Poor Kent Elkin
By
Laura Elkin, Co-Chair οf tһе “Hοw Dare Yου!” Group, sent аח email tο аƖƖ School Board Members tһіѕ week demanding censure one οf tһеіr fellow Board Members fοr mаkіחɡ available tο tһе public tһе now infamous Superintendent contract fοr Craig Hitchens” $100,000 buyout аחԁ $25,000 bonus payment.
Tһе email аƖѕο suggests tһаt keel-hauling, burning аt tһе stake, quartering аחԁ drawing, hanging, putting οח tһе rack, disemboweling аחԁ pouring a pot οf boiling oil οח tһеіr fellow Board Member.
Sһе actually supports keeping tһе contract secret! Spending taxpayers money ѕһουƖԁ bе secret!
If tһе Board entertains Ms. Elkins’ demands, wouldn”t tһіѕ violate tһе “һοw tο ɡеt along seminar” іח wһісһ tһеу paid psychotherapist, Dr. Sara Bridges $8,700 аt $300 аח hour fοr?
Wһісһ bу tһе way wаѕ conducted іח violation οf tһе State – Open Meeting Law.
Poor Kent Elkin. Yου see, Laura іѕ һіѕ wife.
Aחԁ һе іѕ οח tһе Long Range PƖаחחіחɡ Committee аѕ tһе representative οf tһе Chamber οf Commerce. Tһіחk һе″ll bе coming home frοm аחу οf those meetings saying wе don”t need a חеw High School? Or a חеw Elementary School οr extra football fields, soccer fields, extra basketball courts, extra practice fields, etc.?
No related posts.
As you can see by my Log In name I am not hiding behind an alias. I am responding to a posting titled “Poor Kent Elkin” written by someone that refuses to use their real name. name. I understand this is only a blog but I felt compelled to post this response in the hopes of keeping a positive light on our school district. Now is the time to come together and play by the rules, I am proud of my wife and happy that she is looking out for the district by asking why someone would go against legal the advise of legal counsel. New Richmond is a great community full of great people, wonderful educators, and I am proud to reside here! Let’s keep it positive for the kids and at the very least let’s use our real names!
Sincerely,
Kent Elkin
The Hitchens contract has a clause that states $25,000 will be paid for additional and unanticipated duties related to the April 2005 referendum. It was signed on Oct. 30, 2005.
Then we come to the district administrator’s job description last revised on March 17, 1997 which reads, Perform any and all duties prescribed by the Board of Education and the Superintendent of Public Instruction for the State of Wisconsin.
A few questions: When the board assigned Hitchens the referendum assignment, didn’t it scope out the project and know the amount of work required of the administrator? When Hitchens was assigned the project, didn’t he study the tasks involved and notify the board early on that the project required more time? What did Hitchens say to the board members to convince them that he needed more money?
What was the member’s thinking that the referendum assignment fell outside the “perform any and all duties perscribed by the Board?”
Several other paragraphs in the orginal administrator’s contract deserve scrutiny. Under Board’s Responsibilities comes the paragraph, “To assign duties or responsibilities or transfer Administrator to other positions within the Disctrict,” and,”determine the kind and amount of services to be performed by Administrator.” Question: Why wasn’t the Hitchens transferred away from the administrator’s duties and into a project assignment such as year-round school, charter school or magnet school impact on district education? This would have let taxpayers know that Hitchens was out of a direct management position and saved a potential lawsuit the board attorneys were so locked onto.
There is no doubt, that Dr. Hitchens is one great negotiator and that several of the board members are in over their head.
Sounds like you agree the Board was not just “fulfilling a contractual obligation”, nor that they were inoculating against a possible legal liability.
What did Hitchens have on these Board members that they would cave in and give him more than he was asking?
When will Lester Jones, Chris Skoglund, Greg Demulling and Deanna Cook-Shannon provide to the public an answer for why Hitchens deserved the $25,000 bonus payment for leading the referendum to failure?
When will the Yes Group realize their advocates on the Board are hurting their efforts?
I read admin’s post on anonimity. He is right on. The reprecussions that occur by administration and teachers on children whose parents voice speak out publicaly for accountability puts their children in jeopardy. I have heard this from more than one parent. The petition in Somerset has had many not sign it because of intimidation. The kids are bullied and intimidated by the board, school staff, and even other kids who are brainwashed by their parents. If you are a responsible parent I suggest anonimity. This is a much different medium than the newspaper.
It is also different from the obligation of elected School Board members to disclose to the public how they vote, how they spend taxpayers money and how they make decision. Same goes for the employees of the District, particularly the Administrators.
They choose to conceal their decisions and get offended when people want to know what they did on behalf of the people they are serving.
Continued secrecy and opaque decisions will drive any referendum to defeat.
Why is a member who has the courage to question the actions of the board so hated? Also, notice the grammer in this. It’s atrocious!
See Letter
I wonder what Andersen Corp. would think if they knew one of their employees, Laura Elkin-(Co-chair of the “Don’t tell the truth” group) was using their corporate email to send her personal thoughts to the New Richmond School Board? And this isn’t the first time. Apparently, unbeknownst to them, they are paying Laura to conduct her personal activities at their place of work.
Poor Kent Elkin, as Laura is his wife.
Laura should not readily admit that she thinks it’s ok to give away $125,000+ of tax payer’s money to Craig Hitchens, then hide the dirty deed besides.
Laura should have checked with WASB before she asked to have this board member (who told the truth to the people of District) censured, burned and hanged as that contract is legally available to the public, according to WASB.
Laura should really stick to what she knows best, like only worry about where her next plate of ham is coming fron.
zbob, I called several board members suggesting that Hitchens be removed from his Superintendent’s post and given other assignments. I got no commitment to this idea other than the usual political response, “that’s an interesting idea.”
When I question closed sessions and splitting referendums, I am told that “that’s just the way the board decided it.” No reason, no nothing–the board has spoken.
It’s easy to use your own name when you agree with the education monopoly. After all, how are they going to know who to hand out the scholarships to if the socialists don’t speak up? The hard part is disagreeing with the status quo and using your own name. Now that takes courage. We’ve seen those true patriots drug through the gutter in Hudson and called every name in the book, all “for the children”. The game is up Mr. and Mrs. Elkin. The 800 pound gorilla called “Public Education” has to be dismantled from its current state if our great country is to survive.
Looks like Laura Elkin had someone write a letter under her name in this week’s New Richmond News.