Attend ICCSD Board Retreat Saturday to Protest Continued Squashing of Public Comment!

Perhaps you've noticed that the Iowa City Community School Board cut the ability of the public to comment on ICCSD board business from all of the meetings to half of the meetings, particularly business meetings, in which millions of dollars' worth of business is transacted.

You know that phony-baloney motto the ICCSD has of being "child-centered"? It's lip service, because it seems that the focus of our school district is not children but cutting generous checks to landowners and contractors to buy land and build new schools while closing old schools in supportive, cohesive, friendly neighborhoods where children can walk to school instead of being bused at something like $40,000 per bus. That's the cost of a teacher, folks.

If you want to protest what's happening to our neighborhood schools like Hoover Elementary, which is closing to provide an extra parking lot or athletic field for City High, and to protest continued curtailment of public commentary thereof, show up Saturday, 10/19, at the board's "retreat," which is apparently yet another business meeting:

"The agenda for this Saturday's meeting (note location change) and particularly what appears to be a further attack by board president Sally Hoelscher and vice president Marla Swesey on public comment on board actions and agenda items during public meetings. Please attend this meeting, If you can not attend all of it, please come to the 10:45 a.m.-12:00 noon portions in particular.

"We need to show the board that we are watching their attack on freedom of public speech...I'm thinking of [a silent protest] and a homemade "No freedom of speech in ICCSD" T-shirt.

"Please spread the news far and wide: There will be an ICCSD Board Retreat (open to the public because it is a public meeting) Saturday, October 19, 2013, at 9:00 a.m. at the Kirkwood Room 515, Kirkwood Avenue, Iowa City, Iowa 52240

AGENDA:

1. Harry Heiligenthal, Iowa Association of School Boards Leadership Development Director, 9:00-10:30 a.m. 

2. Break, 10:30-10:45 a.m.

3. Committee and Meeting Structure, 10:45-11:00 a.m.

4. Calendar of Work, 10:45-11:00 a.m.

5. Committee and Liaison Assignments, 11:00-11:15 a.m.

6. Participation by the Public at Board Meetings, 11:15-11:30 a.m.

7. Goal Setting, 11:30-12:00 noon"

Julie Van Dyke, one of the few people in addition to Phil Hemingway who is willing to speak truth to power at ICCSD board meetings, sent me and others this message. I hope you will come and voice your dissent.