Posted by MikeNaughton - Thu, Mar 29, 2012, 9:50 P

Let’s Do The Right Thing

"This is so illegal!!! ..."

Have you reported this to the authorities? If it's as illegal as you say, I'm sure they would be very interested ...
 

Posted by Taffy - Thu, Mar 29, 2012, 1:50 P

Let’s Do The Right Thing

This is so illegal!!! You CANNOT be SC members and discuss SC matters in an open forum without a quorum and an agenda. You are not above the state laws. Unbelievable.
 

Posted by MikeL - Sun, Jan 29, 2012, 10:41 A

Let’s Do The Right Thing

Jeff had one private conversation with me about the discharge of the employee, in which he basically agreed that it was a case of much ado about nothing.
Since then he has asked me for no additional information and sought no information from the Superintendent (who is the only person on the district side who has the information to give).
It's impossible for me to take seriously his claim that he is only concerned for the rights of district employees when he has shredded the rights of the superintendent- repeatedly in two open meetings, despite being instructed by the chair of the meeting to cease and desist and despite being instructed in no uncertain terms by the district's legal council that his actions are not just inappropriate but illegal (check the tape)- all in the name of protecting us from "how an employee MAY have been treated".
And yet, somehow, Jeff HAD to post all this on MontagueMa.net because of something I
did. I forced him to do it!
Amazing the power I have!
 

Posted by PaulK - Sun, Jan 29, 2012, 2:21 A

Let’s Do The Right Thing

Jeff, it wasn't clear from what you or Mike had written that private conversations had taken place, or otherwise I would not have posted what I did. I can see that you do feel strongly and I'm sure it's for all the right reasons, ie: concern that the district act fairly and compassionately in all instances. I could say that I share those concerns, not only vis a vis the school district, but all levels of government that supposedly act in my name. Unfortunately, my take on things is that the political process, be it local, national, or international, rarely places fairness and compassion at the top of the list of concerns. Usually self-interest or special interests or political gamesmanship or power grabbing or greed or personality disorders rule the roost. This is why I no longer have any faith that the political process will seriously address any of our problems and foster solutions. Positive change, when it comes, always seems to rise up from the people, from churches, from protest movements, from the street, from community organizing or union organizing or populist movements. When the ground swell gets large enough, the politicians and bureaucrats scramble to get on board and things change. Oh. Maybe that's what you're attempting to do here, with your letter and post. Good luck. Really.
 

Posted by JeffSingleton - Sat, Jan 28, 2012, 4:49 A

Let’s Do The Right Thing

The issue for me here is the treatment of an employee in this economy and how we as school district treat employees in general.. It is not about a personal conflict between me and the chair of the school committee, whom I have in fact spoken to about this and related topics in private. That was actually the first thing I did!!! I also called for an executive session for the school committee to deal with this in private. That was rejected

.As you can tell I feel pretty strongly about what is going on re our employment policies and how a human being may have been treated. Steve Roberto happens to be a human being by the way. I simply asked a series of questions that have still gone unanswered

If people who post on this corkboard do not share my concerns, well it is what it is. I have had my say. The school district - a $16 million dollar organization that educates many of our children-is another matter.

By the way, these opinions are obviously mine alone and not those of the school committee.
 

Posted by PaulK - Sat, Jan 28, 2012, 12:00 A

Let’s Do The Right Thing

I find myself in agreement with Mark2 on this. It seems like a private conversation might work better. But then it occurred to me that it's possible that the Open Meeting Law would not allow the two of you to discuss Committee business outside of open meetings. If this is true, it points out pretty starkly the big problem with that law. I hope you guys can iron this out somehow, I really do.
 

Posted by mark2 - Fri, Jan 27, 2012, 10:21 P

Let’s Do The Right Thing

Jeff I think you and Mike should have a sit down conversation and work this out in private, not sure what good either one of you are accomplishing airing it here. Just saying


Mark2
 

Posted by JeffSingleton - Fri, Jan 27, 2012, 8:32 P

Let’s Do The Right Thing

I must emphasize that this conversation would never have happened on montaguema if Mike had been willing to call an executive session to discuss the issue and find out the facts.I waited long and thought hard before I posting it but I think the termination of an employee in this economy is s significant institutional and moral issue, I think it does matter actually and if anyone has a better way to do the right thing please be specific.

There have been comments about "two sides" here but I asked some pretty fair questions and I do not think Mike has answered any of them. All he does is attack me as some sort of right wing political consultant. This is "two sides?" Here is the original post...
.
http://www.montaguem...cs=13&ID=33041&g=196

Mike also does not explain why my post violates the open meeting law - he just ridicules me for not getting it. Well I admit I do not get it at all. The law allows for an executive session to discuss complaints, charges etc against an employee. It requires that the employee be given notice of those complaints, allows him or her to have a lawyer and to have the session in public.

The argument seems to be that I am bringing some sort of "complaint" against the superintendent by questioning the firing. I have no intention of bringing a formal complaint against the superintendent. I am challenging the policy and the failure of the school committee to exercise oversight; Please read the post, And it is not clear to me that the law REQUIRES us to call such a session, It simply allows it,.A good summary of the OML:

http://www.mass.gov/...eting-law-guide.html

If my post is to be interpreted as a formal complaint against the Superintendent then what do we do with Mike's post, which is filled with personal attacks on me. I would say calling me Newt Gingrich or Carl Rove deserves an executive session. The remedy for an OML violation is a complaint, not gaveling a committee member down or making accusations on the internet,


-
 

Posted by PaulK - Thu, Jan 26, 2012, 7:03 P

Let’s Do The Right Thing

"As Mike's post shows, once again, no matter how thin you slice it, there's always two sides to that piece of bread." Totally right on, Jonathan. We're in no position to judge either Jeff's post nor Mike's. I know them both as committed, reasonable, involved neighbors, both wanting only what's best for the community and the schools. I'm confident they'll work it out. This is not the time to line up and choose sides in some sort of shoot out about who's right and who's wrong. And you know what? It doesn't matter who's right and who's wrong. It seldom if ever does matter.
 

Posted by patrick - Thu, Jan 26, 2012, 1:02 P

Let’s Do The Right Thing

"But what if all other options have failed? Perhaps this is the only remaining option?"

To me, that's like saying "my kids wouldn't listen to me, so I started beating them with a baseball bat". The best intentions in the world can't make up for poor people skills. No matter how many other approaches were attempted, there had to be a better approach than this one.
 

Posted by JTHK - Thu, Jan 26, 2012, 12:36 P

Let’s Do The Right Thing

As Mike's post shows, once again, no matter how thin you slice it, there's always two sides to that piece of bread.

Regards,
Jonathan
 

Posted by MikeL - Thu, Jan 26, 2012, 11:13 A

Let’s Do The Right Thing

"As a school district we project our core values by our actions"
From my perspective, Mr Singleton is projecting the values of Newt Gingrich and Carl Rove:
Say what you have to say to get the job done; take no prisoners; and never let the facts get in the way of a good smear campaign.
If you read Mr Singleton's post carefully, you will see that he is responding to a threat that doesn't exist about an issue that isn't a problem around improper actions that were never taken.
And that he's made no reasonable effort to resolve any of his purported concerns.
From my perspective, all he really wants to do is lash out at people he disagrees with or who won't do things his way.
First, he says he made every effort to discuss and resolve the issue but he never tried the one thing that would have worked: talking to the superintendent, directly.
Second, when he asked me what was going on, I told him that I was satisfied that everything had been handled properly. He was clearly satisfied with my report so there was no need to get back to him, no promise to get back to him and, hence, no failure to do so.
Third, his contention that his statement should not violate the open meeting law because the school committee voted against an executive session is utterly preposterous- a fact that was explained clearly to Mr Singleton and the rest of the Committee when it was brought up in open session at our previous meeting, when the motion to convene in executive session was defeated. You can check the video tape, if you like.

The remainder of his post is similarly full of untruths, half truths and the thinnest of rhetorical innuendo, but this is not the appropriate forum to discuss them (you can check the video tape...). But I felt it was important to demonstrate that Mr Singleton's is not the only version of the story and should not be accepted at face value.

Mike Langknecht, GMRSD School Committee chair.
 

Posted by JTHK - Thu, Jan 26, 2012, 9:47 A

Let’s Do The Right Thing

Patrick,

But what if all other options have failed? Perhaps this is the only remaining option? To be clear, I'm not in agreement or disagreement with Jeff's or your post. Perhaps making people feel uncomfortable is a path towards doing the right thing, esp. when other, more "comfortable" options have failed. Again, not agreeing or disagreeing; often I think we must be made uncomfortable to break free of our habits and complacency.

Regards,
Jonathan
 

Posted by patrick - Thu, Jan 26, 2012, 9:30 A

Let’s Do The Right Thing

I have to say that a public post about a sensitive personnel matter like this may be legal, but it made me very uncomfortable and seems inappropriate at the very least.
 

Posted by JeffSingleton - Wed, Jan 25, 2012, 7:08 P

Let’s Do The Right Thing

Public Statement Re Steve Roberto Firing:

I have decided to “go public” about the case of Steven Roberto, the facilities manager for the Gill-Montague Regional School District who was summarily fired from his position several months ago. I have made every effort to discuss and resolve this issue “in private” but have been thwarted at every turn. First I sought information from the chair of the School Committee, who said he would get back to me after talking to the Superintendent. He never got back to me. Then several members of the school committee sought a closed (non-public) “executive session” to find out the facts and exercise oversight. That was also rejected, first by the chair and then by the school committee itself.

Since the School Committee rejected an executive session, this statement should not violate the Open meeting Law. Furthermore at this time, I am not aware of any litigation. If such litigation occurs, the fault lies with the school district leadership. The best solution at this point would be to meet with Steve and his lawyer to work out a fair solution to this problem and avoid litigation.

The central issue for me is this: Steve Roberto was an “employee at will” and thus, according to some in the GMRSD leadership, not covered by “progressive discipline” (for example verbal warning, written warning, termination). Thus for our few “employees at will,” anything goes.

I respectfully disagree both on moral grounds and in terms of the integrity of the school district. Essentially this approach says that supervisors like Steve Roberto must jump through many hoops when they discipline unionized employees but they themselves can be terminated at the drop of a hat. In other words, one set of rules applies to 95% of our employees but a different set of rules applies to the rest. I find this management approach indefensible.

I would also ask the following questions:

1. Why was Mr. Roberto fired? Was this an offense for which the vast majority of GMRSD employees would have been terminated?

2. Was the School District Policy Manual followed? The Manual, approved by the committee provides that termination will be supported by “defensible records” and that the employee be clearly informed of the reasons for termination. (Policy GCQF) The manual also provides that “all school employees may appeal a ruling of the Superintendent to the [school] committee, except in those areas where the law has specifically assigned authority to the Principal and/or the Superintendent.” (Policy GBK). The legal references printed with this policy do not show that school committee oversight in this case would violates state law.

3. Was the Staff Handbook, which presumably was given to Mr. Roberto, followed? The handbook clearly provides for “progressive discipline” (see page 14) and does not suggest that this applies only to unionized employees.

4. Is Mr. Roberto’s application for unemployment compensation being challenged? Is he being compensated for accrued sick leave and vacation time?


My comments are not meant to be an attack on the current Interim Superintendent, Nadine Ekstrom. I am not “bringing charges” against her as has been suggested. Nadine has done a good job in a difficult situation (the Level 4 status of the district, a divided school committee etc). However mistakes will be made by a first-year superintendent. It is the job of the school committee to exercise oversight and make sure we as a district treat employees fairly. This is not happening.

The termination of an employee without fair due process in this economy is not a trivial matter. We may have a technical right to fire Mr. Roberto in this manner but that does not mean it is the right thing to do. As a school district we project our core values by our actions.

Jeff Singleton
GMRSD School Committee
My views only and not those of the school committee as a whole.
1-20-12