ARE LOCAL BOARDS OUT OF CONTROL? MORE REASON TO GET INVOLVED
You may have heard about the incident at a Gilford School Board meeting where a parent, William Baer, was arrested for speaking out about questionable material his daughter had been required to read. He was recently cleared of all charges.
http://www.wmur.com/news/man-says-free-speech-rights-violated-in-arrest-over-book/25834676
Or you might be following the antics at the Timberlane Regional School Board where they tried to censure board member Donna Green for exposing them as lacking transparency.
http://tritowntimes.net/2014/09/green-hires-legal-counsel-timberlane-school-dispute/
And recently, at a Windham School Board meeting, police were called when a taxpayer questioned the idea that no public input would be taken on a the acceptance of a no-bid contract with a ‘green’ company that was before the board, despite the fact that board member Ken Eyring had asked for discussion.
Windham School Board calls police on resident over ‘no bid’ contract
http://www.examiner.com/article/windham-school-board-calls-police-on-resident-over-no-bid-contract
Why didn’t the Windham School Board research Cenergistic?
http://www.examiner.com/article/why-didn-t-the-windham-school-board-research-cenergistic
And most recently, a Bedford taxpayer was told there would be no discussion on suggestions that they raise the bar for how many students must pass the “IB” program.
This has become the disturbing trend among school and town boards.
Some are limiting public input, others eliminating it altogether. Manchester’s school board recently explained that while it would hear the concerns of parents and taxpayers, ultimately their decisions would be based on the advice of ‘consultants’ and other ‘experts’ they’ve hired.
This is why it is important that you get yourselves and your neighbors out to town and school meetings (and deliberative sessions) which have started in January. There is where the funding for expensive schools, libraries, police and fire stations, town hall buildings, round-abouts and Master Plan suggestions from the Regional Planners, will be decided. This is where you get to voice and vote on your concerns over school budgets and question who or what is driving the curricula.
New complaints have surfaced in Deerfield, as well.
IT IS UP TO YOU TO DECIDE, but this can’t happen unless you show up and vote.
Please look at ALL the candidates who are running for school board seats in Manchester, Bedford, Windham, Timberlane, Deerfield, and Gilford. Vote OUT anyone who does not listen to the parents and taxpayers.