Decisions of the school board and by the school board need to be made as a school board. Their own policy states that they only have power when they are together as a board. The only time they are together as a board is at a board meeting. The only time they are able to vote and make binding decisions is at the board meeting, outside of executive session.
What needs to stop in this district are the private decision-making meetings over beer on porches or over coffee at local establishments. While these gatherings don’t qualify as a quorum, two heads together coming up with self-serving and twisted angles to present to the others is commonplace and very obvious to those attending meetings.
Conversations about how to best “deal with” the teachers need to not happen during skeet shoots or by a gang of members. The reason that some of the board members won’t admit to feeling bullied into decisions, is that they simply are left out of them. This “good ole boy” club has been making disgusting and inappropriate decisions for this district for way too many years.
You can argue with union tactics, but they are squarely by the book. Transparent. What taxpayers, students, parents, and staff are having to work against are the unprofessional, underhanded secret dealings of some members of the board. I don’t care how many nameless comments this inspires from a couple of the chairman’s supporters; each one of them will only strengthen my opinion that they’re in on covering up the actual truth. Everyone knows this is the underlying problem.
You can’t combat this with positive energy and peace talks. Wrong is wrong and the decision making strategies used by a handful of the board members is downright disgusting. My teacher-friends know that I’m anti-union….this isn’t a union issue. My conservative Republican friends know that I am adamantly opposed to the idea of throwing money at a situation hoping that it will improve. This isn’t about money: taxes or teacher salaries.
This is about people standing up and saying that the status quo isn’t ok anymore, because it’s simply wrong how decisions are being made in MSAD 58; every decision from who will furnish our port-a-potties to which superintendent will lead us.
I’ve spent two full years emailing the board and attending meetings trying to inspire best decision-making practices for all those involved. What I need to do now is start being a little more open about what’s truly happening in our district.
Elizabeth Marble
Freeman Township
I hear Mrs. Marble’s anger and frustration, and I’m deeply sympathetic.Teachers know that she has several children in our schools, and the quality of those schools is therefore a deeply personal concern for her. She has a right to demand accountability, from every teacher, administrator, ed tech, support staff and Board member in this district. Every parent has that right; the very core of the principle of local control is that schools are directed, not from some ivory tower, but by the very people who depend on them.
It’s very hard to talk about a group of 14 people together, especially when we know and typically like them as individuals. Teachers have tried to be clear about Board decisions that are harmful and destructive to our schools. How those decisions are reached, however, is obviously very complex. At the Budget meeting, a Director from Kingfield asked the assembled crowd specifically what they wanted done differently; a difficult thing to do in such a confrontational situation, but an admirably responsible one. Unfortunately, the Kingfield delegation soon walked out of the meeting as a group. I found that regrettable, because every person who spoke was answering that Director’s question. Its a complicated situation that doesn’t have a simple answer. Teachers can offer a list of solutions for the Board, but we were a minority in that room, around thirty of over one hundred citizens. Many of us were touched when a resident of Strong spoke about the departure of Mr. Aliberti and Mrs. Allen with obvious grief; it mirrored our own, and was a powerful message of the value of these people in the lives of many in our communities.
My hope is that everyone in that meeting was heard. Hard feelings are understandable; I don’t know of a single teacher who felt good about joining the protest vote. But we felt, and still feel, that we *must* address these problems with urgency if we are to continue to offer good schools. I can’t think of a clearer way that a community can ask for change; I remain hopeful that Directors can craft compromises that start us all on the path to rebuilding.
Skeet shooting? Drinking beer and coffe on the porch? We all know who you are aiming that statement at…sorry, but I think there are many people that are kinda sick of listening to ms marble ranting about the chairman and the rest of the board. I would love for her to take a seat on the board and let’s see how she does….
I would also LOVE for Mrs. Marble to take a seat on the board!
Phillips Taxpayer took the words right out of my mouth. I’m thinking her last sentence should read:what I need to do now is… put on my tights and cape, take a seat on the school board and get everything going the way I feel it should go…
Liz, What don’t you understand? Each board member has 1 vote on every decision that is made in that district. If you think a couple of board members are bullying the others, that is a total slap in the face to the other directors. I think they are all pretty educated and can form their own opinions and vote the way they feel best. Stop being so vindictive to a select few and put your talents into something more productive.
Liz,
GOOD FOR YOU! Don’t you for one second listen to these people. You are 100 percent correct that it’s time that people stand up and stop ignoring the REAL issues behind everything that’s going on. I think a lot of times people don’t stand up because the words of their critics (as we’ve just seen here) are harsh, cruel, and bring us back to our middle school days when we were “bullied” into not speaking up and standing up for what is right. There are too many people with the same thinking as yours who are not speaking out publicly for fear of backlash… Again, like we’ve just seen here. And you know what? It’s too bad. It really is. Because this school district could really be great. They have fantastic teachers, support staff, administrators, etc. The only thing standing in its way are the people who silence others and their opinions because they want everything their way.. It’s their way or the highway and to be completely honest, it feels like some of these individuals who speak out and ridicule others for trying to change things in a positive way are just miserable and want everyone else to be miserable. That’s just how it comes across… You are 100 percent right that there needs to be more transparency – and the question should be – why isn’t there transparency? If everything that is going on is on the up and up, everyone should be able to discuss it openly without problems… It’s time for people like yourself to do exactly what you did and stand up. It takes a lot of guts – and I KNOW that there are people who stand behind you and agree with you 100 percent….
Technically, Mrs, Marble isn’t allowed on the board becuase she live in one of the UT’s in the district (please Correct me if I’m wrong)
Techncally,
You are correct. I moved to this area for the schools but given the current situation I am looking at other options for my kids. Living in one of the UT’s I can only watch the problems in the district and cannot vote in any way other than by removing my students (and their tuition) from the district. I have heard other UT parents voice this same thought and it would be further damaging to the town budgets as they would have less tuition coming in from these students. It is unfortunate.
It is very frustrating that many of us who live in unorganized territories have children that attend school in the MSAD 58 district, work in the district and pay taxes to the district, yet have no official vote on these matters.
@Phillips Resident — It’s very easy to “bully” others into thinking your way. Unfortunately, many have forgotten how to stand up for themselves and their own beliefs because they don’t want to “offend” anyone. It’s not a slap in the face – it’s what our nation has become. I actually commend Elizabeth Marble for signing and owning what she says…unlike you OR ME!
Liz…You keep right on doing what you are doing…at least you are doing something…more than most…I am in your corner…
I don’t see this as a rant at all. She is simply talking about her rights as a taxpayer to have her local representatives conduct their meetings in a standard and productive way.
School boards, traditionally, are supposed to support the kids and schools, and give parents and community members local representation.
strange how the “Phillips taxpayer” I and II seemed more concerned with the defending the status quo, and $ rather than the future of the kids in the area. Are these folks raising the next Phillips biker gang? I grew up there, I’m a tax payer there too, but I’m embarrassed to be on the side of $ with this one.. Some damn good people are leaving.. and yet these people think there is no problem except for the “whiney parents trying to get their children a good education and greedy teachers that would like to have a contract to work with” I’ve read a lot of these debates go back and forth.. I don’t know you Liz….but cudos for your as you seem to clearly be an advocate of the students….which is what the board should be advocating for as well….The entire TOWN of Phillips should be embarrassed..
Why should the ENTIRE town of Phillips be embarrassed? Is that because a couple of folks put their thoughts in writing and may not feel the same as others who have written or because Phillips school board directors are made to sound uncouth and uneducated due to the beer drinking/skeet shooting reference? I believe everyone has a right to their own opinion and opinions will differ..making neither opinion better than the other…I believe Phillips taxpayers are struggling (to put it mildly) to pay the already high property taxes due mostly to school expenses. Phillips has no industry to sustain it. It is mostly a retirement community with taxpayers unable to create more income in order to pay higher taxes. I don’t think you will find any Phillips citizens against education…but you may hear them grumble about the continually increasing cost of education and wondering out loud how they can keep their property and pay their taxes if this trend continues. I back our school directors (ALL OF THEM)..They are in a difficult position and doing the best they can. The teachers are making this a public issue and using students to get what they want. One more thing (and, again..it’s only 1 opinion) if teachers and administrators leave SAD 58, I believe they have another job waiting for them with equal or higher pay. Otherwise,why would an administrator give up a job that pays $72,000.00 in Salem? Don’t believe she is going to sit at home without any paycheck. I believe the Supt. resigned to take another job elsewhere..do not know about the others…. It appears to me that bullying is being shown on both sides of this issue.
Nice try, Phillips. You almost succeeded in taking attention away from the point of my comments. There are school board members in Phillips that know I have the deepest respect for the job they are doing on the board. You also missed the mark by implying that skeet shooting and beer drinking were the areas of concern. Wrong again, but it was a good attempt to score the sympathy vote. I’m sorry to see that you have also been convinced that this is the most sound budget for the taxpayers. I can assure you, it is not. There is A LOT of money to be saved in just two cost centers. Treating employees and parents disrespectfully and making dirty decisions is not saving you one penny, in fact, with more transparency in the decision making, you would see lower costs to the towns. Keep covering for others, however, I expected as much. The professionals that are leaving are just that. They are professionals. They are quietly walking away in disgust without sharing why they feel the need to leave. Money has nothing to do with it. I’ve told you why they’re leaving, but you just don’t want to believe it. And you’re wrong about one more “fact”….administrators ARE leaving without the security of another position, because A FEW board members have made the working environment that toxic. Our schools are “places of happiness and wisdom,” but our board meetings, where the worst abuse occurs, are appalling. Keep beating your drum…we’ve heard it for years. I, for one, have had enough.
Well stated, Phillips. We are stretching our dollar as far as we can. The school board deserves our support. We elected them because we believed in them.
And if the district disbands or a town pulls out you will be paying MORE than you currently are. Do some research. A town on its own will pay more.
well, if drinking beer and skeet shooting is a sign of ignorance….I fall in that category.. but I still agree with Mrs marble as dumb as I am.. :
What is the end result that the school board is looking for?
Ms. Marble: Please let us know in what 2 cost centers there is much money to be saved. Also, what exactly are the teachers asking for, in terms of money and benefits? I have never read anything specifically detailing the gap in negotiations/agreement between the board and teachers. There has to be a reason the school board is standing firm. Since the directors represent our towns, I’m sure they are looking out for the interests of their taxpayers. Why is Kingfield considering pulling out of the district…they must think they can save money by doing so…and Stratton seems very satisfied with their decision to leave SAD 58….just wondering….
Louise,
The two cost centers where we are overspending the most are Transportation and Maintenance which are hovered over and protected by the board chair. This is not a coincidence that this is directly related to the position that he held in this district. It’s getting to be difficult to pretend not to notice that the only contract that has been settled is the one affecting busdrivers and custodians paid for in these cost centers. I believe their contract was settled in not 3 years like the unsettled teacher contract, or a year and a half like the unsettled ed tech contract, but in…..2 weeks. I have the utmost respect for the people that keep our students moving and our facilities running, but the favoritism showed to this portion of the budget is, to say the least, unfair. Or unethical. Perhaps even a conflict of interest? To answer your question about the teacher contract: the teachers have shared all the details of their negotiations. I cannot speak for them, but I assure you, that information is readily available if you ask a teacher. The school board is standing firm because they have been taught to stand united, something I understood at one point, but now I continue to be appalled by. When a board member does not support the teachers or the students (which, by the way, their own policy states they must put children first, not taxpayers), the easy and most comfortable explanation must be that they’re looking out for the taxpayers. Phillips residents, in particular, have been wrongly convinced of this. Sometimes the decision is simply based on personal agenda and vindictive, unprofessional behavior. This is completely unfair. I have heard over and over again that people just have different opinions. I don’t think that transparency and respect are an issue of opinion….they are pure necessity in any position that has the authority to make important decisions. What will happen now is that the board has stopped negotiating with the teachers so they will impose their last-best offer and that will end that conflict. More teachers will leave. Our administrators have left and our schools will have to rebuild without these professionals. The board members that have no business making decisions for our district will choose another superintendent to lead us. The lack of respect for taxpayers, students and staff by the chairman will continue and nothing will change. What, then is the lesson that has been learned? That the school board has been right all along in everything it has done? That the crises in our district was necessary and unavoidable? That a Declaration of No Confidence in the chairman can be overlooked and business will go on in this district as usual? Unreal. The most important thing that needs to happen is that voters show up on June 9th to vote down the budget so that the board can get back to work. I am always happy with what’s happening in our school buildings and I remain optimistic that if the board will not stand up for the students, staff, and taxpayers and ask the chairman to step down from his position, that the voters in Phillips will understand the important role that they play in our district’s future, and elect someone to join Mr. Foss, Mrs. Richard, and Mrs. Bredeau on the journey of healing the deep wounds caused, not in our great schools, but at the board level.
Louise,
In response to your question about Stratton. Stratton left the district to save their school from getting shut down by the MSAD 58. It came to a board vote to shut Stratton down a few years ago and did not pass. So Stratton decided to pull out to save it from ever again trying to be a political soccer ball for SAD 58. The last year in MSAD 58, Stratton’s contribution to SAD 58 in taxes was approximately $850,000. Now their taxes to have their own school district is approximately $1.3 million. (these are approximates, I encourage you to do your own investigation) Stratton had a concrete reason for pulling out and it was NOT to save money, it was to save their school. I applaud them for standing up for their kids, if the other towns would do that it would be awesome.
2 years ago the district did some of their own investigating to see how much anticipated costs would be IF they tuitoned high school students out (closing MT Abram, cause you know that would solve everything, right?) the findings were very interesting. It would cost the district SIGNIFICANTLY MORE money to close MTA and tuition HS students out. It was explained very well to the public why. Because we have such a high number of kids from UTs (Unorganized Territories) and tuition towns, the district actually makes money from this. Approximately 1 million dollars. The board chair is the one who did not believe the report because he has his own agenda, close MTA. Well people he also has created a negative moral which is costing taxpayers because employees are leaving and they are offering MORE money to new people who are declining. (it is called a hometown discount) in other words we HAD people who wanted to stay here and took less money to do so, however now there is such an attitude of negativity and unprofessionalism stemming from the chair that employees are leaving and it is costing the district more money to replace them. Not to mention the amount of training these former employees have received that has been paid for by the district which now has to be done AGAIN because they will be hiring somebody new. In a nutshell, it is costing taxpayers more because of certain members of the boards actions.
One more thought….you should speak to Heather Moody in Kingfield as the effort to pull out of the district has been spearheaded by her each time it’s been brought up. She has a good understanding of and would be able to fill you in on the specifics. My guess is that this group in Kingfield feels they will have more control over the money that their town is spending on education. They certainly won’t be saving money by taking this step. Stratton/Eustis is paying twice what it did for education when it belonged to the district (according to the newspaper), but their community has a long standing reputation of supporting their children financially…the best example is their 30+ year old summer rec program that is phenomenal and funded by the taxpayers. Funding a school seems quite economical, but when your one school also has to be funded as its own district, the costs are staggering.
Darren,
You are mistaken — The board chair is the one that did all of the research and the report on what it would cost to tuition the kids to another district. He wanted to have all the facts before any decision was reached. And you are correct, it would cost a lot more. I don’t think any one of the board members wants to see MTA closed but sometimes you have to look at all strategies before making hard decisions.
so how can we save money in transportation and maintenance.? show me some numbers?
Sammy,
Gladly! I’ve had this same conversation with many people, including the two directors of maintenance. Have you familiarized yourself with this year’s budget? That’s the first step just so you know what I’m talking about. Please contact me and we can discuss it. Happy to help!
Phillips resident,
I know for this as a fact as I attended the meetings at the time. It is also on audio tape. the business manager spent HOURS going through this report only to have the current chair person question not only her report but her ability to put together a report of this magnitude. No I was there and I remember what transpired. After the business manager put this report together (spending many hours doing so) the current board questioned her and could not believe what he read, so he came up with his own report. And this is just the attitude that the board chair displayed at this meeting back in the fall of 2013, is what we are all disgusted with. No Phillips resident I believe you are mistaken. The business manager put this report together so she could show the current board chair some hard numbers to quell his campaign to close MTA. We know what transpired. For the board chair to take credit for this, as you say he is, is one of the most absurd things I have ever heard. What he can take credit for is the low morale in schools, the custodian contract that got settled in 2 weeks (teacher contract hasnt been settled in 3 years or the Ed Tech contract that is 1 year into negotiations. Did I mention he use to work for the district and was the head of the custodian department? Conflict of interest? Nothing to see here, move along.
The business managers report estimated that we would lose approximately 1 million dollars if SAD 58 tuitioned the HS out. Not the board chair. Is that what he is saying?
Liz,
Can you explain where you think the overspending is in the Transportation and Maintenance department?
Do you believe that the bus drivers/custodians are overpaid?
As for our contract – as of yesterday it had not been ratified.
Three years ago, we began the negotiation process around the same time that the teachers began theirs. I was on that negotiation team and it took us a long time – not three years – to settle. The board had the same lawyer that they are currently using for the teachers contract. We agreed to pay the same insurance percentage that the board is asking of the teachers. In doing so, we ended up taking home less in our paychecks. We could have held out and could be in the same situation that the teachers are in. That contract is due to expire June 30th. We have been negotiating the new contract with the Superintendent, the Business Manager and two board members along with our union rep and three bus drivers/custodians. – no lawyer. I have worked for the district for over 30 years and the last contract took the longest amount of time to settle. I don’t understand what you are implying when you ask why our contract is the only one settled and done so in 2 weeks ( we started the process in February)
I have read many of your comments about the Transportation and Maintenance department and tried not to take it personally, but that is becoming harder to do. I feel like you are insinuating that we are not doing are job and that the Chairman of the Board is favoring us because he was once in the position of the director of that department. The Chairman was not on the board when we settled our last contract and he did not negotiate the new contract that may or may not have been ratified at this time. If it is a done deal at this point there are 13 other members of that board that had to vote on this.
My question to you Liz is – do you believe that the only reason our contract is ( or about to be ) final is because the Chairman of the Board was once our boss???
I believe it was because we were negotiating with board members and not a lawyer.
IDE like to know when the next time the board members are having a skeet shooting, beer drinking get together. I am upset I didn’t get invited to the last one!
I have met with mr Worcester and he has gone over the budget and explained things to me. No one wants their taxes to go up. But it’s life. U pay ! Do u think mr Worcester wants his taxes to go up? After all he owns 2 homes in Phillips…costly!
In this day and age anyone is lucky if they have a job. We aren’t a big inner city, and the cost of living isn’t as bad as a city. So why pay more and more….PLUS insurance?
I have faith in ALL of the board members.we elected them, let them do their job.
Thank you Kathy Howard for your input. People are going to say to themselves, hmmmm the “group” wasn’t rightly Informed, or had an opinion about maintenance and buses that was wrong, maybe they are wrong about a lot of other things too.
Kathy,
Please forgive me if I made a mistake about your contract negotiations. Thank you so much for clarifying that for everyone. You know that I have a great appreciation for you and everyone in the transportation and maintenance department, including the two directors. You know very well that I express my appreciation to everyone, as do my children, every opportunity that we get. You have known me for years and that “thank you” is included in nearly every conversation I’ve ever had as a parent in our schools. What I’m most happy about is that the bus drivers and custodians do not regularly attend board meetings. This is where the injustice, disrespect, unfairness takes place. Every cent spent on education is scrutinized and questioned with the administrators having to speak professionally and politely almost reverently to the chairman while he questions their motives and looks to find something to criticize in a condescending and disrespectful tone. (Please refer to the audio). This is not done to the heads of maintenance or to their budget. It just isn’t. I don’t have any idea what the bus drivers and custodians get paid, that is not plastered all over the papers like the teacher salaries for people to pass judgment on. My children and I are very grateful to everyone that moves them from place to place and keeps our facilities running. I am extremely grateful for the magnitude of the job that you do and that you do it so well. I would jump to your defense immediately if you were being ripped apart in front of the board by the chairman like the tech director, the admins, the business manager, the former superintendent, the teachers, the ed tech union, former board members, etc. have been. My frustration is with the board only, Kathy, and I have only missed a couple of meetings in as many years, so I feel justified in my opinions. We spent 6 months talking about $3,000 worth of soccer lighting concerns, but we didn’t spend one evening on the 2 million dollars spent in these two cost centers. I’ve tried asking the questions….this has nothing to do with anyone’s appreciation or respect for the people paid in these cost centers. This has to do with hovering over and not allowing constructive criticism of these sections of the budget, just like what happens with all the other areas. It’s simply not fair. It is my belief with the chairman removed, ALL of the contract negotiations would be handled with a little more professionalism.
Sue,
I agree with you, for once…I WAS WRONG! It was wrong of me to sit idly by for so long. My deepest apologies to the taxpayers, students, and staff.
Now your getting petty!