OFFICIAL MINUTES FROM THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEETING OF THE
The Board of Trustees for the
Present: Henrietta Williams, Chairperson; Pam Hyneman, Vice Chairperson (via telephone conference); Beth Gray, Secretary (via telephone conference); Dr. Doug Watson, Board Member; Andrew Tolbert, Board Member (via telephone conference); Johnny McGehee, A.S.B. Parent Representative; Janice Vaughn, A.S.D. Parent Representative; Jim Hill, A.S.B. Superintendent; Dr. Marcella Dalla Rosa, A.S.D. Superintendent; Katie Becker, Zania Musteen, Interpreters; Mandy Abernethy, Office of the Attorney General; Members of the Deaf Community; Members of the Blind Community
Call to Order
Ms. Williams called the meeting to order at
08-J-013 Motion to Approve Consent Items
Ms. Williams asked for a motion to approve the Minutes from September and October. Mr. Tolbert made the motion and Dr. Watson seconded. The motion passed unanimously.
Discussion Items
Janice Vaughn – A.S.D. Parent Representative
Mrs. Vaughn: I had one call late this afternoon, as always, and it was a concern. I don’t know who the person was; it was through a translator. Um, they refused, well not refused, they said they weren’t willing to disclose their name but they have problems about the PRIDE Program and I’m just bringing them to you because I think they are, if they are as they say, they are a problem and I think it’s something that needs to be brought to the board’s attention when that comes up, and that is that the kids in the PRIDE Program are not participating in after-school activities. They are basically watching TV from… they’re not able to do the, um, after-school things that the other kids are doing. They’re not participating in any programs and basically they’re watching TV from the time they get out of school until the time they go to bed. Um, I would have called and tried to alert but, Marcella, that this would be brought up but I didn’t know it until late this afternoon. Um, they also were concerned that there were very, very few people that signed over there.
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This seemed to be a very knowledgeable person about the program. It, um, more so than many calls I’ve had and I was concerned if they’re not participating in other programs and there aren’t after-school activities and if they’re not, they really don’t have enough people that are fluent in sign language so that they are basically in their own little cell all day and that is a.. what I was told and I am passing it on to the board.
Ms. Williams: Okay. So you don’t know if it was a parent of a student or
Mrs. Vaughn: They told me nothing. It was through an interpreter is all I know and I, they said they did not feel, but they had been involved in the PRIDE Program and I really did, because of the knowledge of some of the people, the, what was going on, they either have a child there or they teach there, or it’s somebody that knows very much about the program and I took it seriously because it was. It wasn’t a specific, this person I don’t like. This was a problem with these kids not having anything but schooling and not having really planned activities after school.
Ms. Williams: Okay. I don’t know if we’re set up for anything like that. Marcella, you want to check into that.
Mr. Tolbert: Well, let me, let me, let me say this, if you don’t mine. I respect anyone who has concerns and seemingly the concerns that were brought to you, Janice, were legitimate concerns but what negates all of that for me is when a person, for whatever reason, won’t identify themselves so you’d know exactly who is saying these things. It’s like someone will write a letter to the editor and they withhold their names so we don’t know who wrote it. I, I think for it to have full legitimacy for me, the person ought to be able to, or should, reveal who they are.
Mrs. Hyneman: I agree. There is no creditability if…
Mr. Tolbert: I, I just think ah
Ms. Gray: I agree too.
Mr. Tolbert: We need to be able face our accusers. Anybody could, and like I said, don’t get me wrong, what was said to you probably, maybe, I don’t know, things that need to be looked into, but I get anonymous things all of the time and I put them in the trash can because if you’re not willing to tell me who you are, I’m not going to look into your concerns and if it’s legitimate then you’ll tell me who you are and you, you know, validate that by not, you know you don’t hide it. It’s like someone who throws a rock and hides the hand, and I just think that as a board if we start getting into situations where everybody who wants to file a complaint, even though they’re legitimate and they don’t have to tell who they are, I think we’re setting ourselves up for an open door complaint and never know who we’re talking to, or who to respond to.
Mrs. Vaughn: Can I respond to that, please, as the parent rep.?
Mr. Tolbert: Yes.
Mrs. Vaughn: First of all, my position is so much different than y’all’s because I am talking to parents, I’m talking to people and, again, I don’t know if this was a parent, but if this person has a child there, I can see where they wouldn’t want to cause trouble because we always have, I remember my child has been sick at Children’s Hospital and I was upset about something that happened but I was afraid to say anything for fear that it
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would come back on my child. That’s a natural tendency as a parent and, again, I did not, I bring these up because I get called on these things and I think it was a.. You can tell the difference between the calls of someone who is mad and just mad at specifically something, and someone that is very well versed on what is going on there, from involvement or what ever the reason. There may be a reason, it may be an employee and they fear retaliation. I don’t think we should, for lack of a better word, I don’t think we should poop all of that. I think we need to look into it and it’s something, if it’s going on, and this person wasn’t calling to complain. This person was calling, I felt like, with a legitimate concern that needs to be looked in to. If these kids don’t have after-school activities like all of the other children, then they are being discriminated against due to their handicap. If these children don’t have, I mean, if they’re basically in prison without, for example, another problem..
Mrs. Hyneman: Janice, your, your way, this is not even… It’s hearsay. It’s just no point in going on. I mean, I feel that way. Andrew feels that way. Beth feels…
Mrs. Vaughn: We are not in a court of law, Pam.
Mrs. Hyneman: I know but…
Ms. Williams: Pam, let her finish her statement, please.
Mrs. Vaughn: We are not in a court of law. What we are is someone, as board members, we don’t have, we need to look into things if it is a problem. If it’s not a problem, great and I’m not making any accusations. I’m saying that this person was a realistic person and I don’t want to always be saying “Okay, let’s jump on this, this is a problem”. I don’t know, but if there’s a problem, it needs to be addressed and we, Pam, are the ones who have to address it. Now, hearsay, non hearsay, it needs to be looked into. We’re not here to have a guilty beyond a reasonable doubt standard. We’re here to do what is best for these kids and if that is going on, it needs to be addressed. Period.
Ms. Williams: I agree. Um, Doug..
Dr. Watson: Let Pam…
Ms. Williams: Oh, Pam do you want to finish your statement now?
Mrs. Hyneman: Well, I’m along the line… I just feel like unless, not that, I know you feel this way, Janice, by what you’re saying and you heard the interpreter plea for this person that’s anonymous, but once again this is setting us up for any person to wants to call at the 11th hour about anything. It should be addressed, but through the proper channels. Once again, people aren’t going through the proper channels and it’s just sort of tying up everyone’s ability to run to school and, if there’s an issue that’s an easy enough to find out. That’s no big deal. Just to say, are they or are they not, that be addressed, but it’s just a methodology that’s being done here over and over again that I see and I just ….
Mrs. Vaughn: Have you wondered why?
????: No
Ms. Williams: Well, I feel that we have an obligation when someone brings it to our attention, we do have an obligation to then to follow up on it and, um, I’m putting it into Marcella’s hands to follow up on it. We’re not involved at this point except that it is brought to her attention that there are some concerns and now the superintendent can check into things.
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Mrs. Vaughn: Uh, huh.
Mr. Tolbert: Let me say this. I respect what Janice has heard and said and done, but I just think that the proper way to have handled that would have been to talk to Marcella directly rather than bringing it before the board. My concern is simply this, as a board, that’s why we hire administrators. If there are legitimate complaints or concerns that need to be addressed, I think the people who are closest to the issue need to be the first line of contact. That would be Marcella in this particular situation. The reason why I made the statement I made is because it was brought to the board. Now, as a board, we’re to set policy and we’re to have the administrators there to enforce that policy, and if there is a policy about what happened with the complaint then we’ll deal with that from the standpoint of the administration. But, I say this because I also wear the hat of a superintendent and I’m coming from a standpoint of if something is brought to a board member, the board member brings that to my attention before it brings it in a public meeting before the board. That’s all I’m saying, in all fairness. The complaint is probably, may be legitimate, but the superintendent had not even had a chance to address that and doesn’t even know who to address, but since you brought it to the board, that’s why I made that statement. I think it’s just a matter of how it’s being handled.
Ms. Williams: Well, we’re not asking Marcella to address it now at the board.
Mrs. Vaughn: No.
Ms. Williams: Um, and that sort of thing. And, I think she qualified the reason why she brought it to the board in that she received the call today and I know she had indicated earlier, last month, that she was going to be in a meeting up until the time of the board meeting and all of that today. So..
Mr. Tolbert: Just because we’re meeting today doesn’t mean you have to bring it up today.
Ms. Williams: Yes.
Mr. Tolbert: If you hadn’t brought it up last week and we had just met, what would you have done? Maybe call Marcella?
Mrs. Vaughn: Yes, I probably would have.
Mr. Tolbert: Okay, well then follow, just because we’re meeting doesn’t mean we have to bring it up at a board meeting.
Mrs. Vaughn: Well, let me just tell you. I do have a different position than you are in. I have parent concerns and I don’t know if that was a parent. I truly don’t, but I think it’s something that we all need to be aware of and I totally disagree. I think we need to be aware of problems before they start. I don’t even know if it’s a problem. I am bringing this to the attention of Marcella and the board because it could be a problem and it could be something that jumps back on your back, my back and the rest of the board’s back if we are not treating these children equally. That doesn’t just affect the school. It affects us too.
Mr. Tolbert: I think you’re misunderstanding and not hearing what I’m staying, Mrs. Vaughn. I’m not saying that the issue is not something we should be concerned about.
Mrs. Vaughn: I don’t think that I have the protocol that other people do
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Ms. Williams: Okay, well
Mrs. Vaughn: as far as a teacher or parent.
Ms. Williams: I think we need to move on from that. The concerns are noted as to the proper time when things like that can be brought to the attention of the board, um, and I’m not going to try to dictate when a person can bring information to the board and when they can’t when it, ah, I think that I’ll leave it up to the discretion of that individual. Okay. Is that it, Janice?
Mrs. Vaughn: That’s it.
Johnny McGehee – A.S.B. Parent Representative
Ms. Williams: Johnny.
Mr. McGehee: Question. Next month, my term is up. Now I guess in the past, people have stayed until somebody else was appointed. Is that the way we’re going to work as far as me staying on the board or? Just so I kind of know.
Ms. Williams: Well, I think actually your term is up January, after the board meeting
Mr. McGehee: Okay.
Ms. Williams: is how I think the laws read, or the guidelines read. Now we had said as a board, what a year or two ago, that it would be helpful if that person would stay on, ah until someone was reappointed and
Mr. McGehee: Right. Now that is kind of…
Ms. Williams: I’m not sure if that is really legal or appropriate for
Mrs. Vaughn: It is very appropriate and that’s usually what happens. It does, my office commission they stay on until someone new is appointed, and you’re the same board member just like everybody else except for the voting, and there is an AG opinion on that.
Ms. Williams: Well,
Mrs. Vaughn: There is an AG opinion on that.
Ms. Williams: we may need to get an opinion on that to see if that would be appropriate.
Mrs. Abernethy: I think that’s right. It is my understanding that that is.. (Inaudible)
Mrs. Vaughn: When I was on the board before we got….
Mr. Hill: Madame Chairman, in past years we have asked, that was when Governor Huckabee was governor, we asked that somebody be appointed and he said, well you’ve got somebody right now; I’m not in any hurry. That was his opinion. Now the governor does not make the law, but that has been the practice in the past.
Mr. McGehee: Well, I don’t have a problem staying on. I just want to make sure, you know.
Ms. Williams: I had the same question.
Mr. McGehee: I don’t have a bit of problem staying on. I just wanted to know where we stand on that.
Ms. Williams: Okay. Well, as of now, it is felt that it is appropriate unless she comes back and tells us different.
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Mr. McGehee: Well, I’ll just plan on staying until y’all tell me something different.
Ms. Williams: Okay.
Mr. Hill said that Chris Wilks and Ken Fowler were on the agenda to discuss the Gifted and Talented Program and Test Scores Report respectively. Mr. Hill said since three board members are absent for tonight’s meeting, he decided to postpone those issues.
There being no further business of a Joint Nature, the meeting moved to the Agenda for the Arkansas School for the Deaf.
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Henrietta Williams, Chairperson
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Beth Gray, Secretary
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