Wednesday, May 12, 2010

5/11 Superintendent's Revised Budget Proposal

I have scanned and posted Dr. Underwood's budget presentation --> click here.

Please note, that this is a proposed budget, and the School Board will vote on it at their workshop on May 25th. If you have feedback, please contact your School Board representative. Their contact info is HERE. Note that many of them do not get or read their official email address inbox, so I HIGHLY recommend a phone call instead of an email.

9 comments:

  1. The ultimate insult to injury is that Dr. Underwood was in the best mood I have ever seen her in yet. She was telling jokes while announcing cuts to personnel. The jokes were horrible, and showed a clear lack of compassion for the students, the schools and its employees.

    Nero fiddled while Rome burned. Dr. Underwood delivered a stand up routine while dismantling our school system.

    The school board hopefully realizes what they have hitched their wagon to doesn't get them where they want to be. And leave a smelly trail.

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  2. Dr. Underwood did not tell jokes while announcing cuts to personnel. The only levity was explaining the add backs--trying to provide understanding on how elimating positions means hours added to others. We want to support our teachers -- who are they supposed to turn to when they need help with insurance, retirment, and liscence renewal if you elimate the postions and hours of these at CO who provide these services? I am not saying I agree or disagree with everything from the school board or from you, but get your facts right if you wish this county to hear you.

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  3. Is any levity appropriate when discussing cuts to personnel and programs?

    Perception is reality. A parent sitting behind me, whom I'd never seen at a previous meeting, made the comment about her telling jokes. I am simply repeating it.

    However, recordings do exist, and the context of her humor can be verified.

    I'm sure school CO employees have a different perception than parents. Parents heard inappropriate humor. Parents reacted to the ironic news that RIF letters went out during Teacher Appreciation week. School CO employees may have heard harps in the background for all I know.

    Once the recording has been reviewed, I'll post the results whether I'm correct or not. I will continue to claim responsibility for my comments, whether right or wrong, because anonymity doesn't encourage accountability.

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  4. With regards to "A parent sitting behind me, whom I'd never seen at a previous meeting, made the comment about her telling jokes. I am simply repeating it.", you were there at the meeting. If you did not hear it, then you should not have commented about it. Simply repeating comments without knowing whether or not they are true is how rumors are started.

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  5. Another concerned citizenMay 13, 2010 at 9:23 AM

    Heaven forbid we have rumors here in Goochland.Rumors like Dr. Underwood wants to put an end to Center Based Gifted or there are more than 12 teaching positions that will be lost. As you were clearly at the meeting perhaps you could stop the young man who mouths profanity at the speakers. GEPA's stand was never that all CO office should be eliminated but rather eliminating excessive adminstrative overhead will save teaching positions. A point clearly lost on some.For the record it is "license and retirement." Oh what our kids have to look forward to now.

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  6. I perceived the joking to be while during the budget presentation. You perceived the joking to be during the budget presentation, and the person behind me perceived it to be during the budget presentation.

    The only question is in what context the jokes were told.

    I said, in response to your first post that I would verify the context by listening to the recordings, and report back regardless of the outcome. What more could you want?

    I refuse to be talked down to about verification I promised to do, by someone who posts anonymously. Stand up and be accountable for your own words, instead of demanding that I do something you are unwilling to do yourself.

    Obviously you are a CO employee (by your comments in your first post-"we"). Obviously you are monitoring this blog to see what the public's reaction is to the budget presentation (among other things).

    So what is wrong with telling you what you want to know?

    The public (me in particular, though others commented as so ) perceives the jokes as being disrespectful in the context of ANY budget discussion when so many personnel and programs have been negatively effected. There is no judgement about whether or not this is a rumor.

    So, you can now go back and tell Dr. Underwood that her levity did not enhance her public perception, at least in my opinion.

    This would be a good time to go back to your job, since you are on the clock. The county can't afford to pay people to play on the internet.

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  7. I am not the same person who posted the first comment on May 12, and I have no affiliation with Central Office. I am not employed by the school system. I am just a concerned citizen and I am very offended by your remarks.

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  8. I'm sorry that you feel offended. While I can't see why my comments would offend anyone, in particular if that person didn't work for the schools, I respect your feelings, and apologize for hurting them. It was not my intent to hurt anyone's feelings, but rather to defend an accusation thrown in my direction.

    Looking solely at YOUR original post, I think you misunderstood one thing. I could very clearly hear the person behind me, which is how I was able to repeat her comments. There is no rumoring involved. Only direct quotations, though I don't know what name to attribute them to right now. It was also MY perception that the jokes were inappropriate.

    What was your perception of her jokes? Did it seem like they were appropriate given the situation? Have you ever heard the Superintendent tell jokes in a public meeting before?

    I'm interested in everyone's input.

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  9. Jokes or no jokes, I believe the point here is to underscore that Ms. Underwood doesn't give a hoot about anyone else other than her support posse.
    She will not change. The School Board will not change. Their days are clearly numbered. Its time to VOTE THEM ALL OUT!

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