Finally someone is trying to solve this mess! The whole community would be served by a reasonable settlement!! there may be some leadership in the new super after all!!!
true leaders solve problems, let's get back to teaching kids!!!!

Baker you will never be Superintendent in Collier again. Settle this case and move out please.

enob13.... you are right on!

Hopefully these two men can start the wheels moving toward a reasonable settlement. That sure would be nice for a change.

But somehow between the lawyers and the school board they will manage to drag it out as long as possible.

Baker is sooooooooo lucky he doesn't have to deal with any of the crap and he walks away with a settlement. Sounds like a weiner to me. sign me up

Does anyone care about our children? Sounds like during the depo. no one remembered anything of the converstations that were had between the board and the "Thompson Team". What on earth are the parents to do... FCAT does Dennis know what that means or has Linda Abbot has forgotten to let him know??? I am tired of this NAZI crap from the school board. What can we do as parents to make a difference? No one seems to care. I vote until we come to an agreement with the teachers union to pay them fairly.... Keep your kids home during FCAT>>>>

Mrs. Abbott's forgetfulness is contagious. WINK TV showed some of Dr Thompson's deposition and his answer of Choice? Wait for it!

I cannot remember.

Why has no one deposed the Dixie Chicks? They knew they were included in the big scheme of things........ not that they wouldn't lie as well as the others, but at least put some heat on them....... THis group of people is an embarassment to the education system..... and now they are our problem.... I wish Baker would come back just for s--ts and giggles, clean up the barn and retire..... laughing all the way.

All of you who are complaining about Bakers' lawsuit would do the same, its pretty apparent that a few of the School board members broke a law and now they need to answer for their actions. Simply put, these answers need to be brought to the public eye.

Nice chat? What about how both of them are on the same page about how much money they can squeeze out of Collier County Public School's taxpayers?
Why didn't theh paper report on any of the questions and asnwers they got from Dr. Thompson like they did Walters, Abbott and Calebrese?
If Baker was to get his job back, then Thompson would step aside, according to his contract, to let him finish his reign and then take over after Baker's contract was complete. Now wouldn't that be something to have a two headed Superintendency in Collier County. As if, we are not already the laughing stock of the state, no the United States. A nice chat! This is all so well orchestrated.

The story didn't completely load and I thought the story ended at the nice chat. But there was more. I apologize for saying the paper didn't show and questions and answers.
I can't believe this is happening to this school system. My children went through this school system and we were very happy with their teachers and programs.
Our school system looks like a laughing stock. Everyone is fighitng for raises, trying not to lose their jobs and trying to keep the programs the educators have worked so hard for. This man comes here with no real knowledge of Collier County Schools and seems to be destroying everything he can.
He is cutting positions with no care or concern for people who have dedicated years of service here and made Collier County their home. They are facing unemployment at a very bad time in the economy.
He hasn't eliminated one of the upper level Administrators. The Board Members, all 5 of them have had a part in this mess. Curatola, Carol and ex-board member, Bruce, with the over the top dream contract for Baker, and Abbott, Calebrese and Donovan coming along firing Baker and creating another dream come true contract for Thompson.

Re: "Our school system looks like a laughing stock."
(from above post)

I would have to disagree, as at this point in time, I think this scohol district IS a laughing stock. It doesn't just "look like one." Think about it -
how many school district do you know where the real estate is constantly ranked #1 in value in the entire state, yet, the school district can't even match the AVERAGE - repeat AVERAGE test scores of the state? These students in this district have scored BELOW the state average for YEARS. Students in this district - the WEALTHIEST district in this state are, on average, BELOW average IN THIS STATE for YEARS. HELLLOOOOO!!!!

And, no, it's not because we have more blacks or Hispanic students in one small segment of the community - there are counties in this state that have FAR more difficult populations and DO BETTER THAN THE STATE AVERAGE. Look at Lee County, for one example. That's an URBAN MOSTLY MINORITY school district and they OUTPERFORM Collier students TIME AND TIME AGAIN.

So, it's not just that Collier "looks" like a "laughing stock." It's that the void of leadership in this district, and the way these overpaid administrators keep their overpaid jobs for 50 years ensure that we continue to BE a laughing stock.

God forbid any LEADERSHIPS with more than half a brain and A new idea should try to ever get into this school district through HONEST methods on ANY level = the whole district would collapse!

And, yes, to those who are wondering - I have updated my blog, and will continue to do so. Who knows, someday, someone might even learn something from it. Something closer to the truth than the lies Collier taxpayers are told day in and day out, lawsuit or no lawsuit.

My parody blog about Collier aka The Laughing Stock:

Linda Abbott says: Visit Rockford!

http://lindaabbotsaysvisitrockford.bl...

flcertifiedteacher: maybe you've hit the nail on the head. Ranking the performance of Collier's students' average test scores on the FCAT/ NCLB score sheet is exactly where the flaw exists. You dismiss our "black and Hispanic students in one small segment" of Collier County as irrelevant and put blame for our students' lackluster performance on leadership, claiming "counties in this state that have far more difficult populations . . . do better than the state average."

It's the measuring tape that you, the school system, the state department of education, and the federal government's department of education are using! That score sheet is flawed from the very beginning for the same reasons the war in Iraq is flawed. Our local, state and national "intelligence" assessment criteria consistently produces wrong conclusions by ignoring authoritative intelligence that does not support predetermined goals.

It's not their weapons of mass destruction that we need fear. It's our weapons of mass deception that can produce whatever statistics that are needed by leaders. If we in Collier County begin with the premise that teachers deserve no raise, then we can produce whatever numbers and "facts" necessary to "prove" that premise. Inconvenient Truths (such as produced by Joseph C. Wilson IV and his wife Valerie Elise Plame or such as the stellar success of many Collier students) are simply ignored, deemphasized, dismissed.

You're right, flcertifiedteacher. The problem does seem to be leadership by individuals with less than "half a brain." But it extends to the obscure and well-disguised people at the state and federal level. And we, the herd, believe Chicken Little's assessment.

The School Board is a politically inbred as every other government entity in this county...Dwight Brock, Don Hunter, Abbot, Calibrese, Donovan - just plain shameful!

How do you expect a worm like Thompson to work out anything with the man Thompson conspired to be removed, so Thompson could come south, get a 30-40% raise, and basically take over the control of our school board, which was absolutely ruined when the likes of Donovan, Calabrese, and the Abbotts were elected. Please!!!! Thompson orchestrated this whole illegal, immoral scheme.

YO Stevie D: why the high priced private attorney buddie?? All of you that hated Baker, and promoted this mess should have to share in the financial cost that it will most certainly come to in order to settle this lawsuit.

Hate to say we told you so but.............

DEPOSE KALCHBRENNER

Pretty soon someone is going to screw up and tell the truth -

One more deposition, one more thread unraveling Mr. Baker's case of Sunshine Law violations. No surprise there, really. They should just give up on that part of their case, because they are never going find anything to support it enough to get it in front of a judge.

Mr. Baker's case will be lucky to ever see the inside of a courtroom, plain and simple. And, here's why:

1. The School Board will eventually realize that they cannot win against Mr. Baker's claim of wrongful termination because they have clearly violated the terms of his generous contract by not giving him 14 days notice of their intention to terminate him. They will finally listen to Mr. Withers and either settle out of court or go to binding arbitration, because both of those get them off the hook financially (both personally and professionally) much cheaper than a jury trial. (And, it gives Baker a way out, because he won't do as well with a jury in this town as he thinks he will.)

2. Mr. Baker's attorney will eventually realize that he cannot prove any Sunshine Law violations ever took place, and will abandon that doomed tactic. If he even had a remote chance of proving it, he would quit trying that part of their case in the media and would quit trying to influence potential jurors. Besides, Sunshine Law violations would never be heard by a jury, anyhow. They would only be heard by someone qualified to interpret that set of laws, such as a judge or the State Ethics Commission (who has already said that not enough evidence exists at present to warrant further investigation by their office). Without a witness or some sort of "smoking gun" evidence, this part of their case never goes anywhere.

3. Mr. Baker will get paid something (probably more than he deserves), but will never work for Collier County Public Schools again. Why would he? Even if by some miracle he were to get his job back and Thompson was forced to leave, the majority of the School Board doesn't want him. (That's a large part of how we found ourselves in this mess to begin with.) What does he honestly think that he will accomplish or be effective at working for a School Board that doesn't want him and won't support him? (If he honestly thinks anything to the contrary, he is naive and much dumber than he appears to be.) Every single move he would make would be done so under the most intense scrutiny, and the School Board would simply fire him and re-hire Thompson again (properly this time, I'm sure) at their first convenient opportunity.

Unfortunately, this whole fiasco has already cost we, the taxpayers, waaaaaay too much money. What's worse, the meter is still running...

I'm going to ask this question of all the people out there who continue to scream "The School Board must GO!" and see what sort of responses it generates:

Whom do you suggest that we replace the incumbents with? Give us some names!

For months and months we have been reading all the blogs about how corrupt this School Board is, and about how poorly everyone thinks they are doing, and about how badly we need to vote them all out. But, I have yet to see one single name mentioned as to who we should replace them with, and I have yet to see one of the complainers step up to the plate and say they intend to run for the office themselves.

So, what's it going to be: Are you just going to keep whining and complaining and hoping it gets better on its own, or are you actually going to put your money where your mouth is and do something about it?

Who is going to run against the incumbents in this election?

Who is going to go find truly qualified candidates to run against the incumbents and make sure they are properly vetted?

Who is going to start the re-call election petition for the School Board members that aren't up for re-election right now?

Who is going to start the special election petition to make serving on the School Board an unpaid position?

Who is going to start the special election petition to demand an outside audit of the School Board budget and its expenditures?

Who is going to step up and actually do something, actually make a difference, instead of just whining and complaining about it?

Let's hear it...!

Chuck Norris Pianoman...Chuck Norris.

It seems to me that all the people who have been deposed so far are suffering from the same illness- " amnesia convenientitis". I hear this is very contagious and seems to be confined to a specific group of people- POLITICIANS!
I have been here since 1973 and this is absolutely the worse mess I have ever seen in the school system! These people ( school Board memebers and the new Super ) are very poor role models for our children. " I can't remember" may become my new mantra!!!!!!!

If Chuck happens to be busy...then how about Paris Hilton. Roughly the same IQ...But a lot easier on the eyes.

Pianoman8869,

The best replacement?

The person who:

Filed 3 ethic violations against the Collier County Commishs during the Stadium Naples mess!

Who petitoned Jeb Bush to re-open the case!

Who started the boycott to get Tim Constantine
off the radio!

Who exposed Linda Abbots relationship with the
Separation of State and School!

Who is Common Cause activist!

Who has taught the past 4 years with CCPS!

Who persists why facing death threats during the
Stadium Naples fiasco!

Who reads the NDN, WSJ and NYT weekly!

Amyb1 - best idea I've heard yet....keep your kids home during FCAT testing.

What about Brittany Spears for School Board. She seems to be just about as mentally stable or unstable as the rest of them. She'd fit in perfectly.

naplesborn - Thank you for making my point. If no one is going to take this seriously, then how can we honestly expect the situation to improve?

will1313 - When are you going to formally announce your candidacy and vet yourself to the public (i.e. much more substantial candidate-type information than what you posted here)?

will1313 FOR SCHOOL BOARD!

First off....I love the blog, Teach
Secondly...food for thought
As I watch this entire drama play out, not only the Baker lawsuit, but everything else going on with the district, I can't help but wonder.Obviously we are dealing with a good ole boy network.At what point in time do the feds step in and start doing some investigating on their own. I assume there are federal funds involved in this school district.
Just a thought...:)

There is no news here other than Withers needs to go, before he "hangs a kids from the nearest tree"

I'm worried becaue there are so many trees here and finding the nearest one won't be an issue.

Kids had better hold onto their pants lest this lawyer goes 'south' on them

http://naplesnews.com/news/2006/nov/3...

"The School Board is a politically inbred as every other government entity in this county...Dwight Brock, Don Hunter, Abbot, Calibrese, Donovan - just plain shameful!"

I keep asking: How did attorney Withers get here?

This guy was a member of the League of the South, while acting as atttorney for Nassau county schools. The League thinks the federal government is an occupying army and thinks that public schools are propaganda machines and parents should homeschool or send their kids to Christians schools.

I ask again: How did he get here?

I've got one for you Generic...

Why do we drive in a Parkway and Park in a Driveway?

What do you call a Male Lady Fish?

Why do round Pizzas come in Square Boxes?

Nah, I've got a better one

Were you Naples born or born in Naples?

Is a hanging tree a tree that hangs or is it a tree that hangs students?

What would qualify as a good hanging tree?

What careful calculations must be made so that the weight of the student doesn't break the limb of the tree?

Are tree hangers engineers by trade or is this knowledge instinctive or maybe handed down from father to son?

"In south Georgia, they’d have taken him outside and hung him from the nearest tree.”

Are trees in Georgia better hanging trees than trees in Naples?

Do they weigh a student prior to hanging?

What happens if the limb breaks? Do they look for the next 'nearest tree'?

How many broken tree limbs would it take before they give up on hanging the student for mooning?

Is there a manual online that have these hanging questions?

"In south Georgia, they’d have taken him outside and hung him from the nearest tree.”

Is south Georgia better than north Georgia? And if so why? How far south is it still good hanging country?

Is it good to hang in the Keys?

So many good hanging questions that good ole boys can answer

I will run for school board. I am not a politician so please explain how I begin a campaign.

My GOAL: More resources for teachers!!!

Let me get this straight. Walters goes to Rockford to visit Thompson about what it would take for him to come to Collier. On a now lost piece of paper, he writes his requirements.

But Thompson didn't get an offer before Baker was fired? And the Rockford News just erroneously reported that he had already gotten an offer?

Hmmm. LOL!

What do you call a dog with no legs?

Nothing...because he's not coming or going anywhere?

Generic

If money doesn't grow on trees...Then Why do banks have branches?

Is nothing something?

If nothing is something, why does it have a name, nothing?

Hmmmm

If a deaf person goes to court...Is it still called a Hearing?

"In south Georgia, they’d have taken him outside and hung him from the nearest tree." said Richard Withers

I just don't get it.

Is he suggesting that in Georgia, south Georgia they hang people for mooning?

If so, Why would he suggest that?

Why not suggest 100 pushups?

Has he never been to the army?

They don't hang people for mooning in the army.

How can I trust this lawyers judgement when his pool of choices is one so inappropriate, that he refers to the racist hatred of whites against Blacks and Jews in the south?

What is a person like this doing in our schools?

What is a person like this doing in our schools with the power to change peoples lives forever??

'Hanging from the nearest tree?'

There is definitely a screw loose here

If a fly flying south, full speed, whacks into a train going north, does the fly stop the train or does the train stop the fly?

See here: The fly traveling south has to stop, ever so briefly, before going north whilst stuck to the train

For one brief point in time, the train and the fly are one and because the fly stopped, surely the train stopped too?

Here is another one:

Who is better off in the event of hanging the student in south Georgia?

The student that hung, left this world of it's woes and being that he was a God fearing lad, met his future and is happy in heaven

OR

The southern Goergia good old boy, that needs to live another 30 years in this this world of it's woes and remember the boy he hung and robbed him of his future?

Generic I'm worried about you. You seem to be Fanatical about Hangings.

A fanatic is someone who can't change their mind and won't change the subject. And you seem to fit that bill.

I'll try to get us on a new topic one more time.

Why is a "Bra" singular and "Panties" plural?

Or

Do illiterate people get the full effect of Alphabet Soup?

I got it!!

Took me a while, but now I got it!

"Naples - Born"

"Expect - Less"

Generic you must not have done well on the SAT Analogies.

Naples is to Expect as Born is to Less???

Not to bright. Like your original question, "I keep asking: How did attorney Withers get here?"

I'll tell you, he was hired by the School Board, that's HOW.
Or like Analogies, is that an idea you can't wrap you tiny little mind around.

An intelligent person might have asked why he was hired...not how.

Then again we also live in America where every citizen has the right to assemble with whom so ever they choose (groups positive or negative). We as Americans, need not ask a high strung feeble minded know it all for permission nor approval.

No one tells you what to do with your crappy life, which is unfair I know...becuase no one cares what you do.

If you think your only outlet for this issue is a lousy blog, on a terrible website, for a poorly written article then I fell truly sorry for you.

But if you feel tough when spouting off you crap anonymously, thn just keep on keepin' on.

You can be the little retarded boy that everyone say "Good Job" to when your done finger painting.

I'm done with you. Have a nice day...life. But it will probably suck anyway.

Naplesborn. You got me bawlin

Don't tell me you work for CCPS too

You're about as sharp as a wad of wet hair. Needle brain, dim wit

I'm done with you. Have a nice day...life. But it will probably suck anyway.

Pew, I feel so much better

what was the article about??????

some of these phone calls between Board members were made at 3:15 AM and 3:30 AM! Kind of early in the day to be making phone calls exchanging recipes or asking what kind of "outfit" you are going to wear today- yes?. These people must think we, the public, are a bunch of country bumpkins who can't walk and chew gum at the same time! If it swims like a fish, looks like a fish, and smells like a fish well then, it must be a FISH! Something very " FISHY" here!

You would think that one would remember what was discussed during a phone call that took place around 3AM.

Now just how many people talk on the phone at that hour? I know if I had been on a phone call at that hour I surely would remember what was discussed even several months later.

Some real selective amnesia going on here. I never knew our school board members were such night owls.

Regardless of your views on his job competency, Mr. Baker is a fine man. Likely just letting the new guy know what will likely happen to him when he falls out of favor with the board as well.

The combined intelligence of this board fails to achieve that of any single third grader in its care, throw these idiots out now and let's recapture some credibility in this very broken system.

WILL1313 For School Board.. OK

But I prefer MICKEY MOUSE.. We already have GOOFY as Superintendent

When so many are suffering from dementia should not the Governor step in and save us from further destruction.
Tapes of the school board meetings and now depositions prove how dysfuntional and ineffective this governing (?) body has become.
If this is not reason for a recall then a reason will never exist.
If the state isn't interested than I agree with the blogger who suggested keeping your children home during FCAT. That will get their attention.

flcertifiedteacher----GREAT blog

You're correct fathead, Mr. Baker is a good person and did not deserve the way he has been treated.
I have a couple thoughts I want to throw out. In the blogs, there is never a shortage of critcism of the school system and teachers and how terrible test scores are here. I would like to see some responsibility for those scores readdressed. I believe people should be asking STUDENTS what is THEIR responsibility regarding scores and education. Take whatever percentile you want that scores below grade level then explain why the opposing percentile does well. They have the same teachers and the same books and same lessons. Why does that group do well? Teachers present information and do evaluations but the individual student is still responsible for learning the material. Let's stop blaming everyone else and place some of the responsibility on each student. This is not an anti-kid rave but just a comment that we need to place our expectations on the appropriate party.
I also see many comments about the"good old boy" system. I am not a proponent of dishonest, backroom deals but I do like to see local work go to local people. If a contractor in CC can do the work, I don't want one from Miami or Ocala doing it if at all possible. There was some concern about the same contractors getting all the work and allowing the "little guy" to get a piece of the action. No problem with that except if the "little guy" gets in over his head on a big job and has to be bailed out in order to get it finished. It ends up costing more by the time they are finished. That happens many places and not just in CC.
I also believe that people who start here in the school system should have the opportunity to move up in it. If one is working in the system, raising their family in the system, why shouldn't they have the opportunity to stay in it and grow professionally? I would rather have someone that has been here 30 years, knows the community and the employees, than someone who comes in from out of state. I'm not saying they can't do a good job but why not encourage long term involvement from within. There are many terrific, hard-working people involved in education in this county. We should celebrate that and encourage them to stay here.
Having said all of that, I am not unaware that abuses happen. They can be dealt with on an individual basis without condemning the hard work of an entire group of people.
I don't think Mr. Baker was given a reasonable chance to fix all the board's concerns. They were in a rush to get "their man" here regardless of the truth or the will of the community as a whole. Although there is a very vocal, pro-board group here, they are certainly not the majority of the community. Morale of CCPS employees, parents, and students is very low and it is the legacy of primarily 3 board members. They should be ashamed but somehow I doubt that they are.

To Sowest Fla 1975: you mention Donovan's high priced attorney - do you mean Withers, he is the school board attorney, not Mr. Donovan's attorney, or do you mean the other guy from Miami, he is also Board attorney.
What are you referring to?
I need to know how these jokers are spending my money

Well said beenthere!

Wow!
All this talk of hanging! I'd swear it was Graham. . . all over again.

Why has Donovan scheduled his depo AFTER the motion for summary judgement? Could it be that he would tell the truth and others may have perjured themselves?
If this case settles as a result of a summary judgement, which is quite likely, Donovan will NOT have to undergo the rigors of a deposition and run the risk of exposing the depth of the deceit practiced by the perpetrators of the rape of this community.

My suspicions are that some one or some group, will feel that the evidence warrants an investigation, post settlement, to recoup tax payers dollars Just a wild hunch.

Here's a link to an NBC2 piece on the Thompson deposition held yesterday...Where's the NDN?
http://www.nbc-2.com/Articles/readart...
"During the deposition hearing Thursday, Thompson confirmed he met with Barron Collier teacher Terry Walters before Ray Baker's firing to discuss what it would take for him to leave his job in Rockford, Illinois.

"Salary, benefits, the availability of bringing my colleagues with me - that's about it," said Thompson.

While Thompson denies actually being offered the job while Baker still held it, questions remain about who sent Walters to meet with him."

Why would Thompson believe that he would be paid more if he came to Collier? Based on what? When he told Walters what his price was, did Walters say he would receive it?

How could Walters convey a message like that without consulting Abbott, Calabrase and Donovon?

How could the appearance of a firing of Baker and the already done deal of replacing him with Thompson occur without Thompson receiving confirmation that he would get everything he asked for in advance, before any discussion in the sunshine?

Why would Thompson go out on a limb telling Rockford he was contemplating taking Baker's job months before the Collier public and school board were informed of the results of the study that were supposedly the basis for Baker's firing? The study was not even completed at that time.

I think an immunity deal (if such a concept exists in a case like this) should be offered to the first school board member ready to tell the truth. And I think the school board members responsible for this miscarraige of justice should be sued and held liable for conspiracy and defrauding the not only Baker but the people of Collier County as well.

We need a canary to sign. Maybe Donovan can see the handwriting on the wall and can hum a tune....Calabrase is in too deep and Abbott is in it up to her eyebrows...We need to get to the bottom of this.

fathead, your name says it all!
"baker is a FINE MAN"?
Are you kidding me.
We go from Farber to Bronson to Miller. He was in charge and you call him a FINE MAN?
ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?

Yes, I know Ray personally and he is a great husband, father and man...without question. If someone is so shallow minded as to judge a person on the perception of their job competency, then they are a very small person and have no clue as to what makes up the credibility and character of a man.

As a father of a teenager in the CCPS system, I can tell you without hesitation, it is the responsibility of the PARENTS, to make sure their children are educated. This board, the teachers and the schools are the tools availble to us in which to do so. I just think we need to clean out the tool box and start again, these guys don't have my kids best interests at the heart of their efforts, only their own self interests and that's disgraceful.

I've said enough.

A male ladyfish is still called a ladyfish.
If one prefers, it can be called a Horse Eye Herring, but can Naplesborn tell a male ladyfish from a female?

Mr. Baker is not responsible for the personal decisions of Faerber, Branson or Miller. When the situations became known to the school system, they took necessary action. I assure you, Mr. Baker would have taken whatever action as soon as possible. The suggestion that he would have looked the other way is insulting and totally inaccurate. Remember, we don't burn at the stake anymore without factual evidence.
Joes...it's difficult to give credibility to such reactionary and inappropriate comments. You're certainly free to say them but it honestly doesn't speak well for you. It's almost as if you are related to one of the main characters in this drama.
Fathead is absolutely correct in his assessment of Mr. Baker's attributes. There is no way you could know him personally and make your statements. Perhaps you dealt with him as a student and the results were not to your liking.

I wish people would just stick to the issue! Our schoolboard railroaded Baker, no matter what kind of leader he was. As far as who is responisible for educating children it really takes an entire village. It's an educator' s duty to do what is expected of them BUT when are, MOST, of parents going to start doing their part and STOP making excuses? If there is NO parental support at home it's like the old 2 steps forwards and 3 steps back senario. If anyone would like to know what one educator does in (a paid) 7.5 hours/day please visit a school for 7.5 hours on any given day! I doubt you could keep up!

Attorney Withers must go back to his Georgian state. Naples is no town for him. I don't feel like he has our interests at heart.

Goodbye Mr. spend money Baker, Mr. perverted high school principal and now Mr. racist lawyer

RE: "flcertifiedteacher----GREAT blog
jazzman"

Thanks, jazzman. I appreciate your nice comment here.

If you scroll down on my parody blog, to a photo
I've now posted of Superintendent Dennis Thompson, you'll see my latest update:

http://www.lindaabbotsaysvisitrockfor...

flcertifiedteacher:

Your blog is just so funny (or it would be if it wasn't so true!)

Keep up the parody ... we need SOMETHING to laugh about.

You forgot to look up Rockford on Google. I found that:

Notable Rockfordians include

* Jane Addams, Nobel Peace Prize Winner
* Ginger Lynn Allen, pornographic actress

and

Checking up on heart arrhythmia surgery the superintendent underwent in April 2006 kept Thompson from the school board meeting. After a successful November property-tax referendum, Rockford School Board members gave Thompson his first base-pay raise since his arrival in Rockford in May 2004. It was a 3 percent raise to $199,820 a year, plus an $8,000 bonus.

RE: "Your blog is just so funny (or it would be if it wasn't so true!)

Keep up the parody ... we need SOMETHING to laugh about.

wifeandmom"

Dear wifeandmom,

Thanks for your kind words here. I posted your entire comment again because everything you wrote is worth repeating.

I will continue to add new material on my parody blog because I believe my funny blog is helping people to think more clearly.

And, I hope they conclude as you did:

what has happened in this school district and elsewhere is NOT what should happen in any school district.

It seems to me that certain people allegedly "leading" this district actually have no moral authority whatsoever. (That's why they are such ripe targets for parody.)

Thanks again for writing.

PS For those who have not yet visited my parody blog, here's the link:

http://www.lindaabbotsaysvisitrockfor...