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MANCHESTER
BOARD OF EDUCATION
REGULAR MEETING MONDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2006 |
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M
I N U T E S
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7:30
p.m.
Lincoln Center |
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A. OPENING PRESENT: Crockett, Edwards, Hackett, Huyler, Marcano, Pohl, Rizzo, Small-Miller, Stafford ALSO
Superintendent of Schools Dr. Ouellette, Director of Business A.1
Call to Order A.2.
Pledge of Allegiance A.3. Minutes of October 11, 2006 Ms. Hackett asked for a Motion to adopt the Minutes of October 11, 2006. MOTION: Rizzo/Pohl s.v. The Manchester Board of Education approved the minutes, as printed, with a friendly amendment. On page five, paragraph 8, the wording "One additional Day Care class" should read "One additional Kindergarten class." The motion carried 6/0/3. Mr. Rizzo made a motion that the Board of Education move Item D.1. "New Business - Consideration and Action upon Resolution regarding Board Member service." to "E.2. "Old Business." MOTION: Rizzo s.v. The Manchester Board of Education approved moving Item D.1. "New Business - Consideration and Action upon Resolution regarding Board Member service." Be moved to "Old Business" - Item E.2. B. PUBLIC COMMENTS Mr. Nino Pagani, 42C Bluefield Drive, Manchester, has been a volunteer in Robinson School as a volunteer for the past eight years. Mr. Pagani is concerned at the lack of attendance of parents at school meetings and urged that a study be made to find the reason why. He suggested changing the venue from the school to the community center to see if that would draw parents. He offered to cook any meal for any school or PTA in the town of Manchester if it would help the situation. He will do the cooking if the ingredients are provided. Mr. Pagani was of the opinion that teachers in the Kindergarten class needed more help. Mr. Keith Carson, 45 Kane Road, thanked Board Members, who he held in high regard, pointing out they had a difficult item on the agenda. They had the responsibility of taking on some very tough situations, which they do well, and by earning the trust of voters and citizens of Manchester. Relationships took a long time to build up. Recently, a member of the Board had broken that trust. It was easy to say one was sorry and, as a society, we did that, but he felt that it would take quite a while to rebuild that trust. The Board had to think about the children whom they represent, and needed to be role models. He hoped the Board would take this into consideration as they discussed the matter. Mrs. Sandra Lok, 54 Steeplechase Drive, stated she still closely followed Board of Education issues, and said she never dreamed she would ever speak to them on an issue of this nature. Speaking as a resident, a taxpayer, a former Board member and a voter, she expressed her concerns and her encouragement for their actions. Since Election Day, when voters had the opportunity to seek the existing Board, new information had come forward about one of the officials who appeared on the ballot. That new information had not been available to voters on Election Day: information of social challenges; behaviors unbecoming of a Board member; information that, in fairness to the voters, needed at the very least go back to the voters. Voters needed to be given the opportunity to decide if this individual was one they would seek to sit with them on the Board. The Board had a code of ethics they brought together, collectively, which was important to uphold: a combination of all their values and beliefs; set policies for the Superintendent of Schools, students and staff. The code of ethics was to some extent, dictated by what the Community decided on Election Day and she submitted to the Board that the Community had not had the opportunity to submit input on the matter. Ms. Lok had met the Board member under discussion and had extended her best wishes to him in meeting his challenges and in his rehabilitation. The issue was mainly about the standards of conduct of Board members. She encouraged the Board to adopt their resolution and send a clear message to the Community. Mr. Stringfellow,
183 Hills Town Road, as a follow up to Columbus Day holiday he talked
about an article in "Christian Science Monitor", October 17,
about Christopher Columbus, who may have been born in Spain, Castille
Province: real name may have been Critobol Colon. CPTV had televised
a documentary on the subject in June last when they interviewed a college
professor. Mrs. Stephanie Kynbel, 138 Bobby Lane, represented herself as a parent with issues her school age children had been bringing home to her. The first was about the food in the cafeteria at Illing, which seemed to be crowded during lunchtime with the result that favorite foods were running out, i.e., yogurt and bagels. More of the favorite healthy foods should be supplied. Her second concern was about school dances being held at Illing, and the fact that the children were leaving the dances at 9:30pm; walking from the school to the Charter Oak neighborhood. Mrs. Knybel had addressed her concerns to the principal who had promised to look into the matter. She felt that the Board of Education should also look into it as a safety issue. Mrs. Knybel was uncomfortable with the Proficiency scheduling of time where children come in close to 11:00am. Most parents were working and had no idea if their children were there at 11:00am until they got a call at supper hour informing them their children had not shown up. She reminded the Board that she had made a previous request to have the time changed to a later time. Betty Kramer, 41 Campfield Road, expressed concern about the Resolution coming before the Board. She concurred with the statements made by previous speakers, expressly where the words "Trust" and "Judgment" could be applied. She had been a supporter of the Board Member in question, donating money to his campaign but he had to earn the trust of the Community once more and the Board needed to adhere to a higher standard morally and ethically. If the Election were being held at the present time she would withhold her vote. C. SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT Dr. Ouellette reported on four items on the Consent Calendar for Board approval. C.1. Personnel Action C.2. Increase in Appropriation for Education Special Projects - $2,835 for a total of $10,500 This was for the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) Hurricane Relief Program, funded by the United States Department of Education. C.3. Enrollment
Policy #5118 (Guidelines Only) C.4. Budget
Transfer MOTION: Rizzo s.v. Edwards. The Manchester Board of Education approves the Consent Calendar, as outlined by the Superintendent of Schools. 9/0/0. Ms. Hackett referred to the Board motion to move Item D.1 "New Business" to Item E.2. under "Old Business" E. OLD
BUSINESS Dr. Ouellette stated that each year the Board of Education, by policy, scheduled three Workshops to allow the Community to address the Superintendent's Budget and to make specific recommendations to the Board of Education before it adopted its recommended Budget. Dr. Ouellette recommended that the Board of Education Budget Workshops be scheduled as: Thursday,
January 18, 2007 (snow date Thursday, January 25, 2007) Budget Workshops would be held in the Cafeteria, Robertson Elementary School, from 6:00-8:00p.m. MOTION: Rizzo s.v. Edwards. The Board of Education approved the recommended dates for the Budget Workshops, as outlined by the Superintendent of Schools. 9/0/0. E.2. Consideration and Action upon Resolution Regarding Board Member Service Ms. Hackett stated that copies of the Resolution had been made available to members of the Press and extra copies were with the Recording Secretary, Victoria Tilson, if anyone would like a copy. In addition, Board members would make personal comments before the Resolution was voted upon. Copies of Board members' comments were also available for the Press. Ms. Hackett read the following Resolution. "To start, I would like to frame this issue for the public so that everyone understands the background of this issue and the board's rationale for taking action on this item this evening. Shortly, the Board of Education will be voting on a motion requesting that a board member-elect, specifically, Mr. John Rowe, who is scheduled to begin his term November 20, and attend his first meeting of the new board on November 27, to resign from office. The Board of Education requests that Mr. Rowe resign from the board because of events involving his personal conduct, specifically, a well-publicized DUI arrest in June of this year. The Board of Education finds that Mr. Rowe's arrest and the unseemly details contained in the East Hartford Police Department's report, fall beneath the standards that the public, and in fact, this board, should expect of members of the Manchester Board of Education. To provide further background here for the public, in November 2005, Mr. Rowe was appointed to the Board of Education to fill a vacant seat. Shortly after his arrest in June of this year, Mr. Rowe resigned from that seat to allow himself time for treatment of what he described as alcoholism. Mr. Rowe did the right thing - the decent thing, by resigning from the remainder of his term, and he was credited for this action by many. Board of Education members supported Mr. Rowe in his recovery. Some of us have shared with Mr. Rowe personal stories of family members and friends who have suffered from this debilitating disease, and we have great empathy for what he and his family have been through over recent months. On October 10, Mr. Rowe informed me that he intends to return to his new three-year term on the Board of Education next month, despite serious concerns on the part of the public about the details associated with his arrest, and mounting opposition from party leaders, elected officials, and parents. Second chances are great, once the fact of changed circumstances has been established; there hasn't been enough time for that to happen here; and it's not about second chances, anyway; it is about trust and good judgment, which are essential attributes of character in people who are making education policy decisions that affect the lives and opportunities of people who can't vote yet. Because Mr. Rowe told me that he does not plan to resign, this matter has, in essence, now been referred to us to handle, and the Board of Education has had to allocate time to this matter, when we should be discussing student achievement, curriculum, and educational policy for Manchester Public Schools. Here is where the Board of Education faces a challenge: There is no provision in Connecticut state law for removing a board member from office. Secondly, there is no provision in Manchester's Town Charter for what is known as a recall election, which is a special election under which voters can remove an elected official from office. As you may remember, this is the same type of election under which Arnold Schwarzenegger became Governor of California and unseated Governor Gray Davis in 2003. I think a recall provision for our town charter is something that the Town of Manchester might consider exploring for the future. Another issue that needs to be researched involves an often forgotten fact, which is that in Connecticut, Board of Education members are actually officers of the state. So there potentially could be an issue as to whether or not a recall provision in the Town of Manchester's charter would actually apply to the Manchester Board of Education. Regardless, there is much to be learned from this entire matter, and the concept of a recall provision does have merit and should be further researched. Additionally, the Town of Manchester and the Board of Education recently formed an ad hoc committee to study a code of ethics and conduct for public officials. I am a member of that committee, along with other elected and appointed officials, town staff, and community members, and am hopeful that the committee's work might, in the end, impose greater expectations on public officials. So here we are today, and neither a recall election or a code of conduct are of any help to us at the moment and board members' efforts to privately intervene in this matter by meeting with, or communicating with Mr. Rowe to urge him to resign and run for a new seat on the board in the November, 2007 town election seem to have failed, thus the need for a resolution from the Board of Education this evening requesting Mr. Rowe to resign from his upcoming term." Mrs. Huyler read aloud the Resolution Regarding Board Member Service:
Whereas, service on the Manchester Board of Education is a privilege, not a right; and Whereas John Rowe has admitted to engaging in misconduct that resulted in a criminal conviction of breach of peace, and Whereas
Mr. Rowe's service on the Board of Education so soon after his misconduct
and related conviction could cause a distraction and could bring discredit
upon the Board of Education, and Whereas, Board members have a duty to establish and maintain appropriate standards of behavior including the adherence to all laws; and Whereas Board members should exemplify the highest standards of personal conduct, and Whereas the Board of Education finds that Mr. Rowe's service at this time would not be in the best interest of the Board of Education and the Manchester Public Schools, Now therefore, the Board of Education asks that Mr. Rowe resign his elected office with the Board of Education and defer future service on the Board of Education, if any, to a time when the people of Manchester elect him to that office in light of all facts, including his misconduct and any recovery and/or rehabilitation." A Motion was made by Ms. Huyler and seconded by Mr. Rizzo. Board members read aloud their written comments regarding Board member-elect John Rowe. Mr. Edwards
said it was with a heavy heart that he spoke regarding the matter. Mr. Edwards concluded his remarks by saying that personally he had hoped that Mr. Rowe would resign his seat and save everyone, not the least of which was his family, from this awkward embarrassment. He took no pleasure or pride in having to say what he had just said and it was, by far, the most distasteful duty he had ever had to perform during his five years of service on the Board. Ms. Hackett reiterated that copies of the board's written comments could be obtained from the Recording Secretary. Mr. Marcano read that Mr. Rowe's situation was regrettable and he felt for him and his family. But, as a board member and public servant, we were held to a higher standard and had a responsibility to the people we represented, and these were the families of Manchester who had elected us to this position, to look out for the education, welfare and interest of their children. It was his opinion that Mr. Rowe should not return to the Board at this time. Mr. Rowe should take this period of time to reassess his situation. He should give the people who elected him the opportunity to decide whether he should return to the board or not. Mr. Stafford said it was probably one of the hardest most painful issues the Board would ever have before it. We all had had issues in our lives; some bigger than others, and some we would probably like to forget. The memories of most would fade in our history twenty or thirty years forward, but tonight, here and now, we had to talk about the present. We all needed more time for the issue; more time to digest, contemplate and forgive. His heart went out to Mr. Rowe and he wished him well in his recovery; however, he felt that now was not the right time for his return to the Board and did not support him in doing so. During the last few weeks he had thought much about Mr. Rowe's return, coming back to the same question "Why did Mr. Rowe need to come back now?" "What benefit would his return to the Board of Education accomplish at this time?" "Was he acting rationally and realistically?" "Was this something that he, himself, would do under the same circumstances? Mr. Stafford said that the issue of Mr. Rowe's resignation or return affected us all and upon his return would continue and become more of a distraction. With that comment he asked Mr. Rowe again, most compassionately - as he had before, to resign. Mr. Stafford supported the Resolution. Mr. Crockett
did not have written comments. He said he absolutely supported the Resolution.
He thanked the public for coming to the meeting to speak on the issue.
He was of the opinion that they did not need to spend the Board's valuable
time discussing this issue when there were much more important matters
to be discussed. He would suggest to Mr. Rowe that he go and reinvent
himself and work his way up; get himself elected; spend time with his
family. He, personally, felt sorry for Mr. Rowe who he had considered
a friend and he wished him well but did not think he was ready to return
to the Board. This was not the time. Ms. Small-Miller said she appreciated and commended John Rowe on his recent efforts to seek treatment for his illness. She had to acknowledge a few things; first and foremost she felt that Board members were held to high standards. Not only did Mr. Rowe fail to adhere to those standards; he broke them with actions and choices that could not be overlooked. She felt these actions and their consequences must be allowed to run their course, clear of interference from, or symbiosis with the board. The simple fact of the matter was that we could not ask others to meet standards that we, ourselves, were not willing to meet. She wished John Rowe much success as he continued on the road to recovery. She supported the Resolution. Mr. Pohl expressed personal knowledge of what he termed as a "killer disease". He said learning how to become a responsible partner, friend, son, brother, worker, community member, leader and elected official, took a great deal of time. Certainly if it took a person ten years to walk into the woods, the journey out would take longer than four months. Learning how to believe in oneself; to achieve dignity and self respect; to gain a true sense of humility, knowing what it was all about and really grasping that it was about selflessness and not self-centeredness took years. Manchester Democratic Town Chairman, Ted Cummings, and almost all Democratic leaders, including himself and the entire Democratic Caucus on the Board of Education had asked Mr. Rowe not to return to the Board at this time but Mr. Rowe had decided to return to the Board anyway, showing what Mr. Pohl truly believed was lack of good sound judgment. He believed Mr. Rowe was putting himself at risk and asked him to reconsider. Mr. Pohl said that Alcoholism was not the entire issue. He saw the need for Mr. Rowe to stand before the voters again before he took his seat on the Board. Mr. Rowe had not given very strong consideration to this. As much as Mr. Pohl supported Mr. Rowe's recovery, he also supported the Resolution, as it was the right thing to do, and he called upon Mr. Rowe to do the right thing. Mr. Rizzo said that every Board member who had spoken had expressed their opposition to Mr. Rowe's stated intention to return to the Board of Education and take a seat to which he had been duly elected by the community. He expressed disgust that they had been forced to spend valuable time over the last several weeks dealing with Mr. Rowe's stated intention to return and it bothered him that it had taken up valuable family time. He wanted the community to know that while this had been a distraction, the business of the Board had continued. The Board members did not take their service lightly; they understood what it meant to serve; Mr. Rowe did not get it! He did not know what it meant, and what an honor it was to serve his community. Mr. Rowe had been duly elected by the community and had a right to take his seat legally. The question remained "Should I take my seat?" The answer was most definitely NO! The facts reported in the newspapers about Mr. Rowe's arrest did not concur with the facts Mr. Rowe had told him two weeks after the incident. Key details were omitted, and it was Mr. Rizzo's belief that Mr. Rowe lied. Mr. Rizzo wished to go on record as saying that this issue was most definitely not about alcoholism. Alcoholism was a disease, not an excuse. Alcoholism is not an individual disease - it affected every member of the family. The issue was about consequences. He believed Mr. Rowe sought to return to the Board of Education as a way of avoiding the consequences of his actions and by so doing to somehow make everything okay. He has disregarded the advice he has been given by the members of the Board, from his own party and the Republicans; disregarding the advice he had received from his own political party elders and appeared to be intent on doing exactly what he wanted to do without any regard for the opinion of others. Mr. Rizzo said everyone made mistakes but that did not mean Mr. Rowe was okay and we want you back making policy for our children. He could not, and would not, give Mr. Rowe this vindication, which must be earned. He must start over, be nominated by his party and ask the community to support his election to the Board. Only then would Mr. Rizzo be able to welcome him and support his efforts on behalf of the children in the community. It was with the most profound sense of regret that he would support the motion on the table and the faction was definitely the low point in his seven years of service on the Board. Ms. Hackett called the question and called for a roll call vote. The Board unanimously supported the Resolution urging Mr. John Rowe to resign from the Manchester Board of Education. Ms. Hackett said the Motion and the Minutes of the meeting would be sent to Mr. Rowe as soon as they were available. MOTION: Huyler/Rizzo s.v. The Manchester Board of Education approved the Resolution. 9/0/0. Mrs. Lok shared that she had always held members of the Board of Education in high esteem, above all other elected officials, because they set the policy for students and for staff. Tonight they had elevated the level of esteem in which she held Board members. This was probably the most difficult thing they had encountered in their service on the Board and she had to say that she was touched by their comments: by their personal revelations and the fact that they had shared those. She was sympathetic to their loss of time with family and others and they had sent the community a message of the highest standard. Mr. Carson, 45 Kane Road, remarked that we tell our children to do the right thing and tonight the Board had done the right thing. It was tough, very emotional, but they should not regret it. Mrs. Knybel said that under the circumstances the Board was very eloquent and she was sure the community had all the respect as our elected officials. She knew, more than anyone else, how hard it was to resign as a political person. One had to really think about what was best for oneself and one's family and she urged Mr. Rowe to think of that and about all the Board comments. Alcoholism is a disease and one needed time; step back a little; doing what was best for oneself at this time. The Manchester Board of Education was not going to disappear in another one or two years. It would always be here. Mr. Rowe should take time to be with his family. Mr. Stringfellow,
183 Hills Town Road, expressed his support for Items C and D on the
Consent Calendar. Mr. Stringfellow made reference to Item E concerning Mr. Rowe and wished him well, hoping he would reconsider his decision to return to the Board. He supported the Resolution with concern. Speaking as a citizen, and a taxpayer, the Board had made the right decision. Article in "USA Today", October 19, 06 re cough medicine that could be used as a new type of drink. An NFL football player had been arrested. Mr. Nino Pagani thanked the Board for their eloquence on the Resolution issue. G. ITEMS FOR FUTURE AGENDAS No items were proposed for future agendas. Mrs. Hackett asked for a Motion to adjourn. MOTION: Edwards/Rizzo s.v. The Manchester Board of Education adjourned at 8.45pm. 9/0/0. Respectfully submitted, Michael
Rizzo, Secretary |