school board......a possible press release!!Archived Message
Posted by The Informer on March 27, 2013, 7:08 pm
A possible press release:
Recently the public found out about a not-so-secret plan that has been made by the head administrator of the Granite City School District #9 to undermine the democratic process. While many claim it’s simply rumor the plan makes sense considering the corruption of the School Board. Mr. Ralph Burnett Jr. will be elected by the public only to resign sometime after June when the current Superintendent Dr. Harry Briggs will have retired and will have become eligible for appointment to the Board of Education.
What proof do you have that Dr. Briggs and Mr. Burnett would/could do this?
Dr. Briggs has gone out of his way to ensure that the three candidates that are currently on the Board of Education remain on the Board. He has personally purchased large signs and some postcard things with a three candidates names on it (Mr. Burnett, Mrs. Daily, and Mr. McKechan) although not all three candidates have been officially endorsed by any group
What other evidence is there?
Dr. Briggs visited several Granite City township offices 2 days before the final day to turn in petitions to run for the School Board. He was circulating Mr. Burnett’s petition and basically telling workers to sign it using his name to scare everyone. This was done during the work-week while Dr. Briggs was supposed to have been doing his job as the Superintendent. Dr. Briggs even took the petition (or parts of it) to the Madison County Clerk’s Office to have portions of it completed for Mr. Burnett.
Is this illegal?
No it is not illegal but there is no doubt that this is unethical. It also shows that Dr. Briggs has a motivation to help Mr. Burnett in his campaign even more than the other candidates that he may personally endorse.
Why would Dr. Briggs want to be on the School Board?
There is little doubt that Dr. Briggs wants to remain involved with the district and its inner workings if not simply to protect the interests of his son who is a teacher at Maryville Elementary School. He also wants to become an administrator and with the dozens of other teachers who have obtained their administrative degrees before him, it is unlikely that young Mr. Briggs will have an administrative opportunity without the direct influence of his father.
Wait! If Mr. Burnett resigns from the School Board, how can he or Dr. Briggs influence the vote to appoint Dr. Briggs to the Board of Education? Won’t the new Superintendent have to recommend Dr. Briggs to the Board?
Mr. Burnett has already shown his power many times since he was elected long ago. While he may not have voted during the actual meeting he definitely influenced his wife’s employment in the district. Mrs. Lynette Burnett was appointed to an administrative position making over $89,000 annually even though she is in her 60’s and has never taught a class. This is only after she went from an aide to a transition coordinator while never writing a single senior transition paper. Also Mr. Burnett was instrumental in giving his sister Mrs. Donna Swanson special treatment as a secretary which led to bumps and transfers all over the District.
Also, Mr. Burnett and Dr. Briggs are the best of friends. Few would argue that Mr. Burnett would do this sort of favor for his dear friend. He DEFINITELY would! Dr. Briggs regularly influences Board policy so there is no expectation that will change once he retires. True, Mr. Jim Greenwald, the next Superintendent will have to recommend Dr. Briggs to the Board if Mr. Burnett resigns. However, it is common knowledge that Dr. Briggs openly endorsed Mr. Greenwald for the positions that he has held, so no doubt that Mr. Greenwald feels indebted to Dr. Briggs. As far as the Board vote is concerned, Dr. Briggs will make sure he has at least 3 votes so that there will at least be a 3-3 tie for his appointment. He’s already buying votes by purchasing campaign signs for the 3 other members on the Board (Mrs. Megan Daily and Mr. Jerry McKechan). If there is a tie on the Board, the decision goes to the Regional Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Bob Daiber, who is also very good friends with Dr. Briggs and won’t have a second thought about voting in his favor.
on March 27, 2013, 7:08 pm