Applications Being Accepted for the Newly Constituted CAC - But Only if You Don't Have an Axe to Grind

I received an email a few days ago that had originated from Bob Mosier, the Public Information Officer for the Anne Arundel County Schools.  It was a memo sent to school principals regarding the soliciting of members for the newly constituted Citizen Advisory Committee (CAC).  In it he says that "Dr. Maxell has emphasized the need for principals to help ensure that dedicated individuals without an axe to grind  or a personal agenda apply for Executive Team positions."  Dang!  I guess that leaves me out.

Those parents who have been involved with the CAC for the past couple of years have witnessed the embroiled struggle for control between the Superintendent and the citizens are not surprised at this.  What surprises me though is the fact that the members of the executive committee do not need to be the parent of an AACPS student - stated right on the application form.  

Additionally, no where on the application form does it state that the person needs to actually be the parent of a student in the particular feeder system for which they are applying.

So it appears to me that the Superintendent really doesn't care if the CAC is made up of parents of students.  The fact that there are three positions set aside for 'designees of other organizations' reeks of the Superintendent's very own personal agenda, which is to appoint only people who will support the Superintendent's policies and programs. 

We see this in effect already with the members of the Board of Education.  When the citizens of this county voted for the School Board Nominating Commission (which replaced the former Nominating Convention which was made up of citizens and community groups) they took away their ability to have any input in who represents them on the School Board.  

The codified SBNC is appointed by people who all have a vested interest:  the Teachers Association of Anne Arundel County ( a union which, in most people's opinion would be a conflict of interest since the BOE negotiates union contracts), the Council of PTA's, the Community College, and the Governor - who also selects the final applicant - gets five appointees, and finally, our county executive gets one appointment.  Thank you John Leopold for selling us out by supporting this travesty.

What the superintendent wants is people who support him no matter what. The new CAC will consist of people who are "balanced and diverse in every sense, provided that the final selection of all members will be at the discretion of the Board upon the recommendation of a Screening Committee."

I stood before the School Board members and the Superintendent at the June 15 meeting and told them they were very diverse in every sense except one:  they all have the same opinions and all vote the same.  They denied that was true. 

Patch reporter D. Frank Smith was at the same meeting and in his story this was the quote about Vic Bernson, the last conservative member on the BOE:  "As board members said their goodbyes to Bernson, many said they often disagreed with Bernson's views, but always respected his opinions."

Well, dang.  I guess that was just a little difference of opinion.  Or was it?