BHCW BOE DEBATE RESPONSES #1, #2 & #3

BHCW has one more question related to the budget and Board functioning out to BOE Candidates due in a couple of weeks but residents have been asking where they can find candidate responses to “tougher” questions than have been asked in other formats.

Below is a one stop shop of responses to three of the four questions asked of Candidates by BHCW. This post will be updated with one more set of responses after the Candidate Deadline to our fourth question.

Responses to Question 3:
“Given that the District has shut down almost every avenue for public discussion except for three-minute, one-directional BOE-controlled snippets, residents are allowed in BOE Meetings, many parents feel that major decisions are being rushed through, rubber-stamped with no opportunity for input. Here is the question:

“I would like to hear from BOE candidates as to whether they would be willing to adopt any of the following or if they can share any of their suggestions and ideas if they agree that this is far too much information and this is an issue that needs to be addressed:

(1) Schedule more frequent meetings so that there is not so much to go over at one time potentially keeping meetings from being 5 hours long, making it more likely that all BOE members will be familiar with what they are voting on, and making it easier for parents to attend meetings.

(2) Share with residents a sort of ‘Cliff Notes’ version of what is on the agenda.

(3) Make the agenda and any attachments available the week prior to BOE meetings.””

Responses to Question 2:
“We have heard many teachers speak publicly and to BHCW privately about the continued low morale in our schools stemming from our Superintendent. Last year the head of the BHEA expressed the position that the Superintendent was responsible for breaking our district.

This appeared prompted by the discovery that Dr. Varley had no research (none) in support of her plan to change the reconfiguration of our schools, the lack of family input into the process by families and teachers, the lack of partnership with the municipal government, violation of laws on the part of the Board (which she defended) , along with an 11th hour mass reassignment of teachers to grades they were not familiar with.

This year, the teaching staff contradicted Dr. Varley’s inaccurate understanding of the language program in the middle school and incorrect enrollment numbers that were used as a basis to end the French program. An entire language program was going to be eliminated based on wrong numbers. It took teaching staff to inform the public as Dr. Varley ignored repeated calls by the public and two BOE members for the actual raw data.

If elected, what would be your plan to ensure every single employee of the BHPS system is supported, valued and partnered with in approaching significant decisions that impact the District?”

Responses to Question 1
“Many residents feel that Dr. Varley did not deserve an early raise or early extension. Many feel the majority of the BOE have not held her accountable for handling of the reconfiguration process, attempt to remove French, inaccuracies provided to the public in connection to the budget and her attempt to marginalize groups of parents who have expressed concerns about her leadership.

What will you do to reassure these residents (mostly parents) that you will not be another rubber stamp for the Superintendent? Would you be open to putting the Superintendent on a Performance Improvement Plan? Are you open to holding the Superintendent PUBLICLY accountable if similar behaviors were to occur again in the future?

Please understand that promises of “better communication” will likely not suffice in responding to the question as that really is, in the mind of many parents, a small part of a collection of concerns.”