Post by Jeff Leeder on Apr 29, 2022 7:44:35 GMT -7
BLA Community,
Below are a list of question I have asked the Board recently.
There have been no replies to my questions below except for a response from the Board stating "we will send all of your emails to our attorney for review so that we can understand what we are legally obligated to respond to."
As constituents, I encourage you to interact with your elected officials and constituted governance bodies. I assume the Board has the same viewpoint as evidenced in Banning School Board Communication Policy dated April 2017, "The Board shall maintain a public email address which will be published to the school community and serve as the primary means for the school community to contact the Board outside of public meetings".
Their email address is boardblra@blracademy.org
Summary of questions to BLA School Board
Email subject is after “Regarding”
Regarding Grievance Process:
1. What are the concrete steps the Board is taking to ensure that there is transparency in how the Board, in internal and external communications both formal and informal, describe students, staff, parents and active community members and ensuring there is no disparaging remarks, inappropriate characterization, or similar activities?
Regarding Board Behavior In Communications:
1. Please explain to me how the community of parents, students, and educators are not and will not be, subject to unfair and inappropriate characterizations. How does the board intend to demonstrate 100% transparency.
Regarding BLA BOD Letter to the Community:
1. Has the Banning Lewis Board pursued independent investigation into these allegations vs spending Board time, resources, and legal fees in investigating themselves?
2. How can the community have confidence in a process that was strictly done internally and report there is no issue?
Regarding BLA BOD Letter to the Community (follow on request)
1. What are elements of information that you examined?
2. What elements are factual?
3. What elements are factually incorrect?
4. What elements of the information you examined are factually correct, but you disagree with and therefore label “misinformation”
Regarding BLA Assistant Principals:
1. What involvement does the board have in determining departures of staff/admin?
2. Does the Board communicate with Accel schools about the Boards desire to hire, retain, or release staff and admin?
3. If yes to #2 above, has Accel schools ever gone against the desire of the Board?
4. What concrete actionable steps has the board taken since the D49 review up until today to ensure that staff turnover is minimized?
5. What concert [sic] and actionable steps has the board taken to replace both of these positions. While Mr West’s resignation may have been unanticipated, the non-renewal of Ms Evens was obviously planned. As her departure was planned, what is your plan to replace her?
5. Is the Board considering, or will the Board consider, going through District 49 and obtain an impartial and independent climate survey assessment that is anonymously answered by staff members, and have all associate reporting from the survey publicly available?
6. If the answer to #5 above is “yes”, will the Board allow the climate survey assessment team unfettered access to admin, staff, sanctioned committees, and concerned parents? If no, why not?
7. If the answer to #5 above is “yes” will the Board stand aside and allow District 49 to initiate and conduct the climate survey without any intervention by BLA Board members? If no, why not?
8. If the answer to #5 above is “No”, please explain why the Board has come to that conclusion, but in coming to that conclusion the Board is willing to expend time, energy and legal fees conducting an internal investigation to activity within the Community.
Regarding Timeliness of Replies to Emails:
1. Does the Board hold themselves to the same standard by which they hold subordinate organizations?
2. If “no”, why not? What is the stand(ard) you hold yourselves to?
3. If “yes”, I expect answers to my questions that I have submitted to the Board within five business days.
Regarding Is This Accurate?
Is the contract provided in response to a CORA inquiry via ACCEL Schools in the attached document valid and legitimate? Were the the terms of the contract fulfilled? (note: in the email I sent was a CORA obtained contract between Heather Zambrano and Accel schools, as well as emails outlining how the contract was initiated. All info was obtained through the Colorado Open Records Act (CORA))
Regarding Board Lack of Communication with the Community:
1. An acknowledgement of receipt of this email.
2. Detailed description of what concerns the Board has in receiving frequent communications from the Community.
3. Define harassing communications in the context of a constituent communicating with an elected governance body.
4. An apology and acknowledgment of unprofessional and unethical behavior on the Board’s part for involving Community member's family not involved in these discussions.
5. Clarification on the Board’s statement that "concerns as a parent should rest in helpful solutions in making Banning amazing through support to our staff and our students.” This statement indicates that the Board is not interested in any suggestions from the Community, but rather only expects the Community to blindly accept what the Board decrees. If this is incorrect, provide clarification.
6. An explanation of why the Board feels it necessary to communicate intimidating language and intimate that their impressions of Community members colors how the Board interacts with the Community. The Board’s language below reinforces my concerns in my previous communication the Board about editorialization and characterization of Community members in my emails, subject “Grievance Policy”. (added note, the quote from the email that drove this is: “I do hope that my first impression of you is highly inaccurate”.
Regarding Questions to the Board (in the context of reviewing Blrboardwatch threads)
Given that "the board has examined the allegations carefully and concluded that they are unfounded” my specific question is:
1. Did the Board review the post entitled “Banning Parents ask for the Resignation of Board Member”?
2. After review what were the Board findings?
3. IAW Colorado Sunshine Laws, was a meeting held to discuss this? If no, why not? If yes, where are the minutes?
Below are a list of question I have asked the Board recently.
There have been no replies to my questions below except for a response from the Board stating "we will send all of your emails to our attorney for review so that we can understand what we are legally obligated to respond to."
As constituents, I encourage you to interact with your elected officials and constituted governance bodies. I assume the Board has the same viewpoint as evidenced in Banning School Board Communication Policy dated April 2017, "The Board shall maintain a public email address which will be published to the school community and serve as the primary means for the school community to contact the Board outside of public meetings".
Their email address is boardblra@blracademy.org
Summary of questions to BLA School Board
Email subject is after “Regarding”
Regarding Grievance Process:
1. What are the concrete steps the Board is taking to ensure that there is transparency in how the Board, in internal and external communications both formal and informal, describe students, staff, parents and active community members and ensuring there is no disparaging remarks, inappropriate characterization, or similar activities?
Regarding Board Behavior In Communications:
1. Please explain to me how the community of parents, students, and educators are not and will not be, subject to unfair and inappropriate characterizations. How does the board intend to demonstrate 100% transparency.
Regarding BLA BOD Letter to the Community:
1. Has the Banning Lewis Board pursued independent investigation into these allegations vs spending Board time, resources, and legal fees in investigating themselves?
2. How can the community have confidence in a process that was strictly done internally and report there is no issue?
Regarding BLA BOD Letter to the Community (follow on request)
1. What are elements of information that you examined?
2. What elements are factual?
3. What elements are factually incorrect?
4. What elements of the information you examined are factually correct, but you disagree with and therefore label “misinformation”
Regarding BLA Assistant Principals:
1. What involvement does the board have in determining departures of staff/admin?
2. Does the Board communicate with Accel schools about the Boards desire to hire, retain, or release staff and admin?
3. If yes to #2 above, has Accel schools ever gone against the desire of the Board?
4. What concrete actionable steps has the board taken since the D49 review up until today to ensure that staff turnover is minimized?
5. What concert [sic] and actionable steps has the board taken to replace both of these positions. While Mr West’s resignation may have been unanticipated, the non-renewal of Ms Evens was obviously planned. As her departure was planned, what is your plan to replace her?
5. Is the Board considering, or will the Board consider, going through District 49 and obtain an impartial and independent climate survey assessment that is anonymously answered by staff members, and have all associate reporting from the survey publicly available?
6. If the answer to #5 above is “yes”, will the Board allow the climate survey assessment team unfettered access to admin, staff, sanctioned committees, and concerned parents? If no, why not?
7. If the answer to #5 above is “yes” will the Board stand aside and allow District 49 to initiate and conduct the climate survey without any intervention by BLA Board members? If no, why not?
8. If the answer to #5 above is “No”, please explain why the Board has come to that conclusion, but in coming to that conclusion the Board is willing to expend time, energy and legal fees conducting an internal investigation to activity within the Community.
Regarding Timeliness of Replies to Emails:
1. Does the Board hold themselves to the same standard by which they hold subordinate organizations?
2. If “no”, why not? What is the stand(ard) you hold yourselves to?
3. If “yes”, I expect answers to my questions that I have submitted to the Board within five business days.
Regarding Is This Accurate?
Is the contract provided in response to a CORA inquiry via ACCEL Schools in the attached document valid and legitimate? Were the the terms of the contract fulfilled? (note: in the email I sent was a CORA obtained contract between Heather Zambrano and Accel schools, as well as emails outlining how the contract was initiated. All info was obtained through the Colorado Open Records Act (CORA))
Regarding Board Lack of Communication with the Community:
1. An acknowledgement of receipt of this email.
2. Detailed description of what concerns the Board has in receiving frequent communications from the Community.
3. Define harassing communications in the context of a constituent communicating with an elected governance body.
4. An apology and acknowledgment of unprofessional and unethical behavior on the Board’s part for involving Community member's family not involved in these discussions.
5. Clarification on the Board’s statement that "concerns as a parent should rest in helpful solutions in making Banning amazing through support to our staff and our students.” This statement indicates that the Board is not interested in any suggestions from the Community, but rather only expects the Community to blindly accept what the Board decrees. If this is incorrect, provide clarification.
6. An explanation of why the Board feels it necessary to communicate intimidating language and intimate that their impressions of Community members colors how the Board interacts with the Community. The Board’s language below reinforces my concerns in my previous communication the Board about editorialization and characterization of Community members in my emails, subject “Grievance Policy”. (added note, the quote from the email that drove this is: “I do hope that my first impression of you is highly inaccurate”.
Regarding Questions to the Board (in the context of reviewing Blrboardwatch threads)
Given that "the board has examined the allegations carefully and concluded that they are unfounded” my specific question is:
1. Did the Board review the post entitled “Banning Parents ask for the Resignation of Board Member”?
2. After review what were the Board findings?
3. IAW Colorado Sunshine Laws, was a meeting held to discuss this? If no, why not? If yes, where are the minutes?