(VIDEOS) CITIZENS ADDRESS NORTH CANTON SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS ON "KINDERGARTEN" RECONFIGURATION: WERE THEY HEARD? A CLASSIC CASE OF SCHOOL BOARD "DOWN FROM ON HIGH?"

 

UPDATE 05/08/2011 07:38 AM

The SCPR received an e-mail from citizen presenter Mike Sopczak which the The Report publishes below.  Regarding the point made by Mr. Sopczak of not including the "stumbling and bumbling" and non answers of of the NCCS BOE, he is right on the mark.  The reason it was not included in the Thomas video is because including that footage would have made the footage below.   Suffice to say that the SCPR agrees with Mr. Sopczak's assessment;

Now the e-mail:

Martin,

 

Hey Martin, this is Mike Sopczak.  I watched a few of the videos… (material omitted by SCPR)  But anyway, thanks for posting the videos, it will be good for people to see how many questions were just ignored by the board and administration.  Seems like it was pre-orchestrated or something…I still do not believe they ever gave the K-5 option a chance.

 

Nonetheless, I know it’s your own editing option, but curious why you left the stumbling and bumbling of the administration out of your Chris Thomas section?  I realize that helped cut down the time of the overall video…  However, it was very revealing to me that their answers, or actually lack thereof, showed everyone in the room (except perhaps the 4 other board members) that they did not have their act together…they had no answers and shorted their overall costs which is another way of saying lied about the facts.

 

I think the High School kid’s presentation was better than our administration’s.

 

Anyhow, I promised to put all this behind me b/c it’s useless for me to put any more energy to this b/c they are going to do what they want to do.  I know you attack other areas of politics, but just know there is  A LOT of smoke here, and you know what they say about that.

 

Thanks again for posting something, I’m sure you’ll get a lot of YouTube hits.

 

Michael J. Sopczak Jr.

UPDATE 05072011 09:00 PM

VIDEOS UPLOADED

NCCS BOE & Board Member Chris Thomas

Citizen Mike Sopczak

Citizen Joanna Volas 

Citizen Jennifer Kling 

Citizen Holly Pierpont 
Citizen Lisa Wood 
Citizen Tina East
Citizen Randy Santangelo
Citizen Peggy McClain
Mayor David Held
Citizen Mark Erzen

On April 27, 2011 the North Canton City Schools Board of Education (Board - BOE) at its regular monthly meeting had on the agenda whether or not implement a proposed Elementary Service Plan (ESP - Plan).

The Plan outline is indicated in the Stark County Political Report generated graphic below:

Details of the ESP are provided in an earlier blog that readers can access by CLICKING ON THIS PARAGRAPH.

The primary focus of this blog is whether or not the citizens of North Canton were "really" heard on the question of which of two alternatives was to be implemented:

• the ESP with Clearmount and Northwood being K-2 and Greentown and Orchard Hill being 3-5, or
• maintaining the all four schools as they are, but adding a kindergarten at each.

Being an outsider to the North Canton City Schools (NCCS), yours truly's impression is that those (which were clearly of the majority of those who addressed the Board) who opposed ESP were not.

It appears that the decision was a top down (predetermined) from the administration and that the NCCS Board of Education seems to be (except for member Thomas) the captive of Superintendent Mike Galina.

Such a co-dependent relationship, in the experience of the SCPR, is typical of boards of education.  Typically relationships between school board members and superintendents are so tight that the public rarely gets heard except, of course, if there is a tax issue on the ballot. 

Having had "up close and personal" looks at the chemistry of many boards of education and school administrations over nearly 30 years of observing them, The Report sees the same telltale signs in North Canton that seems to be prevalent across Stark County perhaps across Ohio and even the entire nation.

Only member Chris Thomas asked incisive questions of Superintendent Galina, Services Director John Stanley, Curriculum Director Peggy Savage and Treasurer Todd Tolson.

It was apparent to the SCPR that members Bundy and Goldthorpe were fronting for the administration.  Members Marion and Greenwald were more like wall flowers than engaged board members.

In a "see for yourself style 'video' blog," the SCPR has broken down the nearly two hours of video taken by The Report for North Cantonians (as well as anyone else who wants a taste of school process or the lack thereof) to view in a concise way the tenor and tone of the meeting.

First, the video of the Board in action.  The Report focuses on member Chris Thomas as he was far and away the most exacting and persistent Board questioner of the administration team members.  At the end of the questioning, Thomas felt that his questions had not been adequately answered and therefore made a motion to table the decision (which got defeated 4 to 1).  Accordingly, this video zeros in or the questions that he opposes throughout the session.



Second, videos of several North Canton citizens. Initially, only the Board video is posted.  However, the SCPR is also going to post videos of several citizens who participated in the "public speaks" portion of the meeting.  Once the posting is complete, The Report will update this blog with a notice to that effect.