D209 board meeting: Fields pushed back, director of accounting pushes back

On Monday, August 20, the Proviso Township High Schools (District 209) board of education (BOE) held its regular meeting at Proviso Math & Science Academy (PMSA). The meeting started at 7 PM and went past 11 PM. It was punctuated by an hour of closed session, mostly spent deliberating the fate of Stan Fields, the superintendent on administrative leave pending a termination hearing.

The meeting was well attended by 100-110. Normal meetings attract 35-45, I estimate. An ad hoc committee of dissatisfied parents, alumni and taxpayers I call "the grumblers" accounted for much of the above normal attendance.

The BOE decided to hold another special meeting on Monday, August 27 at PMSA at 7 PM.

(This will be the fourth special board meeting since July 2. The first was to remove Charles Flowers from the BOE. The second was to appoint Brian Cross to the BOE. The third was to place Fields on administrative leave pending a termination hearing. And the fourth special meeting will be dedicated to developing charges Fields will have an opportunity to answer in in administrative hearing.)

Paul Stark King, the director of accounting, was on the agenda to be transfered back to classroom teaching. He gave a report to members of the BOE and delivered a statement during public comment that I considered quite damning.

Although I certainly feel that my transfer is retaliatory because of the questions I asked in the report I just handed you, I want to assure you that the purpose of my report is to benefit the district as this Board considers the extension and promotion of one of the individuals that is subject of my report.

My report contains information regarding bonuses that I believe were unauthorized and improperly paid to two employees of the district.

My report contains information regarding a salary that I believe was overpaid and not properly adjusted when discovered. This salary was unauthorized and improperly paid.

My report contains information regarding payments of cash in lieu of vacation days that I believe were unauthorized and improperly paid to two employees of the district.

These total to an excess of $60,000.

King Solomon wrote regarding retaliation:

In the sight of the unwise they seemed to die: and their departure is taken for misery,
And their going from us to be utter destruction: but they are at peace.
For though they be punished in the sight of men, yet is "there hope"

I ask the Board to consider carefully both my removal as Director of Accountng and the promotion of one of the individuals who was behind all the things in my report.

Of the 60-70 hours a week I worked for this Board without 30% of my staff while getting chastised for a failure to meet deadlines (and with all deadlines met since May I might add) I again quote King Solomon:

Then shall the righteous man stand in great boldness before the face of such as have afflicted him, and made no account of his labors.
When they see it, they shall be troubled with terrible fear and shall be amazed at the strangeness of his salvation, so far beyond all that they looked for.
And they repenting and groaning for anguish of spirits shall say withing themselves, This was he, whom we had sometimes in derision, and a proverb of reproach:
We fools accounted his life madness, and his end to be without honor.

Members of the Board, if it is your wish to confirm my transfer into the classroom, then it is with great honor that I continue to teach the young people of Proviso

There's more to blog about last night's meeting, but I need to take a break.