Schoolboard Appoointment?

[Justine Cooper]

Jay,
I know I shouldn't jump into this because there are obviously things that go on this city between high-positioned people that the rest of us would never know about. I have heard nothing and read nothing but good things in regard to Mr. Geiger here and in the LO with the exception of the surprising and sudden resignation that seems not to be surprising to others. While this does not take away from all the good he has done, the concern you read from taxpayers on HOW his replacement could have been chosen without the taxpayers' vote, is a real concern. While the Board is the ROCK of the school system, the parents out there volunteering and advocating and sharing the fact that they have children in the schools are the HEART and SOUL of the schools. If there is a shred of truth to what Ryan put out there, every person paying taxes in the city has a right to know.

There has been so much good from the Lakewood Observer, which was initiated for THAT very reason-to put the GOOD out there, that NO other media source was willing to do. Before this economic decline, the LO seemed to have started with the prediction that the economy would plummet before it actually did, which is why all their groups are run by volunteers to keep the city thriving. They must have known we would run out of money because not one group asks for a nickel, including Jim and the board and staff. As for the deck, we all get enraged over posts, trust me. We all want to discredit it when we don't agree with something.

But if you think for one minute any of the sites around or popping up that do NOT require a real name will be anything but rumor mills and angry and ugly posts that someone can and will hide behind a LIE of a name, you are wrong. For better or worse, people have to stand behind their posts with their real names and while things get ugly sometimes, it is real. I think it took guts and courage for Ryan to post what he heard and it will be a revelation to hear if truth comes out. But if it didn't, he put out there what others must have been talking about, and you were able to defend the rumors. In sites where people hide behind fake names, can you imagine the potential to really hurt people and others with no liability?

I have never met you but heard of the tremendous effort and work that you did for the schools. I hope that at election time you do take a chance to continue that! Because at the end of the day during the hardest time in decades for the entire country, our schools, parks, and safety are the only things that matter to turn around the housing market and keep Lakewood thriving. They are EVERYTHING to parents and to every tax payer whether they realize it or not. That is why people panic when they hear they might have been deceived on who sits on that board. It is everything right now.

But if you talk to people all around Lakewood, they will tell you of the positives the LO has done. Too many to name. But parents got to see their kids in the paper in sports that never made it anywhere else. Businesses got stories that no other newspaper would bother with. People get recognized for good work, including the students. They are much more than seeing goodness in people, they put it out there for ALL to see and hopefully keep people in Lakewood or bring others here. We all need that to survive.

[Jay Foran]

Justine,

Thank you for your post! I heartily agree with you that the parents and volunteers are the heart and soul of our school system. I agree because I am a parent and volunteer myself and I have witnessed the power of my fellow parents coming together and creating the construction plan we are implementing now. Not only was the plan solid the implementation has been on time and on budget in both initial phases. There is much accomplishment that the community should celebrate (and trust in).

In the midst of the significant dust kicked up during construction, an impressive level of education has still taken place. Bumps along the way...absolutely. But think about it for a minute. For example, during a two year period, we generated a high-level education program in two elementary schools involving over four hundred children in four local churches. That was only possible due to parents, students, teachers and the administration working together. Say what you want amount the magnificence of the new buildings, the real triumph was in getting there!

Where I probably disagree with you is that while the Board will make an appointment, it is for a period of no more eleven or twelve months. An individual appointed will still have to run for election in November of 2009. This is not an renegade, one-off decision by the Board but one put in place by law created and adopted by the community. Taxpayers have not been taken or misled. This is the system we demoncratically adopted. Why should we not trust our four remaining Board members to make a responsible decision. If we don't trust them, then why do we hold elections and why did we select these four people in particular? Our Board has done a magnificent job over the years minimizing the politics in carrying out their duties. Why all of a sudden do we assume politics will be injected.

I disagree that Ryan simply posted what he heard. In my mind, he attempted to lecture us about how the system worked and directly intimated that Mr. Geiger was simply a politician who was not above politicizing his position for gain. After 22 years of spectacular and heartfelt service, Mr. Geiger was reduced in one post to cronyism, suspicion and innuendo....Why?...because he failed to get our approval before he rendered a decision that was clearly his to make. My point has been and will continue to be...at what point...do we as a community....person to person...start off assuming the best in someone before giving in to the temptation that "there is something obviously going on here". My dad always said (and as I have gotten older I believe him more) that conspirators are always looking for conspiracies and people that can't be trusted are the first to not trust others. I have become disheartened reading the negative, implied posts in this thread and others. That was the impetus for my initial post.

I am a big fan of the LO newspaper and less of a fan of the Observation Deck. What I like about the LO Deck is that you have to sign your name. Even if I post on other blogs, I use my real name. What I have never liked is threefold. First, any post can purport anything. For instance, Danielle has provided heresay evidence that our own Mayor is telling people that Grant will be closed. Second, if the Mayor does respond to the allegation...it must be true. Third, and most importantly, if do not post on the LO Deck you must have something to hide. This is why I took issue with what I interpreted that Jim O tried to intimate about Linda and Betsy. I took his post to read...Ed and Matt have seen the light and post on the LO...they are tranparent. Linda and Betsy have not posted....so they are not transparent. The LO Deck is a wonderful option for the community, but should never be a litmus test for anybody in public office. I also did not like that Linda and Betsey were identified as lurkers. I am hopeful that anyone surveying the LO is not being monitored and charted. In the end, the LO Deck is not a thing...it is a composition of people. I do believe Jim and his board sees it this same way. I would not have raised my concern about the negative bent in our community's comments if I did not care about how we see or treat one another or thought the LO Deck was not a worthy endeavor.

Justine, thanks again for your post.

Jay

[Donald Farris]

Hi,
I wonder if Mr. Ken Warren would be open to accepting the School Board position? Don't you agree, Mr. Foran, that Ken would make an excellent choice?

I hope that anyone that does get the position posts on the Deck, at least as much as they posted prior to being given the position. I would hope much more really.

Mr. Foran, surely you believe that the person appointed to the position has a much better chance of retaining the position in an election. Lakewood and everywhere else in US understand that aspect of our election process and use it to retain power through an election.

[Jay Foran]

I not only believe Ken Warren would be an excellent choice...I think he would be an outstanding choice. There are many qualified candidates in our community.

[Jim O'Bryan]

I am a big fan of the LO newspaper and less of a fan of the Observation Deck. What I like about the LO Deck is that you have to sign your name. Even if I post on other blogs, I use my real name. What I have never liked is threefold. First, any post can purport anything. For instance, Danielle has provided heresay evidence that our own Mayor is telling people that Grant will be closed. Second, if the Mayor does respond to the allegation...it must be true. Third, and most importantly, if do not post on the LO Deck you must have something to hide. This is why I took issue with what I interpreted that Jim O tried to intimate about Linda and Betsy. I took his post to read...Ed and Matt have seen the light and post on the LO...they are tranparent. Linda and Betsy have not posted....so they are not transparent. The LO Deck is a wonderful option for the community, but should never be a litmus test for anybody in public office. I also did not like that Linda and Betsey were identified as lurkers. I am hopeful that anyone surveying the LO is not being monitored and charted. In the end, the LO Deck is not a thing...it is a composition of people. I do believe Jim and his board sees it this same way. I would not have raised my concern about the negative bent in our community's comments if I did not care about how we see or treat one another or thought the LO Deck was not a worthy endeavor.
Jay

Jay

First the Danielle comment. I have never known Danielle to lie, that would give some credence to her comments about the mayor and her friend being told not to register her children at Grant. If it is the truth or not, has nothing to do with the mayor weighing in or not weighing in. Though Mayor FitzGerald does have the habit of coming in and straightening things out before they get too far out of whack. Maybe because of your closeness to Chaz, Linda and Betsey, you have some inside track on Grant not closing, or who is or who is not lobbying for the seat on the board. Danielle, Justine, Betsey, Steve, and 50,000 others do not. All they have is the past to go on, Franklin School, Teachers reassigned or fired for no reason, classes dropped for one reason, and then restarted ONLY when the protests start, then finally the never ending spin coming out of the Superintendent's office, where one parent is told one thing and the next something completely different. These people, these residents, and even other board members have every right to ask what is going on and try to find truthful answers somewhere.

Some prefer small little coffee clatches, where it is discussed. In the past these have been used to great advantage to get out information, and to control the message. These also lead other meetings, and other meetings, and other meetings in a never ending game of "telephone," that usually only results in bushfire rumors becoming full blown firestorms. Where on forums where real people use real names, there is at least a chance and an opportunity to construct a fire wall, and douse the flames of rumor with facts. Using this thread for a perfect example, many of the flames have been doused, bad health for one.

I think we all agree that Chas Geiger has every right to retire on his terms, and when he wants. He has more than served his time, and paid his dues. That said you have to admit it is not Chas' character to make sudden decisions without a plan or without half of the board even knowing. I think that is what took most by surprise, and fueled much of the speculation. Which did play into rumors that had been swirling around for many many months before his immediate retirement was announced.

Once we get past voters remorse, which is understandable, after all Chas Geiger as we all know is an outstanding member of the community, and has given 22 years to the schools. Chas was the rock that people felt good in voting for. But many are now feeling a bit squeamish over who is next. Many have expressed they want a more open process.

From that point it might have been better to drop names and ask in a different thread, "If an elected official ran for office knowing they were going to step down, and had planed to appoint someone that was not elected or could never get elected, is that perverting the election process?" or is admittedly the case sometimes in politics "A decision is made then a charade of an open process is laid out to merely make it look like it was an open process" does that pervert the process? That might have been better way to ask the civics lesson Ryan Patrick Demro provided us with.

There was no attack or negativity in my post towards Linda and Betsey, so you can stop that spin. I merely pointed out that I applauded the efforts of Ed and Matt who have reached out to Lakewoodites here on the Deck and in other ways. The point of lurking is not a negative one in the online world. It is the description of someone that reads but does not post. Which is why I immediately posted the definition. Someone did take the time to call both Linda and Betsey and complain of my "attacks", so I am glad to have set it straight immediately and publicly. Recently I had told Betsey that she should run again, and I supported both Linda and Chas in their re-election bids.

95% of the Deck is lurkers. With 42,000+ unique ip addresses a month, it is obvious that most lurk. This is one reason we do not ask ask for for people to sign in to read any part of the LO Project. The LO has no interest in controlling the flow of information to anyone. No one is monitored, no one is edited, no names are collected, no email lists are sold, or given out as happens with other sites or civic groups. We respect each and every person that comes to this community building tool. All of the names of those currently online are shown at the bottom of the front page of the Observation Deck. Anyone can see them, unless they have chosen "invisible" in their profiles. No one is, or has ever been, "tracked" as you suggest.

As for Ken on the school board, Ken is a library director. Quite possibly the best this city or maybe country will ever see. He has the awards, and job offers to prove it. I think the school board, would suffocate the man. But that is only my opinion. Certainly he is better than some being mentioned, and would bring an openness and consensus building Lakewoodites are looking for.

Thanks for stepping up and posting, and for the kind words on the LO Project.


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[Justine Cooper]

Justine,

Thank you for your post! I heartily agree with you that the parents and volunteers are the heart and soul of our school system. I agree because I am a parent and volunteer myself and I have witnessed the power of my fellow parents coming together and creating the construction plan we are implementing now. Not only was the plan solid the implementation has been on time and on budget in both initial phases. There is much accomplishment that the community should celebrate (and trust in).

In the midst of the significant dust kicked up during construction, an impressive level of education has still taken place. Bumps along the way...absolutely. But think about it for a minute. For example, during a two year period, we generated a high-level education program in two elementary schools involving over four hundred children in four local churches. That was only possible due to parents, students, teachers and the administration working together. Say what you want amount the magnificence of the new buildings, the real triumph was in getting there!

I 100% agree with you and know that you had a signigicant impact in the process. The new schools are impressive beyond words and as I have stated in previous posts, so is the staff and curriculum~!

I guess for me it is difficult to separate the deck from the hard copy LO, because of the overlap of contributors and its ethics which differ greatly from other sites that I wouldn't bother going to. If there is no accoutability, there is NO credibility. Here things get said that infuriate people but eventually the truth always comes out and most importantly, all have to stand by their word. I have walked away for periods feeling negatively about it, and my guess is so has Danielle and Ryan and others. Why we come back is, I think, there is more truth here than what we have found outside of here, and we get to express opinions that traditionally couldn't express on really important issues, like the schools.

While there is an overlap of people on the deck and contributors to the LO, there are many who post but would never consider writing or volunteering for any LO project for the city (and vice verse). Hearing opposite opinions or devil's advocate sides is good for people, which is why it is good for you or other to jump in on threads that discuss one side of an issue and vice versa. Anyone with a spouse and kids can deal with differing opinons or someone playing the devil's advocate but what is truly discouraging is when people post specifically to poison or hurt someone in the city or the city itself when they spend hours talking about crime or what is "wrong" on public sites and do nothing to help the city. Because this effort is in direct opposition to that I guess I feel the need to defend it. I mean let's face it, homeowners are broadly grouped into two categories right now, those who choose to be here, love the city and do what they can to help it stay not just afloat but cool and artsy and thriving, and those who are here because they feel trapped by the housing market. Either way, it behooves both groups to dive in and do whatever positives they can to turn the city around and keep housing markets up, which is why I cringe at those who sit and type and complain and attack and then at the end of the day do nothing to help.

Jay, you obviously are on the involved and progressive side of Lakewood and have done much and do much for the schools and have enough to run on a ticket for school board. The "democracy" that people don't feel is democratic is running through this country like spoiled milk. Regardless of party affiliation, there are politicians everywhere doing things behind the scenes, and locally ODAT and our country officials, that contribute to the declining economy without any taxpayer's approval. So locally at the city level, people just are not going to sit for the system's definition of democracy because they want and deserve to be part of the process. They want to make sure there isn't another botched Franklin.

Sorry for the lengthy reply and thanks for your response!

[Justine Cooper]

oops-I mentioned homeowners for a reason but the number of renters in Lakewood who are here primarily for the schools and do a lot with volunteer work etc. was not meant to be excluded. If things are done that they vehemently disagree with then they will be the first to leave and without them we would not flourish from a parental involvement standpoint and in numbers, because less kids means more school closings.

I met a ten year old boy the other morning trying to get his bike up the street when the rain was changing to icy snow who has to go several blocks to Harrison because Franklin closed. His mother moved here because it was a walking district and did not know of that lengthy commute but like many others, have no choice. From a human standpoint that boy matters, from a numbers standpoint that boy matters because we need people moving into Lakewood and the schools to keep them open, right?

[Grace O'Malley]

Jay Foran wrote:

As for me, there will be no Board of Education aspirations.

Are you stating that you will not accept an appointment to the board?

[Jay Foran]

Grace,

I think you have the question wrong. In order to accept an appointment, you must apply. I will not be applying for the position.

Jay

[Grace O'Malley]

Jay Foran wrote:

I will not be applying for the position.

Thank you for your prompt response.

[Ryan Patrick Demro]

Jay,

Before I simply disagreed with you on the interpretation of my comments. Now you are simply distorting them. NEVER, did I state that this rumored diversion of the political process was being orchestrated by Chas for personal gain. That is one thing that I am sure Chas, nor most of our local public officials, would do. Please don't mix us up with the Tammany Hall scumbags at the County Administration Building.

[Grace O'Malley]

Jay,

Just to clarify a bit, am I to understand that neither you nor any member of your family is seeking employment with the school administration or a position on the Board ?

You were quick to defend Mr Geiger but you have not stated whether any discussions or meetings actually took place.

[Ryan Patrick Demro]

Grace,

What would be wrong with any of the Foran's seeking an appointment to the Board or employment with the district?

[Grace O'Malley]

I have nothing personal against Jay or any of his family members seeking a position as long as its above board, fair and open, transparent, if you will.

The board has several RFP's and job searches being conducted right now and I think everyone would agree that an open and fair process is what we all expect. Making behind closed doors deals is reprehensible and I think citizens will not stand for it. Jim mentioned earlier that the district has a habit of making choices then acting like it was all done in the open and fair when it wasn't.

If meetings took place, why can't Jay either flat out admit or deny?
My neighbor saw him at Caribou talking with School Board members. I will talk to her again to get more details and see if she recalls any snippets of conversation.

Further, Jay claimed RPD attacked Geiger's credibility but I dare say "He doth protest too much." Why so? As if he were personally insulted.

Also, if Jay or a member of his family did take a seat School Board, how would that affect the Cliffs and the TIF? Doesn't the Board have to approve TIFs and any extensions of TIFs? Since Rick Foran is a principal in the Cliffs, that could be awkward. Would (he)(they) have to recuse from the vote?

People are talking and they aren't too happy.

[Jim O'Bryan]

Jim mentioned earlier that the district has a habit of making choices then acting like it was all done in the open and fair when it wasn't.

People are talking and they aren't too happy.

Ryan/Grace

If I may clear this point up. Over the years I have met many frustrated residents, Franklin Schools, dress codes, closing schools, closing programs, even studies and committees. MANY not all either seem to be looking for the one person to mention what they want so "they" can say. "Perfect, what a great idea let's do it." Or they have many little meetings and introduce their idea as one that came from another meeting.

This upsets people and burns them out. Another thing that burns people out is having committee meetings for things that there is ZERO dollars for, or that will never happen.

Lakewood Ohio is the most densely populated city between Chicago and New York. 51,000 people. All with the mindset of Mayberry RFD. While this is one of the things that make Lakewood unique, it is also where "Telephone" is played to the tenth power. Every "rumor" in this thread has been told to me by at least 20 other people. The only one new to me was "That Jay wanted to save Lincoln because his children go there." I had heard variations, but that was the first time I heard/read that.

There are only two ways to end speculation. Transparency and taking ownership of words and actions. I believe in both. I do not elect officials to take polls, I elect them because I trust their judgment. As Gary Rice pointed out. On some things I agree, on others I do not. Every four years I get to evaluate how my life is affected by them and vote for them again or don't.

The second way is openness and transparency. Not with little study groups but throw it out there to the city on the whole. So much of this goes back to the WestEnd and before. Had that group been transparent, honest, upfront, with the residents of the city. "Mainstreet" would have been built where the apartments are, the residents would have moved out of the area without eminent domain, as the city would have understood early that was a deal breaker. You would think people would learn and grow from that debacle.

Of course it would be an empty ghost town today like its Rocky River counterpart is, but that is a secondary note.

One thing I learned early on in the Lakewood Observer Project. It is not my city, it is our city.

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