Elk Konnected Hand out at County Commissioners meeting on 4/25

[readyaimduck]

can say they didn't raise the mill, they did allow

Most, Some, a few verbal taxpayers have a tendency to not see through the whole process. 
I think you are correct in what you say, it just cames across differently with the above statement.
Sorry, if I confused you.  I am a taxpayer, and I agree that spending what you have in the highest priority is.... a priority.
  Our money, our decision based on the elected person holding the best decision of my interest.  Unfortunately it is not always in our best ineterst.
    Confusing?   yeppers.  It's called Politics.
ready

[readyaimduck]

How, why, what the commision does with the monies collected, either up or down should be questioned.

[Diane Amberg]

Patriot, I just expanded and wrote more completely what you had started as a definition. It wasn't meant as a poke at you.
But you might want to be careful about the comments you made about the psychiatric label, as you did the same thing to me in another thread. Also, provable repetition of libelous written language can be considered proof, because it isn't one time only and then possibly just an error.
By the way I recently read a very likeable quote." Men are only as great as they are gentle." (E.Hubbard)  That's a good one. IMHO

[Ross]

By the way I recently read a very likeable quote." Men are only as great as they are gentle." (E.Hubbard)  That's a good one. IMHO

Sure maybe, maybe not!

If they are trying to screw you over, does this apply?

Does that mean if they screw you over gently they are great?

    IMHO

I don't think so!

Very funny, another new tactic of konnected followers a nice way of saying if you don't agree nicely you are not great, right?

Well, I'm not great and never claimed to be.

I am a redneck and proud to be one. Thank You!

Let me remincd you what a redneck is.

In the 19th century, there was a turn in how terms like redneck were used. The word redneck, in particular, was no longer viewed purely as slander, but as a badge of pride. Among those who shared this sentiment, it stood for someone who believed in self-determination and individual freedom.

[Bullwinkle]

       Take a look at the last several posts. While most all are discussing the intended thread, or parts thereof, it seems a few , one, poster wants to be that gnat, or fruit fly that keeps being a nuisance and oblivious to the topic.

      Just an observation, and not meant to be responded to.    Actually this icon looks more like someone getting ready to barf.

[Ross]

I attended the Special School Board meeting last evening and I thought I'd share it with you.
Warning it is a long read and I did the very best I could in note keeping/

Special School Board Meeting
Nov 26, 2012

Goal Setting with Facilitator Dr. James C. Christman

[/b]

(In my opinion this is a professional facilitator, who claims to do this sort of thing frequently. I also consider him a master manipulator.

The reason for the addition of professional added to facilitator, is because he claims to do it frequently and because when I went to the Schools District Office and asked how much he is getting paid they failed to tell me and made excuses for not telling me. Which means to me it must be an embarrassing amount of money. Oh well, it's just the taxpayers money.

This does reinforce my opinion that the konnected School Board President lacks the leadership abilities to properly hold that position. Why? He is President of the Board and his main function is to facilitate the meeting, that's why. Due to the lack of leadership ability he hires a professional to do his job. And I fear this will only get worse, after all this is not the this is not the mans first visit to the West Elk School District. He was contracted once before, as I was informed by the School Superintendent.)

The man starts out with, let me set the stage and gives a simple explanation of how to plan. Then he tells the Board, "You are special," and continues with a pep talk.
You bring your own life perspective to the table and you need to learn to see other people's perspective and sometimes need to yield to them. (If you believe you have principles and are doing the right thing, why should you yield to what, you don't believe?)

The man says, they often use focus groups and that will be discussed later. (I wonder does that include NGO's?)

The man says there will be three questions later:
1.   Who is responsible? (Really? These elected officials don't know already?)
2.   What is the timeline for accomplishing the Goals? (Wasn't it already discussed as a 5 year plan?)
3.   How do you know when you are satisfied with the plan? (Is this rocket science?)

(Sounds to me, more like a motivational speech, to do what some Focus Group want to accomplish, maybe an NGO, or an "Old Guard", you decide.)

The man then says tonight we are not going to talk about $'s or efficiency, we are going to talk about what you the board members want, if you can have it. (The man keeps saying tonight we are not going to talk about money, as if he is going to return, later I learn this is the truth. He will be returning several times, but at what cost to the tax payers?)

The man are are you ready to get started! (I thought he had already got started, or was that just setting the stage?)

To the board he says tell me something good about West Elk?

He begins writing on this huge paper on an easel.
He writes (to name a few)
   Good kids
   Good Facility
   Graduation Rate
   Lots of Scholarships
   Good Math Program

The he gave the board two minutes to write down things they think are important that the school plan needs. (They write and it stretches out to 5 minutes maybe more.) In the mean time the man is placing 5 blank yellow sticky notes in front of each board member.
(This in my opinion is where the real manipulation and control of the board starts, through the use of peer pressure)

Now the man asks the board members to read what they wrote down as he writes their comments on a big white piece of paper, oh the first page is removed and taped to the wall.

He writes as the board members take turns, he writes their wants down on the big piece of paper, the papers are taped to the wall:

   Construction Grade School/Second Gym (Keep this in mind) (konnected Board President)
   Better Grade School Facilities (Keep this in mind)
   Parent Involvement
   English College Prep
   Teach Critical Thinking
   Recruit and Retain Quality Teachers
   Support Educational Awareness both National and International
   Efficiency in Maintenance, Food Services, Office Staff, etc.
     Get Citizens with no Connection with the School Involved
   Promote West Elk on Individual and Corporate Levels (made by the konnected      board President. Would that mean with your NGO)
   Education of Children (It would seem to me that would have been mentioned right off the bat as the main goal.)

At this point the man said, we name every dollar.

   Continuing with wants

   Early Child hood Intervention
   Competitive Sports, decide how important it is. (konnected President)
   Lower Mill Levy
`   PNA Kansas Legal
   Curriculum
   Foreign Language
   To Many Para's Explain to the Public

At this point the man said he will be back. (At what cost is my question) He also said, Teacher turn over is about 5 years and if teachers are willing to move there are jobs out there.

                       Continuing with wants

   A 10 Year Plan to Allow For Saving For It

(I missed a couple of ideas and I apologize for that, I did the best I could do.)

He says, now lets look at the lists and combine any that are similar, okay.
They combine a couple, but the one that sticks out for me are, Efficiency in Maintenance, Food Services, Office Staff, and  Better Grade School Facilities (Keep this in mind) and Construction Grade School/Second Gym (Keep this in mind) (konnected Board President)


He now tells the board there are five blank post-it notes in front of you.
I want you to look at your list and choose the 5 most important wants and write the number of each in the middle of each post-it note.

He says now out of those five I want you to choose the mot important and mark it number one in the upper right hand corner, Now out of the next four chose the least important and mark it number 5 in the upper right hand corner, now mark the rest 2 and 3 and 4 in the upper right hand corner. He then ask each board member to tell him what their number 1 is and marks it on the papers hanging on the wall, then number 2 and marks them on the paper on the wall and so on through number 5.

Now he writes down their 5 choices on the big paper.

1.   Facility Maintenance and Construction (can you see where this is going, keep watching)
2.   Kids First
3.   Curriculum
4.   Teach Critical Thinking (good board member IMHO)
5.   Foreign Language
6.   Recruit and Retain Quality Teachers
Some board member said lets have 6 goals instead of 5, so there are 6 of them.

Next the man said we have your plan, there it is, now we need to look at issues that could affect this plan.

So he writes Issues on the big piece of paper and writes what the school board members say. They are:
   Finances $
                 Public Relations With the Community~  ~ ~The man says we will discuss methods later.
                 History

At this point in the meeting the two coaches in the audience left the meeting.

   Continue of Issues

                 Community Division
                 Make School Center of Community (Which Community)

The he writes Focus Groups on the big paper for this Professional Facilitator to talk with.

   Student Body Focus Group
   Teachers Focus Group
   Administrative Team Focus Group
   Construction Grade School/Second Gym (Keep this in mind) (konnected Board President)
   Community Focus Group (I find this one very, very special keep reading, you may not be special)
   Each Board Member to choose 5 Individual that they feel should be there and the School Superintendent will mail each one a special personal invitation. (how sweet is that, at least 35 special people in Elk County)

The meeting ends at this point. I found the meeting very interesting and entertaining.

Well are you ready for the, and from, the first list of wants, Construction Grade School/Second Gym (Keep this in mind) (konnected Board President).

I have been hearing on the street about building a wing onto the school for a grade school and a gym. How's that for coincidence?

They are worried about finances and lowering the mill levy, where is that critical thinking when you need it?

With the national and international financial crisis and the fiscal cliff and austerity, yes austerity right here at home in the USA and in Kansas and our recession/depression, what the heck is going on with the thinking? Some body help me out here, please? They want to build a grade school and nes gym and lower the mill levy how can they do that?

Sounds a lot like elk konnected, llc to me, how about you> They do have a konnected School Board President and who knows which others are konnected?

[Patriot]

The outward resemblance to other Kommunity Konversations is amazing... post-it notes, easel boards & the Hegelian Dialectic - thesis, antithesis, and synthesis.... refined down to the Delphi Technique.  Also noted is who is at the helm and the Konnections involved. 

You raise some interesting points...

Are our board members not capable of local problem solving & down road planning without some 3rd party guru as a guide?  Of course they are.  But it seems the powers that be need a 'professional' to intervene.  One must wonder why.

Ironically, it seems 'construction & new facilities' are miraculously floating to the top as high priorities.... again.  Are the portable buildings so terribly overcrowded as to cause health and safety problems?  Or are certain elites offended by the simple functionality and in need of more 'socially acceptable' (and expensive) facilities to house their precious progeny? I thought education of the kids was the ultimate goal... perhaps better paid & highly motivated teachers & a well crafted curriculum would better serve that end.  Remember the 5.5 million dollar bond issue debacle a few years back?

One must also wonder who is ultimately behind the perceived 'need' for outside 'help'.  The Superintendent?  The Board President?  The processes of organizational planning (even in democratically controlled operations) are well established.  Use of facilitated direction (read: manipulation) in goal setting is, IMO, an insult to the intelligence of the majority of the duly elected board members.

I notice the cost control issue (Lower Mill Levy) didn't make the Final Five.  I also notice that the opposite (and least related to education) 'Construction' made the top spot.  Interestingly, the item most directly related to high quality education, 'Recruit and Retain Quality Teachers' was only an afterthought.  Accidental idiocy or intentional control from behind?  One wonders.

The Delphi Method for schools:  http://www.societyforqualityeducation.org/newsletter/archives/delphi.pdf

[Ross]

Wow, this old redneck is beginning to scare him self.

All that and I only recognized it as very weird and condescending to our elected officials,
I mean, they were in essence were spoke to and treated like 6th graders IMO. I know there was at least one that objected to bringing in the pro-manipulator, but once the game started peer pressure kept it going. However, it appeared to me that the konnected President of the Board was kicked back and smiling a lot as if enjoying watching the others jump through hoops while being told they are special.

I wonder when the others will wake up and realize they are being used and being duped?

When will they realize they were simply being manipulated by a pro and not doing the job they were elected for? How long will they allow the charade to continue?

Why will they allow this man to manipulate our school children in the same fashion?

Wake up time, haven't you school board members been paying attention?

The konnected NGO fails manipulation on the county level, so it goes after the school district, and the school children, right?  Good choice.

You know, I never heard one motion, not one vote taken last night?

I did not hear one vote of approval from the School Board that allows our children or for that matter the Teachers or other staff to be manipulated by this Professional.

Why no proposal?
Why no second?
Why no vote?

Isn't that standard operational procedure for a school board?

The man simply invited himself to do what he wants, how does that work?
(He is an outsider, he doesn't live in Elk County)

I find something wrong with that, where does the man get permission to do what ever he wants.

Yep, I think our konnected School Board President is a failure at leadership and facilitating the school board meetings. Or is it he has a different agenda.

[redcliffsw]

Sounds like the school board President or the Superintendent is trying to bambozzle the board members.

About 20 or 30 years ago, I asked a school board member at Caldwell why the schools take so much
money from the people  He said that the school superintendents are not educators, they are promoters. 

The government schools play an important part in the scheme of the Worldwide communist agenda.
Are you on board with 'em?  I'm not. 

.

[Ross]

I personally am never on board with organizations or NGO's that either secretly or openly manipulate our elected officials, be it the School Board or County Government or by getting a member or members elected to a political position for control.

Just look at the mess it has made for our national government and our national economy?

I find it very troublesome, and if you oppose them or
challenge them by asking them to provide information,
they either:
start calling people names, i.e. outsider and even worse,
or bullying and belittling people,
or shrink into hiding just to re-emerge later!

Not good, not good at all, IMO!