Friday, November 17, 2006

Televising Board of Education Meetings: In the Legal Notices of the Indy??

Okay, I think everyone knows the story but just in case, here is a little history...Abell and Young are on a mission to televise Board meetings (gasp!) in an effort to be transparent and make the public fully aware of all decisions and discussions. The Superintendent, Mr. James Richmond, has recommended NOT televising the meetings and will only put his endorsement on the project after we spend thousands of dollars to "do it right". (We currently can video tape football games and other special events and air them on our station at whim.) The remaining five Board members CONTINUOUSLY VOTE AGAINST televising the meetings.

Now for the next chapter.

I open todays Indy and for some odd reason I am compelled to read the legal notices. (I have never in my life ever read these.) Call it divine intervention... Low and behold CCPS is in the legal notices. INDY. CCPS, contrary to the majority vote of the Board, is evidently requesting RFP's (bids) for a television studio and control room for staff at central office!?! You must read the above link. I am completely befuddled. And...at the bottom it says "By Order of the Board of Education of Charles County." What the heck?

3 comments:

LegalBeaglette said...

In the September Minutes, it shows that you asked about the results of the Communications Survey. I find Ms. O'Malley-Simpson's response fascinating -- she was going to report to the principals in October, but doesn't appear to have had any plans to provide the report to the Board Members...unless, of course, you'd like her to? I think with topics like televising Board of Education meetings and CCPS publications like the calendar and web page, a report to the Board of Education should have been a given, not an afterthought!

Jennifer Abell said...

Just received a call. It seems as though somewhere during the oral presentation of the communications report it was stated that Ms. O'Malley -Simpson would be gathering information on equipment and costs. I was told that putting out an RFP is the normal process for "gathering information."

LegalBeaglette said...

SOP, eh?

“…Superintendent Richmond has charged her [Katie O’Malley-Simpson] to thoroughly look into the feasibility of televising Board meetings to ensure that if the Board proceeds, it can be done in the utmost professional manner…” Board Minutes, 10/10/06, Communications Survey

Mr. Richmond is NOT the Board of Education. The legal notice states “By Order of the Board of Education of Charles County” But there is no “order” – at least not by the Board of Education. There was no MOTION, no SECOND, no DISCUSSION, no VOTE.

The tail must stop wagging the dog.