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Last night, July 8,
the Wynantskill Board of Education held another Special Meeting. It was
one of many that have been held since June 2013, according to the
District’s website. The Board of Education members present included
Board President, Andrea Paone, Board Vice President, Ann Marsh, Board
member, Andrew Lanesey, and Business Consultant, Gail Lathrop; missing
from the meeting were Board members Christina Curran and Matt Hug, and
Superintendent/Principal, Lisa Henkel.
The
crowd consisted mostly of anxiously awaiting parents and teachers along
with several concerned community members, all of whom were hoping the
Board was going to deliver the news that Dr. Lisa Henkel would be placed
on leave. Speculation among the crowd was buzzing that an announcement
of the leave was the reason behind the meeting being called; However, no
one could say for sure based on the very vague agenda posted on the district website the day prior.
The Board meeting was scheduled to start at 7:00 pm, but Board members did not enter the Gardner Dickinson Library to open the public session until 7:20 pm.
The agenda that was distributed among the crowd did not match the
online agenda and did not include the 2.1 Employment item, as bulleted
on the original agenda, nor a section for public comment. What it did
include was the following 2.1 item; “As requested by the Futures
Education Independent Consultant, the Board rescinds the resolution from
July 29, 2013 appointing the Consultant to perform Special Education
and RtI study and therefore instruct the District Treasurer to not
increase the budget appropriations to cover the $5,000 cost.” The
official statement from the Board was that a contractual agreement could
not be reached between the two parties consequently leaving the Board
to look at hiring choice #2
or #3, or possibly reopening the search altogether.
Approximately 10 minutes after the explanation for rescinding the Special Education and Rtl consultant was delivered, at 7:30 pm,
the Board made a motion to enter into Executive Session. This was the
kickoff to the long waiting game that ensued for the meeting attendees.
The crowd of parents, teachers, and community members were in disbelief
at what they had just witnessed. The frustrated crowd of attendees
continued to wait for another hour and 20 minutes until 8:50 pm,
when the district clerk was given the directive from the Board to make
the announcement that the “Board would not be making any public motions
upon return from Executive Session to the public forum.” This was when
the majority of the crowd called it a night and decided to leave. Some
lingered for a while longer before they also decided the waiting was
becoming a bit much. The Board officially
returned from Executive Session at 10:01 pm,
at which time, the public meeting was also immediately adjourned. Not a
word was said to the four remaining individuals waiting in the Library
about the discussion that had just taken place for the past two and a
half hours.
The
Wynantskill community has been on edge and on high alert for the past several weeks due to major concerns over school district leader, Dr. Lisa Henkel. The community wants answers and wants action. Many are
worried for the start of the new school year since the first day back is
right around the corner. Another Special Meeting was just posted and is scheduled for Wednesday, August 14, 7:30pm, one day before the regularly scheduled monthly Board meeting.
~~Comments are welcomed and encouraged~~ |
Teachers, Parents and Members of The WUFSD/Gardner Dickinson Community are entitled to an open forum to discuss concerns regarding the Wynantskill Board of Education, the Superintendent and the state of our Wynantskill District ... This is THAT forum.
Friday, August 9, 2013
What the H. E. double L. is going on?
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Next "special meeting" was just posted for August 14, one day before the regular BOE meeting on the 15th.
ReplyDeleteThis is absurd. If she really was put on leave, which is thought to be the case, WHY are we not being told? And now ANOTHER meeting THE DAY BEFORE the regular monthly board meeting.
ReplyDeleteThe lack of honesty and open communication from the board after all that has happened in the past weeks, and the total disregard and lack of common courtesy shown last night to the parents, teachers and community that were present at that meeting, is APPALLING. I really did not think that this matter could get any worse after the last regular board meeting. I was hopeful that things would start to be done and answers would be forthcoming. Instead, NOTHING has been done, despite all the information out there that is frightening and concerning about our school administrator. Now were are that much closer to our kids returning to school and no fears have been put to rest. Only more are being added. Clearly this Board is only worried about themselves and has no regard for the children, parents, teachers & concerned community. DISGRACEFUL!!! This Board is totally and utterly incapable!! You should be ashamed of yourselves!!
ReplyDeleteThe Board needs to apologize to everyone that attended that pitiful,unorganized meeting they called. What they did was unacceptable. Can that Board do anything right? Be prepared before you go to a meeting is the first thing they should have done! If you can't do that, cancel the meeting. They apparently don't know what they are doing and if that is a fact they should all step down. This has been going on for too long. It is a disgrace for the school and the taxpayers in Wynantskill.
ReplyDeleteI think we need to step back and take a breath. I believe the BOE is listening to parents and teachers but needs to proceed cautiously so that all the i's are dotted and t's are crossed! We wouldn't want them to make a rushed move that winds up biting us! Proceeding with caution is best. If something came up and they had to postpone an anticipated announcement last night, I'll be happy wait for it when the time is right (and safe).
ReplyDeleteIn two weeks teachers will be back. The place is in chaos. That this BOE has not taken action is leading to one horrendous opening of the school year. Placing the Superintendent on paid administrative leave immediately and finding an interim immediately should have been done yesterday. The time was right, no it is overdue. This BOE needs to be pushed, mercilessly. Our kids and their teachers are going to have a terrible start to the school year.
ReplyDelete13 is the number of the times to board has met since June 2013. This doesn't include the 2 meetings scheduled for next week or when 2 members of the boe met with parents and teachers multiple times. They've been very very busy, but have yet to produce results. Let's remember it is because of their decisions we are in this mess to begin with. They must be held accountable for that. The two lessons I hope they take away from all of this is to conduct an intense thorough background check and to use Google. Go figure last night was lucky meeting 13 since this all started.
ReplyDeleteIt doesn't matter if it takes 25 meetings as long as the end result is that the superintendent is gone! The board has to proceed with caution so that Dr. Henkel cannot return because of some mistake or loophole! It's been less than 50 days since school has been out and in that time the board has met 13 times. I would say that proves they're working hard at getting to the bottom of this. Everyone realizes that school is opening soon, but a hasty decision on their part could prove to be quite a detriment. Please, for once, appreciate their efforts--they ARE doing what we've asked and are investigating this. The hard part is waiting!
ReplyDeleteAs an educator in the building, I ask you to please understand that your children will not have a horrendous start to the school year. All staff members will rally together to make the start of the 2013-2014 a positive and exciting experience for the students. Together, with the strong support of our community, we will show just how resilient GD really is!
ReplyDeleteI think what may have happened on August 8 was the board origonally had the "go ahead" to put Henkel on leave, but she must have gotten a lawyer of her own and at the last minute they had to cancel the announcement because of it.
ReplyDeleteThe legal world does drag things out. But let's all be hopeful and patient that on August 14 the district get's the green light from the attorney to finally be rid of her! I'm not worried about the school being ready on Sept. 4. I think the "12 monthers" have been working real hard to make sure everything is ready. They have been doing their jobs with AND without Henkel.
Now this makes total sense. During executive session through the window you could see a man not on the board meeting with them. It was not Bill Ryan and it was not Michael Marchelle. Each board member stood up and shook this mans hand individually and then he left. I wonder if that was Lisa's lawyer. That would make sense.
DeletePlease understand that BY LAW personnel matters must be kept confidential, and BY LAW, executive session items cannot be discussed. The board members were prohibited from talking to the public about the 2.5 hr executive session. They were doing exactly what they were supposed to do by not addressing the remaining members of the public. Even if the superintendent is put on leave, the only information that will ever be released to the public will be "The superintendent has been placed on leave." If you are looking for any more detail than that, you are going to be disappointed. Your board members are following the law.
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone have the e-mail addresses of the Board members? They are not listed on the school website. I would like to send an e-mail before next weeks BOE meetings and yet I do not have an address to do so.
ReplyDeleteAnn Marsh, amarsh@nycap.rr.com. Andrea Panone, paonea@nycap.rr.com
DeleteSo the sixth grade parents received a letter that they do not have a teacher for the second sixth grade class this year. They are interviewing for this position. In the meantime one of last years fifth grade teachers was fired and then rehired for the remedial Math position in June. However, this outstanding teacher may now be leaving us. This really begs the question of why can't we keep an excellent teacher? Why does the school have to be in an endless cycle of hiring new teachers? Shouldn't the school be doing everything they can to keep an outstanding teacher. Maybe they should be looking into why our excellent teachers are jumping ship and actually DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!!
ReplyDeleteWhen was this letter dated? Who signed the letter? Lisa Henkel?
DeleteLetter was dated August 7th and signed by Lisa Henkel.
DeleteDoes anyone know anything about the incoming 4th grade class size? We ended the school year with 27, knowing there was one more child coming in this making the total of 28, if no one moved out of the district.
ReplyDeleteI just can't stop thinking that this will be the best week ever in the continuing saga of HENKEL GO HOME! I just feel that the BOE has worked really hard at doing everything by the book so there's NO chance of any loophole. September is right around the corner and we will have a happy start to our 2013-2014 school year! Good things come to those who deserve it. Others get what they deserve!
ReplyDeleteYou people are ignorant and don't deserve Dr. Henkel.
ReplyDeleteYOU ARE RIGHT insofaras NO ONE deserves to be subjected to Dr. Henkel. Just ask Grace...
DeleteMaybe we are ignorant. We didn't think it was acceptable for a Superintendent to smack her employees! Shame on us. We should've consulted the 'hand'book!
DeleteIf you mean we were ignorant because we were uninformed about Dr. Henkel before she was hired you are correct. If we had known what happened at Boght Hills none of this would be occurring. As far as not deserving Dr. Henkel, you are spot on that no one deserves to be bullied by their employer. I commend you on your insight in this matter.
DeleteWe don't deserve her! But hey, if you think she's that good, by all means...TAKE HER!
ReplyDeleteWe are ignorant so maybe we can get Dr.Chilton instead u idiot!
ReplyDeleteI don't know which Superintendent would want to come to this school district. You should consider yourselves lucky that you don't get sued for libel. One day, there will be laws to protect people from those who use social media to spread lies and destroy reputations. It is now commonplace for people to write whatever they want; the truth doesn't have to play a role anymore.
ReplyDeleteI am sure you all believe you have been writing the truth. The only thing I know for sure is that Dr. Henkel needed to get a lawyer from the beginning as she was ill-equipped to deal with the Wynantskill mob mentality.
All Superintendents have lawyers who write and enforce employment contracts for them. They are not stupid. Most Superintendents actually do well in their assignments. Few cause the tremendous uprising by parents and teachers like Lisa Henkel. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize there is something terribly wrong in Wynantskill since her arrival.
ReplyDeleteMust be Lisa Henkel's family member got wind of this sight. It's called freedom of speech. Read the Constitution.
ReplyDeleteDid Dr. Henkel really smack an employee as stated above? (Smack has a specific meaning and connotation.) Is she really mentally unstable as stated in a posting elsewhere in July? Does she really not show up for work, given that work might include a meeting with state ed in Albany, a meeting with BOCES, etc? I assume someone followed her car before stating this as fact.
ReplyDeleteWhile you can write anything here, a Superintendent is not at liberty to discuss every policy decision regarding a student or employee.
Sometimes we don't like our leaders because of what they demand of us. We don't like the message they carry. It does not make the leader automatically wrong. Not every "uprising" is justified.
I believe verbal and physical abuse is significant enough to warrant an uprising. Stop defending this very sick lady. Your family member/friend needs to get help.
DeleteLisa Henkel should be mortified and embarrassed -- to be on the 6 p.m. news, looking like she did, and having 99 percent of her teachers vote no confidence - any normal person would have resigned and kept all of this out of the media.
ReplyDeletePlease, attend the meeting tonight or tomorrow night or any of the upcoming board meetings and ask these questions.
ReplyDeleteParents have every right to be informed of changes of procedure or policy that directly impacts the student, THEIR child.
Although there may be a public comment period during a regular board meeting, do not be surprised if questions are not addressed if they don't pertain to the meeting agenda. That is the usual practice of any school district. Also understand that questions regarding specific students or specific personnel issues cannot be addressed in a public meeting.
DeleteYou read the defamation laws. The only defense of defamation in this case is if what you print or say is the truth. The Constitution is our framework. All our laws must abide by the constitution. However, it, in itself does not contain every detail of law. Nowhere does it say that it is illegal to steal. We have a separate set of laws for theft as we do for defamation. Besides the law, there is the morality of defamation to consider.
ReplyDeleteI am not a family member of the Henkels. One doesn't need to be a family member to be able to identify when a wrong has been done.
And yes, all parents should understand policy matters. But, matters such as special ed for a particular student are legally private. It is not Mr. Jones' business if Mrs. Smith's child gets services and what kind and how often. It is only Mrs. Smith's business as stated by law. Mrs. Smith is free to share information with Mr. Jones. But, a principal, superintendent, or teacher cannot publicly discuss it (or defend itself).
Furthermore, if I have to attend a school board meeting to ask such questions of Dr. Henkel, are you telling me that the statements made about her have not been proven to be truthful? It's a little late at this point to ask the questions. The damage has been done.
ReplyDeleteWhy don't you ask the staff member who was hit if it is true or not? Oh wait and the person who witnessed it.
ReplyDelete