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Northwest Regional Education Service District to Appoint Jewell School Board Members
With the recall of two Jewell School District board members came the announcement that at least two other board members have turned in their resignations leaving the Jewell School Board without a quorum and unable to operate. According to Oregon statutes the Education Service Division (ESD) must step in and appoint enough board members to make a quorum.
Jim Mabbott, Superintendent of Northwest Regional ESD (NWRESD), stated that as of today ESD does not have evidence that the Jewell School District does not have a quorum. The recall still needs to be certified (which takes about fifteen days) and NWRESD has not received letters of resignation from any Jewell board members.
“Should that happen,” stated Mabbott, “ESD would step in and appoint only as many board members as it would take to make up a quorum and then our job is done.” It has been reported that in addition to recalled board members Ann Samuelson and Karl Meiers, board members Alan Foster and Cathy Rozinek have both turned in letters of resignation in protest of the recall.
Mabbott described what the Jewell community could expect from ESD, “We would send out a letter informing the community how many board members ESD will be appointing, enough to make up a quorum. We would set a time line and allow people who have expressed an interest to apply for an appointment to the board. The appointment would last until the next board election, which, I believe, is in 2009.”
According to Mabbott, at the time that a quorum of three is formed ESD’s job is done. Those three would be responsible to vote unanimously for any motion before the board, including the appointment of the fourth member. After the appointment of the fourth member the board could pass a motion by a vote of 3-1.
“The Jewell community needs to do everything it can to get a fully operating board,” Mabbott emphasized, otherwise the board would not be able to move forward. The Jewell School District is struggling to come into compliance with state regulations and update its policies. Jewell’s most recent policy update had been 2004, and even now many of its policies date back to 1997 and 1999. The Oregon School Board Association regularly sends out policy updates throughout the school year, usually on a quarterly basis, to make sure that school boards have the latest policy information that is pertinent to their schools and can see what other school districts have found beneficial for an effective and efficient district.
Mabbott went on to explain that the date that ESD is notified that a school district no longer has a quorum NWRESD Board Chair Gail Young could direct Superintendent Mabbott to start the process of advertising for interested community members. Young could then call board members to see if they would be available for a special meeting or wait until the next meeting, which in this case is June 17. Fifteen days from the election date is June 11, at which time the recall would be certified and becomes official. The next regular Jewell Board meeting is set for June 16 with a special board meeting slated for June 9. Meiers and Samuelson remain board members until the recall has been certified.
In Ranier, Oregon, which is also part of the NWRESD service district, six of the seven school board members are up for recall. That election will be held on Tuesday, May 27.
The NWRESD released the following Press Release:
PRESS RELEASE
May 22, 2008
CONTACT INFORMATION:
Superintendent Jim Mabbott’s Office 503-614-1401
Northwest Regional Education Service District to Appoint Jewell School Board Members
On May 20, 2008, the voters of the Jewell School District recalled board members Karl Meier and Ann Samuelson. Since then, two others have submitted their resignations in protest of the recall vote. The Northwest Regional Education Service District (NWRESD) is unclear as to the effective dates of those resignations. NWRESD Board Chair Gail Young stated that “Once we have verified that the Jewell School District Board of Directors is short of a quorum, our board will abide by the statute and develop a process to appoint additional board members until a quorum is reached. We will work with the Jewell superintendent and any remaining board members to make sure that the process is equitable, timely and clearly communicated.” All board discussion regarding this issue will take place in a public meeting.
As the state’s largest ESD, the Northwest Regional Education Service District provides special education, instructional services and technology support to 20 school districts in Columbia, Clatsop, Tillamook and Washington counties. NWRESD represents one of the most diverse education service districts in Oregon, serving school districts ranging in size from approximately 200 students to more than 35,000.
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21 Comments
On May 22, 8:09 PM, Jewell Alumni wrote:
Answer me this....how is this recall good for kids at Jewell School, their education, and school improvement. This recall group better get a plan in place if they plan to take over, this is disgusting. I say take the money away and give it to a district that wants to educate kids. This recall could have read Meier and Samuelson work too hard for educational improvement, not what we want out here! At least ESD will still help us.
On May 22, 8:15 PM, Just plain sick of it! wrote:
The Daily Astorian quoted Oly S, the main guy behind this mess as saying “On my way into work, I’m thinking where do we go from here?” Before he took his best shot at destroying the school and the good work being done, he might have gotten a plan, just an idea.
On May 22, 9:37 PM, Shelby wrote:
Where do we go from here? You didn’t have a plan in place? You take us down this path without a plan? Oh YEAH that’s right! you are the guys that got us into this predicament in the first place! Laughing your butts off right now, you are the ones that sign off on all of the waste of money, the excesses in the house, the school and the contracts. The new board has to clean up the mess and you blame it all on them and the local yocals fall for it. I’d hate to see your karma. I do see your kids. To bad the fate of the fathers falls on the kids. Hope you are proud of the seeds you’ve sown. Over and over your name will reverberate here. Smell that? Damn, I just stepped in a pile of schockelt.
On May 24, 11:37 AM, Humble Pie wrote:
Shelby, take it easy you’ll blow a gasket. Everything will be OK, it will just go back to business as usual. I don’t think ESD could give a rats ass right now. Just the way Oly likes it. They’ll do what the have to legally but after that...... I’m going to take a leadership role and nominate someone to be appointed to the board. I nominate...........................round house Ron, .... any seconds
On May 24, 8:04 PM, Round House Ron wrote:
Shelby
If you blow a gasket, Ann will rupture and that could smell worse than a pile of “you know what”. So please calm down and remember a vote is a vote.
Ann, you were recalled because you continued not to listen to the people that elected you. Your arrogance is beyond compare and what an ego trip you have developed.
I will do what ever I can to help the new school board learn how to conduct proper meetings and address audience participation. At the last school board meeting Carolyn Eady was not allowed to talk under audience time. The people deserve the right to be heard
I would like to see people excited about coming to the school board meetings and actually being involved in the process.
We can run a great school if people will LISTEN, LISTEN, LISTEN.
On May 25, 11:10 AM, Kathy wrote:
When is Jewell School going to become about the kids and not Caroylyn Eady, Oly Schockelt, and Lauren Jacobsen. Where are the parents out there that want their kids to get an education, you should have the best money can buy, too bad the people that would appreciate that don’t live there. The few continue to TALK TALK TALK....wonder if they’ll run Jones out like they have others.
On May 25, 11:59 AM, Humble Pie wrote:
Damn, no seconds for Ron. Well I have to withdraw the nomination anyhow. Not quite as clearheaded as I hoped, assuming I’m Ann then insulting her to boot. Not exactly what the new board needs. Maybe the community should tell ESD that you don’t need a school board. Everybody can get together on the third Sunday of the month for a big potluck in the gym. noon - 6pm An hour or so to read the issues that you will be voting on. Then 2 hrs of audience participation, question and comment time. an hour to eat and discuss, then another hour and a half to vote on each issue before the district. secret ballot of course or show of hands you pick. Then have everybody sign the results and mail it in to ESD. Oh, when Jones hands in his resignation, good luck with the curriculum. P>S> I’ll bring the pies
On May 25, 12:02 PM, Enough wrote:
Maybe parents in Jewell don’t care what happens because they don’t have to pay like the rest of us do in other districts...it’s kinda like welfare and the teachers get paid tons of money, and anybody else who works there. They get that free money and so who cares....sad....very sad.....very very sad............the smartest people in the world should come from Jewell School.
On May 25, 12:06 PM, Name wrote:
How many medical marijuana cards are in Jewell?? Maybe that’s part of the problem....
On May 25, 12:50 PM, watching in disbelief wrote:
Eady wasn’t allowed to speak at the last meeting? BULL! She handed out her little synopsis of the budget and had her say. Why the lies? And she’s lucky she got that, public meetings are NOT public forums. They are meetings so that the public can view the meetings in progress. NOWHERE in the open meetings law nor in the School Board Meeting policies or anywhere does it say that the public is to be allowed a forum. Town halls and PTO/PTAs are forums for the public. Traditionally the public has been allowed to speak at these meetings, however when it becomes the same old people saying the same old things without listening to answers it is a disruption and has nothing to do with the meeting.
If people feel that they aren’t being heard then they need a PTO. A school board meeting is NOT a public forum. Especially when it is being used, consistently, to disrupt the work of the board. This is the only time the board has to work together to resolve school problems, work on solutions, and no, they don’t have time to listen to every grievance that the public has. That is what a superintendent is for. That is what a PTO is for. That is what making an appointment is for. Going to the School Board with a complaint or issue should be the last step that an individual takes, not the first one. It is a chain of command.
Those of you who voted for recall voted because Samuelson and Meier DID follow the laws and Schockelt, et al, didn’t want them to. You listened to the lies of those people, the very people who unethically allowed Seeley to get away with his spending sprees, and they used you to lash out at the people who repeatedly said, “NO”! You were USED, once again, by John Seeley. He plays you all like a fiddle.
On May 25, 12:52 PM, Certainly wrote:
“Where are the parents out there” ? Sounds like you are from out of town, bu-- out. This recall was not about Oly, Carolyn or Lauren and thank God Oly did very little in speaking out. Oly is certainly not in charge and the reason this recall was succesful. Oly can be a bit delusional and even he might think he did more than he actually did. Both sides gave very little in effort to push the recall after signatures where signed to start it and were far from organized. Dont worry , Oly doesnt have a chance it he-- of leading out here. This was the whole community from all walks carrying this one and believe me we are fed up. Hopefully we will be lucky enough that Jones walks also. I used to think Jones had something, now as we get the facts he might be worse than Seeley in some ways. No reports of child abuse and that might be one good thing but certainly as in the past there is presently forms of abusive treatment toward parents in public address. I hope the community has learned from the past in dealing with Seeley, you better take it serious when you see the leadership clearly abusing parents. Hopefully Jewell never has do deal with the degree of abuse we have seen in the past and chose wisely who we have as leaders and take action on them when they happen. When you are brazen enough to look the other way on parental abuse you will have abuse sooner or later with the weaker link ( the children ). You better be there for the parents and the rest will turn out just fine. Pretty simple fact of life.
On May 25, 1:13 PM, Kathy wrote:
Certainly,
OH MY GOD!!! If there are many more like you out there, lock the doors!!! and keep your animals inside!!!
On May 25, 1:41 PM, Enough wrote:
Not gonna butt out when your district get millions more than any other and has people like you in it expecting MORE. You write here as if you want your needs met by these volunteers. Guess What it’s a school, not amnesty international! I can’t even imagine who would want to sit before you on a school board and take this nonsense that has nothing to do with education. Think you’ve got problems now put yourself and the few that make the most noise apparently....education in Oregon should matter to all parents.
On May 25, 2:14 PM, Humble Pie wrote:
Only in Jewell would parental abuse be so rampant, maybe you should sue the school for some therapy, now would that be mental or physical? Oh GOD, somebody step in and take away the money from these loons. They have wasted enough, time to pay taxes, then the children might get the education they deserve.
On May 25, 4:26 PM, Shelby wrote:
Gasket blown.
Parental Abuse??? Then pick the phone up and call the <cough> sheriff. Otherwise you are talking about someone saying “NO” when you wanted a “YES”. That isn’t abuse, it is called discipline. It is called living within policies and mandates, something some in Jewell haven’t had to do during the Seeley years so they are now rebelling when being forced to by Jones and the new school board.
“Certainly” is proof that Samuelson and Meiers were recalled not because they broke any laws but because they followed laws. “Certainly” wants to run Jones off because he is following state mandates. Jewell isn’t a private school. Jewell is a PUBLIC SCHOOL and must follow the state laws, mandates and policies. A healthy diet and good exercise hurts at first, is uncomfortable and doesn’t “feel good” because your used to your diet of fast food and television. But it is the right thing to do and because it is the law.
On May 25, 10:15 PM, Concerned wrote:
Just for the record ...
I have seen many people posting here about how teachers in Jewell make more than any other teachers in the state, yadda, yadda, yadda. Please do some research. Teachers in Jewell do NOT make the most in the state, and most would make more money if they worked in an Urban area. Please stop taking this out on the teachers. I know a couple of teachers in the Jewell area, and know that they work hard to educate the students of Jewell, and have held the school together for the past 2 years during all of the changes in administration, and turmoil. The teachers are there because they care about kids and want to see students succeed. End of story.
On May 26, 6:38 AM, Simple Sleep wrote:
Abuse comes in all forms and levels. Statistics show the majority of people are guilty of some level of sleep deprivation. Sleep is a fact of life showing varying degrees of self abuse, the most extreme is sleep deprivation by the act of torture enforced by another individual. Relax, the majority of abuse is not a crime its a choice. But be on your toes when individuals concerned about the the quality of leaders we have in an education system joke about abuse. Leaders have the stage representing the public, they have a huge influence. Its a fact of life.
Carolyn Eady is one individual that has been targeted several times by leaders in recent public address. Might this be a form of abuse? If so, are there children in the school right now that have been targeted and treated differently then others committing the same act. Quality is not determined by decisions alone but by the actions of leaders. The simple acts are the most important. Hopefully the ESD leaders are getting their sleep.
On May 26, 8:32 AM, concerned individual wrote:
4 out of 5 elected board members are now ex board members. These individuals were elected by the community. So maybe that is where to lay the blame, on yourselves. Why did you vote for these people to begin with. It’s all your own fault. ESD can’t do worse in appointing someone to the board, than the community. You’ve proven that point.
On May 27, 6:36 AM, Lifelong resident wrote:
Concerned,
It’s hard to find people to volunteer all the time it takes to do this, many times over the years people have run unopposed for the school board out here...and the way I see they get treated when I read the paper I don’t know who would want to sign up and put up with this.
On May 27, 10:39 AM, tired of the bullies wrote:
“Carolyn Eady is one individual that has been targeted several times by leaders in recent public address.” That one is rich. Carolyn Eady targets people but she’s the one who has been targeted? She aligns herself with a group of people who say they are for open government, who attack Jim Neikes and, behind closed doors, tell commissioners one by one that they will recall them if they appoint Neikes because of his past drug use, yet she supported Schockelt as a Jewell School Board member, taking our kids on school trips, with Schockelt’s drug history and continues to support Schockelt to this day.
I’d call that double standards. Carolyn Eady’s agenda, as is all the FOG people, to publicly punish and humiliate all those who do not oppose LNG. Rocka said so. For Open Government has double standards. The rules that all the rest of us are expected to play by “or else” and the rules they play by.
I agree with Lifelong resident, I don’t oppose LNG and I will not be putting my name in Jewell hat for a board member position. To subject myself or my family to the Eady inquisition and be accused of attending illegal meetings when there is no way to defend yourself without breaking the law and talking about the meeting is something I can’t imagine doing. The only ones signing up are the loons that started the problem in the first place.
On May 27, 8:52 PM, Kristin Kuhnly wrote:
I am a resident and registered voter in Jewell, OR, where my children are currently enrolled in the school district. I am writing in regards of our community voting to recall Ann Samuelson, and Carl Meier from our school board. In my opinion, this was the most foolish thing our community could have done at this very critical time of our districts healing process. I believe that Jerry Jones and our board have done a tremendous job helping to rebuild the damage we have suffered here at Jewell. Typically I am a fairly quiet person when it comes to politics. I am only getting more disgusted everytime I read the local paper and see the comments others in the community have been making. I can not beleive we as a community have allowed such people to make decisions for our children. I can only hope that more mothers, and members of Jewell will become more informed and vocal about this. We need what is best for our children! Ann and Carl have been very cooperative in answering ALL of the questions I have had. They have also backed their answers up with proof and documentation. I believe that many of us are VERY misinformed. We have some very serious issues here at Jewell and keeping quiet isn’t going to make things any better. Our children rely on us. Us mothers ARE their future. Lets all come together as a community and make Jewell School the success we all know it can be. Kristin Kuhnly