Recommended Reading
Submitted by schoolboardblog... on September 24, 2009 - 2:15pm
Without a lot of added comment from me, here are a couple recent articles I found interesting.
This article from Education Week provides a number of examples of how students can begin to take ownership and responsibility in their schools, learning some citizenship skills in the process: Anything a Child Can Do, a Teacher Shouldn't, by Joan Goodman.
As part of their excellent series, Bridging Differences, another article from Education Week talks about the dangers of relying too heavily on a single assessment tool. The NCLB Paradox Enters the Twilight Zone
»
- schoolboardblogger hutch153's blog
- Login or register to post comments
Your Bad Decisions Have Cost Us a New Elementary School
Mr. Hutchinson:
The second article you site, "The NCLB Paradox Enters the Twilight Zone" concludes with the statement:
"I fear that American education has now entered into a twilight zone, where nothing is what it appears to be, where numbers are meaningless, where public relations and spin take the place of honest reporting, where fraud is called progress."
I submit for your approval that the State College Areas School District parents and taxpayers have been living in such a twilight zone during your tenure on the School Board. We have seen public relations and spin taking the place of honest reporting, courtesy of your allies in the CDT. A few sets of numbers, which are not meaningless, are:
resulting in total taxpayer funds spent, with nothing to show for, of $13 to $16 million. To put this in context, one of our aging elementary schools, such as Ferguson or Panorama, can be fully refurbished and expanded to meet student needs for $9 million. A new one can be built for $12 million. In other words, the flawed decision making by you and your colleagues on the old School Board has cost us the equivalent of at least one brand new facility, or almost two, badly needed elementary school refurbishments.
And yet, you stand as a candidate for re-election. Where is your accountability to the public for your expensive mistakes? How can you call this "fraud" progress? Have you no shame?
Oh, and that elementary school don’t have the money to build thanks to your decisions, I think we should name it after you.
Site, not sight
Spelling corrections are usually lame on the net, but I can forgive myself.
Your polemics get tedious. "Have you no shame?" feels kinda desperate. This might influence those naive to the political dark arts, but feels like shooting blanks to me.
So who's running against hutch? Do you figure character assasination is your best shot to get them elected? I get so tired of Big Media's endless character assassination and psuedo-morality "dramas" that character assassination by itself just makes me suspicious of the motives of it's user.
I know your side is hot and bothered about the whole "build a great new school" bush era debacle, and I suppose I should be too because I have no school age kids but I would have been taxed harder to put someones kids in a fancy-schmancy new school, but I still have a hard time getting upset about a new school. I guess because I'm decidely pro-education. Heck, I believe we should have a 12 month school year, and I also believe that ADULTS should have access to continuous education as well. I'd like to see education become the new football - maybe that way we can give Asia a run for it's money.
The interest rate swaps thing does seem careless, but I'm still missing essential data.
What's the opponent's views on education? What has the "new half" of the school board done to improve education, can anyone say?
Any news on investigating the interest rate swaps? I'd say that's your best chance to sling some crap that will stick.
You are missing the point
Bill,
Those opposed to the high school renovation plans from the former School Board were not against a 'great new school". In fact, most of us were in favor of making the necessary investment in educational infrastructure for our community. We just felt that the Board wasn't doing a good job at considering the options, weighing risk and benefit, and allowing input from the community. Sadly, history has shown us to be correct and as a result a sizeable amount of taxpayer funding has been wasted.
But I believe the original post was pointing out that Mr Hutchinson has never addressed these issues so how can we, the voters, recognize that he has learned from his mistakes and will not repeat them if re-elected.
As to your "bush (sic) era debacle" reference, you will find that the former board were Democrats, apart from Bob Hendrickson who became one when it was politically convenient.
If you want more information regarding the errors made with regard to the interest rate swap, I suggest you attend the next school board meeting and ask any question you may have. Or you can sit back here on Voices and work spelling issues.
Peggy
In Private Industry, Hutch Would Have Been Fired
The funadmental point here is that Hutchinson has been party to at least two multi-million dollar screw-ups. These are also two points he refuses to address publicly. Were he employed in private industry, he undoubtably would have been fired by now. But in the State College Area School District, he feels comfortable to seek re-election without even mentioning these issues.
Where's the accountability?
Touche'
Naw, I wont be going to the school board meeting, I figure my role is to try to stir the pot and see if I can mebbe get voices to look into it. Or get more folks to talk about it and possibly get more info disseminated and investigation happening.
The bush era (spelling is intentional) reference isn't a suggestion that the old board were republicans, it's a commentary on the attitide towards money and borrowing money to buy real estate and build that was a powerful theme during the bush era.
The generalized backhand to republicans implied in the choice of expression ("bush era") is intentional, tho. It's intended as a reminder of the illusion and the crimes of the bush era.
---
But I believe the original post was pointing out that Mr Hutchinson has never addressed these issues so how can we, the voters, recognize that he has learned from his mistakes and will not repeat them if re-elected.
Thats a very valid point - however, posting it as a polemic and harrassment in hutch's posts about education is poltical dark arts. You folks should start your own blogs here, and lay out your arguments, and argue the strengths of your candidates and your ideas, and you will look so much better and more believeable.
Camping out in hutch's education blog and throwing crap at him in hopes that some of it sticks makes you look like a bunch of lamer republican attack dogs.
To which I respond, "You want some cheese with that whine? How 'bout a hanky?".
It's the methodology, not the content, that motivates me to rebut.
Do I think that hutch has repented of his plans for a great new school? Naw. I think he still believes it was a good idea, and that his plan, if it had succeeded, would have been the best for the kids.
I personally, not being rich, nor having school age kids, am just as glad it failed, because writing that school tax check is painful.
However, I still think that if we americans, and we happyvalleyians, dont make our education better, that we are going to loose the economic struggle with asia, and lose our economic freedom.
Well, except if you are a banker
Hmmm, arguably so, arguably so. That seems a valid point. And I'd say chances are pretty even that he will be fired.
It's pretty clear that the subtext of his education blog is that he is saying, "Hey look, no matter what else you might think, at least I care about education.". And that's a political strategy.
But, do I believe he cares about education? Giving it a minutes thought - yes, actually, I do believe he cares about education.
What about your candidate? Can I read his education blog?
Do you have any idea how many times I've asked people for your side to explain their plans for education policy?
Camping out on Hutch's School Board blog
Bill,
If the blog were titled "My Thoughts on Education" by private citizen David Hutchinson, then I would agree with you that most of what is posted here is inappropriate. But it’s not. It’s titled "schoolboardblog" and is written by a sitting board member. As an elected public official posting in a public forum, he should expect to receive comments from his constituents.
The stark contrast between his writing on topics such as community engagement, fiscal responsibility and planning for infrastructure improvements, and his action as a board member are, I believe, what triggers much of negative commentary. Perhaps we "happyvalleyians" can’t stomach the hypocrisy.
CDT discusses the "interest rate swap" today
You may have a point High School Dad.
Anyhooo, as we used to say, the CDT discusses the matter.
In April 2006, the State College Area school board approved a complex and risky financial contract with the Royal Bank of Canada in an attempt to secure a low interest rate on $58.05 million worth of debt.
The district planned to borrow the money for a high school construction project, but not until sometime in 2007. The idea was that the district would borrow that money from a bondholder at a variable interest rate.
At the same time, it would enter into an interest rate swap with the Royal Bank of Canada — the district would pay the bank a fixed interest rate on $58.05 million, and the bank would pay the district a variable interest rate on the same amount.
The hope was the variable rates would cancel each other out, leaving the low fixed rate as the district’s main cost for the loan.
But three and a half years later, the high school project has been scrapped, the district has yet to actually take out the loan, and interest rates have fallen further instead of rising as district financial advisers had predicted.
And the district is still committed to an interest rate swap with the Royal Bank of Canada, a deal that could cost the district millions of dollars.
Pretty decent article. They mention the thesis that if rates rise this public gambling could still cancel itself out. Hutch is mentioned as part of the old board.
What now?
Mextorf is new to the district, having started as superintendent in July. Jeff Ammerman, the business administrator, also came to the district after the swaps took place.
Mextorf noted that his former district made money on such a swap. Loyalsock’s timing was good, he said. State College’s was not.
“I don’t know who could have predicted that the economy was going to go in the tank,” he said. “But that’s why it happened. When the interest rates take a dive like that, all bets are off. And I don’t know how you predict that, but that’s why the district’s in the hole.”
So far the district has spent $238,000 on the two swap deals: $118,000 to Public Financial Management, $100,000 to bond-counsel Rhoads and Sinon LLP and $20,000 to the law firm Miller, Kistler, Campbell, Miller, Williams and Benson.
Mr. Gordon's Comments at Sept 14th SCASD Board Meeting
Bill,
Don Gordon had some outstanding comments, observations and recommendations from the Sept 14th SCASD board meeting. One of his closing recommendations was to have the SCASD PR department put this situation in plain English so that everyone could understand it. You should take a look at the video from the link below (11:39 to 19:30) and you can slide the time bar over to the correct index once the video buffers a bit (don't use the arrows). Don also references the decision in 2006 by the SCASD board president to keep the CAC for Finance closed as these matters were "too complex." Don seems to get it as do many, perhaps the board did not (Don's comment is that: "Risk exceeded knowledge!"). The SCASD board president from 2006 is now on the advisory board for Voices so perhaps an article is due?
http://cnet.pegcentral.com/player.php?video=04c57d9bdaaf1c0b722a17bbefda4f2c
The SCASD board president from 2006 is now on the advisory board
"The SCASD board president from 2006 is now on the advisory board for Voices so perhaps an article is due?"
Who's that? And what's his/her history?
Actually it would be really interesting to read an article explaining the thinking at the time.
As I've said before, i can't manage to model this out as "evil dems trying to hoodwink the public", when to me it looks more like "mistaken believers in an ever-expanding future try and fail to build a great new school".
How come nobody is talking about who the opposition is now? Isn't there like a website or something for the new "anti-old-board" candidates? Help an information deprived brother out, and put up some links to the new candidates that want to displace hutch&company.
OMG
Sue Werner is on your advisory board! She is the old school board president who led our town through one of its largest mistakes and saddest moments. Good luck man.
There Aren't Any
Bill,
Everyone this race is running on their own merits and not as an "anti-anything". But there are many of us who want to candidates from the old board who are running for re-election, such as Mr, Hutchinson, to address some of the decisions (bad ones) made during their tenure.
What's her history and background?
Well, it's not like I dally in the halls of power here in happy valley, so I got no idea whe she is, really.
What's the Sue Werner backstory?
I'll leave aside the hyperbole (largest mistakes and saddest moments) for now, as I expect that's not how the history would be modeled if she were to write an article about that time.
Your ignorance is showing.
You don't know who Sue Werner is?
What strikes me about your lack of knowledge here is that you apparently have no idea what is going on locally - yet supposedly voices "investigated" the school board fight?? You also tend to discount what people say here who actually do know what is going on because they have put the real time and effort into the matter.
If you all are going to get your sticky hands into local matters and publish information about such things - you should at the very least put some time into understanding it fully first.
I'm just a web guy and a rural local, not a reporter or editor
I think you've got the wrong idea of what type of person I am. I'm a geek, not an editor or nuthin.
I write here because I can, and to rouse the rabble. I'm no journalist.
I've got an interest in voices as an organization, but my editorial influence is no bigger than any other loudmouth.
That's why I ask these questions. Heck, the voices editors barely write here, and barely pay any attention to me. If I had real power, I'd crack the whip and they'd be writing here every day. They'd answer my questions, not you.
And no, I have no real idea who Sue Werner is. I surmise she is local power of some sort, probably with big family or somethin. Like I said, I'm not privy to the halls of power.