Accidental Blogger

A School District Saga ( Concluded for now)

A little
patience, and we shall see the reign of witches pass over, their
spells dissolve, and the people, recovering their true sight, restore
their government to it’s true principles.
                                                                                                                                –Thomas Jefferson

Following Ruchira’s post where she discusses the removal/forced resignation of the Texas Education Agency’s science director Chris Comer, I thought this might be a good time to provide an update on the school district shenanigans in my corner of the woods. I had already indicated that positive changes were afoot, with the restoration of the removed International Baccalaureate program by an embattled board of directors, followed by a contentious primary battle for seats in the board of school directors. At stake were five openings, which would tip the majority from its infamously theocratic and xenophobic "Gang of Five" to a more moderate group concerned with bettering the schools without deviating hugely from fiscal conservatism.

On December 3, the reign of witches ended, ushering in a new moderate school board majority who were elected to their seats by 2 out of 3 votes in the community.

The five newly elected directors were sworn in by Judge Timothy
Patrick O’Reilly of the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas,
prompting the first of several standing ovations from the large crowd
attending the reorganization meeting.

The five — incumbents Angela Petersen and Barbara Bolas, plus
first-term members Amy Billerbeck, Rebecca Stern and Louis Picconi —
were elected last month after a last-minute campaign challenge from
three write-in candidates.

                                                                                                    -Post-Gazette 12/6/07

All this was not without its moments of high drama, newspaper battles in the op-ed columns, dirty tricks, vandalism, rumor-mongering, plagiarism,internet trolling
and the like. Three write-in candidates, who had been soundly rejected
in the May primaries for both Democratic and Republican ballots ( since
school board candidates cross file), attempted a last minute campaign
to gain seats characterized by redbagitis afflicting the driveways in
the township (My driveway escaped, because I was displaying a sign in
support of the opposing camp.However my sign was vandalized and ripped
to pieces, which I promptly cellotaped back and displayed on my
property again, joined by an extra that a kind neighbor dropped off.)

The outgoing school board, in a last gasp attempt, declared that they were going to authorize a creation of a Ronald Reagan Hall of presidents in the High School, for a cost not to exceed $10,000. How fiscally responsible
of them! (when they could have just invested in a couple of whiteboards
and markers to rename whichever room they wished after the
saint-du-jour!) The then board president Dr.Mark Trombetta
(radiologist/internet troll par excellence (Sadie Mae, Otis,
ldyjustice, etc. etc.)) claimed that the major funding would come from
the local Congress Rep. Tim Murphy’s promise, which was promptly denied by  Rep. Murphy’s office.

From the USC-WAVES forum thread: 

Per his office, he believes the "naming" of public facilities should be
done carefully with input from the entire community, using public funds
to "name" public facilities is not something that President Reagan
would have wanted and Rep.Murphy  would never seek federal funds to support such an endeavor.

That was a last spectacular dive off the gangplank of the sinking SS "Gang of Five". I’m sure that the new school board majority will put that $10,000 to better use.

We the people will be watching to make sure that Upper St.Clair  ‘ain’t Dover yet’.