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Health & Fitness

Stabilize, Regroup and Forge Ahead!!!

Spending that 150k on a duplicate temporary Superintendent, who works per diem, can leave at any moment and have that person put forth a $30 million referendum would just be another bad decision.

I hope that voices of reason will prevail with the 3 minute comment rule at the BOE Special Meeting on Tuesday, October 11 at 6PM. The meeting was called due to a promise made by members of the BOE. Kudos, for acknowledging the need to follow through with such a promise made to the public. However, it was a promise that was unnecessary.

A special meeting would make more sense when the permanent superintendent is about to be appointed, not with days away of asking Mr. Engravalle for his license so our district can continue to run. But again, even in a permanent situation, it is  not necessary, and would not be asked for if we (the gallery and public) felt comfortable with the BOE's ability to make decisions, small or grand.

The following is a wishful letter to the BOE members. I only can hope that they will hear this and stabilize the district for the interim before appointing a permanent superintendent. There is no doubt who I think should have that position, Steven Engravalle; but the BOE has bigger problems they have to fix, and soon! Perhaps they will understand that my letter goes far beyond this one issue.

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 Dear Board of Education Members:

             This special meeting is to placate a small group of people who are misinformed about their plight in halting the approval of an acting superintendent and generally do not understand how education management works, nor how the BOE works. Their timing is off, hastened, even for their own purposes. The protest or objections would be more appropriate closer to the appointment of a permanent superintendent, not now. There was no need for public input for an interim superintendent; the Assistant Superintendent position is next in line, in the absence of  the Superintendent.  You have released Dr. Bandlow thirty days early and made no plan or effort to attract a new Superintendent because there already was a qualified Assistant Superintendent, and then opted to hear the public in this unorthodox manner. In the best interest of the school district, the transition could have started upon Bandlow's resignation and been a soft transition. Mr. Engravalle has acted as the Superintendent in Bandlow’s absence (i.e. the visit to Korea ) and is ready on November 1. I find it odd that this is where public input would be needed by the BOE; but its here, and you need to create a seamless transition to stabilize the district for the upcoming transition into a permanent replacement, no matter who you choose.

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            Keep in mind that the BOE, by its very nature is representative of the public, we elected you through a democratic process, and you should do what is globally best for the school district. By entertaining behaviors such as grandstanding, assault, and abuse on our administrators, you continue to foster mistrust in your decision-making. You have provided avenues that allow the special interests groups to believe they have a say in your decisions.  It is necessary for you to be above fray, immune to self-serving rhetoric and pleas from the small groups of citizens that long to fulfill their own agendas. You must understand the greater needs of the district. You must maintain the bigger picture and keep that in the forefront of your decisions.

            By all means, respectfully listen but do not fall victims of powerful rhetoric or the minutia of personal lives that is meant stall or derail progress. You are on the inside, not them, you have the broader understanding of education management and need to maintain the integrity of your elected position. No more off-handed comments, no campaigning after a meeting in the hallway, no private details being told to ‘friends’, stand by your decisions and each other as BOE members. Please find commonality and unity amongst yourselves. Otherwise, you will continue not trusted by the public and be imprisoned by the special interests groups that think they understand education management.

            The issue of who is going to be appointed as the acting Superintendent needs to be finished, appoint Mr. Engravalle and move onto the search process. You may get some resistance, but citizens will come out in force if you hire an interim Superintendent for 1k per day. Spending that 150k on a duplicate temporary Superintendent, who works per diem, can leave at any moment and have that person put forth a $30 million referendum would just be another bad decision. Mr. Engravalle is qualified, suitable, willing, and will bring continuity and he is your best option.

            So please, stabilize the district by appointing a leader, regroup yourselves,  and forge ahead, there is a lot of work to be done! Stabilize, regroup and forge ahead!

             Thank you for your time and I wish you the best of luck (because what you need to do is not easy) and will support and encourage your successes!,

Tracy Mattei

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