For the last two weeks, I had been attempting to communicate with EMSD#63 Superintendent Scott Clay to determine the current direction and extent of EMSD#63’s plans for replacing the four departing Spanish teachers imported from Spain last summer.
I received this email response from Dr. Clay to my multiple inquiries this morning.
Background
Last summer, I wrote a couple posts discussing Dr. Clay and Ms. Glickman’s taxpayer-funded trips to Granada Spain: June 07, 2010, Spain is a great place for a vacation. Hope our lucky administrators had good ones; and July 06, 2010, Spain is a great place for a vacation. Hope our lucky administrators had good ones – Update.
| As an aside: for several months the Spain postings were the most read postings on this site, and by quite a margin at that. The reason for this I think was Dr. Clay’s conscious choice to break new ground by articulating his ideas on this subject directly, in an open and public forum. |
While Dr. Clay was conversing with me, he was also developing his own blog-site. There, he offered for our comment, a more detailed explanation: English as a Second Language, Bilingual Education, and Immersion and Visiting Teachers Program.
Recent developments.
At the April 2011 General Board Meeting we learned that 4 of the 6 newly hired Spaniards were resigning.
When 4 out of 6 hires resign, that raises the Muleta so to speak. Sorry, we watched bull fights every Saturday night in my house when I grew up. But I digress.
So far, Dr. Clay has refused to publicly discuss this important issue. As a matter of fact, nothing has been posted on his blog-site since April 17, 2010 when he told us he had, in my opinion, prematurely given up on renegotiating union contracts.
Picture of EMSD#63 Blog - 06-07-2011
I even attempted to draw out a response from the good Doctor by writing Hasta la vista! and Hasta la vista – Continued…, where additional timely documents were presented. Poof! Nothing happened!
After a couple weeks I grew concerned, so I wrote him a couple emails.
Dr. Clay usually responds to my emails in a timely manner; a day or two, a week at the most. His continued silence on this subject seemed very odd indeed!
Today I received that terse emailed response!
Dr. Clay is long aware to my publically stated and principled aversion to behind closed door meetings with public administrators. He is well aware of my prior publically stated refusals to meet with him in that way.
Transparency is the name of the game here!
So, I consider his offer to meet cynical, disingenuous and hollow at best!
Further, Dr. Clay clearly understands the nature of Freedom of Information requests. He is well aware that the questions being asked in my emails, can not be answered under FOIA.
Scott Clay went to great effort last summer to justify his taxpayer-paid trip to Spain. He went to great lengths to justify bringing in foreign teachers to replace their “American Made” and highly qualified counterparts. Dr. Clay has already proven his willingness to answer questions on this subject in public.
His current unwillingness to do so at this stage of the game, only peaks ones curiosity.
That said, this was my response to his email.
Speaking of efforts.
Dr. Clay also went to great efforts here, last summer, to show us how different his administration could be from that of his predecessor, Dr. Kathleen Williams. I spoke highly of those efforts then. Now, I’m sad to say, the days of willing transparency are gone.
EMSD#63, where opaque communication is in vogue - today!
Of course, that only my opinion!
