The City County Observer has been advised that Karen Ragland the candidate for District 1 school board seat is a teacher at JOSHUA ACADEMY, INC. an Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation Charter School. As is codified in the two Indiana Codes below as a certified teacher and an employee of a charter school under contract to the EVSC make her ineligible to serve on the school board.
It would appear she can run for the office but if she is elected she would have to quit her teaching job prior to being seated on the school board. As Mrs. Ragland is currently on the school board that presents a problem similar in nature to the election and service of Bix Branson who is geographically ineligible to hold the seat that he has served in for nearly four years.
At this point 2 of the members of the Vanderburgh County School Board are technically not eligible to serve.
There is a challenge to Mrs. Ragland’s candidacy filed today and is linked below.
Applicable Laws
IC 20-26-4-11
Ineligibility of teachers and noncertificated employees
Sec. 11. In addition to any other eligibility requirements for members of the governing body of a school corporation as set forth in law, an individual who is employed as a teacher or as a noncertificated employee (as defined in IC 20-29-2-11) of the school corporation may not be a member of the governing body of the school corporation.
As added by P.L.1-2005, SEC.10.
IC 20-29-2-4
“Certificated employee”
Sec. 4. “Certificated employee” means a person:
(1) whose contract with the school corporation requires that the person hold a license or permit from the division of professional standards of the department under IC 20-28; or
(2) who is employed as a teacher by a charter school established under IC 20-24.
As added by P.L.1-2005, SEC.13. Amended by P.L.1-2007, SEC.145.
Looks like CCO up staged the Evansville Courier and Press again!
Could this be the real reason why Karen Ragland decided not to run for the Vanderburgh-Evansville School Board again?
Can’t wait to read her comments in the Couier and Press tomorrow concerning this issue.
Better late than never Evansville Courier and Press.
Three cheers for the CCO!
Tell me this isn’t true.
If so, this makes two EVSC school members not allow to run for re-election.
Just hope the preacher in District #3 will be determined he can’t run for re-election either.
Out with the puppets and in with responsible, honest and intelligent people to run our school system starting in November, 2012!
Oh, while we are at it, let’s get rid of the School Board legal team!
“New broom sweeps clean”!
Well, when it comes right down to it, you can add another one to the list too. Mike Duckworth is holding dual lucrative (pays more than just reimbursement for expenses incurred) offices and should not be on the school board either.
Isn’t it time for Vanderburgh County Prosecutor Nick Hermann to seek a declaratory judgement concerning Mr. Duckworth’s two offices? We have looked the other way long enough!
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Pressanykee
This has been spoken of NUMEROUS times over NUMEROUS administrations. The refusal to deal with Duckworth makes me so angry I cannot see straight.
Here are the rules on this issue. A good read.
http://www.in.gov/attorneygeneral/files/Dual_Office_Holding_Guide_2010.pdf
PS: Go to Appendix A. It describes what Indiana considers “lucrative” positions that are illegal to be performed at the same time.
On that list:
County highway supervisor: 1967 Op. Att’y Gen. No. 39
School board member: 1967 Op. Att’y Gen. No. 29; 1991 Op. Att’y Gen. No. 91-14
If the CCO wants to break open a story, why not this one?
Well Mr. Hermann are you going to follow through with Pressanykey public request to check and see if Mike Duckworth is serving in a lucrative situation by working for the County and serving on the school at the same time?
The question on everyone’s mind is: Was Mrs. Ragland told, after the election office closed last Friday, about her apparent ineligibility to run for school corporation trustee? Is that why she suddenly “lost interest” in serving another term?
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So, you are saying, if Karen Ragland is found to be ineligible, and she is still on the ballot, and she wins and does not quit her job to take the position on the board, the EVSC will be able to place their own person?
Or does her being ineligible negate her and the ballot and therefore Lon Walters will be declared an uncontested winner?
I and everyone else (like it or not) should appreciate the truthdigging by the CCO for shinning a light of common good of every citizen in the long run.
I for one say thank you.
#2 of course. Mrs. Ragland can not legally run, and Lon Walters is the only other candidate to file for the position, so the office of trustee will be his. Anyone voting for Mrs. Ragland is just wasting a vote, as it will not make a difference.
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I was hoping for this result. It leaves a bad taste having the EVSC possibly placing a board member.
The Classroom Evansville’s Citizens have set in for the last 40yrs, with it’s cirruculum and matched course in “Government by the People”, has produced a rather cynical population, in regards to anything related to integrity becoming fashionable in this Town. It is, “The Impossible Dream”.
“Never let your formal education get in the way of your learning.”–Mark Twain.
I agree with several of the postings.
The Indiana Attorney General has chosen to stqay away from the question of Dual Office Holdings, as did his predecessor. A citizen would have to file suit. The only one who called him to task on his dual office holding was Russ Lloyd. He was going to appoint Duckey to a city position but gave Ducks the choice, the city position only if he resigned from the school board. He resigned.
The pertinent passage from state law seem to apply to Ms. Ragland. Unfortunatey, she is one of the better members of the EVSC board.
Branson is also one of the better members. He will be gone, at least till the election after November ’12.
Gamblin has had the fortune (misfortune for us citizens) to live in a district where NAME RECOGNITION is paramont. He is a parasite. He hangs on to save “his” congregation the cost of health insurance.
“A new broom sweeps clean.” – anon
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