The View From The Cheap Seats
By Jerry Haferkamp
Before you read this, I don’t like calling people liars. So instead of the word “lied”, you will see the word (misrepresented). That way I won’t offend the members of the St. Charles School Board who deserve more than just their feelings hurt.
Several months ago I started a column with the question, “Who do you trust”? I referenced an old game show by that name.
Well, I’m not sure whom you do trust, but I can tell you whom you can’t trust. You, and certainly the teachers they employ, can not trust the four members of the St. Charles School Board that didn’t take advantage of the opportunity to reverse the policy change that will harm the district.
As I stated in my last published column, several teachers were told, prior to accepting employment in the district, that their children could attend schools in the district even if they resided outside the district. Well, the board (misrepresented). They (misrepresented) to their employees and they (misrepresented) to you and me.
These teachers bought homes, enrolled their children and settled in. This was the policy for years. Now the board has jerked the rug from under these employees, disrupted their lives and traumatized some of the children. For what?
This brings up how they (misrepresented) to us. They said it would save money. That is not true and they know it. It will cost the loss of the States per-student subsidy while not lessening the expenses one dime. One member stated that there was a public outcry to eliminate this benefit. Baloney! (Or bologna if you prefer)
Many of these teachers stayed after hours to supervise extracurricular activities. They may no longer be able to do this because instead of having their children with them, they will have to beat a fast path home to meet their children after their bus drops them off across town. Extracurricular activities that are already stressed will suffer further.
These teachers should be grandfathered and the new policy should only apply to new teachers entering employment in the district. It would still be harmful to the district, but if these four members still feel the need to harm teachers and the district’s finances, the teachers and the taxpayers would at least have been warned.
The Board had a chance to overturn this action at the last meeting, but on a four to three vote decided to leave their integrity in the gutter. If they don’t overturn this action, the gutter is where it will stay.
That’s the view from the cheap seats.
