Vote in new School Board members!

www.dooley08.com

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Bill Dooley for School Board

I thought he was the bad guy, why do we have to give him $555,000?

This made me think back to when Linda Abbott first got on the school board. Practically every vote was 4-1 with Ms. Abbott being the dissenting vote. She was supposed to be the breath of fresh air. Jeff Lytle sang her praises. Her supporters wrote letters to the editor and even had some little phrase that trumpeted her as the exception to the rule. I was always wondering how could 4 people possibly be wrong everytime and 1 could always be right. That just didn't make sense. Now, many years later, we can see that it truly never made sense. Her group cranked up the fervor and enough people bought it to place Mr. Donovan and Mr. Calbrese on the board. They systematically seemed to attempt to change the system into a fiefdom for themselves and their special followers. They still have the same small group of cheerleaders but the general public now has a good sense of the consequences of the board majority's disasterous decision making.
The community tried to speak out the night Ray Baker was fired (for something that may not have been fixed yet). The board majority ignored the pleas of the community, parents, teachers and even the advice of counsel. How much longer does this idiocy need to continue?

Bill Dooley of Naples was noodling around the Internet. As a substitute teacher, he was intrigued to find a home page with the headline: "I proclaim publicly that I favor ending government involvement in education."
He was even more intrigued with the name of one of the supporters — Linda Abbott, a part of government's involvement in education since 2000 as a member of the Collier County School Board. Abbott takes the pledge on the Web site of the Alliance for the Separation of School and State (honestedu.org).

"How can she honor her obligations to public education and the students at Collier schools while being a signed member of an anti-public education group?" Dooley asks.

Abbott says she really doesn't believe that, because without public schools many children would not get an education. She says she signed up about six months ago as a show of support for local advocates of education competition and alternatives.

www.dooley08.com

I'm wondering if this will ever end. For every 1 abbott there are 100 more in line to replace her. Same with the rest of them. This District wasn't so bad 10 years ago.

The paper recently quoted some board members as saying they wanted to fight this. LOL.

It seems the districts lawyers beat some sense into the small 3 who brought this on.

Baker could of made this very painful. The district's lawyers said that 2.5 million was built into the budget to cover this lawsuit. Only $800K was spent. Resulting in a positive of $1.7 million.

So who needs a new football field? Teachers?

The dies in this lawsuit were cast long before the lunatic fringe of the Board rushed to dump Ray Baker but rather in the giveaway contract they negotiated with him which virtually gurarantted him his full salary absent his death or criminal conviction during the length of his contractual appointment. When the lunatic fringe voted Baker out without due cause under the contract he became entitled to the $555,000.00 which the Board by this settlement is now agreeing to pay him, albeit after the expenditure of significant PUBLIC funds to attempt to justify their improper acts.

I for one, while feeling the settlement is required in law under the poorly enacted terms of the contract which the fringe, am interested in the alleged Sunshine law violations pleaded in the Baker complaint directed at Abbott, Donovan and our local lotharion, Calabrese, and in seeing how a good attorney can weave the already discovered acts by these three, plus those yet to be discovered through the deposition of Donovan, into a cause of action on which a jury might determine constitute a violoation of the Sunshine Law and generously award the plaintiff for their acts against him.

Unfortunately, when this lawsuit ends as it should through this settlement, our District still faces the same potential exposure to now Supt. Thompson when he is voted out for incompetence, whether real or perceived, by the new Board members who will be voted in to replace Abbott, Donovan and Calabese as their terms end, these unnecessary impositions coming from the even more generous giveaway contract granted by these same three to Supt. Thomposon.

Welcome to Rockford.

The State Ethics Commission isn't very ethical. Neither was the Hinshaw & Culbertson report. Nor does Mr. Withers have the last word. What's financially best for the district has been for too long the criteria for the board's decisions. A settlement is not in the best interest of our school district.

That our community places political and economic expediency above morality and uses craft and deceit to maintain authority and to carry out discriminatory policies is wholly reprehensible and deserves utter condemnation. District employees from top to bottom have been intimidated and humiliated and oppressed.

Unpleasant as it is for everyone, Mr. Baker should go all the way.

Certain cancers must be excised with radical open-body surgery (not by changing the schedule, not by cutting teaching, guidance, ESE special assistants and custodial positions). This is the proper place for wielding scalpels. Craft, deceit, and economic expediency need to be wholly exposed and fully eliminated if our district is to achieve healthy recovery from its historic policies of pushing and trampling upon its most important people.

I disagree with former and current board members as well as with the current school administrators and the _Naples Daily News_. Collier County Public Schools is not a corporation cranking out widgets. We are not an arm of the military. What are we?

We don’t need to reinvent our nation’s high schools. We don’t need to reinvent 9th Grade. We don’t need to restructure our schedule. We don’t need to save (or make) more money.

We might begin a remodeling of the Board Chamber at the Martin Luther King Administrative Center. Exalted positions for these people above the rest of us seems quite ironical. In spite of the quality of character exhibited by the current occupants, the Skinnerian design of the space fosters an atmosphere of intimidation and fear and encourages those so exalted to overweening pride.

Mr. Baker should not settle out of court.

I must respectfully disagree with the previous blogger.

Fiscal responsibility should be one of the top priorities of the School Board in every decision they make, whether it is as important as the settlement of this litigation or as mundane as whom to purchase chalkboard erasers from. The fact that we as taxpayers are getting out of this mess for merely half a million dollars and change instead of a potential multi-million dollar jury award should be applauded, not condemned.

I find it rather ironic that the same people who were screaming about that School Boarad's lack of fiscal responsibility during the teacher salary fiasco are now the very same people who are suggesting that Mr. Baker should pursue millions instead of settling for what is now on the table.

I have come to believe from reading the daily rants on here by many of the "regulars" that they would rather see the School Board spend millions more of our hard-earned tax dollars on a huge jury award just to see the School Board get a little more egg on their collective face and to confirm their ridiculous conspiracy theories and to simply be vindictive because they don't happen to agree with the School Board decisions, than to take this generous settlement offer and accept it for what it is...a gift. This is a pittance compared to what it could be.

I agree that we don't need to reinvent our nation's schools. But, we most definitely need to do something about those in Collier County, because what we have isn't working. The recent FACT scores prove that without a doubt. I was appalled that everyone was celebrating mediocrity so enthusiastically. The C+ grade that Florida received was generous and much higher than we deserve, and should be a blaring alarm to everyone who payes taxes into our public schools that we must demand our money's worth.

Replacing the current School Board is not the answer to the problem. Even if were possible to replace them all part and parcel, either by recall or by divine intervention from Governor Crist, what guarantee do we have that the people who replace them would do a better job? How do we know they wouldn't be as bad (or worse)? The answer is: We don't know. And, we can't know. All we can do is fill the contested seats with whomever we feel will do the best job.

That's the beauty of our democratic system of government. We get exactly what the majority wants, every time. We have no one to blame for the failures of our political figures, because we are the ones responsible for putting them into office. We deserve what we get. The only thing that elections guarantee is that we will get the best liar or the best promise maker, not necessarily the best candidate for the job.

Mr. Baker should most definitely settle out of court, and the School Board should be grateful that he is willing to do so.

I say " Let's outsource everything- custodians, ADMINSTRATORS, teachers, food workers, bus drivers, the kids, their parents- everything to the lowest bidder"! After 35 years of all this nonsense I am outta here May 30, 2008 at 3 PM. Gone Fishing! Gone kayaking! Gone running! Gone biking! Baby sitting my new granddaughter!

Gator - to my recollection the Judge ruled on a motion for summary judgment and held that on all causes of action the motion did not lie and that the issues of fact would have to be determined by a petit jury. I don't believe he tossed anything.

But why argue - the fact is that Abbott, Donovan and Calabrese have been doing contractual harm to the District both with the Baker contract and the Thompson contract, leaving the public's pocketbook exposed. Frankly the stench of being obligated to pay these mediocre "educators" irrespective of their performance is offensive.

GatorHater.............Hate to share this with you my friend but you are in error concerning the Judges ruling! Please read it, he did not say no violation occured........ it was a procedurial order and easily over turned! Read it and you will understand!

A very big part of the reason public schools have become bastions of mediocrity is that schools are run by the public, not by professionals. More and more each year, students and parents take every little issue of poor grades or perceived injustice straight to the newspapers and straight to the school board. What happened to teaching kids to suck it up and learn that often life is not fair? Before any of you bloggers jump all over me with past grievances, please consider the atmosphere that has been created by this constant drama. What have the kids learned from all this? If you drop your pants at a school function, get a slightly lower class rank than the kid next to you, or fail to attend classes so that you are excluded from prom, all you need do is run to the newspaper and half of Naples will be weighing in on your side and saying that it's no big deal. You want to know why our kids are not succeeding in the world comparison of school achievement? They do not have the intestinal fortitude to take any lumps and get on with the job, and their parents are taking their complaints to their college professors now. It's not about prayer; it's not about test scores. It's about giving the schools the power to teach the important life lessons that give them the strength to get through life. Did any of you have a teacher that was not a good teacher? What did you learn? Maybe you had to learn to study on your own; maybe you had to learn to keep your mouth shut; maybe you had to learn that sometimes the kid next to you really is a better student. These are things that can make a profound difference in later life -- much more than any subject matter.

I'm not saying we should not look for excellent teachers for our classrooms (and we already have many excellent ones), but excellent teachers will follow when they know they are going to be backed up by the administration and the parents. In this town too often people mistake teachers who give their kids A's for excellent teachers. Sometimes that is the case, but sometimes those are the very teachers who simply play the game. Most of their students get A's, and the kids know the class is a joke. They take it anyway and keep their mouths shut so they can get an A for their transcript. I've seen it happen, and the parents come to school raving about what a wonderful teacher So-and-so is.

As for Baker and his contract, that's not the real issue. The real issue is the micromanagement of the school system by many who haven't a clue as to what makes a good school system.

Okay, I'm finished ranting now. I can go back to retirement.

" I'm thankful to all the people who said NO to me- it made me have to do it/figure it by myself"
Dr. Wayne Dyer

Back to the news article -

Why would these people think they are so important to impart their opinions on the existing board. Who do they represent? Why do they want this mess swept under the rug? Do they not want Baker to "go to trial"? Are they really afraid for the school district, or are they afraid of Baker's clan getting smeared through an open trial? Do they represent the under-the-table gifts and gratuities of the business community? How much equipment has been bought by the school system under Baker, and ended up in administrator's personal usage? I know of one principle that did it under Baker, and she got caught and dismissed due to local school complaints, not Admin center investigations.

Baker has a lot to hide, or he wouldn't consent to the diminished return. These elitist former bureaucrats are covering their own clan's rears.

I'm suspicious and cynical of their medaling in this affair!

Do not settle. Let the truth come out!
Chap, some food for thought.
You said: to my recollection the Judge ruled on a motion for summary judgment and held that on all causes of action the motion did not lie and that the issues of fact would have to be determined by a petit jury. I don't believe he tossed anything.

You are right, but Baker was counting on a summary favorable ruling which he did not get. He has since acquiesced to the fact there was no violation(stated above). The fact he has settled for the small amount speaks volumes. He didn't want a trial to begin with. It was a tactical legal bluff. Not only was it called, but a legitimate countersuit was filed. Too much information about too many people would have been revealed. Chamber people were horrified.

Your analysis is spot on, Nekayah. Baker should not settle. He would do the community a favor by exposing the disease. Transparency is vital.

Unpleasant as it is for everyone, Mr. Baker should go all the way.

He knows it would be unpleasant for him.

EstatesDude........... You know NOTHING concerning the details, issues or facts! You are a Calabrese puppet! Why dont you just go kiss his ring!
Your facts are in amazing error! I realize that will continue as you have no clue!
I truly hope this does not settle!

cornandbeans,
I agree. Why would NDN bring the old board members into this unless they wanted to stir the pot> First they said the public would lose if this didn't go to court. Now they get this group of people who say: “Putting aside other issues which may be pursued in the future, our concern is for the fiscal well-being of the Collier Country School District"
What relationship or interest did any of these people have with Ray Baker? Are the future issues they are talking about the Nelson Faerber case?
Crappy investigative journalism. Great sensationalism!

Let's not forget that Donodumb was NOT deposed, because he ran from the scheduled tme and got an attorney. Classic action from an innocent man right. So the issues of Sunshine Law violations were never completely answered. Selfishness begs for a trail and more trouble for the 3 idiots, with the dream of having Thompson's contract deemed null & void. Too bad for CCPS that will never happen.

So settle the thing, and let's get back to the next dumb thing these 4 morons will come up with.......like firing 250 custodians for a reduced level of maintainence, little to no real savings, and another notch in the dictators belt making Collier slowly become Rockford south.

I will defend a persons right to speak even if they are rather supid! That being said, I just wonder how much some of these Baker Bashers have ever done for this community other then belly ache and point out spelling errors!
Abbott-Donavan-Calabrese set out to destroy public education in Collier County and have done a remarkable job with the task! A frustrated housewife, a want to be actor, and a Publix stock clerk, have changed the direction of education! We have meet the enemy, "it is us" for allowing these people to hold office by voting them in! They may have been stupid but we are the dumb ones we gave them the job!
now just to make the puppets happy you can aviod the issues by finding the 7 spelling errors in this entry! I made them just so your day could be complete!

teach,
I actually worked in that mess. I do know the details. I also know what happened in the taj. And about those errors. You didn't do them on purpose...lol

An office manager at BCH years ago was told to change F-cat scores under Baker, they were't good enough! Who did these old board members confine in Curatolo? I don't understand how baker gets 550,000? 2 years of salary comes to roughly 300,000. His insurance is separate.
P.S. I heard from several plant operators yesterday that GCA is all but a done deal. At a meeting yesterday, they were told they will be taking bids, because they have too by law, plant operators are not to talk to anyone, direct all questions to Administration. Board votes in middle of June. New company in place by July 1st!

Well, that easily explians it EstatesDude, you are a bitter man from having worked in the system. Something or someone caught up to you and now it is your chance to grind that axe! Thanks for the info, I understand better now!
Oh about those errors, I see it really did make your day! lmao!

some advice, take it or leave it, get over it and go on! it will make you even more bitter!

I don't usually partake, but this is getting really funny. Cornandbeans, estatesdude, ww2vet,you all make sense. The others continue with their nonsense. When I see their names, I just skim through, sometimes not reading at all. It's like a broken record, and it's getting tiresome.
All the same, I don't understand who these people think they are to think that other people should care what they think? What arrogance! If I were a member of the present Board, I would intentionally vote against their recommendation. If this group wants to weigh in, let them run for the Board and vote themselves.
It won't matter anyway. I think the settlement will be voted down. It almost has to be.

aman4allseasons......... "let people express themselves if the agree with you" Hey how about the people you are siding with running for school board if they have so much to offer!!!!!!!!!!1

lmao.......yeah right!

Upnorth, office managers cannot change FCAT scores. There are only a couple of people in a high school building who can do that -- the data entry person and perhaps the principal and the AP. Furthermore, those scores are sent by the state, and the state calculates the school's scores based on the info THEY produce, not based on what is on file in the building. In addition, while I'm not absolutely sure about this, I believe the scores are actually entered electronically by the state. I don't even think building data entry people can change them. I do know that even guidance counselors cannot go in and change things on a kid's record. They can only change his schedule. The system is set up on an as needed basis. You only get the access you need. Is it foolproof? Of course not. I just question the validity of your information. For one thing, there is no such thing at the high school as an "office manager." And the principal's secretary's access to test scores is "read only."

Upnorth- there is NO WAY on Gods' green earth that Mr. Baker could change FCAT scores! The results ( scores) come from the State and are etched in stone! Now, how they are reported to the public and perceived by the public is a different story! A good "statistics spin doctor" can make even the worse scores look acceptable/bearable!

VOTE FOR A TRIAL!!!!! VOTE FOR A TRIAL!!!!! VOTE FOR A TRIAL!!!!

LET THE LIGHT SHINE IN!!!!!

No settlement. Go to trial. Let the truth come out in public. Why would Baker settle for so little if he is so right? Also, can anyone tell us if he has applied for or received another job? Not that it matters for this but does anyone else want him?

cornandbeans: I think you left out; are they communists, did they hate their mothers, did they not wear flag lapel pins?
I suppose, since they have actually been in the position of board members, they felt that their opinion does count. Maybe they just felt that as Americans they have a right to share their opinion. I hope you aren't suggesting they don't have that right, the same as you and I.

teach,
Sorry, I don't have an axe to grind. I had a very rewarding career and retired very happily. I felt I made a difference in children's lives. They still call me to this day. Unlike many who just talk here, I still volunteer my time. Can you say the same?

Thanks to the others for pointing out that FCAT scores cannot be changed at the school level(or the administrative level). It is NOT possible. Jeez!

" - A judge already ruled during a summary judgement hearing while the depositions were being taken that there were no Sunshine Law violations, and that no basis to continue with that part of Baker's complaint had been established" Ummm this is interesting. How can a judge rule as such while depositions were still being taken? If this is true how can a judge make a ruling without all the evidence and testimony?Sounds kind of shoddy and unprofessional to me. I would expect more from a judge. This also sounds kind of fishy to me. Why else would a judge rule as such without all the evidence and testimony in front of him or her?Unless of course something was not right here.

Of course previous school board members and superintendents want the agreement. Under provisions of the settlement, all liabilities are dissolved with no penalty.

An investigation of accounting, leasebacks, contracts and purchase orders would show corruption, fraud, and misappropriation of funds. This agreement absolves all wrongdoing. An audit from 1992-present would show conspiracy, corruption, and political wrongdoing with many laws broken.

Look at the foundations, titles of schools, and COPS (Certificates of Participation). Who owns the schools the public paid for with taxpayers' dollars?

The public should step up on this one and the county commissioners, LOOK AT THE LAW! Baker broke many, many laws, and moral responsibility. So did the School Boards.

The public, taxpayers, and students got duped. They should not be saddled with paying for the financial wrongdoing of a select few.

Now that ex-school board members have had their say I am just wondering. What would Nelson Faerber do?
T

You really want to know who owns the schools? The mortgage companies. Yes, they are mortgaged. Check the records. What happened to the money earmarked to pay for them? Which real estate person's name shows up on most land transactions? Possibly an ex-superintendent? I'll bet this will trigger even more questions!

as much as we ( or most of us) would like to see this go to trial and see the "truth" come out, ultimately it comes down to 6 people voting/deciding and that would be the 5 school bored ( ha, ha) members and Ray Baker! It will be settled come Thursday May 15th and be forgotten by May 16th!

I have officially given my letter of resignation today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am a free woman!!!!!!!!

I will miss the students and my colleagues terribly, but I figure in a few years I can return to a better CCPS system. Right now it's not worth the pain this admin., board, and super cause myself and my friends.

I have never felt such a huge load off of my shoulders. Wow! I never thought I'd leave teaching for even a minute much less a few years (minimum I'm sure).

lololololol that and then some, Thankfully I am confident and Blessed enough that I do not feel the need to toot my own horn!
EstatesDude, I am glad you feel like you made a difference, I'm thrilled people still keep up with you, I just hope you show and share better and less bitter Character with those people!
I care about the kids and the system and am tired of seeing people attempt to destroy public education.

NaplesTeacher.......... Whatever the views or issues I wish you the best and thank you for the service given to our kids!

Naplesteacher,
Hopefully many more people will show gratitude for your years of service. Good luck in the future. Remember, there IS life after CCPS! And it is good!

I have been blessed to work in some wonderful programs for youth in this community. I have had the thrill of seeing lives forever changed. In these experiences I have seen the kids benifit from the work of the Chamber. I have had the support of people like Ray Baker and Dick Bruce in many needed situations.
I do not apologize for supporting what I have seen help in our community. Shame on those who pretend to be for the community when the are about themselves. Guess what folks, without special interest nothing would ever get done!
I would love personally for this not to settle just so the truth could rise to the top and shut some of these "know it alls" up! However enough is enough and at some point it is time to move forward!
anyone who might want to be part of truly making a difference you can contact me at teachtrouble2002@yahoo.com I for one am willing to step forward and not hide like some of these so called.................

I , too, would like to hear the testimony from this going to trial.
However, that just doesn't make financial sense at this time. I'm not sure how much of the $550,000 is paid by the insurance company, but I'm sure there would be tremendous legal bills from a long drawn out trial.( that there is no guarantee we would win ,anyway)
As far as the part 3 board members had in all this, as is so often said here, if it walks like a duck, looks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it's probably a duck!!!
;-)

Thank you so much for your kind words. I am now mourning my "loss", but I know I will be happy come June 1st. I will be working for a law firm until I feel CCPS is a workable environment. My prayers are that the children do not suffer while these people are controlling things.

I hear ya, NaplesTeacher! Lee County schools look better each day, even with the cut in pay!

The judge's ruling about sufficient evidence was rendered BEFORE the depositions began. Once the groper was deposed it was clear he had been in contact with the other 2 blind mice. Terry "I'm a fake Harvard guy" Walters had a salary offer for Thompson when he went to visit. Only a fool would think he made that figure up on his own or with only 1 board member's input. He was the conduit for the illegal communication.

GED boy will certainly agree to pay because he does not want to be deposed. He skipped his deposition twice out of fear of the truth. The problem is that we taxpayers will have to pay the bill to go to trial and find out the truth. Watch for the posturing on this item when it comes up for a vote. The 3 blind mice will all cite financial woes, but are relieved to have this ticking bomb defused. All 6 must all go, starting with Abbott, and finishing with Thompson and the chicks.

ED2 - you are probably correct, they will most likely settle and blame it on money - make some lame-o excuse, but be relieved that they escaped unscathed - Calabrese and Walters were walking hand in hand this evening - and wondered, what were they talking about so intently - hmmmmmm - Inquiring minds........ what could they be up to now - all huddled up????? what a hazy shade of gray -

EstateDude2:

Excellent blog and very perceptive insights. Bravo!

You're right - Walters wouldn't have gone on just a go-ahead from good pal Calabrese alone. And Thompson wouldn't have taken all the time with Walters if there hadn't been a whole lot more backing up that interview and potential offer.

Hit the nail on the head.

upnorth - you are flaunting your ignorance when you talk about ANYONE local changing FCAT scores. Those tests are scored by the state, not locally, and there is a huge amount of security around the entire endeavor. After they are scored CCPS receives scores electronically from the state. No office clerk can change them. If you are going to make accusations make them credible!