Board Restricts Speech

Nancy “Che” Navarro and the BOE vote to limit public comment at future Meetings. Like Hugo Chavez, Nancy Navarro and the Board of Education have silenced their opposition. In a letter to Jane De Winter, President of the Montgomery Counsel of Parent Teacher Associations, Ms. Navarro stated that “the Board will reserve 10 of the 15 slots for public comments for speakers who wish to comment on issues that are on the agenda for that days board meetings.” This leaves only 5 slots for others to speak. She goes on to say “that the changes are to ensure that business meetings encourage input from the community on issues that are being specifically addressed by the board at its meetings and also permit the board to have more in-depth discussions.”

However, as is typical of the Board of Education, the new policy conflicts with other policies previously decreed. For example, when the BOE puts a policy out for public comment, regulation BFA-RA states that the comment period will be for a minium of 30 days. But during the 30 plus day period the item will not be on the “agenda.” Thus, the number slots available for public comment on a policy change is limited to 5 per meeting

Apparently the board has grown weary of citizens and taxpayers coming to meetings exposing Jerry Weast and the BOE on numerous issues, including, long stating racial tensions at Churchill High School as well as “spectacularly stupid memos” by the principal, the enormous salary and perks paid to Weast, the alleged racially motivated attack by Steve Abrams on Adol T. Owing-Williams, increasing violence (murders at football games come to mind), sexual abuse and rapes in the school system and on buses, gender discrimination against male students, discrimination against those with deeply held religious beliefs, incessant self congratulating by the board and especially by Weast, manipulation of grades and test scores by administration as well as out right cheating by school authorities, complete failure of the sex ed curricula including losing lawsuits, spending gigantic amounts of money on lawyers to pursue lawsuits against parents, a blatant refusal to accept federal abstinence funds or to teach abstinence to the students, closing of learning centers, minority student grades, discrimination against ex-gays and a failure to provide proper services to our special needs students.

By limiting the number of slots, the BOE and Weast think those opposed will simply go away. This head in the sand approach is also destined to failure. Stay tuned.