In the beginning....
Joel has updated his list of media articles.
The Press....<
This link is interesting for those who think that school systems abuse their power and are cavalier in their dealings with the public.
Florida's Public Records Law: An Unmistakable Message The Ledger | Lakeland, FL:
"So now it's the School Board lawyer's turn in the barrel, and deservedly so. Hill needed a two-by-four to get Bridges' attention - and the attention of Bridges' bosses."
"A better tactic would have been to comply with the law and then seek a change to exempt information Bridges was uncomfortable releasing, which is now under discussion by the Legislature. Instead, taxpayers' dollars were squandered on legal fees for a cause that was clearly a loser. That's no way to build public trust in institutions now struggling more than ever for tax dollars in a shrinking economy."
There is that word "trust". Joel also provides a link on his post "hanging by a thread" which provides the names of many other entities, both individuals and companies, that exercised their public records request without such a fuss. However, the process may have had a kink in it, for apparently the District's practice of asking entities to sign a third party non-disclosure agreement is not appropriate.
It sure smacks of power and control running wild and bulldozing over anyone in the way. They have an image to protect. Laws be damned.
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2 comments:
School Administrators seem to have difficulty distinguishing between students and adults so they treat adults as if they were students. Students are children and adolescents and do not enjoy the full complement of freedoms that adults do.
Students are told with respect what to do while adults are asked or encouraged to do something. Sometimes administrators mix up the two, asking students when they should be telling and telling adults when they should be more contrite.
One need only to have watched how some school board members treated adult teachers protesting the 6/7 instructional plan a year and a half ago when they addressed the board from the speaker's podium, to know this is true.
I am talking about something so basic as to almost be at the instinct level of behavior. It's all about how Administrators think about the people they serve. Unlike most institutions, they have two very distinct constituencies: the students and the adults. They seem to have forgotten how to distinguish the two.
Goader, I agree.
I will assume that the majority of parents never have to deal with this issue. I have no idea how many employees do. What I am certain of is that once one is "in it", it is almost impossible to get out of.
In fact, I for one spent years trying not to "fight dirty". There was a period of a year or two that my wife and I would strategize how to voice our concerns without creating a power and control struggle. It was almost impossible to do. Our concerns, which were valid, were consistently turned back at us or our child. Once I figured out how to catch them at their game of document changing and was able to prove the lies that were told, it gave me some leverage. The downside was the fact that I always had to deal with the same people.
It baffles me. While I understand that the system must protect itself from liability, it seems that frequently their actions, words and sometimes inactions, actually cause the very problems "they" seem to be trying to avoid.
There is something twisted in the thinking process that should recognize the difference between authority, power, and control. It appears that respect is readily absent, even when there are valid challenges to their authority, power and control. Rational concerns, presented in a reasonable manner, are treated the same as if they were repeat offenders.
Most people never see it, but for those that do, it is very real.
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