Some questions were raised at Tuesday's Wake County school board meeting when board members Debra Goldman and Deborah Prickett weren't present for the start of public comment.
Both board members missed the first 11 of the 20 speakers. Their absence was noticed by Christine Kushner, a critic of the new board majority and member of the Great Schools in Wake Coalition, who asked if she would wait for them to return before she spoke.
School board chairman Ron Margiotta's answer that Goldman and Prickett were in a meeting was met with audible skepticism by the crowd.
It turns out that the two board members were meeting at Margiotta's request with Growth and Planning staff to discuss student assignment issues.
Goldman said she could hear the speakers from the audio feed that was piped into the board's conference room. Goldman said she plans to watch the video of the speakers she missed.
Comments
Breckenridge
Fri, 04/09/2010 - 07:04 — HereWeGoI thought it was not a general meeting with GM but they were meeting with GM and Breckenridge parents to try to work out a plan that would make them happy?
Another favor for rich families?
People who live in
Fri, 04/09/2010 - 08:35 — woodstockPeople who live in Breckenridge are "rich?" Where do middle class folks live?
Why would Margiotta schedule
Thu, 04/08/2010 - 21:46 — sami117Why would Margiotta schedule Goldman and Prickett for a meeting during the Public Comment? To think missing the first 11 speakers is just a trivial matter is unbelievably out of touch. Come on, folks...This is NOT the way to build bridges!
need more parents like Kushner
Wed, 04/07/2010 - 23:46 — buckworthyThese new board members have made it clear they do not care what the public thinks; they have a political agenda, and are doing the bidding of their financial backers (and beneficiaries). Wake Co. needs more parents like Kushner -- involved, attentive, concerned about kids and education -- and fewer board members like Goldman and Prickett (arrogant, politically motivated, rude).
Yet it is pointed out very
Thu, 04/08/2010 - 06:55 — woodstockYet it is pointed out very clearly in Hui's blog that: "... the two board members were meeting at Margiotta's
request with Growth and Planning staff to discuss student assignment
issues." They were working to respond to the concerns and requests from parents-- you know, their constituents, they people they represent. How does that fact fit in with your sensless diatribe. Tell me again, Bucky, who is "arrogant, politically motivated, (and) rude?"
PARENTS
Thu, 04/08/2010 - 09:59 — jgegbgmgWoodstock > In other words you are saying that the parents who came to speak did not count > I wonder what Goldman & Prickett really accomplished in their meeting (which should have taken place before or after the public response) > Another case of "Don't Care" what you think!!!!!!
LOL whatever...
Thu, 04/08/2010 - 13:06 — woodstockLOL whatever...
LOL
Fri, 04/09/2010 - 22:44 — jgegbgmgI understand !!!!!! Hard for you to respond to the truth !!!!!
parents were in the room....
Thu, 04/08/2010 - 09:55 — buckworthyMy concern there was that they are board members and this was a board meeting. Perhaps it would have been better for them to hear from parents and THEN meet with growth management. That's the point of having a public board meeting - to hear public comment, to see and interact with constituents.
Was there no other time in
Thu, 04/08/2010 - 08:53 — user12345Was there no other time in the day, this week for them to meet with GM except during the public comment time? Is GM only available during that time? Why does it take two members to talk to GM? Given that the public who these people work for took time to attend a public meeting where it was advertised these people would be available to listen to the public concerns and they don't show up is rude and shows how much they value they place on public input... like I said, you will defend any bad behavior from these folks ...
"Was there no other time in
Thu, 04/08/2010 - 22:15 — Apexter"Was there
no other time in the day, this week for them to meet with GM except
during the public comment time? "
Have you considered that perhaps they needed to meet with Growth Management to obtain information that was needed before making a vote on the reassignment issues that were to be voted on later that afternoon? Goldman changed her mind on a reassignment that she had previously asked for. Prickett also had a reassignment in her node that was questioned. Since there was not time in the COW meeting, perhaps they wanted to arm themselves with additional information before making their final decisions.
Why is it bad behavior to
Thu, 04/08/2010 - 09:24 — woodstockWhy is it bad behavior to take a few minutes to seek answers from staff regarding the issues of the day? If you want rude behavior, look at Kevin Hill. Before information on the proposed reassignments weas even presented at the meeting, he stated he was against all changes regardless of circumstances even when the change requested would allow students to attend a school across the street from where they live.
If you do not like the direction WCPSS is heading, fine, discuss that. But your constant puny nit picking about essentially irrelevant things is just getting tiresome.
Woodstock pointing to how
Thu, 04/08/2010 - 10:21 — user12345Woodstock pointing to how someone else does bad things to justify an action is childish.
So, you agree that Hill
Thu, 04/08/2010 - 22:31 — woodstockSo, you agree that Hill behaved badly. That's great, we are making headway!
ATTACK / COUNTER ATTACK
Thu, 04/08/2010 - 10:03 — jgegbgmgHere you go again Woodstock - Can't handle the truth !!!! Always trying to defend this group - What's next ?????
LOL So you are outraged
Thu, 04/08/2010 - 13:08 — woodstockLOL So you are outraged because two board members took a couple minutes to clarify some things with staff. Okey dokey. Very rational of you.
Have a nice day.
Perhaps an alternate presentation
Thu, 04/08/2010 - 20:19 — Dove314Maybe this actually speaks to Chairman Margiotta's lack of planning in not having gotten all of his questions asked and answers received about the assignments that were made prior to a board meeting where decisions are to be made on assignment. It speaks to a rushed process under his leadership rather than the careful, objective, data driven
process promised in the October campaign with board members unable to completely ascertain what proportion of parents in particularly nodes were requesting changes and get all necessary details on the reassignments in time.
As a result of his poor advance planning, it took not just one but two board members to ask the outstanding questions of Ms. Evans and get the answers Chairman Margiotta required resulting in two board members having to not only carry out his request, missing the feedback originally presented but also adding to their work as, due to their dedication, they sought ways to watch the feedback they missed at a later time.
Wow, you must have watched a
Thu, 04/08/2010 - 20:37 — woodstockWow, you must have watched a different meeting; Margiotta did a fantastic job keeping things moving and having the right people available! There were a lot of family-friendly decisions made based on parental input...it worked out well for a lot of students and parents. It was a terrific board meeting and a lot of good things were accomplished.
I know you enjoy being a nay-sayer, but your constant nit-picking is getting old.
family friendly
Thu, 04/08/2010 - 22:25 — stepbystepWoodstock, would you say that the decision to move students from Garner HS to Southeast Raleigh HS, who were not mentioned anywhere in the original 3-year plan and were not offered a chance for public comment (since it was discussed at a work session during spring break and then brought to a vote at the board meeting less than a week later) was family-friendly?
Thanks for asking. Of course
Thu, 04/08/2010 - 22:34 — woodstockThanks for asking. Of course it was family friendly. The students were moved from an overcrowded school with 40 mobile units, including one that was used as a cafeteria, to a school closer to where they live. It was VERY family-friendly!
OR...
Thu, 04/08/2010 - 23:33 — turnerk1to a school where the students may not know anyone, away from friends and teachers that are important to them at a vulnerable time in their lives with no warning and no request from parents for such a move. Not to mention that the SERH has a modified schedule that could complicate family schedules since younger siblings may not be on the modified calendar as well. Perhaps not as family friendly as it sounds after all.
Yeah, I am sure there will
Fri, 04/09/2010 - 00:07 — woodstockYeah, I am sure there will be lots of complaints. LOL
what the heck is that
Fri, 04/09/2010 - 00:11 — carson79what the heck is that supposed to mean?
I suppose sarcasm is lost on
Fri, 04/09/2010 - 00:15 — woodstockI suppose sarcasm is lost on you.
Agree with you Turner, this
Fri, 04/09/2010 - 00:04 — carson79Agree with you Turner, this lady has been the only one to try to defend the backdoor move of families from Garner to SER here on the blog. She also seemed to not understand the logistics in several earlier posts so maybe she just doesn't understand what was going on.
Funny stuff! Of course, it
Fri, 04/09/2010 - 00:12 — woodstockFunny stuff! Of course, it is you , sir, who does not seem to understand the decision. The important thing is the parents get it and they are thrilled with the changes.
who is thrilled at the
Fri, 04/09/2010 - 08:55 — carson79who is thrilled at the changes? the people who were moved?
I haven't heard anything publicly from the nodes moved or anyother involved parents, have you?
Your post sound less and less like a concerned affected parent every day.
"Your post sound less and
Fri, 04/09/2010 - 09:23 — woodstock"Your post sound less and less like a concerned affected parent every day."
Really? I don't know why that would be. My node was changed and my neighbors and I are thrilled. I don't know
how more affected I could be.
If Growth Management is only
Thu, 04/08/2010 - 13:25 — user12345If Growth Management is only available during the Board meeting maybe something needs to change so board members can do both.
Still going on about it, I
Thu, 04/08/2010 - 19:50 — woodstockStill going on about it, I see. LOL
Bahama Breeze -- split a
Wed, 04/07/2010 - 20:37 — shank56Bahama Breeze -- split a couple of call ahead appetizers and a few drinks.
good idea
Wed, 04/07/2010 - 20:21 — wireless200I think they were probably just taking a break. You know how annoying a lot of those "speakers" are!
They just are not people
Wed, 04/07/2010 - 21:46 — user12345They just are not people persons ... probably think of citizens more like animals to be caged not listened to ... Goldman usually whispers and passes notes so it really does not matter if she is in her seat or not.
I AGREE
Wed, 04/07/2010 - 23:30 — jgegbgmgGoldman is really not interested in Public Comment. She has a lot of Tedesco in her and what the public has to say doesn't mean a thing to her. As for Prickett, she is in another world half the time anyway so Public Comment just goes over her head. Their rudeness toward others is obvious. They have been trained well by Margiotta.