Anger grows over super's deal
01/10/2008
E.GREENBUSH-The Board of Education this week declined to elaborate on a prepared statement announcing the resignation of the superintendent.
That same day, members of the Town Board expressed their displeasure at the decision by the Board of Education to part ways with the superintendent, Dr. Rebecca Furlong. Dr. Furlong, who began work as the district's superintendent last summer, is on paid leave and will resign June 30. She has a three-year contract with the district at an annual salary of $160,000.
During a Board of Education meeting Wednesday at Bell Top Elementary School, board member Tom Chesser told about 50 community members to do their own research and draw their own conclusions instead of listening to rumors. He said laws prohibit him from discussing personnel matters. "Please stop asking us to break these laws," he said. "This district needs help more than ever" from community members, said Mr. Chesser. "We must work together to move forward or our students will be the first to suffer."
Some parents said that the lack of information is making it hard to know what's going on. One parent accused the board of being secretive and not involving the community in its discussion.
"I have no idea... what the board's plan of action is and that worries me as a parent," said a community member. One parent said that when the board hired Dr. Furlong members were acting against the community's recommendation. "This mistake is going to cost the district a lot of money," she said, adding she worried about bringing someone in from the outside.
Dr. Angela Guptill has stepped into the position. Board members did not say how long she will stay or whether the board has started searching for a permanent replacement. Board member John Sullivan said it has been a difficult time. "We've spent a lot of time in private," he said. "We hope that's going to end." Board member Marie Curley said, "It's been hard to remain silent." She said she understood residents' frustration.
"There is trouble [in the district], but we'll get through it, we always do," said JoAnn Hart, the school board president. The next school board meeting is January 23 at 7:30 pm at the Administration Center. During the East Greenbush Town Board meeting Wednesday, Councilman Dean Kennedy continued the theme of concern that Dr. Furlong's $160,000 contract will cost taxpayers.
"As a Town Board member and a community resident, I am quite unhappy that the superintendent has left her position and will still be paid through the end of the school year," he said. "I have asked several school board members about this and I get a pre-canned answer and nothing else." Mr. Kennedy said he and Supervisor Rick McCabe plan to meet with the school board to discuss the situation. "The school board has a responsibility to answer to the public as they are elected officials," said Mr. Kennedy.
Councilman Michael Cristo said he also plans to look into the matter to find out what happened. "I share Dean's discontent about this issue," he said. "I am very big on accountability and take great offense that the school board has acted in a manner that is borderline mismanagement. I want to make sure our tax dollars are not squandered inappropriately. In this case I do not think the school board acted in the best interests of the community." Mr. Cristo said he plans to ask all school board members to step down "unless we get some answers."
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14 comments:
Unbelievable!
Did the topic of the Superintendent come up at the last Board meeting held at DPS?
Is Becky still living in the area or did she move on to another area?
I don't agree at all with what the BOE did from the start, and I'm glad Dr. F is gone. However, the East Greenbush Town Board should not be getting involved in School District personnel matters. Should the Board of Education be involved with personnel matters involving the police dept. or highway dept?
As a parent and taxpayer, I don't want this issue to become political. The BOE needs to be held accountable by the voters, not another government body. We don't need to start problems like they have in Albany with the Mayor, Common Council and the superintendent constantly bickering.
It barely came up except in one good speech by a citizen from NG.
BTW - are there always a million high school kids at the Board meeting? Many of them were rude an many adults had to stand.
I was made aware of this site by a number of concerned residents and have checked it since the article was posted. Allow me to clarify my comments and assure everyone that my comments are not political.
My comments do not speak to the charachter or personnel issue involving Dr. Furlong. My opinion is that she applied for a job and received it. My concern is in how the School Board handled her hire and the clandestine manner in which they are dealing with her dismissal and a paid leave that may or may not be merited.
Please keep in mind that the School Board is a group of ELECTED officials like myself. They have a responsibility to act in the best interest of the community. After spending $20,000 doing a search with a group to guide the process and having had a panel of almost 50 people endorse the hire of another individual, the School Board acted independently and hired the individual they wanted as if they had better insight than the entire panel. To my mind, not actions in the best interest of the community.
In retrospect, the School Board was wrong and the panel was right. My comments DO NOT in any way speak to the personnel issues that are likely confidential. My comments speak to the arrogance, incompetance and mismanagement that our ELECTED school board demonstrated in hiring Dr. Furlong.
To have such a dramatic difference of opinion a short six months after her hire that the school board would use our collective tax dollars to pay her to do nothing, is offensive and they need to be held accountable.
Too often, people in my position are unwilling to speak up and too often remain silent. If it is the preference of this community that I leave well enough alone, I will respect their wishes; however, I was elected to speak on behalf of the people in this community that lack the time, energy or liberty to speak out, without fearing that they will be held in contempt for doing so. I have no such fears.
If it is the collective will of this community that the Town Board stay out of the issue, I for one will respect that wish... but under no circumstance assume or accuse my comments of being political. This school board is already threatening our students of suffering if we do not "work together". My question is when are they held accountable and when do they excercise some fiscal discipline for passing a budget without threatening the cutting of sports or art programs if we don't?
To further support my comments, let me point out that they addressed the actions of our school board as being borderline mismanagement. If the fact that Mr. Chesser is already insinuating that our students will be the first to suffer, what does that tell you about his leadership ability as a board member. Our students only suffer when you mismanage taxpayer dollars to such an exteme that you can't afford to provide the programs they are entitled to because you are covering for your mistakes. Right now, it isn't our students that are suffering, it is their teachers who lacked the support of a qualified superintendant and now have an uncertain future because who can reasonably trust a board who demonstrated such a dramtic lack of sound judgement in the recent past.
I will end with this note. Mr. Chesser asks us to do our own reasearch and draw our own conclusions. The only reliable way to draw such conclusions is to be able to question the school board directly and they are hesitant to answer anything on the matter.
If my comments are deemed political and if my opinion is found wanting or deviated from the opinion of the majority of taxpayers, I will gladly issue an apology with as much publicity as I issued a condemnation. Fair enough? However, dear anonymous blogger, ask anyone who knows me if my comments are political. I would ask you to remember as well that I am also a resident, a parent, a lifelonf resident of this community and a tax payer in this Town for the past 16 years. My comments shouldn't be questioned... they should have been expected!
Respectfully Submitted;
Michael P. Cristo Jr.
Town Board Member
High School Students that needed credit for a Required, public meeting in their PIG class would be the reason for the overflow.
Councilman Cristo,
If you can get the answers to the questions we (as a collective community) have been asking great. I do not consider your involvement to be poitically motivated. You have stated your point very eloquently. Thank you for representing us in the manner in which you were elected to do so.
I don't believe we will get answers because of the sheer arrogance and manner in which this board operates. They enjoy talking about how wonderful they are and have yet to take responsibility for their mismanagment. It isn't borderline mismanagement that has caused these problems. It is BLATANT mismanagement of the public funds and trust. Because of this are children will lose some kind of program. That I can assure you.
Again, thank you for stepping in! I hope you are more fortunate than the rest of the community in getting answers.
dear Mr Cristo
Please stay involved and help us out with this out of control boe
Ask some of the employees what she did and what the board put her up to, then when she did all these awful things to the parents pto comm members teachers admins. which the board said was rumors, ONLY when she started screwing with the Board Members jobs then and ONLY then they got rid of her. Because the board who claims everything is rumors, had this happen to THEM. thats when they got rid of her. Please push them ask questions We voted for you to help us, you got the guts to do this, they go after any of us who do anything. Ask what board members are now doing to emps or RETIRED EMPOLYEES when they speak their mind .......RAY ITS CALLED FREEDOM OF SPEECH...IF THE HEAT IS TOO HOT GET OUT OF THE KITCHEN!!!!
Mr. Cristo I hope you are still reading this blog please stay involved. You can FOIL the agreement they have with the old super. Wait till you see how long and how much they are paying her, oh sorry, how much we are paying her......You should be upset just like the rest of us. You made everyone feel that someone cares
Mr. Cristo: Mr. Chesser is a JERK dont worry about what he says, unless we get into each board members head then we will never find out whats really going on(and have you seen that board would you really want to go there?)
Councilman Cristo
Bravo! Bravo! Now I know why and sincerely glad that I did vote for you. I too have lived here for over 40 years and went to school here. I also work for the district. What I find hard is to attend the BOE meetings and speak my opionion because I am afraid to say anything in case of jeopardizing my job. Tenured or not. How does one speak out as a taxpayer when you are also an employee. Plus, we employees know first hand what our schools, students, teachers and other personnel really need. There is only ONE board member who makes any kind of effort to attend school functions and socialize with the taxpayers. I have NEVER seen the others take any kind of interest. They also base their decisions on the kind of rumors they accused the public of having for Dr. Furlong for what our schools and students need. Thank you for speaking out and adding your support as a taxpayer, parent and neighbor. And a reminder to all...go to every BOE meeting possible. Numbers speak volumes.
There is currently a " for sale" sign i/f/o the Furlong residence...
To "anonymous":
I am curious to know exactly which board members jobs was Dr. Furlong screwing with or how was she screwing with them. It figures the Board only put a stop to her when it effected them. They didn't care about time they took away from the bus drivers and other employees. Is there any legal way we can have them removed? It is quite obvious they feel they are untouchable. I have mentioned before that these kind of workings were not shown until JoAnn Hart became president. I cannot believe that they know this blog is here, have read the embarrassing articles regarding our district, know how the whole entire school district feel and still they have not had the decency and respect for us to give us answers and to respectfully step down. How ashamed I am of them.
where is teh residence in question?
Mr. Christo:
Please keep on top of this would you please as I saw Mr. Chesser out a few weeks ago and asked him in a civil tone and manner what was going on and why this was happening and he became very rude to me and walked away.
I thought that when you run for a public office you know what your getting into???
I feel the entire board needs to resign starting with Mr. Chesser than Ms. Jones followed by Fomer Principal James MacArevey. I would think someone that has sat on both sides of the asile would be more vocal!!!
keep up the excellent work and I'm glad I voted for you last November
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