Monday, September 25, 2006
Saving the Fireworks Until Last – Part 2
When it came time for Huntley School District 158 board member Larry Snow to present his audacious motion telling the school superintended to
Larry Snow talks faster than I can write, but he said that he thought it was not a good idea to allow
Snow explained that passage of his motion would remove the stigma of “Mr. Burkey being the bad person.”
Board member Rosemary Herringer spoke next:
Maybe you can figure out Herringer’s suggestion from Snow’s response:
“I’m not expecting Mr. Burkey to personally review it,” Snow said.
Burkey interjected, “But it is my responsibility because I am the liaison between the administration and the board.
“All the cabinet members want to provide you with all the information you want."
Then, veteran board member Kim Skaja said,
“I complete agree,” Skaja said.
“Perhaps we can also put in there how much of his time we can expect. I don’t want him to be answering questions all day.”
Herringer, who sits to Skaja’s right, added, “But we as board members have to be respectful in the way we ask.
I missed too much of what Snow said, but Burkey’s comment was: “It will just not be expected to get an immediate answer,” referring to a longer time frame will result.
Herringer: “We (need to) ask in a respectful, courteous and (missed the third adjective) manner.”
Shawn Green, with Snow repeating the language, seconded the motion.
Green agreed with Skaja that he was “thinking of some sort of a formal adoption of a policy,” at which point newly-appointed board member Tony Quagliano said, “Take it to policy.”
So, two decisions seemed to be on the way to being made:
“Don’t we expect good time management…,” Snow replied, pointing out, “Timeliness isn’t even in this motion.”
Burkey addressed the problem (not in these words) of having a job to do to run the school district while, at the same time, ultimately answering to board members who are asking questions.
“The problem is we work for you. If Loren (the Human Resources Director) gets an email saying, ‘I really need it by Thursday…' (she may have to drop something else to fulfill the request)."
Quagliano suggested a response to the inquiring board member of “No, in order to meet (the diligence standard), I will not be able to provide this information until such and such a time.
Herringer returned to some recent email exchange:
“I think the request is completely reasonable,” Burkey said, “(but) current practice will make it difficult to turn around in (a reasonable time).”
Herringer said something negative about the requests being made that I didn’t catch before Snow asked,
Presiding officer Mike Skala waited a bit, then said, “We have no 2nd, so it fails. Roll call.”
All the board members voted for Snow’s motion.
Next, Skaja asked, “May I make a motion that the board would give ample and reasonable time to fulfill the requests?”
Then, realizing one does not need permission to make a motion, made one to that effect.
Snow replied, “Are we giving them an ample amount of time now?”
“No,” was Skaja’s answer.
“My objection last week was how (people?) were acting unprofessional,” Herringer added.
“If you think my requests have been unprofessional, now is the time to speak up,” Snow said.
Burkey interjected himself to calm the waters.
“I have no problems with the questions Mr. Snow has been asking.
“Questions will go to me or cabinet members. I’m going to ask them, but I don’t want them to fire back an email.
“I will disseminate it with the next Friday’s notes.”
When the vote was taken Coleman voted “No” first, followed by “No” votes from Snow and Quagliano.
Snow said, “I think it’s a little ambiguous,” while Quagliano said, “Change the motion to be ‘reasonable’ and you’re free.’”
After the meeting Herringer walked over to Snow's seat and continued her conversation about emails.
= = = = =
All photos, except those of Kim Skala and John Burkey come from the Sept. 21st meeting.
At top is Larry Snow. Next is Rosemary Herringer. Glen Stewart and Stan Hall share the next picture. Then comes Kim Skala, Shawn Green and Tony Quagliano, followed by Mike Skala. Supt. John Burkey is below, then, Frank Coleman and, finally, Herringer talking to Snow in the final photograph.
require all administrators and supervisors in the District to carefully review their work before submitting it to the public or to the board for review,I had managed to drive from the almost Richmond McHenry County Conservation District board meeting to the Red Barn Road offices of the school district.
Larry Snow talks faster than I can write, but he said that he thought it was not a good idea to allow"management by good intentions orHe said, “Residents expect good management for the district. It’s just overdue. This isn’t self-correcting for whatever reason.”
"management by do-over."
Snow explained that passage of his motion would remove the stigma of “Mr. Burkey being the bad person.”
Board member Rosemary Herringer spoke next:I would agree with you Larry.She had another thought, but, again, I just can’t write as fast as these folks talk.
Don’t fall off your chair.
Maybe you can figure out Herringer’s suggestion from Snow’s response:
I would be satisfied if the author carefully reviewed (the work product).Superintendent John Burkey admitted there was
no good excuse for you or the pubic to be getting information that is not as accurate as possible. (You need to know) there is not sloppiness here.He noted,
"The amount of documents produced daily is incredible.He pointed out that email had made communication quicker but"We’re really going to have to have (more time)…to really turn around information."
"The downside is that you don’t have time to review it.“I as a board member (resent) all the time that has to be spent (and, here, I think Herringer said something about asking questions to make sure that reports are correct). Things shouldn’t come to us (as badly prepared as they have been).
"A yes/no question is easy, but questions requiring more work would henceforth be supplied in weekly notes on Friday. I will in turn work with the cabinet...
"But stuff won’t come as quickly."
“I’m not expecting Mr. Burkey to personally review it,” Snow said.
Burkey interjected, “But it is my responsibility because I am the liaison between the administration and the board.
“All the cabinet members want to provide you with all the information you want."
Then, veteran board member Kim Skaja said,
The way the board gives direction to the superintendent is by board policy. I think that’s a good idea.Snow replied, “We need a change in direction.”
“I complete agree,” Skaja said.“Perhaps we can also put in there how much of his time we can expect. I don’t want him to be answering questions all day.”
Herringer, who sits to Skaja’s right, added, “But we as board members have to be respectful in the way we ask.
I missed too much of what Snow said, but Burkey’s comment was: “It will just not be expected to get an immediate answer,” referring to a longer time frame will result.
Herringer: “We (need to) ask in a respectful, courteous and (missed the third adjective) manner.”
Shawn Green, with Snow repeating the language, seconded the motion.
Green agreed with Skaja that he was “thinking of some sort of a formal adoption of a policy,” at which point newly-appointed board member Tony Quagliano said, “Take it to policy.”So, two decisions seemed to be on the way to being made:
· Passage of a motion that could have just been blown off by the majority as an affront to members of the administration andSkaja pressed for something to be added concerning “ample time to be able to (comply with requests for information)” to which Brukey said, “I think it needs to be in there.”
· Making it not just a motion, but putting something about adequate preparation and review of reports before release into more permanent policy.
“Don’t we expect good time management…,” Snow replied, pointing out, “Timeliness isn’t even in this motion.”
Burkey addressed the problem (not in these words) of having a job to do to run the school district while, at the same time, ultimately answering to board members who are asking questions.
“The problem is we work for you. If Loren (the Human Resources Director) gets an email saying, ‘I really need it by Thursday…' (she may have to drop something else to fulfill the request)."Quagliano suggested a response to the inquiring board member of “No, in order to meet (the diligence standard), I will not be able to provide this information until such and such a time.
Herringer returned to some recent email exchange:
The type of emails that went back and forth this week were not courteous.Green then said, “I think Larry’s motion stands by itself. All it’s saying is that when something is presented to the public that it needs to be accurate.”
“I think the request is completely reasonable,” Burkey said, “(but) current practice will make it difficult to turn around in (a reasonable time).”
Herringer said something negative about the requests being made that I didn’t catch before Snow asked,
How long should it be until we get a budget?Herringer moved to amend the motion to “allow the administration a reasonable amount of time to disseminate the original information.”
We would never get into this situation if stuff was done 3 months ago.
Presiding officer Mike Skala waited a bit, then said, “We have no 2nd, so it fails. Roll call.”
All the board members voted for Snow’s motion.
Next, Skaja asked, “May I make a motion that the board would give ample and reasonable time to fulfill the requests?”
Then, realizing one does not need permission to make a motion, made one to that effect.
Snow replied, “Are we giving them an ample amount of time now?”
“No,” was Skaja’s answer.
“My objection last week was how (people?) were acting unprofessional,” Herringer added.
“If you think my requests have been unprofessional, now is the time to speak up,” Snow said.
Burkey interjected himself to calm the waters.
“I have no problems with the questions Mr. Snow has been asking.“Questions will go to me or cabinet members. I’m going to ask them, but I don’t want them to fire back an email.
“I will disseminate it with the next Friday’s notes.”
When the vote was taken Coleman voted “No” first, followed by “No” votes from Snow and Quagliano.
Snow said, “I think it’s a little ambiguous,” while Quagliano said, “Change the motion to be ‘reasonable’ and you’re free.’”
After the meeting Herringer walked over to Snow's seat and continued her conversation about emails.
= = = = =
All photos, except those of Kim Skala and John Burkey come from the Sept. 21st meeting.
At top is Larry Snow. Next is Rosemary Herringer. Glen Stewart and Stan Hall share the next picture. Then comes Kim Skala, Shawn Green and Tony Quagliano, followed by Mike Skala. Supt. John Burkey is below, then, Frank Coleman and, finally, Herringer talking to Snow in the final photograph.
Comments:
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So, it takes a relatively new board member (Snow) to bang the "Here's your sign!" gong loud enough for the long term board members to wake up? I'm glad he put it in writing - because these folks just weren't "getting" it.
And they STILL have to tinker and tweedle with the instructions and allow for AMPLE time? Even when state deadlines are involved or you need to know how much money is in your "checkbook" before you write the next darned check?
Let's try this...well-paid employees should be doing their jobs right and in a timely manner -in the first place - without being asked or told.
And, as in all businesses, if an employee is asked for a special project/answer and he or she can't fit it in - he/she asks the boss who is next up the food chain what he or she wants done first. No special invitation or explanation is needed. It's called BUSINESS.
And they STILL have to tinker and tweedle with the instructions and allow for AMPLE time? Even when state deadlines are involved or you need to know how much money is in your "checkbook" before you write the next darned check?
Let's try this...well-paid employees should be doing their jobs right and in a timely manner -in the first place - without being asked or told.
And, as in all businesses, if an employee is asked for a special project/answer and he or she can't fit it in - he/she asks the boss who is next up the food chain what he or she wants done first. No special invitation or explanation is needed. It's called BUSINESS.
Something stinks in Denmark.
why would an organization need a statement like this if it was effective and functional?
I have heard some critics of Snow ask if this would also apply to Snow and his inflammatory and many charges.
Boy oh boy this almost seems like a tv sitcom, like 'Desparate Board Members' or 'Two and one half administrators'; after the next board elections maybe it will be ER or CSI-158.
why would an organization need a statement like this if it was effective and functional?
I have heard some critics of Snow ask if this would also apply to Snow and his inflammatory and many charges.
Boy oh boy this almost seems like a tv sitcom, like 'Desparate Board Members' or 'Two and one half administrators'; after the next board elections maybe it will be ER or CSI-158.
Aren't these "employees" supposed to all have college education? degrees? like in education, or business? or in some form or fashion have a smidgen of professionalism? Isn't Rosemary a retired teacher? didn't she learn how to communicate, and ask for things on time? what about Shawn Green? isn't he a cop? Does he get to just wander into to work when he wants and respond when he wants to a police call? Isn't Mike a business owner? Do his employees just get their work done when they feel the urge? what about Frank, isn't he a banking executive? Does he just allow underlings to post money to patron accounts when they feel like it, or do they have to follow BANKING RULES and POLICY? and then there's Kim...who has worked at Stroder's Furniture Store for over a decade, and does the bookeeping there...(this has been one of her campaigning pillars of why she understands finance.)Does she get to balance the books at her job whenever she bloody well pleases?
My point is, all of these people expect that the rest of the world should operate under guidelines that enable them to do their business in a timely fashion....but for some reason, they have coddled the school administration and allowed them to just blob along at whatever pace they darn please....doesn't that seem odd to you?
It makes me wonderwhy....it makes me wonder why a group of people who seemingly operate on a level of professionalism in their jobs present and past, somehow do not require that same level of professionalism and performance with the school district employees....
It reminds me of permissive parenting...and we all know what a monster is created when parents/school boards fail to admonish their "children."
My point is, all of these people expect that the rest of the world should operate under guidelines that enable them to do their business in a timely fashion....but for some reason, they have coddled the school administration and allowed them to just blob along at whatever pace they darn please....doesn't that seem odd to you?
It makes me wonderwhy....it makes me wonder why a group of people who seemingly operate on a level of professionalism in their jobs present and past, somehow do not require that same level of professionalism and performance with the school district employees....
It reminds me of permissive parenting...and we all know what a monster is created when parents/school boards fail to admonish their "children."
There is gluttony in the ocean of Illinois. The STATE needs to change the Whale season laws so the "whalers" can harpoon them and harvest the "fat" for the students. The "krill" they feed on and chase away, might enjoy their place in the ocean also.
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