(Executive Editor Rich Derosiers) wrote a scathing editorial on the unsuitability for Canton City Council member (currently, the vice president of the Board) to be re-elected to another term.
The SCPR takes Resnick as to his word ("you be the judge" as repeated numerous times in Resnick's response, all of which is published immediately after these SCPR comments) and on the basis of having covered Resnick and his political activities and elected/appointed office record, sides with The Rep editorial board and its Thursday editorial.
Need this blogger say that the SCPR has taken exception to the management/editorial practice (i.e. "the official newspaper of the HOF"), style and substance since March 12, 2008?
No doubt there is something positive to be said about Resnick's passion. But he has now become a distraction to sorely needed re-direction of the CCS to pull itself out of being one the very poorest performing school districts in Ohio and possibly in the nation.
Resnick, who has been on the board, on-and-off, for a good part of the past ten years (though only one of five board members) owns a share of not providing enough of effective leadership that the CCS has desperately needed to avoid the state the school system is currently in.
Long before The Rep recognized that Resnick and his passion and zeal for whatever comes out of his mind/mouth makes him, in an overall sense, a detriment to the effective functioning of any public board (elected or appointed); SCPR blogs over the past eleven plus years has tracked Resnick's involvement in public matters.
I thought I had seen just about everything when the Repository editorial board seemed unhappy that my Board colleagues and I did our jobs too well, inferring that protecting the districts assets was "dangerously close to extortion" in its July 14 editorial. (Keep in mind that our negotiating opponent was Hall of Fame Village and the Repository is "the official newspaper" of the Hall of Fame.)
But today THEIR agenda, comes into clearer focus than it was then, and I suppose I can channel President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who asked Americans to "to judge me by the enemies I have made."
Today's editorial is case in that point.
I am a bit flattered that the editorial board has to take much out of context to do what they think will be a hit piece on me. Rest assured this won't be their last between now and the election.
You all saw the video of my comments to Canton City Council on Monday and can judge for yourselves.
I have posted my testimony each time I have testified at the statehouse, and those comments are part of the public record. I make no apologies for advocating for public education nor looking out for the Canton City School District. It goes along with the job. Again, judge for yourselves.
(The senate Education chair was a little unhappy that I called her out for hearing a graduation requirement proposal for the first time at 1:30 on the afternoon senate budget amendments were due at 4:00, and her fellow senator for saying in open hearing that the proposal would be "the only one in the budget." Of course that kind of sleazy backroom dealing behind the public's back should be called out, in my opinion. Again, you can judge that for yourselves.)
But perhaps the most telling display here by the editorial board is their objection to my objection that Canton City School District personnel (not merely "I") were not credited with our participation in the press conference opposing Academic Distress Commissions in their June 30 editorial, which followed my complaints that they had not covered the matter, which is of critical importance to this community, as news.
Note: (Resnick "for you to judge" enlarged print and underline added for emphasis sake)
I post here, for you to judge,
the very e-mail the editorial board objects to,
and
it is followed by Rich DeRosiers' response. Again, judge it for yourselves:
Good afternoon.
I can't let the day conclude without commenting on your editorial today.
I love the conclusion.
I have been one of the leaders among my peers fighting the academic distress commissions and state takeover.
I testified against Cupp-Patterson, exactly because it is so unfair to districts like ours, which you know because your sister paper to the north reported it.
I also testified twice against what they did with graduation requirements.
Again, I agree with your conclusion 100 percent.
I shared the editorial with my colleague and friend Mohamed Al-Hamdani of the Dayton school board, and I agree he was a star performer Wednesday.
My objection is around how hard you had to work to fail to mention the names of the Canton City School District people who were there, and who represented their community very well.
I was fortunate, when I worked in the newspaper business, to have worked for an editor was OCD, and one of the things he was obsessive about was drilling it into us that every article has to stand on its own. Every article has to be treated as if it is the only thing reported about something, and a person passing through, only reading one thing, should get the whole picture.
The Repository has yet to report on the effort to eliminate academic distress commissions as a news item. I have talked to Kelly twice about this, so I know you have the material. I don't understand the reluctance to go there. Jim and Rich signed the letter spearheaded by the Canton Professional Educators Association in opposition to academic distress commissions, so I know you know something about it.
You have ignored what Dr. Jeff Graham has been doing behind the scenes and out front last week, having the distinction as an expert on state takeovers because he lived it personally.
The Canton City School District joined the Youngstown City School District Board of Education in their suit against the state in the Ohio Supreme Court. We are the only school district to do so.
My point is, the Canton City School District has been leading and out front among Ohio school districts on this from the beginning, yet your readers would not know that from reading the Repository, and I find that unfortunate. You fail my former editor's test.
Our community, our stakeholders and employees deserve to know what those who represent them are doing in their name.
I am tired of talking about this around the community and being asked what we're doing about it. Your readers -- our stakeholders -- should already know. That should be your mission.
No school district had as many representatives at the event Wednesday that we did, and we were all there by invitation, because of the leadership we have shown.
No other school district had a teacher speak, and Mr. Geraghty really does represent the future of teachers in the Canton City School District, and does not deserve to be ignored.
CPEA's leadership on this has raised the bar among unions that represent Ohio's teachers. That's worth our community's awareness.
Instead, you worked real hard to avoid mentioning their names or what they have done.
Finally, if this is emblematic of your continued grudge against me, shame on you.
That's all.
ERIC
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To which DeRosier responded:
Mr. Resnick:
Thank you for your letter and your compliment.
It is not the newspaper’s position to print or not print news based on perceived “grudges.”
If academic distress commissions are abolished, due credit will be given to those involved.
Until then, a news story on the work behind the scenes does nothing to make a difference in Columbus. That’s a role for the Editorial Board at this time.
All things in due time, Mr. Resnick.
Go enjoy the sunshine.
Long emails on a day as glorious as today are a misuse of God’s gift to us today.
Rich D
Note: Readers can refresh themselves on the Resnick/Rinaldi "Knock-Down, Drag-Out" 2013 head to head CCS BOE race at this
To provide readers with "in-depth" background on the SCPR's assessment of Resnick as a political figure, elected and appointed public official, here is an encore rendition of a January 19, 2019 blog:
