Where's the article on the Upper Saucon Twp 2012 proposed budget from the supervisor's meeting last night??

"Innovative" If this contract was that great why not take the time to let the public comment in a similar fashion to UST with the annual budget. Seems to me the taxpayers should be allowed time to review and comment. I'm sure current board members can justify the actions but what would it have hurt to take the time. The contract did not need to be agreed upon for months.

So getting comment and questions from the public is silly. I'm sorry but maybe if the school board directors listened maybe your's and the other's actions wouldn't be questioned after every meeting. Open and candid discussions are needed in this and many districts but individuals like you prevent that from happening. Why? what are you afraid of hearing? Why true "innovation" could be achieved? Seems to me that a lot more could be accomplished with the public being included in the solution.

With the personal attacks and what I've witnessed first hand by attending meetings I don't need to ask. But then I guess you don't owe anything to the taxpayers/ voters since you were appointed to the board most recently.

Michael,
I've attended many meetings over the past 11 years. Besides as you know much of the information that is dealt with by the board is done in executive session. You mentioned the road/UST discussions being held in executive session. Why? Why do these discussions have to be held in private? Don't the taxpayers have a right to know how their money is being wasted by the township on studies? Were the contracts handed out Monday night or more than a month in advance? Why vote now? Why not wait for the new board and review everything in 2012? I remember that you were appointed to fill a vacant position but that was in 2008. My mistake.

In terms of the pension. The contract is going to provide for a raise of almost 3% each year for the next four years correct? What will that do to an already burdened pension fund? That is what I've heard from many of your current board members. Aren't other districts working with teachers to hold raises for now? In a few weeks I'll be able to get the inside information that none of the current board members are willing or able to share. Maybe then I'll understand the facts better. For now I do thank you for being willing to have served in a truly difficult position. I'm hopeful that issues with the township become better and that the waste of time and money they have caused the district stops.
Thanks for your service and sorry if my questions seemed like an attack.

@ Mr. Lycett: You do talk a great game about sharing with the public information. I hope you keep your word. The public wants to see what is being hidden on all levels from the top to the bottom. Good Luck!!! Yes, I voted for you!

Stew,
Thanks. I hope you take the time to introduce yourself sometime. I find it interesting that after attacking me on the Patch that Michael Eddinger has removed his posts from the forum. I hope that with the help of other board members we can be viewed in a much more positive light by the community. James Lindsay is a good person and while he and I may have much to learn about the business side of the district we both have a vested interest in having well educated young men and women be the product of the Southern Lehigh School Distirct.

@ Mr. Lycett you already met me on numerous occasions. I need to keep my identity undercover to allow those that get me information keep their anonymity. I know that this is driving many nuts within the school district and community.

Stew, if your sources -- which misinform you so -- were to dry up, that would be a blessing. So come out of the closet.
Bill Lycett -- as you will soon learn in detail, the board may discuss legal and contract negotiations in executive session. To discuss one's negotiation position in public gives information to the party across the table and weakens one's position.

John, there are many ways to negotiate a contract or anything for that matter. I've instructed many on negotiations and being open with the party and others about positions can lead to a collaborative process. Seems that this was done with the teachers representatives but I wonder if the public/taxpayers would like more consideration of their needs before a deal was agreed upon which lasts for four years. Seems to me there are opportunities to request and gain much more input from the community.

@ John, you are truly a funny man. All one has to do is go to any event within the district and you will get the pulse of the community and school district at large. If the school board would actually listen the public or me (I represent the public) you would know why Bill Lycett has concerns about the dealings of the past board. You want my sources to dry up...I don't know if that will ever happen. Remember I am of the people and I speak for the people. My agenda is simple...kids first!

@Michael, welcome back for the ninth time, good to see you are still not a very positive individual. Did you get your basketball back from the individual who stole it or are you going to get made and leave the Patch again. That being said, I commend you for resolving a contract with the teachers that expires next September. A four year contract is interesting and generous, but you are leaving so who cares what the outcome of this long contract will be? Your track record speaks for itself and I am proud that you have served the community all of these years. However, you need to give Bill Lycett and Jim Lindsay the same amount of time to get on the board prior to you casting judgment.

@Bill, just ignore those that don't help facilitate a positive change with their ignorant wishes. Remember to bring one change at a time and a revolution will begin! Thank you for your willingness to serve our children and community.

Today I'm facilitating a workshop on inclusion and collaboration across boundaries. I hope to bring the principles I teach to adults into how the board operates. I will strongly suggest that others in the district need to consider serving on the board. It really is time for a change. Its not to say many of the board members have not done a great job but new approaches and thought seem to be needed for the community.

Great idea! I guess that's why we thought of this 8 years ago and brought in Bartell and Bartell multiple times over several years. We've followed that up by bringing them in several more times over the years, and by sending our top admins to their week long "Flight School". Bartell and Bartell is a REAL consulting company with offices, staff and a web site. And spare me your consulting expertise; the county is awash with laid off people starting shoe-box consulting “firms”.

What is it you want to change? Our top PSSA and SAT scores in the area? Our AA2 bond rating that puts us in the top 10% of the state and saves us big money on every bond refinance? Our current debt portfolio that is financed at absurdly low interest rates? Our current fiscal position that was planned for over the last 5-6 years, to prevent us from having to have layoffs? Our small class sizes at the elementary level, that can remain that way due to our planning? Our excellent plan in facilities which will allow us to grow 20-25% without building? Our great sports teams? Our administrative team? Our non-teaching staff? Our innovative programs to teach kids Chinese and Arabic, key languages for the 21st century?

Give us something concrete you want to change. And don't say "more community involvement". To what end? What exactly are you going to measurably improve? EXACTLY?

Mike said it well. Yes, there are many things I'd like to improve, but there is much to preserve. Financially, we are one of the best-run districts in the state, but Stew's heroes Dimmig and Quigley have attacked the factors that make that possible. (Their campaign literature was curiously misleading in that regard.)
A vague call for "change" might be sufficient in an obviously dysfunctional district like Chester or Harrisburg. Here it leads to the worry that you just want to throw out programs that work well, all for the sake of "I'm in charge now" ego. In many places -- school systems, health care, publishing, manufacturing, law enforcement -- I have watched very well run outfits go to seed, and sometimes go out of business, because the new guy insisted on change, and had too much ego to maintain something someone else had started, that was already going well.
So Bill -- be specific -- what aspects of the child's school day experience do you want to change, and how? How does that ripple up the chain to board-level decisions?

Seems like a good move. I'd be interested in some brief, concise details of how this sliding scale of pay increases would be determined.

Is the formula optional or mandated? Pe3rhaps the wordng of the artcile "a clause that ALLOWS (emphasis added) the board to adjust the baseline raises up or down by .25 percent based on parameters...." creates some ambiguity implying that it is the boards option. If it was me (as either party to the agreement), I'd make the adjustment mandatory and strictly formulaic. Anybody know?

BTW, East Penn, to the north, I beleive, renegotiated/extended a contract with a pay freeze for the first year, and the second year could be either a pay freeze or a double pay raise to the original contract, with the determining factor being some specific future economic indicators. The contract could be extended (or not) depending on those same factors.

The formula is mandated. If the retirement contribution goes up like it is predicted, and healthcare increases as predicted, the raises will be 2.85%, 2.85%, 2.55%, 2.55%. The factors looked at are Healthcare cost increase, PSER retirement system and Total Local revenue from taxes, transfer taxes, EIT, etc.
By the same token, if things are much better than our doom and gloom predictions, then the teachers get more. Sort of like how the rest of the world works.

Michael,
Does it matter to you at all that the community questions what the board does and why it does not explain the decisions that are made. Everything you outlined earlier today is wonderful. I do wonder why you deleted the other comments about me as an individual. I saw them and others that get the emails from the Patch did too. My main concern and a change I'd like to see is more of an open discussion and involvement of the board with parents and the community as a whole. What is wrong with that? Why do you blast away at those that want open and candid discussions? I've never said that everything that you, John or other have done is wrong it is more about the how. There's a disconnection with taxpayers that either you don't care about or does not matter. Bash away if you want, think that all of the good ideas come only from those in companies like Bartell and Bartell. BTW most of the firms I work with as a SME/Consultant are larger in terms of employees and offices. In terms of the other board members and my ability to work with them, time will tell. In a number of situations I'm sure we will agree in others I might have a different approach or request of the teachers and administration due to being a parent and willing to listen to other parent or community members on solutions. Thank you again to you and John for your service over the years.

I would like to also add that because of individuals such as Mr.Eddinger, Mr. Schubert, Mr. Miracle, and Mr. Snell and countless others our district is in great financial shape. The pivotal equation was Mr. Snell who kept the district with the positive cash flow for many years. Thank you to all!!!!

Thank you gentlemen for bowing out gracefully and allowing the new board members the same courtesy that all of you experienced. Time will tell how the new board will govern and make decisions for the students and community. Let's give them a chance and wish them the best. Have a great day!!!

The board has been quiet and I can't wait to see who will be appointed once two board
members resign.

Nobody is resigning. Do you just make this stuff up?

No...my information is solid ...coming soon to a school board near you...

Nah.... you're wrong.

Still no resignations... Stew.... are your sources drying up?