It’s been a while since I last wrote that phrase but we used to use that quite a bit a few years ago. Hopefully, we can start to do so again as in this case.
Laconia School Board Chair Heather Lounsbury.
She was in charge of the Laconia School Board meeting when she “allowed” the School Board to go into “non-meeting” after their regular public meeting and I admonished her (watch here).
I heard back from a couple of folks from their meeting last night. Lo and behold, everything was pitch-perfect and following RSA 91:-3 which is the authorizing statute that allows and governs how subdivisions of the State (including School Boards) can go into “Non-Public Meetings.”
How much more can I complain when all I want is for the Government, of which School Boards are a part, to follow the Law. No more but certainly no less.
So, I just dashed this off to say thank you:
—— Original Message ——
From: “Skip” <Skip@granitegrok.com>
To: “Heather Lounsbury” <hlounsbury@laconiaschools.org>
Sent: 8/4/2021 9:20:15 AM
Subject: The Laconia School Board Meeting last niteGood morning Ms. Lounsbury,
When public officials act badly, they are to be spanked publicly as I did here: https://granitegrok.com/blog/2021/07/watch-as-i-hand-this-school-board-my-crt-materials-right-to-know-request-and-admonish-them-for-ignoring-the-law
The flip side is that when public officials act in the correct manner, they should be praised publicly as well. The post hasn’t been written as of yet but I was told that the latest attempt of the Laconia School Board to go into “Non-Public Meeting” was pitch perfect last night and fixed the issues I noted in my post above. Be assured that I’ll be letting people know about this rapid turn of events as well as did the negatives.
And for the record, GraniteGrok has been ranked higher, both domestically and internationally, than the Union Leader for online readership so my thanking you will be seen by far more people than by those reading the Daily Sun.
Thank you for Following The Law and doing the procedural items correctly this time.
This is that post – in two weeks, she decided that the Laconia School Board, in this matter, was to follow the law. Good on her and good on making the rest of the Board do so as well.
But there’s a reason why I say “this matter” – there always seems to be more. And indeed there is – a most serious one where former Gilford Curriculum Director and now Laconia Superintendent Steve Tucker unilaterally has decided that some actions within the “professional staff” should not be public knowledge – and yanked it from the Public Meeting Agenda. On his own say so:
However, as far as Steve Tucker pulling a fast one about the DIE Committee reporting and pulling it from public view, that will be another matter entirely. This could very easily be seen as an illegal end around dismissal of the discrimination restrictions that were recently passed in HB2 which is now Law. As a gentle reminder (as I’m sure you already know), what your employee(s) may do may well have real legal consequences for your Board members as YOU folks are operationally and legally responsible for the District as a whole – not Superintendent Tucker. Allowing him to continue what might be construed as illegal activities might be considered tacit, even if only passively done, approval of such activities.
Are you running the Board meetings or has the Board relegated its Powers to said employee? The RSAs concerning School Board behaviors are clear – the Boards are to be in charge of the Districts and not “the Professionals”.
Take charge, Ma’am!
Kindest regards,
-SkipCo-Founder, co-owner
GraniteGrok.com, NH’s largest and most influential political blogsite
DIE – Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity – another name/euphemism for Critical Race Theory teachings – now illegal with the passage of NH’s HB bill. I’ve had a couple little birdies reporting back to me on this. If this pans out, it’s yet another case of “The Professionals” rebelling both against their immediate employer (The School Board) as well as taxpayers (the real employers). The real problem is that “the Professionals” seem to believe that THEY are in charge and have “captured” many School Boards whose volunteers don’t know what the State Statutes are on this (and the feckless NH School Board Association likes it that way).
We need to point School Boards to their REAL Powers in statute as well as getting rid of the inertia that keeps them from realizing it.
