Way to go TBPS!!

My remaining remarks here are an open note to them:

The people of this community have tried for over five months now to work with the four of you.

We have tried to reason with you.
You will not listen.

We have tried to offer compromise.
You have refused.

We have expressed our concerns.
You have ignored us or at times, even mocked, admonished, and chastised us.

We are your constituents.

You are accountable to us and maybe today’s action will open your eyes to that fact.

A complaint has been filed in Marion County Superior Court today charging you four with unlawfully placing Dr. Williams on leave.

You only have yourselves to blame for the spot where you now find yourselves.

Maybe through this action, the people of Perry Twp. will get what we deserve - Elected officials that listen to us and represent us.

If so, it will be sad that it took litigation for you to meet the most basic of expectations of your constituents.

Tim Nance

What arguments will you all be posing? They won’t listen to you? They have a 4-3 block on things? They are paying Dr. Williams for not working? They are wasting money?

I must be missing something. I do not like they way they are and have done things but I see a law suit as just another costly divider for our township.

What do you get if you win? Dr. Williams back to work? Right, that would be a pretty smooth transition.

We would get an award winning superintendent, who is familiar with our school system, that can step right in and put this administration back on track. We can stop wasting financial resources on attorneys, stop rehashing resolutions that have already been passed (Edison Contract), stop the fight or flight of our quality teachers, address cutrrent issues (gangs in our schools), and start the healing of our community.

Our School board members need to realize they’re position is policy making not micro-managing the administration.

You want to know how this law suit can help anything? The answer is that there will finally be an impartial party with power to break this logjam. Right now, Perry Twp. is just spinning its wheels. These four board members act as if they are not accountable to anyone. They think they can do whatever they want, whenever they want, to whomever they want knowing there will be no consequence as long as they continue to vote as a block of four (making a majority).

You say “They won’t listen to you.” You are exactly right. They will have to listen and adhere to the judge’s ruling, however.

You say they are paying Dr. Williams for not working. Once again, you are correct but depending on the case’s outcome, Dr. Williams might be reinstated and actually earning his paycheck again. From what I have heard, he has been ready to do so for months on end now.

You say they are wasting money. Now you are three for three. Let me just say without going into the specifics of the complaint, there is a chance with a favorable ruling from the judge that these four will have to personally reimburse those wasted township dollars.

I am not being sarcastic when I say it appears that you are not as confused as you say. You seem to be just frustrated by these four members’ lack of professionalism, leadership, and good judgement. If that is true. Do not feel bad. Nearly every one in the township I talk to these days shares that same frustration. That is precisely why our law suit is necessary.

There is no other way to hold them accountable.

I’ve had many of these questions myself. There’s almost no chance that there will be a smooth, easy resolution to the troubles that have plagued Perry Township since the four board members gained their majority.

But what’s the better alternative to a lawsuit at this point? How otherwise can these individuals be kept from continuing to send our schools on a downward path? It would be ABSOLUTELY AWESOME if there were less costly, less divisive ways to hold the board majority accountable for their hasty, ill-conceived, misguided actions. The sad fact is, they have consistently claimed to be acting in the best interest of Perry Township schools — which means they will continue their destructive ways until they no longer have the power to do so.

It would be a real shame if Perry Township residents merely grumbled and complained about what’s been happening but then took no action to effect change. I applaud TBPS for mobilizing, for taking action, for committing their personal time and resources for the greater good, and most of all, for providing continual COMMUNICATION about this situation.

GOD BLESS AMERICA that we all take it for granted that we can speak our mind in a public forum and expect answers from our elected leaders.

I witness papers being passed down to the other members of the board during an item being discussed. The first three recipients have no expression or concern. The last three recipients start looking intently to read and try to review the documentation. Their faces show shock and disbelief. Coincidentally, the first three favor the comments of the president. The other three have questions and concerns. That is nauseating.

It was so much easier sitting through Monday’s board meeting feeling that there is a chance that this activity can be contained and controlled. My 5th grader was studying the systems of checks and balances for the government. Why are there no checks and balances for a local school board? Hopefully, this might establish a precedent so that this type of activity doesn’t occur again at Perry Township or in other school districts.

I am hopeful this will get us out of a rut and get those spinning wheels on more solid ground. I am hopeful this will force us to take a legal, professional step in the right direction.

Whether it is the right or wrong thing to do; only time will tell! Monday night, it felt right. As we met after the meeting, it felt right. As I watched Nancy Walsh’s comments on television, it felt right. As I type this comment, it still feels right. I have talked to so many people outside of the very active participants of Take Back Perry Schools and they feel it is right, too.

How is the lawsuit going to provide the things you outlined? Do you believe the lawsuit will result in a Judge removing the members from office?

I think Tim Nance did an excellent job addressing your questions.

“How is the lawsuit going to provide the things you outlined? Do you believe the lawsuit will result in a Judge removing the members from office?”

If the 4 board members had evidence to support termination, then Dr Williams would alresdy be terminated, and we would not be paying attorneys to investigate. I don’t believe the lawsuit will result in a Judge removing the members from office. I don’t think it will be a smooth transition, there is too much division and animosity for that. I would hope the board mambers will be willing to mediate with Dr. Williams. Just as we all must interact with others with opposing viewpoints, the board and superintendent need to get along and I think mediation will help. Dr Williams has expressed his willingness to cooperate with the board, the board has been entrenched and that needs to change.

From the Star.
The suit, filed this afternoon in Marion Superior Court by Take Back Perry Schools, asks the court to declare the board’s conduct in suspending Williams in November without charge unlawful.

If it was unlawful, why doesn’t Dr. Williams file the suit?

I would like to reply to his little comment, “It is unbelieveable what you all will do for Williams.” I do not really know Dr. Williams, personally, so let me explain to you my personal motivation regarding my efforts. I am doing this:

1. for my family. We live in Perry Twp and I think Dr. Williams has made our schools better. Good schools are extremely important to a community and I want my family to live in a respected community with a reputation for being part of a good school district. Many people I talk to tell me that they chose to live in Perry Twp. because of our schools. Now many are saying that they are considering leaving because of of our schoolboard’s (majority) decisions and actions.

2. for my students. I teach in Perry Twp. I know my students have benefited directly from the initiatives started by Dr. Williams. It is, also, very much in the best interest of students to go to schools where the teachers and other staff members feel great about their jobs.
Which leads me to point three.

3. for myself. I remember what working in Perry was like before Dr. Williams was our superintendent. Morale was low. The teachers were unappreciated. There was a real feeling of “Us against Them” when speaking of teachers and Twp. Administration. I, also, know what it has been like working in Perry under Williams’ leadership. It didn’t happen over night, but the emplyees of Perry Twp. did unite. Teachers, principals, and Twp. administrators all began to work as a team for the betterment of our students. Which loops me back to point two. Which as a teacher, is much more important to me than point three.

How can you say what you are doing is not for Dr. Williams but then on the home page announce that this site is for support of Dr. Williams and want people to pledge their support for him?

This site, and TBPS is for Dr. Williams period. The Board’s actions are the problems that face Williams.

Everyone now says this is not about Williams, yes it is, what else is it about? The way the Board behaved? Right, they want/wanted to get rid of Williams. That is the problem. Seems pretty simple to me.

You should read the following posts, as they illustrate that the efforts of TBPS are inclusive and far beyond only reinstating Dr. Williams.
http://www.takebackperryschools.com/2007/04/26/focusing-on-the-financial-impact/
http://www.takebackperryschools.com/2007/04/17/complaint-for-declaratory-relief-from-school-board/
http://www.takebackperryschools.com/2007/04/07/public-forum-on-monday-april-16th-at-7pm/

This website is specifically for showing support of Dr. Williams and the issues surrounding this ordeal. The Take Back Perry Schools website was setup after WSW and is an effort to do much more than put Dr. Williams back in his position as superintendent.

If you don’t believe the board has done more damage to this district than just putting Dr. Williams on administrative leave or “home assignment” then you need to do more research into the board and the impact of their various actions and incompetencies on our school distict and township.

Somehow I get the impression you are not as confused as you would like to appear. Perhaps you know one of the majority board members personally? Or do you have a personal reason to oppose Williams?

All the issues with the Board are centered around Williams. If the Williams incident never happened or TBPS never opposed it, then many of the other issues everyone is up in arms about would not have occured.

It is all about Williams based on my analysis. All the delays, New Tech High, Edison, etc… had Williams at the core. What I mean is many of the delays might not have happened if everyone was not so side tracked.