provided to Gilbert Watch by Mr. Glen Frakes
I’m sure we can agree that, despite some pitfalls along the way, you successfully accquired a decent education in Gilbert schools. But, you achieved that success through your own hard work and with the dedicated efforts of your teachers. Every year we heard that the administrators needed more and more millions of dollars or else the quality of your education would greatly decline. And every year the taxpayers (your parents) provided the additional millions requested.
As one of your teachers for 29 years I have to say that with all that time and money spent I saw no significant change or improvement in the quality of your education from one year to the next. Despite the gradual introduction of computers and technology we had what we always had, a classroom with 4 walls, a door, a blackboard, some maps, 30 or so desks filled with bright faced inquisitive young people and me! So far as I can tell, we did our best EVERY year to learn together. Nobody ever came around from the administration with money asking me what they could provide to help me teach my best. Nobody ever asked you what they could buy for you to help you learn. Most of the time you paid fees for this and that and your teachers bought what they needed in class with their own money because they weren’t getting it from the district.
Now you’re parents with children of your own and the story is still the same. The administrators call for more millions or the quality of YOUR children’s education will decline. Do you think it’s time for you to step forward and examine in detail how your money is being spent? Your classmate, Shane Stapley, tried. He was elected to the school board but he asked too many questions about how your money was being spent. And there were always 3 board members who the administration could count on to out vote him and Staci Burk who also asks a lot of questions.
This year there are 4 seats open on the school board. I sincerely hope that you and your classmates now in your 40’s will find time in your busy lives to serve on the school board and hold the district administrators accountable for every penny of OUR MONEY that they spend.
I don’t think things are going to change until we get a school board that directs the administration as THEY see fit and not the other way around.
I’m writing to make sure that you know about this Thurs. mtg. the sole purpose of which is to whip up support for the 13 (sic) million dollar budget override the administration wants to squeeze out of the small budget surplus it took the state legislature 3 years to scrimp together. I believe the administration is rounding up support to create the public impression of overwhelming approval. They have spread the word through the schools that specific teachers will lose their jobs and popular programs will be ended unless the teachers publicly come out in strong support of the budget override. I expect to see a circus and dog and pony show indignantly demanding that the override be approved.
This seems to me like a deliberate attempt on the part of the administration to create a climate of fear and intimidation to influence the outcome of an election! Glen Frakes (Used to be Mr. Frakes)