BA Teacher, Broken Arrow (10/1/2008 5:51:50 PM)

All right. All of you on all the other stories that said there was no agenda here - I think this proves the agenda. I mean really, is anyone going to defend the action of these 3 "no-show" board members?

reasonable treehugger, (10/1/2008 6:13:31 PM)

I didn't see anything that states why they want to terminate him. Does anyone know what he did that he deserves to get fired?

BA Teacher, Broken Arrow (10/1/2008 8:20:18 PM)

I don't think that the Board will ever be that transparent. They have their own agenda, and this is exactly why they hired Doug Mann - because they wanted to get rid of the superintendent.

Angry oil worker, tulsa (10/1/2008 8:42:35 PM)

I wish the three members of the board should remember they are on the board for the best interest of the students. We can recall a mayor, governor, city council member or a member of congress. It is sad we can not recall these 3 members of the school board. They have hijacked my children’s education. Shari Walkins you have been against everything the board has stood for in the past and present. Shari you have your own agenda and like a 3 year old child take your toys and GO HOME! Sharon Whelpley how dare you say you are for the students within the district. Maryanne Flippo, you and your 2 amigos watch out when it comes time for re-election. Mr. Sisney had kept our schools growing and test scores rising, why do you want to fire him. Do us all a favor the 3 of you and resign. DO NOT KEEP THE PARENTS OF BROKEN ARROW from speaking in the meeting.
If you do keep us from speaking at the next meeting, the board will have more meeting; you will be in wal-mart, church or even the mall and I WILL VOICE MY THOUGHTS TO YOU THEN!!! Mark my words

love 918, (10/1/2008 8:53:22 PM)

Even time I talk to people I know from BA, I ask them what they think about this subject. No one I've asked has yet to defend the actions of the three board members.

Most of these people do not deny that Dr. Sisney may be partially at fault, but all of them support Dr. Sisney over the three troublemakers. I hope Broken Arrow families stand up and let their voices be heard.

Wow hiring Doug Mann was quite a bold move. Mr. Mann seems to have a solid reputation as a lawyer; I'd love to see him pull out of this mess.

exbateacher, Broken Arrow (10/1/2008 9:13:27 PM)

The superintendent is supposed to be an agent of the Board of Education and hired by the board of Education. He has a duty to abide by the majority. I worked for the district and quit because of his unethical management style and I can name many many other teachers and administrators that have left this district over the past 7 years because of the same. It is all about the students. I have known Sharon Whelpley and Marianne Flippo for many years as they served on the board of education. They have always served with integrity and wisdom. Eventhough I have not known Shar Wilkins long, I do know that she has a heart for the students of this district as well. The superintendent should be working to bring harmony and unity to the district. This superintendent has been at odds with the city council, now, with the board of education, and with upstanding business partners who are also patrons of Broken Arrow Public Schools. Most of you who are commenting on this board and others only know what you have heard in the media, but as I have said before the entire story has yet to be told.

Why do you think the superintendent had 3 unnamed co-conspirators in his personal lawsuit? Well, I'll tell you, he was using his usual fear and intimidation techniques to keep the truth from being told. Since it didn't work to his benefit, suddently, he is naming those folks that hold his future in their hands.

BA Teacher, Broken Arrow (10/1/2008 9:49:12 PM)

exbateacher,

You seem to have an answer for everything that the superintendent is doing - but the agenda is obvious. If those three members are so willing to serve the people, and serve the public - why would they want to silence that public? Why has there not be one person to speak favorably for the board members outside of a forum on the Tulsa World website.

They don't have a heart for kids when their actions are distracting the school district, and they want to silence the opposition. It's funny because that's the exact thing that they said the superintendent was doing - and now, they are doing it to the public. Come on, exbateacher - justify silencing the public. We will wait for your argument.....

exbateacher, Broken Arrow (10/2/2008 7:23:21 PM)

BA Teacher,

No one has spoken up for the board, because if they did there is a fear that their grandchildren, who attend BAPS, or children will some how have to pay for their comments. This superintendent has thoroughly intimidated people into silence.

curly, (10/4/2008 9:14:37 PM)

Board member Stephanie Updike agrees.

“This is pretty incomprehensible to me. It’s disheartening and terribly sad,” she said. “It’s not about board members or Jim Sisney. The losers are going to be the children.”
The kids are already losing out!! The mass exodus of experienced teachers, the enlarging class sizes, the lack of good materials, poor teacher pay, the lack of respect from the Superintendent to his staff, etc. These three unpaid board members are not commenting because legally they can't! Sisney is just trying to get as much publicity as he can and is whining to anyone who will listen. He didn't name the three co-conspirators to begin with so that he could intimidate them into doing what he wants. The people who are at the real center of this, staff and teachers, can't say what they truly think for fear of their jobs. These ladies do not stand alone and they are in the majority! Even if he wasn't already wrong, he should leave at this point rather than continue to tear the community apart.

curly, (10/4/2008 9:16:06 PM)

The parents can't speak at the meeting because these are personnel issues. They aren't trying to keep you from being heard, it is just how the meetings work. I am sure they have been reading the Ledger and it's biased reporting and know what people are saying anyway.