Good morning all, Regarding my comment that Director Johnson "clear it up" [full comment attached], I realize that $29K is a ton of money. I certainly don't have that laying around either. However, that isn't my problem. It also shouldn't be our problem as parents. It shouldn't be the problem of the teachers, other Board members, the Administration or the taxpayers either.
Unless there has been something I missed in today's paper, I expect Director Johnson to clear this up now - today. She can announce that this will be handled and outline how (with respect to pay back schedule, etc...). We don't have time or resources to spend on cleaning this up. She could have and should have fixed this a couple years ago. The fact that we are now talking about $29K is only because it has festered so long. It wasn't $29K after the first couple months. Like most of you I'm sure, when I pay my monthly bills, I would notice an extra $500 or $1000 in my checking account and would wonder what bill wasn't paid. That would enable me to find out the problem in much less time than 3 years. Since she had the benefits and did not pay the bills, she should fix it. This is not the kind of issue I expect to hear about from a Director of the Board - of anything, let alone MPS. On a side note, this does raise a great question (as someone noted to me) about the checks and balances in the "system". I do not recall hearing anything about this at the Board meetings in the last year and a half. I also don't recall hearing about this in audit findings or the financial report from Deloitte and Touche (I think it was D&T) last February. If it is in fine print, it was not spoken of during the Board presentation. I will look through the report tonight. As much as all of you, I'd rather be talking about how to reduce the class sizes, new books, teacher training, etc.... However, Director Johnson is in charge of this issue going away. I'm looking for her plan. Thank you, Tom Madden MPS Parent On 11/14/05 9:28 AM, "Diane Wiley" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > I agree with you Pat, it is outrageous that this kind of "computer glitch" > should be allowed to occur. What I was responding to was a previous post > where someone suggested that Audrey should just "clear it up" -- she only > gets around $13,000 a year anyway as a school board member, right? Many > many people over the years have complained about the school district's > accounting, how you can't understand it and how often there are serious > mistakes [remember the $7 million dollars we lost in federal funding 8 or 9 > years ago because they were using the meager Special Ed funds on regular > ed?] I also think that it's a crying shame that you're not making even > $29,000 as a school aide. I know how important the aides are, having a kid > with "needs".... > > Diane Wiley in Tangletown, disgusted again about the district and struggling > to remember that there isn't enough money being put into the schools in the > first place > >> -----Original Message----- >> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On >> Behalf Of Tom Madden >> Sent: Friday, November 11, 2005 1:35 PM >> To: 'Minneapolis Issues' >> Subject: Re: [Mpls] MPS "computer glitch" >> >> Thanks for the article Dan. >> >> Forget David Jennings. What about personal responsibility? If this >> were me, I would not let this stay unresolved for even a few months, >> let alone years. Settle up now. Get the benefit, pay for the >> benefit. Man, this stuff makes me angry. >> >> There is a large group of parents, city-wide and across most MPS >> schools that are working together to make positive changes in >> overcrowded classroom sizes, the achievement gap, the need for an >> actual increase in funding from the state/federal level and teacher > stability. >> >> Meanwhile, the Board and Administration now get to be side tracked on >> something that should have been settled a couple years ago. >> >> One person can clear this up today. If it takes a credit card or two, >> so be it. That shouldn't be our (taxpayer, parent, administrative staff) > problem. >> >> Tom Madden >> Lowry Hill >> >> On 11/11/05 6:46 AM, "Dan McGuire" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >> >>> http://www.startribune.com/stories/1592/5720561.html >>> The minute that David Jennings found out about the error in >>> billing, it ceased being a "computer glitch" and became a top level >>> management problem of board compensation. How many other $30K problems > did he let >>> go unresolved? $30k here, $30k there; it adds up. >>> >>> Dan McGuire >>> Ericsson >>> >>> REMINDERS: >>> 1. Be civil! Please read the NEW RULES at >>> http://www.e-democracy.org/rules. If you think a member is in >>> violation, contact the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before >>> continuing >> it on the list. >>> >>> 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. >>> >>> For state and national discussions see: >>> http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html >>> For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract >>> ________________________________ >>> >>> Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City-focused Civic Discussion - >>> Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[email protected] Subscribe, >>> Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls >> >> REMINDERS: >> 1. Be civil! Please read the NEW RULES at > http://www.e-democracy.org/rules. >> If you think a member is in violation, contact the list manager at >> [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. >> >> 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. >> >> For state and national discussions see: >> http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html >> For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract >> ________________________________ >> >> Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn >> E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[email protected] Subscribe, >> Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls >> >> REMINDERS: >> 1. Be civil! Please read the NEW RULES at > http://www.e-democracy.org/rules. If you think a member is in violation, > contact the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the > list. >> >> 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. >> >> For state and national discussions see: >> http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html >> For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract >> ________________________________ >> >> Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn >> E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[email protected] Subscribe, >> Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls > > > REMINDERS: 1. Be civil! Please read the NEW RULES at http://www.e-democracy.org/rules. If you think a member is in violation, contact the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[email protected] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
