda at the last minute (without proper notification, I might add), and the vote on the superintendent's contract was taken in secret before the actual meeting, and without anyone in the audience realizing what had been done. When the announcement was made, the crowd nearly rioted.
From The Seattle Times: The announcement was followed by an uproar from the standing-room-only audience that Board President Helen Mount's gavel could do little to quell. Ultimately, over shouts of "unbelievable" and chants of "recall," more than a dozen parents and community members were escorted outside by district security guards. Also during the commotion, Peterson was overheard saying, "I'm done" and then left.
From The Seattle P.I.: Bucking the apparent sentiment of voters on Election Day, three lame-duck members of the Marysville School Board joined last night in a 5-0 decision to extend the contract of embattled Superintendent Linda Whitehead for one year to June 2006. The vote seems likely to fan anger in a district shaken by a bitter teachers strike in September and October.
From The Everett Rag: In one of its last acts before three of its members are replaced, the Marysville School Board voted under heavy criticism Monday night to extend Superintendent Linda Whitehead's contract for a third year. Unknown to the overflow crowd was the fact that the embattled superintendent's $130,000 contract was included as part of a revised consent agenda, meaning it was included with several routine items voted on simultaneously at the beginning of the meeting. News that the vote had been taken before public testimony infuriated many in the audience who often jeered after school board members spoke.
I almost wish I'd been able to go. As it was, I heard that at one point, while Board President Helen Mount (the paranoid one) was talking, somebody called out "Liar!" Helen stopped talking and insisted that the person who had spoken stand up. Over half the audience stood up. The person who made the original comment was never identified ("I'm Spartacus!").
In addition, on the Dave Ross radio show this morning, a caller from Marysville reported that she had personally called each board member before the meeting to urge them to please not extend the contract. For four of the board members, she didn't get through to a real person and was forced to leave a message. However, Cary Peterson herself answered her own phone, expressed surprise that the item was up on the agenda, and promised the caller that she would not vote to extend Whitehead's contract. She lied. When it came to the actual vote, Peterson was lock-step in with the rest of them.
What does this mean for the district? Well, the short version is that the district is either stuck with Linda Whitehead until 2006 or will have to buy out her contract. Because there is no way on heaven or earth that Whitehead will stay superintendent that long, the outgoing school board has basically robbed the district of $130,000 - Whitehead's salary for that extra year. The only way to avoid paying her is to fire her for cause, and everyone is sure that Whitehead and the old board have done their best to protect her from that possibility.
There's an active effort to recall the remaining two board members, which got a massive boost from last night's spite vote. In addition, there is at least one rumored effort to sue the five members of the school board for waste of public funds, among other things. While I don't know if any lawsuit will go anywhere, the recall may succeed, especially if Helen and Ron continue to antagonize the public. Politicians who publicly spit in the faces of their constituents often get what's coming to them.
Speaking of votes, the November 4th election results will be finalized tonight or tomorrow morning. The latest count, with 44.69% of the ballots in (which will probably be the final turnout), is no different from the last few counts. All of the challengers have at least 60% of the vote, and none of the incumbents has even 40%. While the turnout is pretty bad, the people who cared enough to vote have spoken, and given the former school board the boot.
My hubby-Eric, who decided not to blog anymore, changed his mind after a week of pondering, and has now blogged about the vote today.
And that's all I can say about that today. I'm sure there will be much more later.
