Lecturing Laurel

This is a short video of Salt Lake City School District Board member speaking at Equality Utah’s Allies Dinner held on Monday night, September 16, 2013.

Although he is publicly calling out Michael Clara for not being at the dinner and for challenging the application of District’s anti-discrimination policy, he left out three important points:

1. Michael was NOT invited to attend the dinner with the board:

Forgot to Invite Michael to the Allies Dinner (video)

2. The School District has reversed it’s position on expelling the Cub Scouts from the school:

Cub Scouts Invited Back to Mountain View Elementary!

3. During the 2012 School Board campaign, Michael Clara was endorsed by Equality Utah:

This short video clip is from the school board meeting on Tuesday the 17th of September, 2013.

The Vice President of the Board is referencing the fact that not everyone was informed about the Board’s invitation to attend Equality Utah’s Allies Dinner on Monday night the 16th of September.

Michael did not get the word to attend, yet Board member Doug Nelson publicly calls him out for not attending:

Doug Nelson Stretching the Truth at the Allies Dinner (YouTube)

Altered Agenda: January 22, 2013 -School Board Meeting

In the January 22, 2013, School Board meeting the Board President had the Board vote on an issue that was not on the original published agenda. (See snap shot above:yellow highlight).

It appears, in order to rectify the fact that the board voted on a non-agenda item, they just added it to the agenda after the meeting was done. It remained that way for about four months.

The attached Audio is of the May 7, 2013 School Board Meeting. The agenda item for that meeting is listed as:

#1. Board Meeting Minutes, Policy 2

Prior to this meeting, vice president Heather Bennett and I spoke about this issue. Heather committed to me that we could discuss this issue at the next School Board meeting.

On the audio, you will hear me asking Business Administrator Janet Roberts how an item got added to the January 22, 2013, School Board Meeting agenda after the meeting was concluded.

Her laptop is connected to the screen in the Board room and she is looking up and displaying it to the entire School Board and those in the audience. That version of the agenda displayed was the altered version as seen above.

As the discussion is ensuing, you will hear board member Tiffany Sandberg invoke parliamentary procedure to cut off discussion and board member Doug Nelson declares, “it’s not about you”. The Board President agrees in spite of my objections that the issue was relevant to the posted agenda item. We did vote to allow additional language at the bottom of all agendas back to January of 2013. My objection in this blog, relates to the item specific that was voted on.

050713Audio
Audio of a portion of the May 7, 2013 School Board Meeting

This is how issues get swept under the rug: The Vice President says we will discus it in the meeting. Parliamentary procedures are used to stifle the discussion.

Following the May meeting, it appears that the Business Administrator had the item removed from the agenda so that it has now reverted back to the original official posted agenda. No explanation was ever given to me or the School Board. Multiple inquiries of this nature go unanswered.

At first blush, this may appear to be a minor issue. If nothing else, it serves as a window into the type of mentality possessed by those that are running the school board and the District. It begs the question:

What other documents are they altering? 

PDF OF ORIGINAL AGENDA USED IN THE MEETING

PDF OF ALTERED AGENDA
YELLOW Highlight is mine, indicates what was added/removed

Utah State Auditor: John Dougall

070913boardAuditor
Audio of a portion of the meeting

In the July 9, 2013, School Board meeting at Snowbird (annual retreat), the Superintendent distributed a letter that the District received from the Sate Auditor’s Office denying the District’s GRAMA request.

Board member Laurel Young then demanded that the superintendent calculate the cost that this and other complaints filed by me are costing the District.

I responded that we should also calculate the cost that a 52% Hispanic Dropout rate will have on our neighborhoods and surrounding communities.

The Superintendent likes taking verbal jabs at me in the meetings without giving me the opportunity to respond.

The Superintendent pithily explained that he wants to see the complaint letter that I sent to the Auditor’s office. He also said that the District will appeal the denial letter.

PDF Link: State Auditor Letter

Link to blog entry: Page 1 of complaint letter

“You can go to the State Auditor”

I find it curious that they are upset with me for filing a complaint with the Auditor’s office when it was Janet Robert’s that suggested I do so in our May 7, 2013 –School Board Meeting:

May 7, 2013 -School Board Audio (partial)
 Audio of a portion of the meeting 

Earlier in the meeting I had raised my concern as to how Title I money was being spent. In this audio you will hear Board Vice Chair Heather Bennett, Board President Kristi Swett and Board member Doug Nelson lecturing me on how to handle complaints and how the expenditure side of the budget should not be my concern.

Doug Nelson also gives me advice on how to be a ‘good board member’. I must here confess, that I would not use Doug Nelson’s juvenile behavior on the school board as a template or example of civility in the public square. Nor am I incline to seek out or accept his unsolicited advice on the matter.

At the end of the audio clip you will hear Business Administrator Janet Roberts tell me that I can file a complaint with the State Auditor’s office.

Link to blog entry: Title I Complaint

Contrary to what Bennett & Nelson said a Budget has two parts….