Category Archives: Budget 2013

Copy of Superintendent’s Contract

Posted on by

EMPLOYMENT CONTRACT  BETWEEN  McKELL WITHERS  AND  THE BOARD OF EDUCATION OF  SALT LAKE CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT  ———— This Employment Contract made and entered into this 28th day of June 2012 by and  between the Board of Education of Salt Lake City School District (“the BOARD”),and McKell Withers (“SUPERINTENDENT”) The PDF link below includes a letter I submitted at the last school board meeting, an email exchange and a copy of the superintendent’s employment contract. The … Continue reading →

Swelling Bureaucracy: Hiding School Spending

Posted on by

TEXT OF RDA LETTER: 15 October 2013 DELIVERED VIA ELECTRONIC MAIL Kristi Swett, Board President Salt Lake City School District 2256 South King Street Salt Lake City, UT 84109  Re: RDA: West Capitol Hill Dear President Swett, I am requesting that item: “2b. WEST CAPITOL HILL RDA Project Amendment Resolution” be placed on the action item agenda. I will be voting against this item due to lack of information that would allow me to make … Continue reading →

Complaint to State Auditor: SLCSD Budget Process (Letter)

Posted on by

  4 June 2013 [revised]     HAND DELIVERED The Honorable John Dougall Auditor, State of Utah Suite E310, East Office Building Utah State Capitol Complex Salt Lake City, Utah 84114   Re: Salt Lake City School District Dear Mr. Dougall, I am currently serving as a member of the Salt Lake City Board of Education. I am requesting that your office conduct an audit on the financial practices of the Salt Lake City School … Continue reading →

iSchool Controversy in the Salt Lake City School District

Posted on by

  In the 2013 Legislative Session, SB 284- Educational Technology Amendments was passed into law. Modifies a pilot project known as the Smart School Technology Program by requiring the State Board of Education, to issue a request for proposals for the deployment of whole-school one to one mobile device technology in public schools. I questioned the school district’s process in applying and being awarded this grant. See my blog entry: Public School Bureaucracy Running Amock (Again!)   … Continue reading →

Education Task Force: School Governance Testimony (Audio)

Posted on by

  Audio of Michael Clara Testimony – BROKEN AUDIO LINK REPAIRS IN PROGRESS see below for other option  “Board members have historically been criticized for not getting involved in diagnosing problems or developing constructive solutions, as well as evading opportunities to become creatively proactive. Consequently, some scholars suggest that this is has resulted in a shift in local control to the state level.” Local District Responsiveness: Who Governs, Who Participates, And Who Gets Represented? University … Continue reading →

Lawmakers: Is Salt Lake City School District Serving West Side Students? (Tribune)

Posted on by

Lawmakers: Is Salt Lake City School District serving west side students? BY RAY PARKER THESALT LAKETRIBUNE PUBLISHED: AUGUST 27, 2013 09:32PM UPDATED: AUGUST 27, 2013 10:18PM Utah lawmakers on an Education Task Force questioned Tuesday how well the Salt Lake City School District is serving children in west-side schools, encouraging school board member Michael Clara to continue investigating. Clara filed a complaint with the federal Office of Civil Rights in February, asserting there are too many inexperienced … Continue reading →