Can't hold our tongues any more: It's time for a change

Ok, it's past time for a change.  But more about that later.

We were going to make some observations about the last board meeting (May 4th), but we've been busy working on a few things. While we've been preoccupied, somebody has beaten us to it in the form of a comment on our prior post (about the April 20th board meeting). Not sure who you are, Anonymous, but you're very observant. Thanks for the comments.

We may comment further about that meeting, but one thing that Anonymous forgot to mention was that at the end of the meeting Supt. Baird mentioned, rather casually actually, that he was moving closer to closing a deal with Sequoia Solar to purchase solar electric for all of the schools. Once again, the timing mystifies. If Baird was a military leader he would surely attempt to march on Russia in the winter. Teachers and Classified jobs are being lost, class size WILL be increased (you may be reading it here first), programs will be cut (such as the attempted cutting of the YMCA after school programs that he had to back away from under popular pressure). And examples could go on and on (VAPA program cut, TOSA positions cut, GATE program funding cut, and on, and on). Yet the superintendent continues to take this walk through Financial Fantasyland, purchasing solar, purchasing $1.7M of technology infrastructure for something that looks a lot like it's already working including phones that we use all the time without a problem, trying to purchase a new student information system to replace one that's perfectly good, and this list goes on as well.

Please do not misunderstand our concern: We are 100% in support of alternative energy sources when they make sense (or cents). The City of Encinitas put solar panels on its roof and apparently it's working out ok for them, but that program started several years ago, prior to our current economic meltdown. But right now the district is in a financial bind the likes of which we haven't seen in decades, so how can this really be the opportune time to spend yet more money on non-essentials?

Supt. Baird, to a lot of us it's starting to look like you're cutting Peter to pay Paul, and Paul is your own personal wish-list. But we can't fault the supt. alone for this. He's only doing what the board will allow him to, but that's not saying much. This board seemingly allows whatever the supt. wants, and has done so dating back to the tyrannical days of Lean King. Only Mrs. Muir seems to be asking any questions, which is too bad, since the other four board members have much more experience than she does (that is, they've been there longer than dirt), and they should know when it's time to rein in the craziness. But, like the supt., they apparently also have no sense of timing, of the dire straits in which the economy has left the district's finances, or of how such flagrantly off-base spending will be received by their bosses, the voting public.

It is due to their obviously declining interest in earnestly fulfilling their positions, their ongoing poor oversight and string of badly permissive decisions, and their general apathy toward their main stakeholders (voters, parents, employees, and most of all, students), that we have concluded there must be a change. We are calling on Bill Parker, Cathy Regan, and Marla Strich to announce publicly that they will not seek re-election in November when their terms are concluded.  This will send a message to anybody who might consider serving on the board that this would be a good time to do so. When Parker, Regan, and Strich were elected (oh those many, many, many years ago, prior to their children graduating college and entering the workforce) their hearts were in the right place. But that was sooo long ago, too long. They're too far out of touch. They've been to so many "How to be a School Board Member" conferences that they've forgotten to look inward for "Why to be a School Board Member". Really, speaking directly to the three of you now, please, make some room for new thinking, for dynamic leadership, for people who really have a stake in the game. You three have done your time, and we thank for your past contributions to EUSD, which were substantial. You were good back in the 1990's, and decent into the new millennium, but in the last 5 years or so it's become very apparent that the so-called "Dream Team" has become more of a lethargic nightmare. Not to be mean-spirited, but speaking bluntly, think of the students and hang up your hats. Please.