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Communication key for leaders
Published Friday, February 19, 2010
Two-way communication can go a long way toward solving many problems in life. And that certainly holds true when it comes to how our elected officials and public servants lead.
A little communication could have resolved a dispute amongst members of the Chesapeake Board of Education without it becoming the spectacle that it was. Communication was also stifled at the meeting because the board decided that teachers wanting to speak wouldn’t get the opportunity during the public comment portion of the meeting simply because the discussion had gone on too long.
The entire debate stemmed from a clause in superintendent Scott Howard’s new contract set to begin in August that stipulated he would get a ridiculous 90 days vacation each year that could be cashed out yearly. Board president Jerry Osborne brought the issue to public attention several days before the meeting and had the community buzzing.
Osborne was absolutely justified in bringing this issue up for discussion and seeking a correction. This clause was included in the final contract that was signed by Howard, the school treasurer and then-president Mike Dyer and could have been considered legally binding.
But Osborne erred by not simply asking those involved or researching the original agreement. If he would have done that he would have learned that it was a typographical error that simply wasn’t caught during the translation of the terms of the agreement to the actual contract.
Howard has willingly agreed to a contract change to get this corrected but the way this transpired shows a division in the school district that must be overcome.
The entire issue could have been diffused with a few phone calls.
Instead, the public was essentially incited to come to a meeting to talk about something that was a non-issue. Then, to compound matters, some were essentially silenced because they didn’t speak during the allotted time. These and other issues show there seems to be a clear divide on the board.
Talking openly is a positive thing so the focus will remain the education of the students in the Chesapeake district.
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Comments
Posted by Xclented4kids (anonymous) on February 19, 2010 at 12:23 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Thank you Ironton Tribune for providing a
platform for this important discussion. Human error
is expected in life. Not one of us is perfect, not one. Dr. Dyer plainly stated that there is proper documentation in the minutes as to what was agreed upon and discussed in the meeting . As he stated, no money has been lost. Any professional person knows that someone receiving ninety vacation days is
absurd. To be honest, has he ever taken hardly any vacation days. Seems to me he works all the time for our kids.A mistake was a typographical error, period!
I call on all of our citizens to stand up to petty politics. We should be lead by truth, nothing else! The children of Chesapeake deserve
nothing less. Individuals should be held accountable
for promoting their personal agenda. This is a direct ethical violation of the Ohio School Board Association's criteria for what they call Boardsmanship". Please, visit their web site and see for yourself. I am all for people seeking the facts. Go to osba.com. We are fortunate to have a fair newspaper to allow the community to discuss and try to resolve issues.
Posted by Country (anonymous) on February 19, 2010 at 1:33 p.m. (Suggest removal)
The truth is it was in the contract and signed by various people. Could this have been a way to sneak it by people and give Howard extra money? That question would be hard to answer 100% yes or no. Then you take Dyer and Howard as saying they did not read the contract.
Xclented4kids any professional person should also read and understand a contract before signing their name to it. It maybe absurd to think someone would be receiving 90 vacation days but it was clearly printed in a contract not in fine print. This is why more than one person is to sign a contract to hopefully catch those errors before it costs the school district money.
Posted by Xclented4kids (anonymous) on February 19, 2010 at 3:48 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Any professional can have a typo in a contract. If you have never experienced anything like this, wow! The fact of the matter is it did not cost the district any money. I think Dr. Dyer and Dr. Howard have been forthright. Instead of having faith in Dr. Mike Dyer,as a board president, you are accusing him of being devious. Dr. Dyer is a man of integrity. My thought and prayer is that when a situation like this happens to you in your life, that the worst is not assumed of your intentions. Of course, you could be someone who has never made a mistake. If so, God bless you. Treat others how you would want to be treated if you were in their circumstances. To suggest this situation has some devious and dishonest premise is disgusting to me. It is because if this mentalityt that our children are not receiving the quality education they deserve.
Posted by Xclented4kids (anonymous) on February 19, 2010 at 3:55 p.m. (Suggest removal)
So sorry, I had my own
typo and inserted a "t" after the word
mentality please forgive my error. As I stated before , Dr. Dyer plainly stated there is proper documentation of what the intention was
regarding this contract. Why don't you ask and see if you can look at the minutes so you can take Dr. Dyer's word as honest. Sad....
Posted by gkhan (anonymous) on February 19, 2010 at 4:14 p.m. (Suggest removal)
These board members should not have assumed anything you know what they say when you assume you make an ass-u-me
Posted by gkhan (anonymous) on February 19, 2010 at 4:37 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Communication would be great but two way communication not one. When elected leaders do not listen to who put them in office and do what they want based on personal opinion this is what happens, a backlash of an error on a contract that never should have been offered just ask the Chesapeake public
Posted by gkhan (anonymous) on February 19, 2010 at 4:46 p.m. (Suggest removal)
The fact is Xclented4kids is Dr Howard read this contract and regardless of the intent it was,it was in the contract and after it became in effect he would have had the 90 days and i am sure would have demanded payment for such over the next 5 years of a bad contract for Chesapeake,the kids and the teachers who will soon realize the folly of there endevours.
Posted by Teach (anonymous) on February 19, 2010 at 4:57 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Mr. and Mrs. Xclented4kids, I find it interesting that you quote law from osba.com. In asking setting board members to attend " Howard's Core Team Members" you surely realized that if 2 of them would have shown for that meeting - it would be a violation of the Sunshine Law. For the Tribune : Concerning the article "Communication Key for Leaders" the author was very generous in extending the benefit of doubt to the Superintendent . As for the teachers being excluded from public participation - it clearly shows you have never attended a board meeting when a "Praise Scott Revival was held" that grows so tiresome.
Posted by Country (anonymous) on February 19, 2010 at 5:08 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Any professional can have a typo in a contract but to sign a contract without reading it. Especially one that pays so much money to one person for a five year period before the extra money that this typo is about. Thiscontract with all in it is over $500,000.
Xclented You are saying you think in your explanation. In mine I said it would be hard to say 100% yes or no. That leaves room that it may not have been a mistake. Especially when both of them said they did not read the contract. Just because it is in the minutes does not mean it would not be changed in the contract. That has happened many times with school boards in various districts.
Intention or not it was in the contract. Just like the couple that crashed the party at the White House. They were not on the list but they got there anyway.
Posted by gkhan (anonymous) on February 19, 2010 at 5:11 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Are the howards core team members required to goosestep,carry lit torches,because it would be required at the meetings for the SS or the brownshirts.That is why I quit going to board meetings.I had no idea HERR HOWARD required an oath to him,along with walking into a steady stream of gunfire while repeating the oath HEIl HOWARD HEIL HOWARD.Is this a cult?that would explain the gross negligence maybe we should notify the ATF there stockpiling weapons.
Posted by Chescitizen (anonymous) on February 19, 2010 at 8:29 p.m. (Suggest removal)
What is consistently not mentioned is that Mr. Howard wrote this contract himself. Typo....with (90) and ninety both mentioned.....I think not. The sink is slowing sinking!
Posted by Chescitizen (anonymous) on February 19, 2010 at 8:30 p.m. (Suggest removal)
sorry....ship!
Posted by OurMom (anonymous) on February 19, 2010 at 10:27 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I guess the Tribune would never "err" by attributing a quote to the wrong person would they??? Where's the correction for the remarks made by Jeffries which were attributed to Mike Curry?
Posted by gkhan (anonymous) on February 20, 2010 at 11:27 a.m. (Suggest removal)
The SS is marching,who has ever heard of a person getting to write there own contract?and just happened to make a typo on a very costly line.And the board not reviewing the contract of a person who writes his own contract is assanine. Some say he was to busy to read his contract but not to busy to write it?there should be a law or may already be a law to prevent this farce from happening again.
Posted by informedpeake (anonymous) on February 20, 2010 at 5:59 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Kudos to Mr. Osborne for being a responsible elected official. Manshine commented about the typographical error. In the contract, the words are always typed in parenthesis after the numerals. Are we being asked to believe that 30 (thirty) and 90 (ninety) are so similar that this mistake was merely a typo??? The Howard supporters are trying to convince everyone that our district is finally on the right path. Chesapeake Elementary School was awarded "School of Excellence" by the Ohio Department of Education several times in the past. Since Mr. Howard was hired as superintendent, this honor has never been achieved. Honorable staff members have been treated shamefully, forcing some to retire or resign. Stress levels are extremely high for those who refuse to "drink the Kool-Aid." The administration has made an example of the dissenters and sacrificed the mental and emotional well-being of staff members. Many are afraid to speak out because they know they will be ostracized by the vicious cliques. The silent majority feel they finally have a voice with Mr. Osborne and Mr. Pratt seated on the school board. Let's work together to restore morality, honesty, civility, forgiveness, mercy, gratitude, and optimism to our schools. Only when these virtues are practiced from the top down will our schools thrive as houses of learning. Success will follow leaders to exemplify this behavior, and that is what is truly best for our kids.
Posted by Teach (anonymous) on February 20, 2010 at 7:27 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Thank you 'informedpeake' for your post. You are correct in your statement “The silent majority feel they finally have a voice with Mr. Osborne and Mr. Pratt seated on the school board.” The elementary has the majority of Dr. Howard’s supporters, a number no higher than 12. We feel like they are protected and encouraged to continue the cliquish conditions under which we work. How can we give our students both “roots and wings” when our district is bound up with the overall dissention surrounding the Superintendent?
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