After communicating with Mr. Neal Ramee, the I-SS attorney whose office is in Raleigh, I was granted an appointment to view some more I-SS records. The appointment was this past Wednesday (7/1/09). The records were in the conference room and I-SS had an observer in the room with me. Actually there were several observers as each one would stay for about a half an hour and then be relieved by the next person. I guess they wanted me to feel like I was in after-school detention. In reality, it did not bother me and I could see some reasoning for it since I did have access to some original school documents.
I just hope that Dr. Holliday doesn’t chastise me at the next School Board, as he did at the last Board meeting. As I mentioned in a previous post, Dr. Holliday accused me of forcing I-SS to spend $5,000.00 in attorney fees and staff time to respond to my requests for public records. Of course he failed to mention that federal law, state law, and even school policy gives me the right to ask for access to school records. This time he will probably state how much it cost to have school staff observe me while I examined the records.
Again, not all the records I requested were made available. They are still collecting some of the records. Also, I did not have time to look at all the records provided so I have already asked Mr. Ramee for another appointment.
The first documents I looked at were the I-SS Organizational charts. I had asked to see the I-SS Administrative Organizational Charts from 2001 to the present. Mr. Ramee had told me that they would be available but the charts for several school years were missing. There was one from May 2001 but the next one was dated March 2005. I don’t know if the ones from 2002, 2003, and 2004 no longer exist or if someone just did not want me to see them. I was hoping to see how quickly the number of Central Office Administrators increased over the years that Dr. Holliday was superintendent. I have asked Mr. Ramee to have I-SS produce all the charts that I requested.
I spent most of my time looking at the invoices from Jim Shipley and Associates (JSA) dated from August 2003 up to June 2005. In that two-year period, I-SS paid JSA $90,739.97 for Baldrige materials and training. Included in that amount was payment to JSA to have Brenda Clark provide training and consulting for a total of 10 days at $1,800.00 per day and a total of 10 more days at $2,050.00 per day. Also included was payment to JSA to have Marty Moore provide training and consulting for a total of 9 days at $1,800.00 per day. This also meant that I-SS had to pay all the travel expenses for Ms. Clark to make 7 trips to Iredell County and for Ms. Clark to make 2 trips to Iredell County. (Of course, I-SS is now paying Ms. Clark $129,900.00 a year and Ms. Moore $105,000.00 a year as employees.) There was also a registration payment of $495.00 to JSA in April 2004 for five I-SS administrators (Holliday, Lane, Hill, Dorton, and Allred) to attend a Baldrige seminar that was held in Florida. Since the travel expenses were not paid to JSA there was no invoice for the cost to send 5 administrators to Florida for the seminar. Even at 2004 prices it was probably no small amount.
While other school systems are spending their funds to make sure students have the supplies and technology needed for learning in the twenty-first century, I-SS spends hundreds of thousands of dollars, or even more, to adapt a twentieth century business model to education.
Keep digging Mr. Klaene! You are venturing where many people have tried to go before you. The more I read the more determined I am to spread the word and get this administration investigated. How can I help?
ReplyDeleteWow. If I understand the figures, Brenda Clark was paid $18,000 for ten days work. Later she was paid $20,500 for ten days work. At that rate, I'd be happy to work 30 days a year ($61,500).
ReplyDeleteIn addition Marty Moore was paid $16,200 for 9 days work. In the meantime we don't have money for busing and teaching. I hope I'm not reading this right
i agree with larry coover...i hope your information is wrong. paying that much money for those two women to work that few days is completely crazy!
ReplyDeleteplease keep up the good work. the word is spreading.
The sad thing about the money is it did not benefit the children at all. I was a teacher in the system during that time and I can assure you that what they were teaching had nothing to do with teaching students. It was all about data. Data to make Dr. Holliday look good. Well as the administration has said before, you can make data say whatever you want it to say. That is the response we got when we would try to justify a program that the teachers liked and thought worked for the students.
ReplyDeleteI wonder how much time lapsed between the first and second time Brenda Clark was hired as a consultant? I would also like to know what logical reason there would be for a $250 a day raise. Paul, you may have just skimmed the surface of some deeper reasons for things.
ReplyDeleteI read Richard Day's column in a Kentucky paper and he said he found Mr. Klaene's blog. You need to read it. He thinks Mr. Klaene is unhappy because he did not win as a commissioner. He says he only sees smoking guns in this blog. Beware, folks Holliday has let them think this is just a bunch of complaining, whiny folks. Not so.
ReplyDeleteWhatever, but if Kentucky gets him, oh what a wonderful day!
Wow! I am astounded at the blatant dishonesty of ISS under Holliday...while most other responsible school systems are attempting to reduce administrative costs, ISS is spending more and more on less and less. I applaud Paul for having the courage to bring 'sunshine' concerning ISS's deceptive practices... he is providing an invaluable service to Iredell County tax payers. Bravo, Mr. Kalaene you are doing the work of the people, thank you.
ReplyDeleteI sure hope Kentucky hires him...it'll be interesting to see how his nepotism flies there.