Check out these items on tonight's governing board agenda.
6.3 Discussion and Possible Action on Superintendent’s Contract – presented by President Reese
6.4 Discussion and Possible Appointment of Interim Superintendent – presented by President Reese
Unbelievable.
Despite how CCUSD Watch perceives Tacy, losing her when the district is undergoing such upheaval would truly be a shame.
ReplyDeletehoneymom
Hi HM,
ReplyDeleteLet's be clear, we have NEVER asked or promoted any administrator or governing board member to resign, quit, or runway.
We are going to put some more thought into an analysis, so we will have plenty to say later, but we will leave you with 2 words.
Barbara Erwin.
Hi Watch,
ReplyDeleteI talked about your perception, not your advocacy.
Oh, gee, I love puzzles.
Barbara Erwin - Former Scottsdale Superintendent, lied on resume, looking for a job, authoritarian/dictitorial style.
A. Has moved back here
B. Something fishy in Tacy's background
C. Is available for CCUSD
D. Tacy has the same style
E. None of the above
F. A and C
Your turn.
hm
BTW, here is a puzzle for you.
ReplyDeleteRumored New Principal...Cola
hm
The assistant principal at DAMS is "rumored to be leaving" and that's "unbelievable" to you folks?
ReplyDeleteHave you see the district website in the last couple of weeks? They have had a picture of Bill Dolezal posted with the title of Assistant Principal DAMS right there.
How did this escape your thoughtful watch?
Dear "July 8, 2008 4:02 PM"
ReplyDeleteYou are correct. This was not news and we were wrong.
The 'unbeliveable' was directed above.
Thanks for pointing this out.
Someone is finally getting smart and realizing that maybe getting rid of a contractor who is costing the district MORE money than when she was employed as an FTE, is a good idea! If they wanted Tacy to stick around, maybe they should not have offered her retirement with the promise to rehire her as a contractor. She signed on the dotted line. Contractors are the first to go in ANY company when budgets are in question. They are too expensive to keep!
ReplyDeleteMy children were in SUSD for a few years while Barbara Erwin was at the helm before we moved to CCUSD. There was a good reason why she left the way she did. Dr. Baracy had ALOT of CLEAN UP/DAMAGE CONTROL work to do after she left. She will NEVER be the superintendent of CCUSD because too many people know about her history, which wasn't all that long ago.
ReplyDeleteNo No No, a thousand times no. We are not advocating Ms Erwin, just comparing her to the current situation, a superintendent who left a mess.
ReplyDeleteAt least Dr. Ashby is now free to join SUSD.
Don't forget that we posted about Dr. Ashby leaving for SUSD back in May.
ReplyDelete---
Would Superintendent Ashby Leave for SUSD?
Cave Creek Unified School District Superintendent Ashby was a finalist for the superintendent position in the Scottsdale Unified in 2004. See this information from the Scottsdale Governing Board in 2004...
NOTICE OF SPECIAL MEETING/EXECUTIVE SESSION
With voters and community not supporting her grand plan for CCUSD and the board in disarray, chances could be good that she would make the jump. There is no question that Scottsdale is the premier district in the state. Not sure that she has proven herself here at CCUSD, so it would be an uphill battle.
"...a superintendent who left a mess"?
ReplyDelete8 excelling schools, 3 A+ schools, 2 A+ programs, IB high school, a second language learning program, a multiage learning program, with further curricular improvements coming on board in the fall...
That's a mess many districts would envy.
CCUSDWatch, I agree with 4:51 p.m.; no person is all bad and despite all the negativity, she has brought some very good things to the table for the district.
ReplyDelete************
CW, you say that she would be leaving a mess but you publish such negativity about her (remember just recently you wrote that sarcastic letter "from her" with adlib?) that subconsciously you do really want her gone. Well if she does resign tonight then you will have your wish. She may leave a mess, according to you, but how can any one person fix all the nit pick things that you want fixed? Criticizing every move this administration does is lame especially since you refuse to be part of the process to help the district. Just writing that the district should fix this or that is not called problem solving. People need to become involved to become part of the solutions that they would like to see fixed or changed.
Nice pic with your post Watch - you are an unbelievable, sarcastic, unfocused, hateful, do nothing "group". Your blog does nothing but drag me down and I'm done - not like you care. You are not good for the district, you are not good for the employees, you are not good for the community. Happy negativity Watch - I hope one day you'll clean up your post for the good of this district and the community that should rally and support it.
ReplyDeleteWhy so unbelievable? I'd think you'd be happy.
ReplyDeleteFolks like you are partly responsible...you and at least 3 members of the school board and the town rag.
SUSD has already announced and approved their current Superintendent situation (until October when Baracy officially leaves) and that is two interim Sups so if Tacy is leaving for that job she hasn't been offered it yet as they are going through a national search to fill the position. It's in the SUSD board minutes...READ THEM.
ReplyDeleteThere are a lot of unanswered questions as to why the assistant principal at DAMS left. My kids go to DAMS, and they liked him very much as did the parents of my children's friends. I heard the teachers gave him a difficult time.
ReplyDeleteAnn Orlando has not been able to keep an assistant principal longer than two years since Janiene Marlowe left to be the principal at Horsehoe Trails. First was Rob Miller (1 year), then Ricardo Cardova (2 years, and he had to go through that incident with sex in the classroom), and now Erik Francis has resigned after one year. That's three assistant principals in four years! What is going on at that school?!
Now Bill Dolezal is the new assistant principal?! Not good.
Tacy is not leaving. This is part of the review of the Smart Schools contract.
ReplyDeleteThank you 7:02. That makes me feel a lot better. I happen to really like Tacy.
ReplyDeleteBe careful what you wish for Watch. Rome wasn't built in a day and you need to learn some patience.
honeymom
6.3 was discussed
ReplyDelete6.4 was voted on
Thank you Dr. Ashby for your service to the district.
Sorry 7:02 you were wrong. As of 6:45 p.m. board meeting was over and Dr. Ashby's resigation was accepted by the board.
ReplyDeleteNow who in the he-- would actually want to come here to work and put up with this board (or at least 3 of them), the local tabloid and the annoying whiners behind them?
Dr. Ashby...I wish you the best. Thank you for your service to CCUSD.
You were told when you arrived that the district was too secretive...they didn't communicate. You enhanced communication 150% over the last administration. You reached out to the community and you bent over backwards to invite community involvement...then you were accused of being wishy-washy. I guess you just can't win here.
I wish you nothing but the best and hope you have a wonderful new experience to begin -- one where your efforts are supported and appreciated.
You tried...
Who's next?
Good luck Dr. Burdick.
New superintendent needed...and no one who wants to run for school board (okay 3 folks). We're batting 1000! I hope everyone is happy.
It's funny, but the "mess" left by Dr. Ashby seems to have been created when she tried too hard to do what the "community" or at least the most vocal components of that wanted.
ReplyDeleteSo I guess you got what you wished for Watch. You can label this any which way, but it is a loss for the district. And, however you label it, keep in mind that Tacy did what any rational person who was underappreciated would do - she moved on.
ReplyDeletePerhaps we as a district can learn something from it and try to be more supportive of our next superintendent.
honeymom
Hi HM,
ReplyDeleteTime and again we have advocated for the board and adminstration to focus on academic acheivement, in our belief that they were too focused on everything but. Even Mark Warren admited this.
When you hear how Dr. Ashby left you may think otherwise about her loss.
Oh Watch - stop with the DRAMA do tell. You were at the meeting, weren't you (all?)
ReplyDeleteIt's a shame....that this is the 5 or so superintendent to leave in such as short time? I assume Dr. Ashby got sick of everyone going after her. This district is tanking badly...and unfortunately, it is only a few to blame for most of the destruction. Did you ever make Dr. Ashby feel welcome?
ReplyDelete4:51 pointed out some of the great things that have happened under Tacy's leadership.
ReplyDelete"8 excelling schools, 3 A+ schools, 2 A+ programs, IB high school, a second language learning program, a multiage learning program, with further curricular improvements coming on board in
the fall".
7:25 added the following comment: "You were told when you arrived that the district was too secretive...they didn't communicate. You enhanced communication 150% over the last administration. You reached out to the community and you bent over backwards to invite community involvement...then you were accused of being wishy-washy. I guess you just can't win here".
Several previous bloggers have depicted some of the reasons she wanted out of here.
1: a "town rag" with a board member for their source
2: a negative blogwatch unwilling to step up and actually help
3: three board members who don't support the administration and always meddle where they don't belong (two of them have terms that expire soon)
4: a community where the vast majority of people don't even show up to vote...at all
Why would she want to stay in such a venemous community?
Honeymom! You got it right.
"Perhaps we as a district can learn something from it and try to be more supportive of our next superintendent."
No. She didn't leave a mess! She left a MESSAGE!
I want to point out how I got to know Tacy.
ReplyDeleteOver several events, at the school and outside of the school functions (benefitting children) I ran into her. She had introduced herself to me at the first event and asked me to help her meet some of the other people throwiing the event. She was always involved, always supportive, always gracious. I did not meet her as she rallyed district support although I did become part of that later on.
I hope that our next superintendent is as devoted to the children, parents and community. I am incredibly sad about her resignation and I am "pissed off" at the forces that made it so difficult for her to do her job here.
If she does become Scottsdale Superintendent, I hope she does a great job and shows our district what she can do with a more supportive district. It will help teach us a valuable lesson.
honeymom
Honeymom,
ReplyDeletePlease don't be so "pissed off" that you fail to see the role that CCUSD parents who don't vote play in this departure.
It's been said many times, if CCUSD had the parents of every student voting for the bonds, they'd win. But it's not happening. Not only are they not voting, for the most part, they have no idea what is happening in the schools as far as finance and management is concerned.
There will always be those who are critical. But you should be able to count on the support of those you are directly impacting. CCUSD doesn't have the voting support of parents. Until they do, bonds will keep failing.
As much as I dislike the intent of the hostile press and this blog, parents who didn't vote & aren't informed are also to blame for the financial & administrative losses our kids will face this coming school year.
Honeymom,
ReplyDeleteIn some respects you are right...Don't you think that some of the reason Ashby left was due to losing a number of principals and administrators. Not to say it is her fault, but as the head of the district, like a CEO, she is accountable. No, she didn't have enough community support, but part of that was her fault because she would not stand up for herself or the district. Whenever something was printed or said about the district, she did not respond. Maybe she thought it would go away if she didn't. But it only made things worse and made her look weak. She did many things well, but she could not manage her "constituants". She tried to please everyone and you can't do that no matter how hard you try. Honeymom, it's obvious you care...why don't you run for the board and make the changes you want to see happen.
Dear 8:19A-
ReplyDeleteYou are right about the parents who are not voting having culpability. At the same time, the very nature of Arizona bond issues for schools is really screwed up. I, as a parent on a PTO who had some questions about the bond - it was huge and complicated, could not get real answers because the legislature has so tied the hands of the district from talking about it once on the ballot. My Principal could not even tell me what the bond money that was being apportioned to our school was going to be spent on. I can only imagine how confusing it seemed to parents with no involvement in the schools. That is why I have advocated a more upfront process, before an issue even gets considered for bonding, on this site. I am not trying to kill any of the very legitimate issues that parents want action on in this district. I am trying to push early and continual community support of any issue.
I believe that with larger class sizes, cuts in programs, and the sudden departures, some of our sleepier parents may finally wake up and realize that votes do count.
Dear 8:56A,
I struggle with some personal issues that are my priority right now. It is easy to get on a computer since I tend to work on one. I am also a writer and banging these things out is a breeze. Not so with meeting attendance, I have discovered. I have tried to be involved over the years, even spreading myself thin holding multiple positions at once. Ultimately, I have some serious issues with one of my children that forced me to cut back on the volunteerism that I cherish. Hopefully, my life will not always be this way.
I do think that the district does have a fear of standing up to the local rag. I know they do because when I mentioned to a district contact that I wanted to fight back I was discouraged because of the fear that I would become a target of the rag.
I find it so odd that a newspaper is running our town and district. I just hope that somehow we can attract the caliber of superintendent with the type of track record that will give them the strength to go mano a mano.
I still liked Tacy. I wish her much luck and success in the future. I find nothing cowardly in her resignation letter. I think it was very gracious and that we as a community should pay special attention to:
"I offer my deepest appreciation and most sincere desire that Cave Creek Unified School District with increasing community support will find its direction in a collaborative, encouraging and unified manner."
Let's provide that community support to the next super.
honeymom
Here here on the parent comments 8:19. It is unfortunate that your principal did not share with you the information you requested. The administrators are so afraid their comments or anything they say will be construed as influencing the election and thus they just say nothing. The information you requested is here http://www.ccusd93.org/education/components/scrapbook/default.php?sectiondetailid=12179. Click on the adequacy of facilities sc file. That is the facilities subcommittee that went to each school and site council and reviewed the needs of each school and then categorized them into three categories. It's sad to read the list...it's very long. That is where your principal should have sent you because that documentation was submitted in support of the bond and you can see what items the bond was going to cover.
ReplyDeleteI hold principals somewhat responsible for bonds failing becasue they fail to properly communicate with their parents sometimes. However, I do also understand their fear of being construed as doing anything that could illegitimize an election.
I do include the link, however, to show that parents who say they "didn't know" often made no effort to become informed other than reading "The Paper That Shall Not Be Named" and we KNOW how much truth (very little) is in there.
Our PTO prides itself on keeping our parents informed and I know our board members very much appreciate when PTO members ask them questions about the district, etc. as they use that as a time to educate our parents about what is really happening. Often those questions start with..."I read this in the Sonoran News and I know it probably isn't true...but." And, well, 90% of the time it isn't true or it is factually manipulated information.
Anyway..HM, I have to figure that I know you and if I don't I know I'd like you. Hang in there. You give me hope.
Holy Smokes - I just learned about this blog in the last 24 hours. I have taken about 3 - 4 hours today to read all the different topics and posts.
ReplyDeleteLike a lot of things in the 21st century there is a good side and a bad side to sites like this - it is great that we have a place where we can share our uncensored thoughts and ideas but it's bad when most of the stuff that is written seems to be very whiny (or downright mean-spirited) in its nature.
I have been a member of this community for 10+ years, I have friends that are board members or former board members, I have friends that have served on committees and work in the schools. I have friends that were pro-powerline and anti-powerline at Sonoran Trails. I have kids that go to the schools. I have been involved with our local sports associations that work with the schools to provide soccer fields and baseball fields. I volunteer at many school activities or attend them as a fan/parent. Because of rezoning my kids have attended 3 out of the 5 grade schools. They have attended one of the middle schools and the high school. All have done very, very well on the AIMS exams at all levels.
In some circles that background would get one labeled as a grizzled veteran or a sage leader. Am I well informed even with all of that access? The answer is a resounding NO
What we all have is opinions that might be valid for the situation in which we find our self or our family. A solution for myself or my family might not be a valid solution for my neighbor.
As an outsider looking in at all of this today I would have to say that I have appreciated a lot of what Honeymom has had to say. My personal belief is that if you see something that you don't feel is right AND you feel a need to say something about it - please propose a solution. Being bitchy or whiny (even as a weak attempt at humor) is counterproductive.
I would agree with one of the common thoughts that ran through a lot of these posts - what "controls" a lot of the thought in this community is what is written in the Sonoran News.
I can't say that I have ever read anything in that paper that was positive other than articles on horses. The people that write the articles are all like minded thinkers that love to tear into this school board, town councils, Sheriff Joe, etc, etc. Personally, I chose not to read the paper on a regular basis - my I don't need to waste my time reading all the nasty articles that paper is known for within the community. Unfortunately many people DO read that paper and believe it is the way all of us feel. The way they represent the school district is really terrible. In my opinion it does a great disservice to the community and the district.
Yes, that paper can make or break people. Personally I do not know Susan Clancy. She is obviously a favorite of that paper. When Susan was not voted back onto the board 6 years ago they whined about it. When she was suffering from cancer they did do a great job rallying the community to help fundraise for her medical expenses (but what about everyone else that suffers from something and needs help?). They also helped push her to get elected the last election. During that same election they really didn't endorse or say anything positive about Stephanie Reese or Mark Warren. Basically when asked who was the lesser "evil' (my word since I can't remember their exact comment) they stated Stephanie Reese. So I understand where some people don't even want to confront them for fear that they will just tear them apart (see Tacy, Jon Gordon, Gay Leo, Clay Carpenter or any of the more higher profile public school admins the last 10 years)
Also for the people that don't want to see the North Campus expanded in their backyard - whose backyard was present first - the school or your home that was built AFTER schools were already built and functioning?
What I feel we need (notice I didn't say "we" because I can only represent myself) is to come up with a basic plan, stick to it and then see how it works after a statistically valid period of time. Major tweaking each year is not going to work.
Comparing ourselves to other school districts in other states does not work. I agree with one poster - if things were so much better someplace else why did you move here (or why don't you move back)? I think referencing them once and a while is OK - but we are CCUSD in AZ. We need to work with what we have.
It seems that many, many want us to strictly be a college prep school. That is OK. If I had a magic wand I would want to see more life skills taught at the high school. This could be in the form of vo-tech or just basic how to manage your life (which I had in my high school). I am amazed that this isn't taught.
But I do understand two things:
1) We only have so much money - nobody wants to raise or pay more taxes AND nobody wants to let in big businesses that would bring in the tax dollars. That is a community decision. Thus you need to work with what you have
2) Rome wasn't built in a day. I have seen a LOT of change in 10 years. I would expect to see a lot more the next 10 years. Again, I think we need to come up with a plan and stick to it.
Unfortunately not everyone can have their way. I think it is the Boards duty to listen to everyone to a point - but after a fair amount of time you need to put some stakes in the ground and say this is what we are doing and that's it.
One last thing - While I don't agree with everything the board does or doesn't do let us remember one very important thing - they are volunteers. this is not their job or life vocation. They have made a personal choice to volunteer their time and energy to trying to do the right thing for our children. They get nothing out of it. Would you want to be treated like we treat them? Would you like to have negative crap always written about you (reference the Sonoran News any week)? If your answer is no - remember that the next time you talk to your friends or post something on a blog.
2:44 p.m. Well said! Very well said...
ReplyDeleteThis blog has moved to
ReplyDeletehttp://ccusdwatch.com
and is now part of
Tatum Central
Please continue the discussion there.