Now if I can just photoshop out the sofa in the background, and add some trees, I'll look really badass...
I need your help readers. I am trying to catch up on all that has been going on while I was in Alaska, and what I am hearing about the latest with the Easton Area School District already has me wondering if I can do myself harm by gritting my teeth and rolling my eyes at the same time.
1. It is rumored that EASD Superintendent Sue McGinley is somehow related to the candidate hired for the new COO position created by combining the Business Manager's position and the position of Joe Kish, who is retiring July 1st. Does anyone out there know if this is true or not? If so, the idea that McGinley proposed the new position and then insisted that taxpayers pay $8,500 for a supposed "executive search" by the Pennsylvania School Board Association (PSBA) stinks to high heaven. I really hope this isn't true, as it would not only be blatant nepotism and a breach of ethics, but an unnecessary expense to taxpayers, adding insult to injury.
2. I have also heard that the Buildings and Grounds Committee recommended to the board, under the direction of Joe Kish, that they renew D'Huy Engineering's engineering contract, despite bids from Barry Islet and others that would cost the district less money and provide
added benefit (i.e., no retainer fees, and free grant-writing services to off-set expense to the district). I hope that this is not true as the fiscal damage Kish is bequeathing the district as he retires is already sizable. However, either way, Colin McEvoy reports for the Express-Times that the vote will have to be cast again at the July 21st board meeting, because a 5-vote majority is required to approve contracts. So taxpaying residents have an opportunity to learn more about whether or not this is true, and contact their school board members if so, before the vote.
I can't help but wonder if these two rumors might have anything to do with the EASD's reticence to hand over emails from November 2010 legally requested by The Morning Call--a request that has been upheld twice now in court--and why they have wasted our taxpayer money to fight the request, rather than fulfilling it. The paper must have had a story in mind when requesting a month's worth of emails...but then again the EASD is the giving tree of outrageous stories to cover, so who knows?
Posts
9 comments:
Doesn't the building and grounds director's son work for D'huy as well? Question number 3.
By "building and grounds director" do you mean Kish?
Nope. They other guy. Tim Case?
Had not heard that...can anyone else verify?
Noel, As I have mentioned to you before here, I am a retired EASD secondary teacher, and as such, I still have many contacts within the teaching staff, especially at the HS. I did some inquiring today about the rumored familial relationship between Supt. McGinley and the new COO. This is what I found: Mrs. McGinley's maiden name was Swope. Mother Swope's maiden name was Simonetta, which is also the last name of the recently appointed new COO. What the relationship - bother/sister/cousin/other - between Mrs. Swope and Mr. Simonetta is, I haven't been able to determine that yet. But, hey, give me some time!! Also, Tim Case, a former student of mine from the early '70s, has two sons -Colin just graduated last week from the HS; older son, Ken,is either an architect or an engineer in the LV. Whoever Ken Case works for, I don't know. When I last spoke with Tim Case about a month ago, I asked about Ken and he did tell me that he was an engineer or architect. At time I never made the connection to D'Huy, if there is one. BTW, I hadn't heard of the rumored relationship until I read your blog this AM, but give something to work on in the future and I can probably get some info on it. Enjoy Alaska!!
Ken Case works for D'huy Engineering. He has for the past 4 years. His father is the Director of Buildings and Grounds. That's my understanding. Don't know if he is an architect or engineer. I don't believe thier is a realation between the super and the new coo.
Piaggio and Anon 11:07--thanks for the info--this is how citizens take matters into their own hands and get to the bottom of things!
Anyone else with knowledge, please post too!
It is extremely important that both the Dems and the Republicans find QUALITY candidates to run for Bilotti's abandoned seat on the school board in Region III.
Republicans can not afford to sit out and pout about Democratic dominance in Easton on this one. We need two quality candidates to choose from that can demonstrate a) that they are not related to anyone in the district, b) that they are not related to anyone at D'Huy, and c) that are willing to speak up in face of confrontation on fiscal issues and issues of nepotism/croneyism in the district.
We need a house cleaner on the school board. We need a majority of house cleaners, because with a majority of house cleaners, the board can exercise its power to fire any administrators that are engaging in croneyism and fraud, including the superintendent. Sure, her contract is sweet, and she would land in another high-paying position somewhere in the district (this is in her contract), but the board does have the power to remove her from her role as superintendent.
a friend of mine said the other night, "i like that photo of you looking in the dog's mouth on the blog!"
AHEM. that is not the muzzle of a dog, but a Kodiak brown bear--the biggest bear in the world. Granted, a stuffed Kodiak brown bear in the airport cafe at the Kodiak airport, but a Kodiak brown bear none the less.
i want there to be no mistake about my ruggedness.
Post a Comment