[Speed Gibson,
Tuesday April 1, 2008 at 11:06pm]
Education Funding: Confrontation
It being April Fools Day, here is the fourth installment on another view of K-12 Education Funding. (Links: one two three)
Picture if you will, the office of the Superintendent of the Gopherville Public Schools. The phone is ringing.
"This is Superintendent Kennicott."
"Will, George Babbitt. How's it going this morning?"
"Just fine, Senator. We're rolling out here. School started on time. How much snow did you get?"
"About 4-6 inches here in St. Paul I think. It'll be gone by Friday. Will, I just got the Weekly Sentinel. It says you're talking about some big organizational changes up there, like splitting up your job. Is that right? What's the Board up to?"
"We're still talking. This is Judge Thompson's show, not mine. Maybe you should talk to him first."
"I'll need his number from you. But I'd like to hear your side first. So ..."
"Hold on, George. There are no sides, not yet anyway. We're talking, like I said."
"You're talking about giving up part of your responsibilities according to the paper."
"That's true."
"Who does he think he is? The Judge I mean."
"Chairman of the school board, last I looked."
"No, what I mean is, your job is defined in the law. You can't just go changing things willy-nilly."
"The Judge has read all that. There's nothing in there about my keeping the books. If the Board wants to make that an independent position, frankly that's fine with me. I'm an educator, not an accountant. If the Board goes that way, Martin will be the one. He'll simply be reporting directly to the Board, not to me."
"What the hell's in the water up there? Are you a Superintendent or not? That's part of the job. That's what the law says, dammit. We can't have every district writing their own rules."
"Look, George, we're talking, OK? And you need to talk to the Judge more than me. I'm ex-officio. I don't vote. He does."
"You want to see some voting? I show you some real voting. Tell Thompson that I'll sponsor the bill myself to enact what he claims isn't in the present law. Tell him to call me."
"I'll do that. But be prepared for an earful."
To be continued ... in a new series.
Picture if you will, the office of the Superintendent of the Gopherville Public Schools. The phone is ringing.
"This is Superintendent Kennicott."
"Will, George Babbitt. How's it going this morning?"
"Just fine, Senator. We're rolling out here. School started on time. How much snow did you get?"
"About 4-6 inches here in St. Paul I think. It'll be gone by Friday. Will, I just got the Weekly Sentinel. It says you're talking about some big organizational changes up there, like splitting up your job. Is that right? What's the Board up to?"
"We're still talking. This is Judge Thompson's show, not mine. Maybe you should talk to him first."
"I'll need his number from you. But I'd like to hear your side first. So ..."
"Hold on, George. There are no sides, not yet anyway. We're talking, like I said."
"You're talking about giving up part of your responsibilities according to the paper."
"That's true."
"Who does he think he is? The Judge I mean."
"Chairman of the school board, last I looked."
"No, what I mean is, your job is defined in the law. You can't just go changing things willy-nilly."
"The Judge has read all that. There's nothing in there about my keeping the books. If the Board wants to make that an independent position, frankly that's fine with me. I'm an educator, not an accountant. If the Board goes that way, Martin will be the one. He'll simply be reporting directly to the Board, not to me."
"What the hell's in the water up there? Are you a Superintendent or not? That's part of the job. That's what the law says, dammit. We can't have every district writing their own rules."
"Look, George, we're talking, OK? And you need to talk to the Judge more than me. I'm ex-officio. I don't vote. He does."
"You want to see some voting? I show you some real voting. Tell Thompson that I'll sponsor the bill myself to enact what he claims isn't in the present law. Tell him to call me."
"I'll do that. But be prepared for an earful."
To be continued ... in a new series.