A chat with School Board President Denise Connelly
District official discusses e-mail investigation, policy governance and relationship with media
Monday, June 18, 2007
Denise Connelly, a former Steamboat Springs School District teacher and the current School Board president, joined steamboatpilot.com last week for an online chat. Below is a transcript of that conversation.
Q: The School Board is working on revising many of its policies, including a change that would allow school district employees to serve on the School Board. Why is this particular change necessary?
Connelly: Reviewing and updating policies is a normal and necessary activity of any School Board. Presently, we are mainly simplifying our policies and eliminating unnecessary and repetitive sections. This particular policy was brought forward because in its original form in 1998 it contained no provision to eliminate district employees. In the past 40 years there has only been one teacher, Bud Romberg, who taught for one year during his four-year term. The policy was changed to exclude district employees from the School Board in 1999 when a School Board member was employed as a substitute teacher. A few years ago, an exception was made to allow a School Board member to sub as a bus driver.
In a small town, we have a limited pool of people to fill various positions in the school district as teachers, coaches, support staff, etc. We also have a small pool of people who are willing to volunteer to be on the School Board. We need to make sure that our policies do not unnecessarily restrict those pools and that we leave the final decision of whom the public would like to represent them in the hands of the voters per current Colorado state law.
Q: What other major policy changes can we expect?
Connelly: The main area I foresee changes to be made will be in those designated as a result of the district's internal investigation. Any new policies will be enacted to make sure we have adequate and enforceable procedures in place to protect district information, students and staff.
Q: Speaking of the investigation, what is the status of the Board's internal investigation into how e-mails sent by John DeVincentis were gathered and disseminated? When will the results be released?
Connelly: Most of the final interviews have been completed. Unfortunately, there are people that we believe have information that is relevant to the investigation, who have refused to cooperate with the investigation. From a recent discussion with our investigator, Earl Rhodes, I expect that we will be able to release a report within the next week.
Q: Did you consider asking DeVincentis to resign?
Connelly: Of course all options were considered. Any political position requires the ability to look at all sides of an issue. After discussions with friends and advisors and a private discussion with Dr. DeVincentis, I felt that the decision should be his. He was elected by a 75 percent majority of our community, and he needed to gauge his own support within the community. I do believe, personally, that some of the content of his e-mails was inappropriate, but I also believe that the release of the e-mails was inappropriate.
All decisions, especially of this nature, require a lot of information. At the time of the release of the e-mails, as a Board and as an individual, we did not feel that we had enough information to make this request. At this time, we still do not have all of the information or motives of the people who released the e-mails.
Q: You have expressed concerns in recent months about the way the School Board in particular and the school district in general have been treated by the Steamboat Pilot & Today. What is it that you would like to see the newspaper do differently?
Connelly: I would like to see an improved working relationship between the Pilot and the district. I understand that the press would like to have as much information as possible about what the board is doing. Within the limits of state law of required confidentiality of certain information, we are committed to open discussion and the sharing of information. We will certainly comply with any legal request for information, but we hope that the information is for valid purposes and not aimed at distracting the district from its main purpose of providing quality education to our students.
I also think it is important that the Pilot present information in an unbiased manner. Fairly presenting both sides of an issue is all the more necessary as the Pilot is such a widely-read source of news in our community. Recently, the Pilot asked the district to pay its $12,000 legal fee in a suit that was decided in the district's favor. An appeal of this decision was upheld by the courts, and now the Pilot is seeking another appeal on this same case. This continued distraction does not lead to an improved working relationship. We would like to see the Pilot work with the district to reach a settlement on this issue that leads to an improved relationship that benefits our entire community.
Q: Policy governance has been a sticking point for this board as well as boards in the past. Yet, after recent meetings with facilitator to review and update board policies, you and the board seem to have embraced policy governance. What has changed?
Connelly: A couple of members of the present board ran on platforms to review policy governance because of problems in the past with a lack of communication between the board and the community, and the board and the staff, and a lack of accountability at the highest level. Upon review of what the district has had in place for the past nine years, it became evident that prior boards really never completely or correctly implemented policy governance or the communication linkages and monitoring reports to ensure accountability.
I don't feel that the board has completely "embraced" policy governance, but we would like to see if it is a fit for our district if properly implemented. We are completely open to modifying the system to best fit the needs and direction of our district and continuing the high-level accomplishments of our students. As a part of policy governance, we are still dealing with the personnel issues of the past two years. We had three major facilitations to try to sort out the working relationship between the Board and the Superintendent. These discussions are ongoing and still a priority. The problem is not solely between Dr. DeVincentis and Dr. Howell, but between the Board and Dr. Howell and the correct implementation of policy governance.
Comments
Sunspot 5 years, 11 months ago
Just let Scott Stanford appoint all School Board Members and everything will be fine.
SteamboatJoe 5 years, 11 months ago
sunspot is not to be confused with sunnydays, though they read the same
JQPUBLIC 5 years, 11 months ago
"a change that would allow school district employees to serve on the School Board"... You want to put people in a position where they can pass policy and make financial decisions that will affect them and their paid positions?.... talk about personal agendas; sounds unethical to me.
"some of the content of his e-mails was inappropriate, but I also believe that the release of the e-mails was inappropriate... So now two wrongs does make a right?
"as a Board and as an individual, we did not feel that we had enough information to make this request" (for D to resign) "we still do not have all of the information or motives of the people who released the e-mails"... and having the motives will change what part of D's actions?
"The problem is not solely between Dr. DeVincentis and Dr. Howell, but between the Board and Dr. Howell and the correct implementation of policy governance... in a previous interview you stated that the board needed to make policy and ALLOW the administrator more discretion implementing it.... that really sums up everyone's position doesn't it? Back off and quit micromanaging and something may get done. I don't know either of these administrator's (past or present) but I have to believe they were hired for the position because they were qualified... LET THEM DO THEIR JOBS... YOU DO YOURS.
beagle 5 years, 11 months ago
JQ - Whatever Denise or anyone on this board says, you're going to attack them. That's clear from your previous posts. The release of the e-mails WAS inappropriate (and unethical and against district policy), the motives of the people who did it ARE relevant, and the work the board is doing on policy governance IS needed.
Sunspot 5 years, 11 months ago
JQ Teachers should not be allowed to be on the board. It would put people in a position where they can pass policy and make financial decisions that will affect them and their paid positions.
Parents should not be allowed to be on the board either. It would put people in a position where they can pass policy and make financial decisions that will affect them and their children.
Also Taxpayers should not be allowed to be on the board either. It would put people in a position where they can pass policy and make financial decisions that will affect them and their taxes.
Maybe my dog can be on the board. She has no personal agenda, but she does go into heat every 6 months. Using your logic, I think she would fit right in. We should check with Scott first!
HighlandClover 5 years, 11 months ago
This is getting a little rediculous. With so many people trying to direct the blame in so many directions we are all getting further and further away from the only facts that we have: Dr. D wrote horrid emails stuffed with a bullying personal agenda. The emails came to light. Dr. D appologized--for getting CAUGHT! (although not for actually having done anything wrong--which puts to question his mental health.)
Dr. D should have had the decency to resign, but as he won't deign to do so, the school board should have not requested it, but demanded his resignation. He is a scoundrel and a cad, and for my part, I would not own him if I were his mother.
SteamboatJoe 5 years, 11 months ago
highlandclover - excellent post
Matthew Stoddard 5 years, 11 months ago
As clover says: the only facts we have. There are more to found, if you look a little further. Don't strain, though. Wouldn't want to see anything that makes you go "Hmmmm..."
And "would not own him if I were his mother." Wow. That's pretty close to the email talking about kissing Simms. Wow. Another person starting to sound as bad as the emails. Wow.
HighlandClover 5 years, 11 months ago
Thanks, I do try! I have every intention of "straining" as you put it, although I consider it fun, to find out everything I can on the matter. However, as I understand it, this is not, I repeat, NOT the first, or even second or third transgression John D. has had--actually is just more recent in a long line of such misdemeanors. Frankly, I find it quite pathetic that so many citizens of Steamboat allow themselves to be bedeviled by one persons charisma instead of actually looking at what kind of a person John D. really is.
For instance, have you ever noticed that when he does something that is for the good of education in Steamboat, the only person that "good thing" does any good for is himself. He doesn't care about the student who leaves his school to attend the middle school, because he only works to give himself more power--it's how he operates. But the community does not have to fall prey to his inquisition for power.
And Matthew, with a book of synonyms and antonyms, your last bit of oration wouldn't have been a bad speech. In fact, here are a few synonyms for "wow": good one, guffaw, hoot, howler, rib tickler, riot, roar, scream, sidesplitter, thigh-slapper. Any of these can be used sarcastically, don't worry.
jane 5 years, 11 months ago
Bankers are on bank boards, doctors are on hospital boards, cosmetologists are state cosmetologist boards- who knows more about schools that the school employees? There is much policy that does not deal with salary.
Matthew Stoddard 5 years, 11 months ago
That's why you'll note each Wow was followed only by a "period." I've never defended Dr. D; I've only wanted both sides to come clean. For me, this isn't about the emails anymore, but statements made that don't add up.
I also keep pointing out that ANYONE claiming to do something "for the kids" is only doing what THEY think is best for the kids. That doesn't mean it is on anyone's account. Plus, you'll find that everything D did as principal was pretty darn good for the majority of children that passed thru during his tenure. Almost everyone against him has conceded that.
HighlandClover 5 years, 11 months ago
Dr. D has rarely done any good for students not in his school. He is single-minded, and we are not helping our students by allowing him the decision to resign.
mom 5 years, 10 months ago
Dr. D is present in all of the schools and supports all of the students. He was asked by many parents (including me) and staff members to NOT resign. He could have easily walked away but stayed for our children and teachers.
Sunnydays 5 years, 11 months ago
Tell that to the principal of Soda Creek who mentored under him and looked up to him and worked with him to get the six traits writing program into Soda Creek, and strengthen the goals for the DAC etc... You need to know what you are talking about before you talk...unless you are just interested in hearing your own words.
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