Is Someone Else in Charge?
How would you react if because of a conversation that someone else had, your home was replaced with one of someone else’s design, on property chosen by someone else? Would you willingly pay for someone else’s decisions or would you more likely refuse to accept someone else’s determination of your home?
Why is it so hard for someone else to let the you decide for yourself what you might want in a new school, how you might want it configured, even where you might want it located ?
How’s it supposed to be yours if decisions are made for you, without consulting you until after the decisions are made? The free market couldn’t exist if such practices were the way business worked; after all, the customer is always right.
If someone else expects me to pay for a new car, I am going to be the one to decide what make, model, color and options. While someone else can assume all they want, ultimately I am the one who will decide.
Someone else can even spend time planning for my new purchase; I can’t stop that from happening. But if they go ahead and risk money on the assumption that they know more about what I want than I do, well, they’ll do so at their own risk.
By comparison, someone else has already decided that the new school will be K-8, which will close both the Garland and Exeter schools, as well as the Abbott Hill Primary/Middle School. Someone else has already decided the location of the K-8 to be on the Fern Road. Someone else has decided that they know more about what you want than you do.
Without asking for your advice or including you in any of the discussions, someone else has already decided that the need for a new school, any school, anywhere is worthy of overriding your concerns and your dreams of what a future school system for SAD #46 might be. SAD indeed.
Remember that when you are asked to provide support for what someone else will claim is your school.
Why is it so hard for someone else to let the you decide for yourself what you might want in a new school, how you might want it configured, even where you might want it located ?
How’s it supposed to be yours if decisions are made for you, without consulting you until after the decisions are made? The free market couldn’t exist if such practices were the way business worked; after all, the customer is always right.
If someone else expects me to pay for a new car, I am going to be the one to decide what make, model, color and options. While someone else can assume all they want, ultimately I am the one who will decide.
Someone else can even spend time planning for my new purchase; I can’t stop that from happening. But if they go ahead and risk money on the assumption that they know more about what I want than I do, well, they’ll do so at their own risk.
By comparison, someone else has already decided that the new school will be K-8, which will close both the Garland and Exeter schools, as well as the Abbott Hill Primary/Middle School. Someone else has already decided the location of the K-8 to be on the Fern Road. Someone else has decided that they know more about what you want than you do.
Without asking for your advice or including you in any of the discussions, someone else has already decided that the need for a new school, any school, anywhere is worthy of overriding your concerns and your dreams of what a future school system for SAD #46 might be. SAD indeed.
Remember that when you are asked to provide support for what someone else will claim is your school.
posted by Art | 7/13/2006 06:57:00 AM
5 Comments:
As bright and intelligent as you two profess to be, you certainly understand that the local school board is a form of representative democracy. These people are elected to represent the needs, wishes and wants of the people in their communities. Stop acting like this is supposed to be a direct democracy (everyone has a say on every matter). We also don't live in ancient Greece where all the wealthy landowners and religious leaders gather daily to make decisions for the masses. From what I can see, the board is made up of good, honest, hard working people from each of the communities in SAD #46. Not everyone wants to be involved in every matter when it comes to the new school or other school related business. Unlike you, we trust our elected leaders to make the right/informed decisions for us. That's why we elected them! If you two wanted to be more involved (beyond armchair quarterbacking) you should have stayed on the board. The funniest part of all this is that you have decided to bring Mr. Bunn along for your joy ride. The same Mr. Bunn that you two criticized and demeaned at every opportunity while you were running the board (publicly and privately).
OK, I am going to ask the questions. What is your problem? You have not come up with one valid point as to why the Fern Road site is not a good option for our new school. In all of your paranoid rantings, you have not said one thing that makes me suspicious of the school board's motives. I am a resident of Dexter, a member of the general public and not at all feeling "in the dark" regarding the new school project. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate your trying to educate us "simple folk" and all, but some of us are perfectly capable of seeking out information, understanding the process and making an informed decision that will best serve our children (that's still what this is about, right?) and our communities. You are blasting the school board for (in your opinion) making decisions for the public, but you name your blog "voters of msad #46" (pretty presumptuous)...I can guarantee you that you do not represent all voters of MSAD #46.
I think Art is losing it. Doesn't he remember that he was one of those on the board who proposed consolidation in the district, who proposed closing the Garland and the Exeter schools as well as the Dexter school building? Doesn't he remember that he was on the committee that searched the district for suitable building sites for a new school? Doesn't he remember that he was on the board that hired Steve Blatt to consult with the board on building a new school? Doesn't he remember the public meetings in December 2004 and January 2005 where he actually led discussion in the new school proposal? Doesn't he remember voting in April, 2005 (along with Mel) in favor of "consolidation within the district" to build a new K-8 school for MSAD 46? This site is getting too loony for me.
Mel's posting is a joke, right? He did all those things.
To anonymous,
Why are you so afraid of this discussion? What are you hiding anyway?
I'm not afraid to fight for what I believe. That's why I sign all my remarks with my NAME.
Where's your courage?
Post a Comment
<< Home