OK, so you all may remember that I am no longer on the School Board. While I was trying to make the decision whether or not to run again, I got a lot of pressure from my political mentor, the Prez of the Board, to sit the campaign out.
At the very last minute, I started reconsidering and asked him to please call me so that we could discuss whether I should pull papers at the elections office on the day of the deadline. That morning, he called me and really put the screws on that it wasn't a good idea for me to pull papers, as he had already promised endorsements to two other people, and he couldn't go back on those endorsements, and it would look odd for me to be hanging in the wind without his endorsement. I ended up in tears over it, but said that yeah, I was too high strung these days with the stress over my son to focus on a campaign. So I bowed out.
What ticked me off was when I learned that No One else had pulled papers. So, uh, where were those people you had lined up? Hmm? There ended up being no election whatsoever for lack of opposition. But really, I'm OK with stepping off.
I'm not really OK with the way the rest of the Board has been cavalier about saying good bye to me though. No one thanked me for my service, stuff like that. But OK.
Yesterday I was on the phone with my mother and the call waiting clicked in. It was the local paper: "Do you have any comment on the Board President's letter of resignation?"
WHAT?!?!?
"OK, uh, I have my mother on the other line. Let me call you right back."
Turns out the Prez gave his letter of resignation to the Superintendent yesterday morning and then delivered it to the media with no further discussion. In the letter he thanks the Board for their service, cites lack of time to devote to school board issues due to family and professional obligations and ends the letter by thanking me for my service along with him.
Uh. Gee. Don't know what to think. Sorta gobsmacked really. The whole thing just feels like a con somehow. I told him a number of times that I wanted to be president, but he made it clear that he wasn't giving it up. OK. Fine. But just after I left he nominated another Board Member to be president, so he was OK setting it aside for her, but not for me. And he made a big deal that I needed to serve out my term right to the bitter end of December 6 and not step down on November 1, as I had planned, because "it would cause a media storm" and would "make it look like I was leaving for a reason." So I didn't attend a few meetings, and I left on Dec 6.
But then HE steps down a few weeks later? With letters to the media? WHAT?
So now the Board has to appoint a replacement. I could throw my name in, and possibly get a seat and be able to serve without having to run a campaign, but I don't think I'm really up for it all. Feels fishy. And it doesn't feel as if they'd appoint me up there anyway. Feels like more bad stuff is on its way and I'm not up for that sort of fighting.
So I'm heading back to my committee work. But there's a lot of headshaking going on in my town these days.
5 comments:
You know, Suisan, I've always admired your dedication and passion, but I'm not sure WHY you'd keep going back. It seems as if you have so much going on in your life already, that this is just one more thing causing you huge stress.
Aren't there changes that you can effect without being on the Board, and thus being in the newspapers and a target for some people?
No, No. I'm not going back to the Board. It is far too stressful. But I admit to being tempted to do so.
I am going back to a Special Education committee which has just started up because my husband and I want to start up support groups for parents of special ed. It doesn't need to be attached to the district in any way, but that's sort of the way it all came out in the wash.
So when I say I'm going back to committee work, I really meant to say that I'm going back to this special ed support group formation for parents in my District. But that's longer.
Besides, California is hinting that they are going to impose mid-year cuts to education this year because the state economy is so bad. Backing faaaar away from that can of worms. The rest of the Board can figure out what to do with that one. (Should have taken my advice though and done some serious future planning. Oops. Told you so.)
Backing away sounds like the right thing to do, by far.
So. No gossip, none whatsoever to explain his actions?
No one seems to have a clue and he's not returning anyone's phone calls.
So bizarre.
Politics make me crazy. And I know what it's like to work your a** off and not even be acknowledged in any way. I'm with you about there being something fishy here.
Post a Comment