The Buck Doesn’t Stop At Indian River
May 7th, 2008 by Bill ColleyI do not find it plausible that a 38 year old man suddenly one day decides to become a sex-offender. This is, I believe, the nub of the scandal plaguing the Indian River School District. “We had no idea”, the defense from inside the hallowed halls, is also no more plausible.
This is the disconnect existing between parents and media on one side and administrators and school board members on the other. There is likely a history trailing the accused and the powerful folks at I.R. don’t understand why “We had no idea” isn’t flying. Time and again these people repeat they are bound by laws and cannot discuss pending litigation and personnel matters publicly. Yeah, the public gets it and the public understands. No one outside the hallowed halls can apparently see the public is looking for something else. “We had no idea”, isn’t cutting it.
How inopportune this occurs days before a school board election. Perhaps some memories will be recovered once the polls close.
As for Superintendent Bunting it’s high time some school board members started asking her some tough questions. She works at the pleasure of the board and public the board represents. All too often boards are subservient to the administration. It’s upside down.
Why? In my experience covering school boards when I worked as a reporter I can tell you the board is often a stepping stone for higher office. The public service aspect sounds fine but these offices are for building resumes and with the experience on the personal travelogue what board member seeking higher office would rock the boat. Need more proof? Check out the social club at Cape Henlopen.
Every time I hear educators and politicians blaming problems of their making I’m reminded these people are compounding mistakes. A spokesman for the Indian River School District this week told a WGMD reporter she couldn’t come to the meeting. He wasn’t speaking with a rookie. Then, possibly, he is. Maybe that’s the best $23,500 can buy. Or how about the board member at Indian River last month telling mild mannered Joe Ciccante he wasn’t worth her time because he works for WGMD? And who is this woman? A public servant trying to curry favor with school board employee Susan Bunting? If the buck doesn’t stop at the school board then it stops at the desk of the Superintendent. She must be very well connected in this community that not one member of the board has the “stones” to ask for an explanation and if the good Superintendent has been whitewashing a serious problem. No pun intended as I raise the next point. Was the accused granted a pass because of the color of his skin? I wouldn’t put it past the politically correct social engineers now dominating the education establishment. I would also suggest his departure shouldn’t be the last.
May 7th, 2008 at 11:59 pm
For what “WE THE PEOPLE” are being asked to shoulder in this School District for all of its declared needs and desires is getting to the point of “NO RETURN”. The paitent is on a “monetary binge” and has been for quite some time now, and purports one thing, and supplants another! Oh, I see you see me spouting accusations about mis-management &/or mis-representations abounding! Glad it come up—let me give you a “BIGGIE” as the late great entropreneur, Dave Thomas was so famous for decrying “How BIG and how Grand his “Biggie” fries were!
Any body remember the Selbyville Middle School in Selbyville on Hoosier St.?
Why did it have to close and a new school be built?
Was it declaired “unsafe for the health of the “little ones”, and they had to have a safe school in which to get their schooling in?
Did they not build a new school on RT. 17 just out side of town at XYZ BIG Dollars, and even then it was probably over run in capacity for the students that had to be built for and educated?
And the old school building on Hoosier St.? what ever became of it?
OH!, it was re-opened as a source of educationial schooling classrooms and a new space for some “southern command” Indian River School Admn. offices and venues.
The very reason it was necessary to put up the referendum for a new school was to get the children away from the neighboring Mountaire Chicken Processing Plant, and its “naturally Bad Smelling air & dust” and get them into a healthier setting as determined by the school board!
Now we clearly see with the re-incorporatimg class room activities at the same school that several years earlier was “Offensive” and “Not Healthy” for our children, suddenly one day re-emerges as just what the doctor ordered in the first place, EXCEPT— “We The People” got LIED to and shanked into ever more tax liabilities and expenditures that are now starting to come home to roost in the pockets of the LAND OWNERS and Farmers, who have not had children in schol for 30 + years, and have to bend over every quarter and submit their private documents to the authorities in State and Local Govmt. and let little Ceasar demand his well thought out stratigized DOLLAR, or else!
Pretty soon it will be a fight for the little guy in this fight to take a pick?
Do I pay the $4.75–going to $5.50+ a gallon for gas that 3 or 4 years ago costs me $14.00 a week just to go back and forth to work, and no other place, ans now costs me $55.00 going to $70.00 dollars a week— OR,
Do I start incorporating “Fancy Feast” cat food in my kids “Tuna Fish” bowl, to save money on my grocery bills each week because between the gas prices to go and get it and the price of food to feed my family of 3 kids, and two adults are bounding well in access of $200.00 a week, with some weeks going to $260.00 per week!
You know kids, the’ll eat anything you put in front of them, yeah, 2 slices of enriched “white” bread and some fancy feast seafood variety mixed in with a can of tuna— Yum–Yum!, I got myself talked into trying a sandwich or two! Heck–I figure, if I can some how stretch out this food deal, and make it so we don’t run out of food before next pay; shew, sure beats tell’in them there is just no food to eat! ((HEY)), just between you–me–and
the gate post, “I Will Never Let My Kids See Those Cans Of Fancy Feast I Used In Their Food! Heck–,, It all smells like Tuna Fish any way!
OR, option number 3.
Well, gotta find a ride to work for the next 4 out of 5 day’s, because I just cannot keep giving my kids the same old thing over and over for the next few years— If it wern’t for tuna stinking like fish so much, I couldn’t pull it off like I’ve been a do’in them. I ain’t figured out how to make “Gravey Train” into the consistency of Campbell’s Chunky Beef Stew, so they won’t get the idea, somethins up with the chow, and them there school taxes, man there ain’t “NO WAY” I ain’t paying them!
If there’s one thing I found out in life, when that school board purposes a rate hike for any thing they need for them there kids— I am RIGHT THERE backing up that plan, because they would never lie to the public, and tell stories of how bad the kids got it, if-in it wasn’t true!
So Honey, look forward to “re-egineered” food reciepies; I’ve been thinking real hard on that there GRAVY TRAIN deal, and before I’m done, Honey even you won’t know the difference between that there Beef Stew Meat that goes for $8.99 a pound in the Food Lion, and that there 25 pound bag of GRAVEY TRAIN that goes for just $8.49!
Look at all the money we can save so we can be real prompt in paying our fair share of them there school taxes!
This right now is a wild hypothetical, BUT— It is probably closer than any of us think! “J.D.”
P.S. the food part is the one where we don’t want to go —
We have already been through the school side of the equasion! That’s Real!
May 8th, 2008 at 9:34 am
Bill, Bill, Bill. I hope you have the “stones” to question Hattier the next time he’s on your show. Or will you kiss up to him like you say the board kisses up to Dr. Bunting? I think we know the answer.
May 8th, 2008 at 1:24 pm
Well Bill Colley, if you want to change things at Indian River School district; why don’t you run for school board in some many years? I want to see if its easy for you Bill to change things within the school board.
May 8th, 2008 at 2:42 pm
Why should Bill have to run or serve on the board? I guess if you are not willing to serve you do not have the right to complain? You should not ask that the people on the board to do their job? Election to the board provides immunity from question?
Ridiculous.
May 8th, 2008 at 4:45 pm
Thank you, Pete. You beat me to the identical response.
May 8th, 2008 at 6:09 pm
I WOULD LIKE TO FILE A MISSING PERSONS REPORT. From a very good source at Sussex Central the school board has been missing. A teacher at the school told me that only one board member has bothered to show up at the school support but I guess that would make sence because they are so busy trying to cover up the fact that they knew of complaints filed against him by staff and the public. Although Dr. Hattier did give a lovley re-election speech talking about all of the wonderful things that happen at Indian River. Well Dr. Hattier if the press was covering the huge mistake you and your friends made maybe they would focus on what a wonderfully talanted student body Central has. Just a thought go to Sussex Central and show support for the kids and the staff and show them that you care. By the way remember some of them can and will vote. Im sure that got you attention. Go Knights
May 8th, 2008 at 6:38 pm
I see 2 against the writer of the blog, and one in appeasement to the blog.
Still we miss the real inter workings of an organization that has “TAXING POWERS” over the people, and can basically do what the heck ever they want, and get away with it!
No body cares about how many lies are told to accomplish their mission goals, or just who it is in policy making positions who espouse these endless breaucratic snafoo’s that are perpetrated upon the taxpayers of this County and State, that stinks to high heavens!
When are we ever truly going to wake up and do the adjustments that are necessary to perform the functions of governance that is “our jobs–one and all” to hold people accountiable for waste, fraud, and mis-management!
May 8th, 2008 at 7:53 pm
Keep asking questions. Don’t let them convince you that they didn’t have a clue anything was going on. They knew plenty and their actions are cowardly and show 100% lack of accountability.
Know and understand that this very policy is put in place to protect the Board and the Superintendent from being held accountable when situations like the one with Goodman come up. This is not the first time a situation like this has happened. IRSD just wasn’t as lucky this time. They can’t hide behind the “procedures” and simply claim — “we followed them.”
If Dr. Bunting claims they “followed procedure” then the next question should be:
The “procedures” didn’t work with keeping IRSD kids safe … SO, what are YOU and YOUR SCHOOL BOARD going to do about it in order to ensure our kids are safe from this day forward?
That IS THEIR JOB; their #1 JOB - to maintain a safe and orderly environment in all their schools. They failed miserably — all of them and they know it.
If THE SCHOOL BOARD and DR. BUNTING were truly vested in the safety of the students in IRSD, they would begin to examine their OWN ACTIONS.
Now that is true accountability - looking at one’s own actions… something IRSD continues to have a problem with.
Keep asking, keep pushing.
May 8th, 2008 at 9:35 pm
I should explain to Sussex “boy” that when Dr. Hattier is on the program every other Tuesday he is a paid guest. An advertiser. Understanding “boy” has limited cranial space that means the Doctor owns, or perhaps leases, the time. If you had listened late Wednesday you would have heard me engage in a throwdown with the Doctor. I’m sure mommy had already sent you to bed and you missed it.
May 9th, 2008 at 2:21 pm
Nice comeback Bill. Just like on your show, you must resort to put-downs to get your point across. Try having an intellectual discussion - or is that beyond your capabilities?
May 9th, 2008 at 6:45 pm
sussexboy, you are right on target with your comment concerning the gentleman in the afternoons who is always so very insulting. I also listened to Dr. Hattie and he sounded quite annoyed with Mr. Bill on both days because of his commentary. I am sure you do have enough cranial space to realize that Dr. Hattier is indeed a paying advertiser on the show. I have enough cranial space to realize that he is extremely crass and rude. My friends think he sounds like Homer Simpson when he uses that voice to insult people. That is just why Dr. Hattier called up Homer on the radio.
May 9th, 2008 at 6:52 pm
It never ceases to amaze me that people post snotty retorts to my blogs or do the same on the show and then whine when they reap what they’ve sown. And you’re the local intellectual giant?
May 10th, 2008 at 6:57 pm
VOTE NO and GET Dr. HATTIER OUT OF THERE.
The very best thing that all the Sussex County voters can do at the IRSD REFERENDUM is to vote DR. HATTIER out of office. Don’t be fooled.
This guy is a crook.
May 10th, 2008 at 7:22 pm
I suppose they would have the same opinion Bill if Ron Letterman were still at the helm. There seem to be a lot of them there; intellectual midgets here and there, Maria’s got a couple in tow on her blog— just par for the course — There’s a major reason BIG business never really settled in on this entire Eastern Shore of Delmarva?—
They would have an immediate shortage of viable help to do their work– and they know it!
May 10th, 2008 at 7:50 pm
Bill you and Dan kill me……………….
I would like to see some ACCOUNTABILITY when it comes to our ELECTED school board members. I have serious misgivings regarding the actions of the school board on several levels. I hear Dr. Hattier on the radio over the course of several days commenting on a situation that in all reality he can not nor should not comment on in any way shape or form. He stepped into the lime light and over the course of several interviews and calls, then basically said “no comment” while he grandstands trying to reassure us that the process will hold the employee accountable. He does all this using the radio format to remind us he is up for re-election and that he is a voice of REASON here…..
I have also heard another school board member make statements indicating that the school board had heard “rumors” that they could not act on. The radio “interviews” and calls are Shameless and ALL the board members really should say nothing. You guys ask them questions you have to know they can’t answer all under the heading of GOOD JOURNALISM. We all know the School board will not answer any questions that directly relate to this……
Why don’t you and Dan grow some stones and ASK Hattier if would agree to an outside independent investigation of the school boards actions as they relate to hiring and supervising Goodman…….or Better yet ASK him to call for one himself. If the board has nothing to hide he will do it in second if they feel they are “shakey” he will dance around it. Will you guys put him on the spot before an election ???? Are you afraid of losing the “advertising” dollars. Lastly it would be nice if we didn’t have your show all muddled up with the all of the “paid guests” you guys have on. It is very disingenuous to have a guy on talking about his business for an hour when you tune into “TALK RADIO” to hear about the day’s issues.
May 11th, 2008 at 8:08 am
YOU BETTER VOTE TO GET THEM OUT or KEEP THEM OUT.
Dr. Hattier - get this guy out; he has employee connections in IRSD that could be viewed as “questionable.”
Sharon Brittingham - keep her off the Board; don’t the let the IRSD principal of the year designation fool you; she’s one of them with personal and political aspirations; she will write letters to get you out of your own job if you cross her.
Nina Lou Bunting - not contested again; by far one of the biggest poisons on the Board; she enjoys doing favors for those she used to teach with in the district; keep an eye on her.
Reggie Helms - he been on the Board too long; out with the old and with the new.
May 11th, 2008 at 8:43 am
YOU CAN’T TRUST THE CURRENT BOARD AND SUPERINTENDENT.
GET THEM OUT, NOW … vote and be heard!
FIRST - Postpone the referendum. It is not logical to approve salary hikes and “operating expenses” (a fancy public school term that translates to — “We’ve mismanaged your money again.”). That’s the joke … the referendum money is not going to help kids; but rather it helps line the pockets of those who are asking for the money. Wake up.
SECOND - Clean house. Eliminate the Board (and the Superintendent) and start over. Many of the Board members have been there for too long and only spend time in the buildings they like or give support to the people they like. Replace the Superintendent. Her meek and shy approach doesn’t cut it; nobody’s buying it. Get a spine or get out.
THIRD - Establish sound procedures for the Board and the Superintendent to follow to protect our kids. If they fail, then there’s a consequence; just like there’s a consequence for Mr. Goodman.
FOURTH - Reschedule the referendum after new elections with clear cut guidelines, sound procedure for protecting our kids, and a brand new Board with fresh ideas and open minds to change; no more favors for brothers, cousins, and uncles. Get it together or get out.
Peace.