Please refrain from little asides and diversions and answer the basic questions of leaderhip and poor quality results. If you feel this is a good board based on what they have done to Avon and it's children in the past 8 years, please explain your rationale. Again no one who has almost tripled our debt, 96 million in 2001 to 275 million in 2008, or whose leadership has produced a declining graduation rate, declining SAT averages, declining ISTEP averages, overcrowded schools and classrooms, loss of four star status, and has said in print that it is against board policy to personally respond to letters and phone calls by board members when they are elected by us to represent us and personally answer our concerns and issues, is worthy to be reelected for another term.
Their waste of our tax dollars on an administration building for almost four million while many of our kids are in overcrowded classrooms and school and a good number in portables is reprehensible and a slap in the face to our children who are learning in overcrowded conditions. Their waste of tax dollars on two wings at the high school sacrificing badly need class space for a bus bay for the band is reprehensible while our high school kids go to an overcrowded high school and kids and teachers learn and work in overcrowded conditions.
Now our board is in the process of building an advanced learning center. A wonderful idea but another sad example of their planning. The center will house approximately 8 hundred students. From a brochure that came home to parents, by the time it is built, the high school population will be between thirty two and thirty three hundred kids. Take away the learning center population of and estimated 8 hundred and the high school will STILL be way overcrowded. Then Avon they will have to build ANOTHER building at taxpayer expense to try and relieve pressure from the high school. More Band aid board planning and way behind the planning curve thinking they have shown out here for the past eight years. Get people on the board who know what they are doing. Our kids and taxpayers can not afford this board.
Again I say to Avon patrons, if you did your job with the same or similar results they have done theirs, WOULD YOU STILL HAVE A JOB?
Don't give me excuses, give me reasons why the above are examples of exemplary leadership, board planning, and a caring board for our kids and taxpayers. The conditons our kids learn under currently and their SAT and ISTEP problems, grad rates, loss of four star schools, speak volumes about our boards leadership. It is not repeating the same thing over and over. It is merely asking someone to justify why this should be considered good leadership for Avon and excuses to return them for four more years. If you think this high quality board leadership by all means, vote for them. It is in no way shape or form good leadership to me and begs for replacement of them as school overseers for our kids, taxpayers, and Avon patrons.
If you haven't asked the candidates how they hope to improve the areas identified, why haven't you? You are voting on three people who must have solutions to the problems identified. If they don't, don't vote for them. Our kids and taxpayers do not need more of this type of "leadership and success". Don't our kids and we as taxpayers deserve better? Are there not people in Avon who can do better. If not, then we are in for a sad ride for the next decade. Please do your contacting if you feel what I have pointed out is bad leadership. If it is good leadership, explain why. Inquiring minds want to know. Don't attack me. I didn't create the mess we have now. Only voters can vote for people with solutions. It is apparent they don't have any or the ones they have are badly flawed and do not solve the problems we have currently. This is not a popularity contest. This is about getting board members with solid financial planning and building solutions. Thanks for reading. VOTE May 6th for change. Our kids and taxpayers deserve new and better ideas. Otherwise it is four more years of the same. Do our kids and our pocketbooks deserve that? Mine don't.

Board members and Mrs. Kalish show true colors.
The big three have joined their signs together and are now soliciting patrons to join in a newpaper add of support for the big three. Accusations have been hurled by them that their signs are being stolen by the fourth candidate.
An FYI for Avon patrons. Don't be fooled by these tactics. In 2002 when two candidates rose up to challenge the board, the lie was spread that one of them was going to cut band and athletic funding. The sad truth was that the family of one of the new candidates had donated large sums of money to the band and had even gotten them into the old fieldhouse to perform.
In other elections, accusations were leveled about the the theft of signs by those running against them. Our candidates it appears will stoop to any low to sway the public for simpathy.
Mrs. Kalish stepped way over the bounds of propriety at the Avon High School carnival when she passed out her brochures at the PTO sponsored event. Her husband Todd is well aware of the law and allowed her to use his booth for the distribution of her political literature. The PTO members who were there knew it was wrong and illegal but turned their backs on it also.
The PTO is a tax exempt group in Avon doing very fine work but she jeopardized their tax exemption by illegally taking part in political activities at their group sponsored even which is against the law. She claimed, when confronted, that she did not know she couldn't do it. Seems the lady is VERY IGNORANT of what she should be well-aware of as the PTO President.
If it is not apparent now Avon that this is not about you but about them, then you have to be really pollyanna to miss the obvious. Three candidates, picked by our sitting board members running together to keep the same ideas in place that have produced what they have in the last 12 years for two, and the last four for Buckley and Woodward. This is all about the special interests afraid of losing their power when they have all the support they need from their accomplishments.
THIS SHOULD BE ABOUT THE KIDS NOT ABOUT THEM.
I mean ALL the kids, not the band, not the athletic department, but ALL THE STUDENTS of Avon. It appears the big three are just trying to perpetuate the same thinking that has put Avon in the mess it is in today. We have good kids, mostly dedicated teachers, and some good administrators. They are all saddled with overcrowded conditions in schools and classrooms. Thank our board for that and a massive debt that boggles the mind. Most people who have created what we have in Avon would step down from the board in embarrassment. Our board wants you to return them for more of the same. I still say if you ask Mrs. Kalish what she wants to do to improve the situations in Avon, she wouldn't have much of a clue. We need new ideas and a new direction. Not people who will continue to do the same things that have produced what we have now. If Avon thinks we have good leaders, then heaven help them and our kids because you are looking at more of the same for four more years. Vote for change. Our kids deserve much better than what our board is giving them and so do the taxpayers of Avon.

Hearsay

Definitely is Flip just like all the things their leadership has produced in Avon the last four to twelve years in testing results, grad rates, SAT averages, undersized or obsolete structures, etc. You know the drill. With their wonderful record out here it is no wonder they want to be back on our board to produce more of their quality results for our kids, taxpayers, and teachers. Nice thought Flip. Those who support them blindly can always use that HEARSAY as a valid response. Of course I am not sure what specifically you are referring to but in view of their esteemed leadership results, it probably doesn't make a difference.

I know you are going to explain for the patrons and kids why their results are high quality school leadership. Waiting with baited breath Flip. Tell us, explain it to us. We await your item by item defense of their illustrious results.

quote:

Originally posted by Disgusted with our board:
Definitely is Flip just like all the things their leadership has produced in Avon the last four to twelve years in testing results, grad rates, SAT averages, undersized or obsolete structures, etc.

1. Does the above make sense? Is it a question? Is it grammatically correct?

2. Why does this man/woman continue to repeat the same comments in different threads? Does he/she think people cannot scroll down and read past threads?

3. Who is this person? Why does he/she deem it necessary to respond to every post made in the threads?


I think his/her comments on Hey Martha are going to backfire on him/her and the candidates he/she dislikes will win.

No clue. It sounds like he has an agenda. He attacks everyone who questions him.

Anyone want to defend our board and what they have done to Avon in the last 8 years? If so, step forward. Why would anyone create what they have in our school system and do what they have done to our debt and schools and want four more years? That is the question no one seems to want to answer. It is ashame you two seem to think they are good leaders. Then again, maybe you are board supporters trying to keep them in for your agenda. My agenda is plain and simple. If they can not do any better than they have, get rid of them. They have no business overseeing our children's future and one of their logos, "Kids First" certainly does no square up with what our board has created in Avon. Do you two consider them good quality leaders and if so, why?

Been reading this whole thing over the weekend and it takes some reading. I do agree with the two ladies/gentlemen who say there is a lot of repeat information being rehashed. It does appear like he/she has an agenda of sorts. What I do find curious is he/she has supplied statistics from the state that appears to support the contentions made according to the links posted.
What it seems like someone should do though is to have people who support the board to come on and give facts as to why they support the kind of results this Disgusted has produced. Doesn't seem to me to be too hard to do that if they have facts that disprove what's been put in all those posts wrote.
If the person is correct, seems like to me maybe you all need new folks in Avon to lead your schools. Course I live in a small system so don't really know what is going on your way except what I read in the papers. Do know you all have a fine band and your athletics are decent enough. But if your problems are as been put down in his long and rather drawn out postings, seems like someone should be doing some looking elsewhere for some new ideas to help you and your young folks out.
I know you all are growing fast out there but seems like a little planning and some common sense spending might have helped. Good luck on your election. Mr./Mrs/Ms Disgusted, you might want to be shortening up what you have to say so as how people don't get bogged down doing their reading. Anyhow, good luck to you folks in Avon. Seems like you got some serious thinking to do out there come election time. Glad I'm just a small town old timer.

quote:

Originally posted by Disgusted with our board:
It is ashame you two seem to think they are good leaders. Then again, maybe you are board supporters trying to keep them in for your agenda. My agenda is plain and simple. If they can not do any better than they have, get rid of them. They have no business overseeing our children's future and one of their logos, "Kids First" certainly does no square up with what our board has created in Avon. Do you two consider them good quality leaders and if so, why?

I didn't state I supported the Avon board. I didn't question the statistics. I noted that Disgusted has many message board posts that say the same thing. It seems that every time someone has a post that somewhat questions Disgusted, he/she replies with a snide comment and assumes they are school board friends or supporters.


I

Well I agree snide is not good but it seems if the person has provided all this seeming information and proof, why question his post above with the comment hearsay?
As I said, don't live in your area but seems the person has done a lot of homework from all the reading it took me to get through it, so why would that person tell you a lie if his other information is right?. Just think most folks love their kids and having four of my own, and six grand kids, if this happened to us in Mill Creek, our folks would know what to do with them. Course we're mostly farm folks so we don't cotton to having our money spent so much and our kids not doing well.
I do agree with you Mr. Flip that the response on some things seem a bit testy.
Could be though the person feels so frustrated, he can't see why folks don't get rid of the problems if they are all as bad as pointed out.
Good luck on your situations in Avon. Hope it all works out the best for you folks and your kids.

quote:

Originally posted by Disgusted with our board:
Board members and Mrs. Kalish show true colors.
The big three have joined their signs together and are now soliciting patrons to join in a newpaper add of support for the big three. Accusations have been hurled by them that their signs are being stolen by the fourth candidate.
An FYI for Avon patrons. Don't be fooled by these tactics. In 2002 when two candidates rose up to challenge the board, the lie was spread that one of them was going to cut band and athletic funding. The sad truth was that the family of one of the new candidates had donated large sums of money to the band and had even gotten them into the old fieldhouse to perform.
In other elections, accusations were leveled about the the theft of signs by those running against them. Our candidates it appears will stoop to any low to sway the public for simpathy.
Mrs. Kalish stepped way over the bounds of propriety at the Avon High School carnival when she passed out her brochures at the PTO sponsored event. Her husband Todd is well aware of the law and allowed her to use his booth for the distribution of her political literature. The PTO members who were there knew it was wrong and illegal but turned their backs on it also.
The PTO is a tax exempt group in Avon doing very fine work but she jeopardized their tax exemption by illegally taking part in political activities at their group sponsored even which is against the law. She claimed, when confronted, that she did not know she couldn't do it. Seems the lady is VERY IGNORANT of what she should be well-aware of as the PTO

John,

I was referring to the above portion of what disgusted wrote as hearsay. It almost seems like he/she made it look like a cut and paste from a newspaper article with the headline Board members and Mrs. Kalish show true colors.

Disgusted does bring factual statistics from the IDOE to the message board, but he/she also brings a lot of stories/rumors/gossip/hearsay and states them as facts.

Well if you were at the board meeting in 2002 when Mr. Thompson spoke you would know that is no rumor about cutting band funding by his wife. If you were at the carnival when Mr. Kalish's employees were handing out Mrs. Kalish's board brochures, that is no rumor, nor is it a rumor that in the past board candidates have asked to put in a booth for public exposure and have been told by the PTO they could not do it because it would be having political activities in a school function.
It is no rumor that when Mr. Buckley and Mrs. Woodward ran for board, they teamed their signs with Acton for obvious reasons and now Kalish is pairing her signs with two established board members and was asked by both Acton and Buckley to run for the board. We need change not more of the same. I am hoping that Kalish has the courage to push for new ideas and new direction. We do not need more old thinking on our board that has produced what it has for Avon.
Those are facts and indisputable. Other members have run against the board and have been accused of stealing signs. Some have been accused of cutting programs if elected because of the financial difficulties our board placed the schools in. The biggest and most damaging lie told is that whoever new comes on the board in economically troubled times will cut athletics and band program funding. That is fear mongering, but to keep their positions, they tell that to solidify support and rally band parents and athletic parents.
I am sure with our high debt, programs, staff, or cuts will be made in our system to try and free up money and tighten our belts regardless of who gets elected. My apologies to you Flip if you feel I have been abrupt in my comments. It has always thoroughly confused me how Avon patrons can see what has been done to our wonderful schools, yet when election day rolls around, they march to the polls and put them back on to do more of the same. It makes no sense. Surely we have better leadership and thinkers in Avon with solutions than the current crop. If not, Avon is in serious trouble. Again my apologies for the seeming abrasiveness of my comments.

The board meeting in 2002? The rest of us are living in 2008. When was the last time you actually attended a school board meeting?

I have no doubt that the Avon board has done some things wrong, just as all boards have made mistakes at one time or another, but they've also done a lot of good things over the years. I think it's the only school board in the county that keeps winning awards and earning state recognition.

And again, before the comment is even made yet again, I am not on the board and I don't personally know anyone who is. All I know is what I read in the papers and what I hear from friends who live in Avon and are very happy with their schools.

quote:

I think it's the only school board in the county that keeps winning awards and earning state recognition.

Surely you jest and can't be serious. The only board? I repeat, master and exemplary board designations can be achieved by simply taking classes given by the state school board's association. It does not mean you make best decisions when you get the status.
Please take what I have posted about their lack of good decisions and refute it if you think they are a good school board. People who have done what they have done here in the last 8 years should be long gone. They far outweigh the good they have done.

As far as 2002 being used, it was used for Flip Diamonds benefit on the way the board has operated to keep their voting base. I attended board meetings up until two years ago. My board attendance record started in 2001 and not many
were missed until around 2005.
I am happy with the education my children receive. I am not happy with my children going to school in overcrowded conditions. I am disgusted that since 2001 the school debt out here has gone from 96 million to 275 million due to poor building planning.
Their record is posted on here for all to see. My belief is that any group who has accumulated their record has no business running our system. Most of Avon does not attend board meetings and they are very uninformed about what they have done. Thus they remain in place. My hope is that will change soon and people who think and plan a lot better, and are a lot more frugal with our money than they are will take their place.

quote:

Originally posted by Disgusted with our board:
Vote for change. Our kids deserve much better than what our board is giving them and so do the taxpayers of Avon.

So, who do you suggest people vote for? You want the incumbents out, so vote for Engelhardt & Kalish. Wait, can't vote for Kalish, because she is in cahoots with the two incumbents. If only I lived in Avon, so I could vote with a "write in". I could cast my "write in" vote for Disgusted.

Did you notice all 4 candidate signs together at the intersection of 10th & Dan Jones across from Kingsway? What do you make of that?