Dr. Barnes Hired In 4-1 Vote By BOE

[Jim O'Bryan]

To paraphrase Shakespeare here, methinks that there are those who protest WAY too much regarding all of this.

...and I HONESTLY have to wonder why?

Disclaimer: This has nothing to do with Dr. Barnes, or his quality as our next Superintendent.

Gary let me explain it simply in two parts, as you seem to not get it.

1) "Ohio Auditor says Columbus schools may have to redo superintendent search if Sunshine Laws violated" the headline from the Columbus Dispatch. That if Sunshine Laws were violated they were willing to step in throw out the results and start the entire process all over again.

While we have retained Superintendent Patterson for the next two years as a consultant do we really need to start the entire process over again? I hope you get that aspect.

2) THE NEW SCHOOLS The residents of Lakewood have shown an unbelievable trust and backing of Lakewood Schools over the past 15 years, allowing them to accomplish something very few other inner ring suburbs have accomplished. This came after 8 years of Lakewood Schools being unable to get a school levy passed no matter how hard they tried, or what they said or needed. The reason that happened was a distrust from the residents over the way the Lakewood BOE was doing things.

Lakewood will need a levy in two years, it is the nature of schools in Ohio.

Why squander the trust, residents and the Lakewood Observer has worked for over a decade to build, just to cut corners, try out some secret agendas, not mentioned in this discussion, and throw an entire process out through secret meetings?

Why?

This is not a headline in the paper, no one has complained to the Auditor that I know. It is simply a simple backyard discussion stating to the BOE, stop the BS. Look forward to the coming two years and keep things simple, open, and in the light of day. Do not slip back into the era of backroom deals that forced residents to step in and provide oversight on everything you say and do. We need the levy and we need the trust you have built.

I have no idea why you are going back to a chalkboard, you haven't taught in decades. However I will go back to making sure some of the aspects I oversee with the Lakewood Schools are run correctly as that is why I was appointed.

Disclaimer: This has nothing to do with Dr. Barnes, or his quality as our next Superintendent.

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[Gary Rice]

Jim,

I haven't taught in decades?

Seriously?

Think again.

In one way or another, whether as a Lakewood Schools volunteer, or even on this 'Deck, I'll always be a teacher, and I'll always support our schools.

We'll just have to agree to disagree here from time to time

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Back to the chalkboard.

[Dan Alaimo]

"Father Knows Best" was a nice idea and many were good and nice men. But the lessons we have learned through the years (Vietnam, Iraq, Trump) were that father does not necessarily know best amd he, in this case the BOE, merits questioning.