 Sherri Brown’s Open Letter To EVSC School Board Members
To EVSC School Board members,
Thank you for the opportunity to speak at Monday’s meeting. I figured that after approximately 1 and 1/2 hours listening to speakers it probably becomes difficult to remember everything that was said. I tried to find the minutes for the meeting but could not find any. I looked at the EVSC Schools website, but could only find Dr. Smith’s comments. How do you review what happens at the meetings? How do you know you didn’t miss or forget something important? How does anyone check back and review history? Are public speakers mentioned? Are there any records as to what these speakers said? If there is not record of public input then the minutes are not actually a complete and accurate reflection of what transpired at the meeting. Are there minutes somewhere? If so, would you please tell me how to find them?
I, honestly, do not know what protocol is pertaining to public comments. I do know that I would not have spoken unless I felt the issues were important and that my comments would be of value. For this reason I am sending you a copy of my comments. I thought this would especially be of value to the two board members who could not be present at Monday’s meeting. I know many people are worried about viruses so I am copying and pasting my comments instead of sending them as an attachment.
One new item-while doing research I ended up on the City-County Observer website. They had recently filed a Freedom of Information Request concerning the most current EVSC Superintendent employment contract, and they provided a link to that contract. As you must be aware this is a 5 page document. I would like to draw you attention to Item 9 on page 5. It states:
If during the term of this contract, it is found that a specific clause of the contract is illegal under federal or state law, the remainder of the contract not affected by such a ruling shall remain in force.
I am not a lawyer, but doesn’t it seem that this item totally takes care of your concerns pertaining to taking union dues out of employees’ paychecks. One simple sentence. If you are truly concerned about what impact future laws might have on the deducting of union dues, is this not the answer? Why did you put it in Dr. Smiths contract, but not consider putting it into the Teamster contract? It appears that you have been engaged in a fight for several months over an issue that you already resolved. And, I might add, it didn’t cost the taxpayers thousands of extra dollars for an expensive Indianapolis lawyer to do so. It is almost elegant in its simplicity. Can someone explain this?
And last but not least, would you please respond in some way so that I know you did, in fact, receive this email read it. I have been told that the board member are not opening emails from their constituents. I have not accepted this as the truth because it is just too awful to be true. Any response will work. I hope and pray I get a response from each of you. Again, thank you for your time and attention.
Sincerely,
Sherri Brown
Pitiful . . .this elected body holds so-called executive meetings starting normally at 3:30 lasting until 5:30 before the public meeting. Thought by state law that the only reason for executive meetings were to discuss, for instances, discipline of an employee or another board member. So why before every meeting, they meet privately and every vote that is cast on issues, it is always unanimous?
Sherri:
There are many citizens who have tried to get the EVSC to video their public meetings of the Board and to make those videos available either on the EVSC website or on a a third party website that is agreeable with the public.
One of the Board members, I believe it is Jeff Worthington, has pushed for this to happen, but obviously it has met with resistance from the administration.
They have the technology to do the videos “in house” and the cost should be minimal. The Board could vote, at any time, to institute such a system for the meetings. The time is now.
I am really disappointed in Andy Guarino and Rance Ossenberg. I don’t know them personally but I do read statements folks make when they are running for the school board . On the local level citizens do pay attention to the words of their elected officials and both stated they wanted a strong relationship between the Teamsters and the EVSC administration for the good of the employees and students. I am holding them accountable and want them to tell me why they have done a 180? As for Mike Duckworth. He has also done a 180 on his longstanding reputation of supporting the Teamsters and being supported by the Teamsters. Are these 3 just caving to the hard line egos of Smith and Kiefer. I only wish they had the guts of Rev. Gamblin. He understands fairness and the need for compromise.
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