[billiefan2000]

You may have seen the story on the throw-down between state Senator Scott Lautenbaugh and Ben Gray in the OWH.


A dustup over size of OPS board - Omaha.com

They reported it as follows:




It all started with a meeting that five school board members held last week to gather community input on the selection of the successor to retiring Omaha Public Schools Superintendent John Mackiel.



Gray and Jim Vokal, chairman of the board for the Metropolitan Entertainment and Convention Authority,

were among about eight people invited to give their opinions. Gray is co-chairman of OPS’ African-American Achievement Council, and his wife, Freddie, serves on the school board.

Vokal spoke first, and he told The World-Herald he suggested that the next superintendent have budget experience in reallocating resources while showing fiscal restraint.

Gray spoke next and, according to both men, took issue with Vokal’s comments.

Several people in the meeting provided differing accounts of what Gray said. But according to Gray, Vokal and another person in the room, the word “racist” was used in some manner.

Gray said he brought up Lautenbaugh’s proposal, which he says is sexist and racist.



more... Lautenbaugh responds to Gray

[billiefan2000]

Lautenbaugh 's response to City Councilman Ben Gray's accusation that Lautenbaugh 's plan to reform the OPS board is "racist and sexist".

[billiefan2000]

We Stand with Scott: The Need to Reform OPS | Americans for Prosperity (http://americansforprosperity.org/111711-we-stand-scott-need-reform-ops - broken link)


We Stand with Scott: The Need to Reform OPS

[McBain II]

Originally Posted by billiefan2000

We Stand with Scott: The Need to Reform OPS | Americans for Prosperity (http://americansforprosperity.org/111711-we-stand-scott-need-reform-ops - broken link)


We Stand with Scott: The Need to Reform OPS

Ok...maybe you can tell me since the link didn't specify. What does Scott intend to "reform" about OPS? Also, how does he feel that reducing the size of the school board accomplishes this goal?

I'm curious to know.

[billiefan2000]

bosco, what has the school board done to prevent them to lose their jobs

except for Justin Wayne, the school board is Justin and Jensen and the 10 useful idiots of Jensen's.



the trauncy rate is going up and the dropout rate is going up and both Freddie and Ben gray wont address that problem

[McBain II]

Originally Posted by billiefan2000

bosco, what has the school board done to prevent them to lose their jobs

Are you saying you don't have an answer, Billie?

except for Justin Wayne, the school board is Justin and Jensen and the 10 useful idiots of Jensen's.

the trauncy rate is going up and the dropout rate is going up and both Freddie and Ben gray wont address that problem

Oh really?

Although Councilman Ben Gray said the city has “an absolute obligation” to get involved in truancy prevention, most council members said they are leery of adding new spending to a budget that calls for $44 million in new taxes.

Gray said that cities across the country have partnered with schools and that those partnerships have produced good results.


“If we're investing upfront,” Gray said, “making sure the kids are going to school, we don't have to worry about the back end of them being truant, them shooting at people or being shot themselves, gigantic hospital bills where they don't have insurance that the taxpayer is going to have to pay, jail time where we're paying anywhere from $36,000 to $38,000 a year to keep people locked up.”

Anti-truancy plan may hit pothole - Omaha.com

[SCGranny]

My major complaint with schools and school boards is that they constantly are willing to throw million$ at 'new bright ideas' put forth by 'these, those, or those over there' organizations in the hope that they appear to be 'doing something'. The bottom line is that if kids are truant, there's a reason - and all of the bribes or punishments put forth by idealists simply won't work. Finding out and responding to the specific reason is far more important than bribes or punishments, because then you solve the problem permanently.

Why do kids blow off school? There are many personal reasons - some kids have parents who don't see school as beneficial, or who don't care where their kids are as long as they aren't bothering them. Some kids do it as rebellion against too-strict parents. Some kids do it because ther parents are in dire straits financially, and the kids have to work, or stay home with younger siblings while parents work. Some kids are not challenged by school, are bored and disgusted and can find 'better things to do'. Some kids are frustrated because they have missed the basics of either reading or math and the higher they go, the less they understand. Some teachers (say it softly) have no business teaching, and use their classrooms for power plays or to put forth their own or others' demagoguery. Some kids are sickly and unhealthy, because of their genes or their environment, and I've seen several go to doctor afte doctor, specialist after specialist, with no results. Meanwhile the days rack up, the state tries to demand that the schools keep track and report these kids to county attorneys for investigation, when the bottom line is that each case is different and needs to be addressed differently.

Children are not empty vessels waiting to be filled; they come with their own thoughts, personalities, 'ingrained' or home-taught beliefs, prejudices and conceptions. The sooner bureaucracies stop thowing bad money after previous bad money in an attempt to look good, and actually sit down with these kids and figure out the causes of their truancy, and address those causes, they will have no effect on the results... then they will find still another 'consulting firm' that pretends to have all of the answers, and will hand them still more money, change their approach once more, rather than taking responsibility and making the permanent changes that need to be made.

JMHO.

[billiefan2000]

the ops board loves throwing money and dosent even think about whether the ideas they are making or good or not


discussion isnt welcome on the ops board. it's do what Jensen says or else mentality.

that is why other than Justin Wayne, there is no independent voices on the board.

ability to disagree with Jensen isnt welcome on the school board.



that's why Jensen and Grey and Drickey and Huston and Morrissey and possibly Borer also will be kicked out next year.

[McBain II]

Originally Posted by billiefan2000

the ops board loves throwing money and dosent even think about whether the ideas they are making or good or not


discussion isnt welcome on the ops board. it's do what Jensen says or else mentality.

that is why other than Justin Wayne, there is no independent voices on the board.

ability to disagree with Jensen isnt welcome on the school board.



that's why Jensen and Grey and Drickey and Huston and Morrissey and possibly Borer also will be kicked out next year.

Can you give some examples?

[billiefan2000]

Originally Posted by Bosco55David

Can you give some examples?

how bout the Nathan hale abuse cover scandal in which no one except Knutson lost his job over it.

why does Principal Colvin still have a job with OPS


how bout the rule in which, OPS board members must vote Jensen's way or else.