Ord Talk

Very interesting. Both Jake and Steffan are graduates of Ord High School yet only one of them can correctly spell anonymity. Tsk tsk tsk!

Happens when I get in a hurry! I'll just have Admin. fix it for me!

misplaced modifier, not split infinitive, mind you.

When you watch these people appealing the board’s decision don’t you get anxious for our kids? The OEA mob leader and others comes across with such a “my way or the highway” approach. They have such an entitlement expectation – “we want Alexander so give him to us,” period! To the extent the union members teach our children this approach with such examples, they are building a future of non-producers who will not advance by merit, it’s all by identity. Who you are identified with determines who gets the rewards, regardless of what it does to our kids. The board considered all factors and made a good-faith offer to Superintendent Steffensen. They made their reasoned deliberative decision based on a totality of input. So OEA bullies - live with it!!

And something else - I understand Superintendent Steffensen is gifted at rewarding excellent teachers and weeding out the freeloaders who really aren’t teaching the children. But that may develop into a problem with Wendy Alexander if the reports around town are true. Parents were saying she was calling some of them over Christmas and asking their children to sign up for her chemistry class. Why? The kids aren’t learning from her and are not being prepared for college sciences. Students feel it is a waste of time. So Wendy has to call and recruit. Why do we keep her then? Oh, I know. It’s because she meets the need of the “most important” function of our school – entertaining adults by taking the girls’ volleyball team to state and winning. I wonder if the OEA mob is frightened that Superintendent Steffensen might have greater priorities for our kids and not put up with such classroom incompetence.

Anonymous, I fully agree with you about the problem with Wendy Alexander. As a former student of her Chemistry and Physics classes I can tell you she is definitely not qualified, she was hired for coaching and coaching only. May I remind everyone she holds a biology degree, yet she is "teaching" (if you can call it that) chemistry and physics. Not something that is in the best interest of the OHS students. As far as her meeting the "most important" function by being the volleyball coach that won state, let's not give her too much credit...most of those girls were seniors when she became coach with skills that were already developed.

I don't know Jason personally, so I really have no opinion on whether he is qualified for the job or not, but in doing research I do believe that the spousal nepotism that would be displayed by having one spouse holding a position that allows them formal influence over the other (superintendent/teacher)would cause a conflict of interest and be unethical. journals.htm If the board does decide to reverse their decision and offer Jason the job, I would suggest they STRONGLY consider asking Mrs. Alexander to leave the system. If a student has an issue with her as a teacher, which having gone through her class I know many of them do, the chain of command that must be followed goes TEACHER-PRINCIPAL-SUPERINTENDENT. It seems to me that it would be a little hard to discipline someone you are sleeping with.

I watched the videos and just read the statement from the school board. It sounds to me like if anyone would have grounds for a lawsuit, it might be Alexander. Think about it, they didn't consider him because they miscommunicated a rule, not because of his merit (hold on...not making arguments about his merit, just going by what the board says!). Let me know if I'm way off base here, but this might have more to do with legality than with the outcry from the teachers.

Anonymous - I agree that the nepotism issue has some huge pitfalls that need to be addressed here. HOWEVER, I have seen this sort of arrangement work before. In that situation, the school board, superintendent, principal, and teacher, all got together and wrote up a procedure for certain things where a conflict of interest might have presented itself. Not saying it will happen here, but just saying it can work if they think through it.

Steffan - So you aren't afraid that you get charged more for goods and services that you purchase around here because of your views? :-)

Wrong side of the bed this morning, Steffan? I meant it as a joke, sheesh! :)

Sorry Jesusfan, I didn't take it as anything other than a literal honest question which I answered to the best of my ability. I'm proud of our town that we can shop here and get most everything we need that is not business related. (no tanneries, textile mills or rubber tubing distribution centers). Sorry if came off as cranky, that didn't happen til this afternoon when I had to go out to get wood for the stove!

The board better knuckle under, bow down to the staff and hire this Alexander character pronto before they all blow a gasket and quit. After all they know how a school should be run.

The simple solution is Wendy quits, pay Jason enough to make up her salary and his legal fees (incurred for the impending lawsuit), then let him hire a new coach, a new chem teacher and a new principle.

Forget Steffensen. He has already been a superintendent, knows how to fire poor teachers, is an outsider who could not possibly promote "healing" in this community and would surely drop any legal action for several hundred grand.

Its a WIN WIN WIN !