Whitko School Board Doesn't Represent Constituents
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
I must be naive.
I have always been taught that if you do what is right and treat people the way you want to be treated, good things will happen.
You know, that whole Golden Rule thing.
I have also believed that even though our system of government is not perfect, it represents the people and we all have a voice.
However, attending the last two meetings of the Whitko School Board, I have discovered that neither of the above statements is true.
I watched and listened for several hours (over two meetings combined) as members of the Whitko community, parents, current and former teachers as well as former administrators stepped forward to voice their opinions about school nurse Sharon Lee and protest her termination.
Lee has been the corporation nurse at Whitko for 12 years. With one more year of service at the school, Lee could retire with benefits from PERF (Public Employee Retirement Fund) as well as retirement benefits from the school corporation.
After 17 members of the public spoke in her favor at the June school board meeting and 11 people spoke up for her at the July meeting Monday night, the board members still voted to approve her termination.
In two meetings combined, 37 people addressed the board, and not one of them spoke against Lee. And not one administrator explained why she was being considered for termination.
You see, I was under the impression that elected officials - that includes school board members - were supposed to represent the people who voted for them. And, in my opinion, school board members are supposed to think in terms of what is best for the children.
Obviously at Whitko, this is not the case.
I was amazed at the number of people who attended the school board meetings to support Lee, each one telling stories of how she touched their lives and the lives of their children. They told how she went the extra mile to help students and their families in any way possible. She visited hospitals, not only when students were sick, but also when their family members were there. She went to funeral homes to comfort families when students died and to comfort students when family members died. She spent countless hours in a job where, unfortunately, the "thanks" can be few and far between.
And I was appalled at the decision the school board made.
The principals from the four buildings in the Whitko School Corp. (South Whitley Elementary School, Pierceton Elementary School, Whitko Middle School and Whitko High School) recommended Lee's termination. However, did even one of them have the intestinal fortitude to show up at either of the school board meetings to explain why?
No.
Instead they hid behind a letter that was given to the school board and not released to the general public.
On Monday night, only one school board member, Mike Braddock, had the integrity to go against the grain and vote against the recommendation for termination. He stood up for - gasp - the people he represents.
The other four school board members - Pete Mitchell, Dave Tranter, E. Marie Trump and Hal Trump - approved the motion.
Mitchell looked at Lee and said, "This is the worst thing I've ever had to do."
Tranter said, "All the data points to termination."
But at least they spoke about their decisions.
E. Marie Trump and Hal Trump took the coward's route and voted without giving a reason.
I watched as parents and students cried after the shock of the decision wore off. One child sobbed, ran and wrapped her arms and legs around Lee in a giant bear hug.
What was Lee's reaction? The same as it would have been if they were at school - Lee hugged the girl, comforted her and told her things would be all right.
And do you know why Lee reacted that way? Because that's the type of person she is.
Sharon Lee is a good, caring person. One day she will be greatly rewarded for sharing her love and giving of herself. Unfortunately, that day was not Monday.
But Lee can sleep at night knowing that she is the type of person we can only hope children will grow up to be.
I can't say the same for four members of the Whitko School Board who refused to listen to what their constituents were telling them.
And to those four people - I say thank you. For destroying my faith in the representative democratic system.
They have proved that even when we speak up, the members of the public truly have no voice. [[In-content Ad]]
I must be naive.
I have always been taught that if you do what is right and treat people the way you want to be treated, good things will happen.
You know, that whole Golden Rule thing.
I have also believed that even though our system of government is not perfect, it represents the people and we all have a voice.
However, attending the last two meetings of the Whitko School Board, I have discovered that neither of the above statements is true.
I watched and listened for several hours (over two meetings combined) as members of the Whitko community, parents, current and former teachers as well as former administrators stepped forward to voice their opinions about school nurse Sharon Lee and protest her termination.
Lee has been the corporation nurse at Whitko for 12 years. With one more year of service at the school, Lee could retire with benefits from PERF (Public Employee Retirement Fund) as well as retirement benefits from the school corporation.
After 17 members of the public spoke in her favor at the June school board meeting and 11 people spoke up for her at the July meeting Monday night, the board members still voted to approve her termination.
In two meetings combined, 37 people addressed the board, and not one of them spoke against Lee. And not one administrator explained why she was being considered for termination.
You see, I was under the impression that elected officials - that includes school board members - were supposed to represent the people who voted for them. And, in my opinion, school board members are supposed to think in terms of what is best for the children.
Obviously at Whitko, this is not the case.
I was amazed at the number of people who attended the school board meetings to support Lee, each one telling stories of how she touched their lives and the lives of their children. They told how she went the extra mile to help students and their families in any way possible. She visited hospitals, not only when students were sick, but also when their family members were there. She went to funeral homes to comfort families when students died and to comfort students when family members died. She spent countless hours in a job where, unfortunately, the "thanks" can be few and far between.
And I was appalled at the decision the school board made.
The principals from the four buildings in the Whitko School Corp. (South Whitley Elementary School, Pierceton Elementary School, Whitko Middle School and Whitko High School) recommended Lee's termination. However, did even one of them have the intestinal fortitude to show up at either of the school board meetings to explain why?
No.
Instead they hid behind a letter that was given to the school board and not released to the general public.
On Monday night, only one school board member, Mike Braddock, had the integrity to go against the grain and vote against the recommendation for termination. He stood up for - gasp - the people he represents.
The other four school board members - Pete Mitchell, Dave Tranter, E. Marie Trump and Hal Trump - approved the motion.
Mitchell looked at Lee and said, "This is the worst thing I've ever had to do."
Tranter said, "All the data points to termination."
But at least they spoke about their decisions.
E. Marie Trump and Hal Trump took the coward's route and voted without giving a reason.
I watched as parents and students cried after the shock of the decision wore off. One child sobbed, ran and wrapped her arms and legs around Lee in a giant bear hug.
What was Lee's reaction? The same as it would have been if they were at school - Lee hugged the girl, comforted her and told her things would be all right.
And do you know why Lee reacted that way? Because that's the type of person she is.
Sharon Lee is a good, caring person. One day she will be greatly rewarded for sharing her love and giving of herself. Unfortunately, that day was not Monday.
But Lee can sleep at night knowing that she is the type of person we can only hope children will grow up to be.
I can't say the same for four members of the Whitko School Board who refused to listen to what their constituents were telling them.
And to those four people - I say thank you. For destroying my faith in the representative democratic system.
They have proved that even when we speak up, the members of the public truly have no voice. [[In-content Ad]]