The other big news item to come out at last night’s board meeting was that our embattled superintendent appears to be looking for employment elsewhere. Some people were shocked to hear the news while most of the audience shook their heads in disbelief.Out of respect to Mr. Kadri, I will not comment on the situation (for now) other than to say that it is my sincerest wish that he can find reason to stay in Neshaminy.
Just because I can’t say anything doesn’t mean that you cannot. Fire away!
66 comments:
As a board member, did you voice your sincere wish to rest of the board and to Mr. Kadri himself?...Detroit at home.com is stating that it because of problems with the board, both the board and Mr. Kadri concluded he look for employment elsewhere. For the first time in a long time, you had an innovative thinker, as Head administrator, ready to move the district ahead in terms of quality performance among staff and students..let's only hope that if he does leave, that he can be replaced with someone who is able to help catch this district up with the rest of the HQ (highly qualified) districts among us...much needs to be done!
I am not surprised that Mr. Kadri is looking to leave Neshaminy. Very disappointed, but not surprised. Neshaminy sought out a professional to help run this district and then fought him every step of the way. I am embarrassed by our school board and their behavior. Why did we hire him if we were not going to give him a chance. How much did that cost the taxpayers?
I've been watching the board meetings for a long time now. It's obvious that certain board members(hint..all are from the same region and 2 of them just got re-elected)have been bucking Mr. Kadri every step of the way. They want someone they can control. The entire community should demand that these 3 resign from the board! Some other members of the previous school board just sat there and allowed this to happen. When you don't speak up against this type of behavior, then you are saying that you agreeing with it. Let's hope the rest of the current board can make sure these 3power hungry politicians don't replace him with someone they feel they can control.
I truly feel it is too late to do anything to keep Mr. Kadri, but hope that a miracle can occure. Let's get the word out to come to the meetings and express our support for Mr. Kadri. And I don't mean for the next meeting or two. For those of you who were at last night's meeting, you know how powerful numbers can be. We must put pressure on those board memebers who have pushed away the best thing Neshaminy has seen for a long time.
As much as I'm saddened by the fact that Mr. Kadri is looking for employment elswhere, I only wish him the best and hope that where ever he goes, he will be happy.
http://www.journalgroup.com/Canton/6871/school-board-selects-2-for-final-interviews
Disgusted.
I'm disgusted. I thought the high school issue was a "blip" with the voters, but this election cemented my frustration with our school district.
It's hard to keep fighting the "good fight". Board members, who have no idea how to run a school district, push bad decisions they think up with their behind the scene voting block.
We are now about to lose an excellent asset to our school district-Mr. Kadri. He had the talent, the passion, and the intelligence to put our district on the right track.
Who can blame him for trying to leave? Shame shame shame on those members of the board who pushed him out. I hope you are proud of yourselves once you are out of office and look around at the mess of a district you created with your politics and grandeouse reflections you saw of yourselves.
I have absolutely no faith that this next board challenge (closing a school) will be done properly. We have some great board members, but I don't think it will be enough to stop those other board members from just delivering the goods to those whose only selfish desire is their own scroogish pocketbook. To heck with their community..its me me me!
sorry for the rant, but I have just about given up.
To ST319,
A Neshaminy employee told me in December the election results in Levittown meant the end of our superintendent. You seem to be talking to the same thing I think. I was wondering how a couple of board members could make Mr. Kadri leave, but it sounds like the others just sat back and watched while all this was going on. I don't understand how any of them could do this. I hope they will see the outrage of this community and the respect we have for Kadri, and they will do a 180 and try to work with him and not force him to leave.
Before he leaves, I would like the board to give him a report card.
That report card should be made public.
List all the categories such as technology, budgets, state funding, community affairs, student involvement,course and curriculums,teacher relations, problem solving, legal matters,.............
Go right down the list. If we don't see an A or A+ most of the way, something is wrong. The board owes the public an explanation on why he was forced out. I really have not not heard of 1 person who was against him. Even the seniors complemented him on his vision for Neshaminy.
I think the board is going to have a problem when they find out that this superintendent had a 99% approval rating.
If "power struggle" and "Bend Over and Take It" are categories on the report card, then Mr. Kadri will get F's. He's too progressive and independent for our school board. But don't worry, they'll conduct an exhaustive search to find the right mealy mouthed, spineless candidate to replace him. Knowing how these politicians work, I'll bet they already have a replacement in mind.
I would like to see the board meet with the public to explain what is going on. (before the next board meeting)It is quite apparant that certain board members have been making Mr. Kadri's job impossible. I, for one, want an explanation as to what is going on!
This cannot wait another month.
I am a Neshaminy teacher who at first objected to Mr. Kadri because he lacked a true educator’s background. I thought he would only be interested in budgets and not care for the academic programs we are so proud of. Perhaps ironically, I thought he would be a pawn of our school board. All that changed once I had an opportunity to see what kind of a true leader Paul Kadri is. He cares about everyone from the students to the faculty to the maintenance staff. Unlike every other Neshaminy administrator I have known, he is not content to sit back and tolerate average job performance from administrators and faculty. The reason some in our district don’t like him is because he expects and demands excellence, and that is a threat to those who espouse the virtues of mediocrity and complacency.
I’ve been teaching for a few years now and I had lost my edge and enthusiasm in the classroom. But after seeing Mr. Kadri and Dr. Heble in action, I have felt a rebirth and recommitment to my job. I started to think that someone other than me truly cared about what happens in my classroom. And now, I’m wondering what the point is. Our school board isn’t committed to change; our district isn’t committed to excellence. Why should I?
To Mr. Kadri, I am truly sorry to have doubted you at first and to have participated in the early rumor mill that said you weren’t good for Neshaminy. You are the best thing to have happened to this district, and shame on me, my fellow teachers, administrators, and our entire community for not fighting harder to keep you. All of us have let you and our children down.
Sorry to have rambled on, but I needed to get this off my conscience.
Wanted to urge others to do what I just did. I called (215-809-6500) to leave me name, number, and a message to Mr. Eccles(school board president) requesting a meeting to address the Mr. Kadri issue.
I also passed along a message to Mr. Kadri that there are many of us who are upset *for* him (not *at* him of course)
Yes Karen, a meeting is a great idea! These cowards on the board should have to explain their actions to the public. How do we make a meeting happen?
And whoever the teacher is who just wrote in, I was very touched by your message.
I wonder if the school board members who are forcing Kadri to leave are paying attention to this blog. Did you notice that there is a post about our massive budget gap/school closings and that post only has 1 comment from the public as of 4pm, yet there are now a dozen comments about our superintendent leaving? Sounds to me like this is a more emotional topic where the public is concerned. And if last night's meeting drew a couple hundred attendees, can you imagine how many people will come to the meeting that is suggested by Karen?
I just read Mr. O'Connors request to keep these comments civil, and that just wiped out 3/4 of what I was about to say. So let me put it this way: S. O. S. - Save Our Superintendent!!!
Here's the problem - many of you parents show up to school board meetings only when there is a major issue being discussed. If some of you had been coming to meetings all along, you would have seen the problems between Kadri and the school board since last year. If you had been there, maybe our cries for support would have been louder. Maybe some of you voters would have decided differently who you put back in office. The school board got away with this for one reason - WE WEREN'T PAYING ATTENTION.
Some of you will write comments in this blog, you'll send an email or two, maybe even come to another meeting to tell the board how much Kadri means to our community. Then you'll never be seen or heard from again.
We are all busy adults with many responsibilities but we cannot continue to let our school board operate without checks and balances.
xplore1019 makes a valid point when they comment about the lack of participation at school board meetings. So the question I pose to all of you is...
Will you continue let the outrageous behavior of some of our school board members continue or let them know that it will no longer be tolerated?
I am a parent of a high school student. I was very much pro "new high school" and against the renovation. I was really negative about the whole renovation. As it turned out, I was correct. The renovation is costing the same as building new. Early on when Mr. Kadri first took the job, he gave the students a great pep talk saying that each student will benefit, even the seniors who will only get one year out of it. Kadri had nothing to do with the renovation. Knowing that the school board was responsible for this disaster, he took the hit for the board members who supported the "VOTE NO". A class act by a great superintendent. And now those same board members force him out.
This is not a Board of Education. It is a Board of Slash the Budget. The priorities have been obvious for years, and the supporters of the Board majority make it clear time and time again -- spend less money and get re-elected. That several of them are petty and vindictive (we lost our asst. superintendent because he had the nerve to support the new highschool), and that they care not for quality of education (or, God forbid, independent thought) has not prevented them from being re-elected. We deserve what we elect. Let's hope some form of support can be shown to Kadri to keep him here. Let's also hope the membership of the Board is ultimately made up of people who's priority is the quality of the education our children receive.
How do you take a Disney cruise via Michigan? As one school principal told me today, Mr. Kardi informed the principals and administrators that he was going on a Disney cuise never mentioning his interviews in Michigan. Who's paying for the trips to Michigan? The Taxpayers? According to the Michigan papers, he is flying out again next week for a second round of inteviews. Where will he go from there? Disneyland? Again, who will pay?
It's thrilling to see so many of you in support of Mr. Kadri. Some board members have been condescending and at times ignorant in their treatment of an extremely intelligent, caring proponent of education--how could we have let this happen? Being at, and watching the board meetings, I was appalled at the petty vindictiveness displayed by some board members. For example, focusing on things like "why didn't Mr. Kadri complete the Neshaminy web site by now" - I believe it was at a November meeting. Meanwhile Mr. Kadri is dealing with so many larger, more important issues in his attempts to move this district forward. I'm sure the job is immense based on where we stand as of now. Does it really make sense for us to expect our Superintendent to spend his weekends and spare time developing a District website? You've got to be kidding me! Seems to me we could have used a volunteer or two, or maybe even a paid professional--God forbid--to do it. This man has been nothing but an asset to our district. How exciting to have heard him at student/parent orientation late last August and at so many of the functions he has attended since. His commitment to and passion for the students and Neshaminy community is palpable. As the months have passed I have only become more impressed with the insight and innovation this man has demonstrated. I am sitting here with my blood boiling and my heart pounding. If Mr. Kadri leaves, we will be loosing the best thing this district has seen in a very long time. I implore each one of you to spread the word and please do whatever you can to keep Mr. Kadri here, if it's not already too late. Sorry to say, if he leaves I wouldn't blame him. Oh and francis, it you were entertaining another job offer would you advertise it? As for who paid for the trip, I won't even dignify that one with a response.
Its like deja vu all over again. Mr. Kadri is leaving Neshaminy the same way he left his old job in Moorestown, one day he was there and the next he was gone.
It has been obvious for some time (to those who go to the meetings) that the board and Mr. Kadri do not see eye to eye. I am glad that rather than continuing a dysfunctional relationship they have agreed to disagree and move on. I wish both sides luck as the dust settles. Public persona and private persona can be different things. I am sure there are reasons why this is happening that only the two of them (board and Mr. Kadri) will ever know.
As a teacher in the district I concur that Mr. Kadri has taken amazing intiative with regard to our district. Looking from the inside out, he has empowered Neshaminy from the very beginning.
He is visible throughout the day at many different school functions and is down to earth.
Mr. Kadri ignited momentum and passion in many people. I hope the public and Neshaminy staff rally behind him and he remains with our district despite static from board members who do not share his vision for the future of our district.
For those of you who wish to respond using anonymous...please use initials or a number. It makes it very hard to respond and let the rest who read this blog know which anonymous a response is for.
Having said that...
In response to the comment posted by anonymous #8...
Mr. Kadri's trip was planned for some time now. This was not some action to avoid attending this past Wednesday's meeting. If you watched the Neshaminy School Board meeings on a regular basis, you would have seen that this meeting was only requested by the board the week before it took place.
Also, the decision of which schools, if any, are closed is not the responsibility of the Superintendent. That responsibility falls on the school board. I'm so glad that 6 of the board members were responsible enough to get all the data before they made such a vital decision.
We always hear this B.S. from the board, "We have an obligation to the tax payer".
Well, this whole mess will cost us money. We are owed an explanation as to what really happened. We are losing a top notch person who seemed to be turning this district around and heading us in the right direction.
As a taxpayer, I am asking, "Please explain".
As a Nesh. taxpayer for the last 24 years I am aghast at the incompetence of our School Board leadership. From all indications Mr. Kadri is EXACTLY what our school district needs. All indications are that he strives for excellence within our district. This seems to contradict with the goals of some of our leadership and community members who want Nesh. to be an average school district .I don’t live here to be average. Penny wise and dollar dumb seems to be this crews motto. For Ex. Lets renovate our existing high school for approximately what it cost to build new.(with interest rates at a all time low) In 20 years we will be revisiting this issue again at a GREAT cost to our community. Lets drive out ,by all indications a EXCELLENT Superintendent so we can get somebody in here who is AVG. or somebody "we” can control. All the back door dealings, nepotism and parochialism MUST STOP!!! It’s really not that hard. What is best for the community as whole?? Is an Outstanding School district good or bad for our community? (Real Estate values, properly educating our youth who are our leaders of tomorrow etc.) After forcing Mr. Kadri out -How does this board plan on attracting a candidate as qualified as Mr. Kadri?? To the subversive group who is undermining Mr . Kadri and his desire to make our school district better -"the grass is not always greener". Mr.O'Connor -I did not vote for you to hear that you cannot comment on the Kadri situation. I am weary of hearing people explain inaction because it might affect them politically or "I work in the district and must protect my job".The community needs a EXPLANATION as to why we are driving Mr. Kadri out of our School district!!!!!!!
Weary of the political gamesmanship.
As one more Neshaminy taxpayer who's looking for answers, please fill us in. This school board admittedly hired this man for a new direction for our school district. Mr. Kadri brought excitement and hope for something better into this community and all he seemed to get from this board is resistance. Please, Mr. O'Connor, be the voice of reason and tell us if this can be turned around.
Keep in mind Mr. O'Connor has only been on the school board since December. This problem didn't happen overnight. I've been watching the school board meetings for some time now, and I can tell you that it is clear to me that some board members and staff have made it very difficult for Mr. Kadri over the past year plus.
I realize that everyone is upset with what is going on with Mr. Kadri, but let's give Mr. O'Connor some time to get all the facts before you attack him for not answering your questions as fast as you would like. At least Mr. O'Connor has given the public a way to contact him. Can you say that about the rest of the board? Does anyone out there have a way to contact the school board president? Has Mr. Eccles ever given the public a way to contact him via e-mail. That is who should be answering some serious questions. And I hope the public holds him accountable to do so.
I wanted to remind you all of what was said when Mr. Kadri was hired. This is taken from Newtown Advance. "It was a long process," said Board President Richard Eccles. "Paul Kadri is the light to take the district into the future. He will keep the tradition of excellent superintendents alive and has the ability to be a trend-setter." As he welcomed Kadri into the Neshaminy community, he said, "Hold onto your seats. We're going to be flying."
So sad....that now we could be losing our light....
I've read all of the blogs and decided to jump in. After reading between the lines of today's Courier article it looks like a few board members forced him out. Mr. O'Connor, I dont't think the public will accept a "No Comment" on this one. Otherwise there will be a riot at the next school board meeting. Kadri was just too good and I don't think the school parents and tax payers are going to let this thing go quietly. Neshaminy is already the laughing-stock of Bucks County. We have such a reputation out there and I guess it all started with the new high school/renovation thing that we screwed up. Sometimes talk to a parent of the opposition at a football game. It's embarassing to be associated with Neshaminy.
It looks like this is the next blunder. Probably the best superintendent in Bucks County being forced out.
Got a message back yesterday about my phone call about having a meeting about Mr. Kadri..
According to school board(per the secretary..trying not to use names here), the board will not be commenting on personnel issues.
Very frustrating..I would only urge everyone to keep pressure up. Phone calls, letters, telling your neighbors. Hopefully *this* will spurn elections in our direction next time. One can only hope.
Now word has broken out in the Courier Times today with an article about Kadri interviewing. The board president Eccles said no comment, Mr. O'Connor said a little something but not much, and Mr. Spitz gave us a little detail. Clearly there is something going on with the board and some members are forcing our superintendent to leave. Why won't any of you speak out about this? Mr. O'Connor, I don't want to criticize you because you have always been very communicative with the public. And when you say you won't say more because of respect to Kadri, I guess that means he asked you not to say anything. But the public has the right to know. I'm tired of always being in the dark in Neshaminy. Too many rumors, not enough fact. Please Mr. O'Connor, PLEASE tell the community what is going on at the next board meeting or here in your blog.
How is it that the people of Michigan know more about the Neshaminy Board/Kadri situation than the people who elected the board and the people paying Mr. Kadri's salary?
Does not make sense.
That's easy to answer. Kadri had to tell the Michigan board why he wants to leave Neshaminy after just 2 years. And since our board doesn't seem shocked at his interviewing, they must have known about it. Based on Spitz comments in this morning's newspaper, it sounds as though a small portion of the board wants Kadri to go. But if that's true, why don't the other board members do more to keep Kadri? That's the question I don't understand.
If any of you haven't seen the article, here is the internet link: http://www.phillyburbs.com/pb-dyn/news/111-02022008-1481412.html.
I hope it's ok Mr. O'Connor that I posted that link. Like others before me have said, I hope you and others will tell the public what is going on. Maybe it's too late to save Kadri, but we have to stop this kind of crap from ever happening again. And this code of silence over personnel matters (that's what Mr. Eccles said in the article) is a convenient excuse to avoid the public. I think I speak for all the parents in Neshaminy when I say stop this deception and tell us what is going on!
Like I stated before, this situation didn't occur overnight. I for one am giving Mr. O'Connor the time needed to collect all the dialogue that happened between Mr. Kadri and the previous board. I'm trying to be fair an not take out my frustration on one board member.(the only one to date that I have a way to contact) This is upsetting for the whole Neshaminy community, and I encourage all of you to do as "karen said" suggested...
Make phone calls & write letters to the school board president, Mr. Eccles.(letters to the editor would be a good idea too) Tell everyone you know to put pressure on him for answers. Ask him if he asked the rest of the board if they would like to hold a special meeting. Just because he is allowed as the president to make statements on the boards behalf, doesn't mean he spoke with all of them.
I'm sure he figures that this will all blow over like the mess that was made with the AD hiring. At that time, the public came to the next few meetings, blew off steam and then went away. What needs to happen here is that we keep going to meetings and demand for Mr. Eccles to resign from the board!!! He has shown time and time again what his type of leadership gets us.
And you can thank Mr. Eccles, Mr. Webb, Mr. Bowman and Mrs. Barrett for the high school mess. It was their misleading campaign literature that made some of the community believe a renovation would be cheaper than building a new high school. For the record, the new high school would have been done by now and we would have already closed Neshaminy Middle too. Now we are in the middle of a renovation that to date is costing around the same as a new high school would have, we are only half way done, (can't wait to hear what the final bill comes to) and will be smaller than the new one would have been. Where are all those who voted against the new high school because they were told it would cost less, and now know that to be untrue? Why aren't you addressing those board members who mislead you? You were very vocal leading up to the referendum.
Question:
Is there some procedure out there listing reasons and procedures to recall a board member?
I think we could get more community support if we knew whether we could really do anything concrete.
I am in Levittown, and while I didn't vote for board members currently sitting, I am wondering if our hands are tied until another try at a new election.
I remember back when California residents recalled Grey Davis as Governor that people here in PA said we had no such ability to recall an elected official. So I don't think you could force him to resign but he should at least step down as president. If the board is as dysfunctional as we all think, it is up to the president to make things better, not worse. The board members who should be ashamed of themselves are the ones who keep electing him as president, but maybe they do it because they're of the same party. Just wish they could keep the politics out of it and do what is best for the kids.
This is a good website, William. Glad to see there's an elected official who is interested in what the public has to say.
I think a big problem is that there are board members who do nothing. We have 2 or 3 board members who "care about education and the community". We have 2 or 3 board members, who say they care, but it is clearly not their 1st priority and you have the 2 or 3 that do nothing. It is the 2 or 3 that do nothing that probably could have prevented this.
I think you're right about the 2 or 3 situation. I'm curious if they stayed out of it because they see both sides of the argument or if they're too timid to get involved in something controversial. Either way, it is completely unacceptable that we're losing a superintendent who has the clear support of the community after 2 years.
In response to karen said:
Not sure if there is a procedure to recall an elected board member. That doesn't mean that the public couldn't demand for his resignation at EVERY school board meeting, and continue to do so until he does. It won't work if only a handful speak out or if the pressure stops after a few weeks.
I would encourage anyone who has the ability to alert the Neshaminy community, to do so. There is still time to get organized and send a clear message.
I find it very interesting that Mr. Eccles and his cronies have no problem sticking their noses where they don't belong when it comes to the hiring process. However, when it comes to great administrators leaving our district for no defined reason, suddenly they have "no comment".
HOW DO YOU SPELL HYPOCRITE??
Mr. Eccles, it's time that you and Mr. Webb take a good look at the messes you've caused --(renovating the HS, and now ousting Mr. Kadri), and resign your positons on the board. You obviously do not have the best interests of the students or this community in mind.
And Mr. Kozoil should go with you.
I come to the meetings once in a while and I usually watch the televised meetings, but I can't figure out who is responsible here. Everyone seems to be pointing fingers at the president Mr. Eccles. I don't know if it's because he is really responsible or if people just blame him because he's the president. We do deserve answers and I ask Mr. Eccles and the rest of the board to be honest.
I met Mr. Eccles a couple years ago at a meeting and he seemed like such a nice man. I was at last week's meeting and he doesn't seem like the same person. He seemed bothered by all the people who came to speak. When I voted for him, I voted for the man I met a few years ago. Next time I vote, I'm voting based on the man I see before us now, and I'm sad to say it's not the same man.
I must admit I was angry…almost offended when I heard at the school board meeting that Mr. Kadri was seeking employment elsewhere.
I feel he sold this community on his ability to keep us together, turn things around and make Neshaminy a strong triumphant district.
Now I see it was not his choice to leave us. Shame on you Mr. Eccles. Be humbled. Step down from the position that you have abused.
I urge everyone who has not been to a board meeting to attend one in person (not via television) Observe in person how Mr. Eccles speaks directly to the first 2 rows of senior citizens, ignoring all others. Watch in horror the God like persona he unveils. Analyze the way in which Mr. Eccles and his disciples disregard and disrespect Mr. Kadri’s position and intentions.
If things don’t work out in Michigan I hope Mr. Kadri knows he can count on much of the Neshaminy community to support him in any way we can.
Thank you Mr. Kadri. I’m sorry I doubted your intentions.
Way to go Levittown Man - our superintendent is forced out in 2 years and your reaction is not to vote for the man responsible in another 4 years? At this rate we could lose another 2 superintendents. All of us must commit ourselves to immediate and ongoing action if we are to change this board.
Bill - Sorry to criticize but I don't understand your silence. You've always been outspoken and I don't understand what's got your tongue. The public needs to know the truth.
I'd like to propose that we all stop thinking about it and start trying to do something about it. Praise to the person who called the school offices to ask for a meeting! If we have any hope of keeping Mr. Kadri, my only ideas are: 1) Mr. Eccles has to step down from the board (its him or Mr. Kadri), and better yet, there has to be a public affirmation that the other 2 that don't support him now will. Then its up to the public to keep them honest. How do we publicly ask for this - Courier Times? or 2) does anyone out there know if there has ever been a case where a community has sued their school board over mismanagement? I'm not the legal, suing type, but I wonder if we'd have a case? Any lawyers want to comment?
if you remember he applied to another district in Michigan when he was applying to us. maybe he just wants to be in Michigan? the only reason we know about him applying to Michigan is because it was published in their paper! Is he applying anywhere else?
from the article in the Michigan paper--the BOARD and HE decided that he should seek work elsewhere. there must be more to this story than what we are (or aren't) hearing.
he is talented, and talented people are hard to keep. i wish him luck as he searches for a greener pastures.
Mr. O'Connor,
You need to start a thread about the outrageous politically charged administrative hire that took place last week. This one is so ridiculous everyone will agree on it - students, staff, and taxpayers. People are either a.)in a state of shock or b.)laughing at how unbelievable this whole situation really is. The community needs to see the stranglehold the first family of Neshaminy politics has over a portion of our board and upper level leadership. You can't blame Paul for wanting to leave. He is not even free to build his own leadership team that ultimately will carry out his plan and vision. We must not accept these arbitrary hires that are not based on experience, skill, or ability to do a job well. This needs to end!
History repeats itself. The Kadri firing (not officially, but in reality) is just the most recent of self serving actions taken by small minded board members over the years. This is not new behavior by any means. Dr. James Scanlon, Dr. Raymond Boccuti, Dr Broadus Davis, Dr William Gretzula. All former Neshaminy employees and current outstanding educational leaders serving other districts.
Why fire Kadri? A segment of the board is interested in going to war with the teachers union. They need a "war time" superintendent. Mr. Kadri was much too independent a thinker. I'm sure their plan is to appoint a current administrator who is in bed with a certain board segment. Check out the board meetings, and watch who the axis of evil fawns over. Mr. Kadri, you are not just leaving Neshaminy; you are joining a list of outstanding leaders that were forced out the door. Neshaminy community, you are heading for a perfect storm without a captain....
I cant believe for a second this has anything to do with going to war with the union, there is no reason for anyone to do that. Sounds like you are a member. I think Mr Kadri had some great ideas and wanted/expected a little more flexibility to implement them financially than several board members were interested in granting. Now the real issue is how does the board and admin navigate through these tough times. It is pretty much a foregone conclusion that Mr. Kadri will be leaving. With Mr. Kadri here or someone else in his place, this district and community face some extremely difficult times, decisions and financial hardships. Also remember that the about 75% of the community has no kids in school and they must be represented also. I'm sure Mr. O'Conner will do his best to help guide the ship. The key is to get some of the silent board members to finally take a position and move forward in some direction. It is OK to have differing opinions on the board. It is not OK to sit silent and not offer any opinion and to just "go with the flow". If you want things to move and change, speak to the few board members that rarely offer opinions and guidance.
I think you're dead on. Whatever is happening with Kadri isn't some plot to get the unions. His ideas for change are probably too much for some, and we all know how much people resist change.
It's true that most residents don't have children in schools, but every homeowner benefits from a good school system. There is a direct correlation between a school district and property values.
You're also on the money about the board members. As someone else posted, we have 2 or 3 who go one way, and 2 or 3 who go the other. The problem is that we have 2 or 3 that don't really take a stand unless they have to. We need all 9 pistons firing if this engine is to run. They don't have to agree with each other but they do have to get in the game (sorry for all the metaphors).
Mr. O'Connor,
One thing you have pledged to do is not allow politics to interfere with what is best for kids. However, since your election as a board memeber you have sat back and watched as two administrative hires totally influenced by board politics have taken place and have had virtually nothing to say. This is the very reason why Paul is leaving. In fact, he didn't bother even attending the recent interviews because it was all dictated by political influence the same way the AD job played out. If you are the proactive board member you claim to be, you will investigate this situation. We need some people with conviction. It's time for you and your board to step up or step aside.
Hi All,
I would beg to differ on the "75% of the community does not have children of school age." That seems particularly high. Is there some place that I could find that statistic and others as well?
I have been reading these posts for the past week and I think sk's latest post has the best quote on the entire blog. sk said, "There is a direct correlation between a school district and property values".
We are going to pay property taxes regardless if the board approves or disaproves agenda books or if the board closes one or two schools. So if we must pay taxes let's get something back in return, even those who have no children in schools. Investments move up or down based on perception. They also move up or down based on good or bad news. Our home is our biggest investment. In Neshaminy we are not viewed very well by the outside world, thus our home values have not appreciated at the rate they should have. Renovating a high school for 85 million and forcing out a top notch superintendent is not good news for our home values.
William O'Connor said...
I don't know whether or not the faculty advisor applied for the AD position, but how does that mitigate the actions of the board? A majority of the Playwickian editorial board agreed on the subject and that is why the editorial was written. Instead of trying to find ways of justifying their actions, the board members involved should be acknowledging the public's concerns and vow not to vary from established best practices in hiring.
Mr. O'Connor,
With your own words above to refresh your memory, could you please tell us what you feel are the "best practices" in hiring? You can't blame this recent hire on "the board". You ARE the board now and need to explain how you let politics influence the decision!
A little Monday morning quarterbacking.
We renovate for more than the cost of new. We push out a Excellent Super Mr. Kadri.We micro-manage all hiring .
Why are the powers to be still steering this ship(Titanic)??
IMPEACH /RECALL -RESIGN!!!!!!!!
I cant imagine anyone on that board resigning. A majority of the board seems to support Mr Kadri so Im not sure how he is being pushed out. It is clear that a few members and Mr. Kadri differ on philosphy with spending and although they have told him that won't change, that is not pushing him out. It seems he wants a place where the "forest and tress" senario that he has presented several times may exist. If you really want him to stay, get five board members to pass a motion asking him to stay. Pretty simple if you ask me. You will quickly see if he is supported by a majority of the board or not and who they are. It really seems he wants to leave if he is considering a move for the family to MI. Kudos to Spitz, O'Connor, Eccles, Webb and Koziol. You may not agree with their position or opinion on things but at least they take one. The other four "silent" members need to start acting like board members and perform how they are elected to perform. Nobody ever said it would be a walk in the park when they decided to run for the position. Let's get off the past and what was done right or wrong and start looking to the future and how the district can be moved forward regardless of who is sitting at the top. We have great people everywhere in this district including ALL the board members. They just dont all see what the big picture is and how they fit into it. Once we have that, maybe more people will buy into the program and we can bring the respect back to the district that we had in the late 90's.
In my opinion this is really a true indication of both the fiscal and age diversity in the community because this divide is all about spending and taxes, period. Mr. Kadri believes he needs to spend to save and several board members don't agree. That is the philosophical difference here and that I believe is why Mr. Kadri really wants to leave.
The faculty advisor of the school newspaper did in fact apply for the position and by the way is a great teacher and role model for kids. However, that has nothing to do with the big picture. Even if she did encourage the kids to write the editorial, more power to her. The hiring practices of this district are a disgrace - both the board and administration are to blame. Jobs are posted and awarded in a way that is unethical and borderline illegal. The system is inconsistenly manipulated to accomodate what's best for certain individuals, not the district and certainly not for the kids. We are a laughing stock in Bucks County right now and this needs to change!
Let's give Mr. O'Connor some credit in his oversight of hiring practices. I'm quite certain that he looked at the position and person in question and feels that an appropriate decision was made. By asking him to get involved and oppose these hirings, you are suggesting he do exactly what many have said the board shouldn't do. Make up your mind! You can't pick and choose when you want him involved based on who a candidate is or related to.
For a while now, a few of you have been talking about the AD appointment of an individual related to the couple who took credit for the high school renovation.
I find it interesting that many of you knew about who got the job before it was made public. The current job of the individual you are upset about was only just posted. Since there have been posts on this blog for over a week now, I would like to know how some of you knew this confidential information?
I can think of three reasons how:
a. The Human Resources Department leaked out confidential information.
b. The person who got the assignment or her family told people when they shouldn't have.
c. Someone from the outside used influence to get her the position and couldn't help brag about what they did.
For whatever the reason, it is unacceptable!
Hmmmm....I'd have to bet on "C"...Notice how quiet "the couple" has been lately?
This situation is very sad and disturbing. My kids attend the school involved in this decision. This hire will directly impact them. I know they would never say anything "on the record", but I've spoken to several teachers and they are frustrated and upset as well. There were better candidates involved in the process and that is a shame for everyone involved. People need to start speaking out. We deserve better.
This district is plagued by politics and outside influence. I cannot wait until we move out of the district, because I plan on letting it all hang out when we do...they'll be a lot of dropped jaws. You can't bite the hand that feeds you. You always can tell when that couple is up to something because they stop coming to meetings or are so 'Pro-Board'. Just wait until the annoucement in the Public Meeting. Some won't get it since this person has a different last name. Wake up Neshaminy taxpayers...you're about to get it in the backside again!!
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