The Steamboat Pilot & Today

sturn (anonymous)
June 10, 2007 at 8:41 a.m. (Suggest removal)

The employees of the school system have more insight and knowledge of whats happening than most ofn the public does. It makes sense to have at lease some seats filled by those in the know.

thecondoguy1 (anonymous)
June 10, 2007 at 10:56 a.m. (Suggest removal)

no,no,no, this amounts to the fox watching the hen house, let the illiterate, uninformed, incompetent, commoner public have a little oversite these intelligentsia elite that always know whats best for us, the worse that could happen is a conservative could sneek in and the kids would recieve a terrific education at a fair price, and the Mensa crowd would be accountable for those trillions of dollars we spend on "PUBLIC" education.

mom (anonymous)
June 10, 2007 at 2:20 p.m. (Suggest removal)

YES, Yes, Yes!

thecondoguy1 (anonymous)
June 10, 2007 at 7:48 p.m. (Suggest removal)

never happen mom, to much power to people who leverage their power badly......................

wakeup (anonymous)
June 10, 2007 at 8:59 p.m. (Suggest removal)

So, the condoguy1, you are saying that teachers don't make good decisions in teaching our children, and that people from other professional areas have more expertise for what works. Let me guess that you are someone from another professional area that has kids and thinks that he knows what is best for children in regards to education. I agree that current school district empolyees shouldn't serve on the school board for democracy sake. However, I would support a change in politicians making the calls for what is best when it comes to educating children. Study some of the history of education, and you will see that the top-down policy approach from politicians to educators doesn't work, because the politicians simply don't have the research and the knowledge to know what works best when educating children. The system needs to change, and it is slowly. I do think that educators need to continue to educate the politicians about what works and what doesn't work, so that we will stop wasting millions of dollars on tests that measure a certain cultural and socio-economic level of knowledge. Then, the educators could work on finding authentic assessments that truly measure students' knowledge for the better of all society.

thecondoguy1 (anonymous)
June 11, 2007 at 6:51 a.m. (Suggest removal)

I am saying public education is one of the costliest segments of the public budget, it is sucking the money out of the system by the billions, also saying that it is an affront to all who are not educators to hear this condecending arrogant crap about how educators knowledge and good sense is so superior the average citizen that we are not worthy or intellectually and emotionally qualified to contribute to the governance of a system that can not be trusted.
Interested people from other professions can attend board meetings and learn to be good board members making a objective contribution for the benifit of the entire system, not just pad everything for the premadonnas.
I am sixty years old, educated, have grown educated children, and pay more taxes than the average person makes per year.

thecondoguy1 (anonymous)
June 11, 2007 at 7:29 a.m. (Suggest removal)

wakeup, where does it say in any of my posts that teachers don't make good decisions in teaching our children?

wakeup (anonymous)
June 11, 2007 at 4:59 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I inferred that from your rantings about how conservative common people should make the budget to give kids a terrific education. I am sorry if I misinferred that.

thecondoguy1 (anonymous)
June 11, 2007 at 8:18 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I accept your apology for inferring as well as misinferring..............
now please apologize for referring to my dialog, and communication of a view different than yours as rantings............

mom (anonymous)
June 12, 2007 at 10:47 p.m. (Suggest removal)

As far as teachers go, they are professionals. Unfortunately many people do not look at teaching as a profession. It takes a very dedicated and special person to be a teacher. We are lucky to have such great teachers.

thecondoguy1 (anonymous)
June 13, 2007 at 8:56 a.m. (Suggest removal)

no doubt, teachers are essential and very important professionals, they must be appreciated, but it is a job, people chose their jobs, they chose to be teachers, we have other heros, polce, fire, EMT, nurses, how about the ladies and gentlemen who are attempting to give our parents or grand parents a safe, comfortable, happy life in our nursing homes, on and on, these people do not expect to govern themselves, or be on the hospital board.
Teachers need to get out more, engage and communicate with intelligent adults, get off their high horse, and not expect from the adult community the same adulation they get from children.
There are beautiful men and women risking and giving their lives in these God forsaken countries, so that we may be safe for another day from these murdering monsters that want to kill each and every one of us...... I think I will reserve my reverence, gratitude and worship for them and their souls.
God bless our troops, God bless the USA, and God bless you, and wakeup as well...............

Hammurabi (anonymous)
June 13, 2007 at 10:07 a.m. (Suggest removal)

My main objection would be that one of the most critical and important decisions made by the school board is salary negotiations and benefits. How can we have a board made up of teachers making those decisions and not totally violate conflict of interest expectations? If they stepped down, as they should, in making those decisions, who would be left to handle the negotiations? These costly items represent the largest portion of how our tax dollars are spent. As a tax payer and a citizen, I want responsible, non-biased fellow tax payer making those critical financial decisions for me.

portagetheyampa (anonymous)
June 15, 2007 at 2:56 p.m. (Suggest removal)

The schools are a public entity supported by public funds. Any citizen should be allowed to run for the school board. Are persons working for the school district less capable than other citizens of making decisions regarding our schools? If you are eliminating school district employees, should all members of their families be eliminated from seeking a school board seat, also?

For many years Dr. Bill Balwin served our schools well as a Board member and president of the Board. His wife was a teacher during all of those years and that certainly did not prevent Dr. Balwin from doing a professional job as a school board member.

Bud Romberg was a school board member while he was a teacher at the high school. He, also, served his students and the community well while functioning in both positions.

Will you eliminate everyone who has ever worked for the school district from being on the school board? Wiill you eliminate any sthduent who as ever attended the Steamboat Springs Public Schools from ever running for the school board?

When citizens, whatever their profession, cannot be considered for membership on a public board then we are in trouble!

thecondoguy1 (anonymous)
June 17, 2007 at 8:09 p.m. (Suggest removal)

no, but currently employed and their immediate families should not be allowed to serve, in this day and age, it's called conflict of interest, such persons should exculp themselves based on the potential, or the appearance of the potential of a conflict of interest nothing personal, it's just business.
it's like gene hackman said in the" fast and the dead", if there is a fox in the hen house it's a sure thing sombody is going to have chicken for dinner.
ALSO, if this poll stays up long enough employees and their friends will be able to get around to enough computers to get the results all the way up to 25% to 75%, just to give you an idea of the objectivity of some people............