Should OAS stop televising the board meeting?

[sad to see]

If taping and televising the OAS board meetings are soooo great, then every district around us should be doing the same. They are not, why not, they do not want to be the laughing stock OAS has become. Other districts have the same problems with finances,personnel,and students. Their newspapers either bury or refuse to print anything negative about their school, while the blood-letting still continues at OAS. What a waste of time, energy and resources!

[the guy who moved away]

lol

[IFH2008]

sad to see, OAS is not a laughing stock because of their students, finances or personnel; it is simply because of the leadership; it is not because of the telvised board meetings. If you really think the same results would not occur simply because the school board meetings would not be televised than you are very naive indeed. It all goes back to leadership. So don't blame the students, the personnel or finances (that is truly a cop out; finances are bad all over so quit the belly aching). As for the waste of time and energy well that's exactly the way some of the leadership at OAS like it. It keeps the limelight off them. See, you even blamed everyone else except the leadership! Quit televising the meetings and you'll still have the same old crap!

[You missed the point]

Sad to See isn't blaming the students, personnel or finances. They merely stated that every district has similar issues. The point trying to be made is that other districts are not televising their board meetings for the same reason that Oscoda wants to stop televising them. Plain and simple: it’s not to hide anything. It’s to stop all of the “grand standing” so the board can get down to business that they should be conducting. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that what the public has to say isn’t important because it is. But people need to remember how to respect one another and show some common courtesy on both sides of the issue. There are procedures that both sides need to follow. A lot of the issues brought to the board should be able to be resolved before they reach the board level. If a resolution cannot be reached after going through the proper procedures, then take it to the board. We teach our children to follow procedures; don’t you think as the adults we should be setting the example?
It should not ever be like “Jerry Springer”. Oscoda’s intentions were good. They wanted to televise the board meetings to inform the community of what was going on in the schools. They welcome community involvement. They encourage community involvement. But when you have board members that are reluctant to get down to business because they know every little move is going to be scrutinized, it makes it difficult to get anything done effectively. It also is a discouraging to anyone who may have considered running for the board. You also have board members like Mr. Parent who love to grand stand on TV and take any and all opportunities to personally attack the Superintendent. Let’s get real! His campaign slogan for getting re-elected was to get rid of the Superintendent. If we stop the televising, then he would not have his “15 minutes of fame” to laugh it up with his buddies.. Maybe then Mr. Parent would concentrate on the issues and relax on his “hidden agenda” and could possibly be a very effective board member. He does have some very good points.
So are we going to start acting like civilized adults and work together? One could only hope!

[The guy who moved away]

rofl

[IFH2008]

As I stated before, this has been going on long before the board meetings were televised. So quit televising them. It doesn't make the problems go away. Sad to see stated that surrounding school districts have the same problems with students, finances and personnel but that is a very broad and accusatory statement to make just to try to appease the soul. I of course assumed that meant that the blame was placed not on the leadership of the school district but on everything else. Now you're saying that Mr. Parent's grandstanding is causing problems and that no one wants to run for the board because of the televised board meetings? No, that happened long before the televised board meetings; like when all board members became part of the "Stepford Board" and any opposing vote meant that you were grandstanding. I've heard all of the same excuses you have written before. They're not new. You exaggerate when you say the board meetings are like "Jerry Springer". You exaggerate when you say Mr. Parent grandstands and you exaggerate when you say people are welcome to go before the board. So really, who cares? Let the board and Ms. Beardsley do as they please. My kids go to a different school district (school of choice) and I am more than pleased. My concern is for this town and it's growth. If people like you don't get concerned and actually know what's going on behind closed doors then I guess it's your business. At least I have a choice and so do many others. Start acting like civilized adults? Start listening very carefully to the other voices on the board (besides Mr. Parent's) and maybe you'll get my point. I gave up hope long ago.

[Tawas Guy]

It's good to see that someone is finally standing up for her Highness and the jesters court. It's good to have opposing opinions. But I hope your arguments go deeper than "Its all Mr. Parent's fault cuz he said no on the tv machine"

Currently there is no leadership at the High School. Call to ask questions and the phones just ring, kids have no schedules, graduation requirements are up in the air.

If this is putting "Students First" wow!

If you have answers put your name on the ballot run for the board! Make a difference!

Mr. Parent did!

[Awake]

You missed the point wrote:

If we stop the televising, then he would not have his “15 minutes of fame” to laugh it up with his buddies.. Maybe then Mr. Parent would concentrate on the issues and relax on his “hidden agenda” and could possibly be a very effective board member. He does have some very good points.
So are we going to start acting like civilized adults and work together? One could only hope!

"15 minutes of fame"??? Seriously? Who would want that job at this point? You have obviously bought in to the same ideology that wants to discount Mr. Parent or any other dissenters by saying that he has a "hidden agenda", as if every single person who runs for a school board seat anywhere doesn't have a goal that they would like to see for the district that they choose to serve. It doesn't take a great deal of discernment to ferret out the motivations of each one of our Board members. That doesn't mean that their opinions do not count or should not matter. Everyone of the Board members has their own agenda, on some level.
As far as following proper channels or procedures goes, I think that people are trying to do exactly that. The actual outcry that comes to the surface and gets to the Board level is much like the tip of the iceberg. For every person that has the courage to speak out, there are more behind them that, for whatever reason, do not feel able to do so. What you may be seeing on the TV is really only a part of the big picture that is Oscoda Schools. That includes all of the great things that happen on a day to day basis, the hard work and dedication of teachers and staff members who chose to go into education because they want to contribute to the growth and development of a child, who go above and beyond to try to make good things happen. But, it also includes the bullying, harassment, manipulation and lack of consistent, strong, fair leadership that has occurred in Oscoda Schools. Take a look at how many people have left and start asking yourself what that is all about. Pretty soon, there will only be one common denominator left, because the entire administrative team has turned over again.......
It is time for people to get together, speak up, and work for change. Ultimately, a school can only be as strong as the community that supports it.

[IFH2008]

Tawas Guy and Awake...after watching the board meeting and then rereading the statements made by sad to see and mtp (posted on Monday BTW)I'm almost fairly certain that they were present at the board meeting. Hmmmmmmm...just thinking.

[Mark Parent OAS BOE]

Maybe the people against the broadcasting of OAS Board meetings should look at it in a different light, a forward thinking person could say “ Yes, Oscoda has problem, and yes we are addressing them the best we can, we are not afraid to put ourselves out there and be put out over the air because we ARE trying.

But they just want to hide their heads in the sand and take away the public’s opportunity to watch their school board work.

The people attending the meetings and complaining about the school only reflect the actual frustration of the people addressing the board. People like the person who felt out of control of his childs education, tried for many years to have his concerns addressed, to no avail. What options did that leave him?

Would he have gotten the same response if the meetings were not televised?

Is he now getting the results he wanted for his child.

“Students First”

[concerned parent]

chiliman wrote:

Any government body that does not want the largest audience of citizens to see and experience proceedings is not to be trusted.
I am not well versed in the various happenings in the Oscoda School System but I suspect it is not showing the meetings that is hurting the schools image.
Let the sunshine in!!!

Then you should watch a meeting!

[chiliman]

concerned parent

Unfortunately while I am in town (limited time) I have many other things to attend to.

Once I am here consistently I will not only watch but also attend.

[ptamom]

Get your butts off your sofa and attend the meetings IN PERSON! The board members can't hear you when you are yelling at them thru your television screen! If everybody attended in person, this would be one last issue that would have to be brought up.

Next topic......THE KIDS!!!!

[Tired]

ptamom wrote:

Get your butts off your sofa and attend the meetings IN PERSON! The board members can't hear you when you are yelling at them thru your television screen! If everybody attended in person, this would be one last issue that would have to be brought up.
Next topic......THE KIDS!!!!

Have you attended many meetings in Oscoda? Your info seems to indicate that you are from Grand Blanc. It surely seems that attendance at the meetings does little to influence things in a positive direction for kids, as evidenced by the last few BOE meetings which have been SRO as far as I have heard.