Jodi Bishop-Pullan was quoted as saying that the BOE isn’t supposed to meddle in how Corda’s administration is run. She was speaking of the budget process and oversight of the budget then. But this is now, and under her lackluster leadership, which gave us the ban on bake sales earlier in the year, we know see what she meant exactly by not meddling.
In full misguided glory, Jodi Bishop-Pullan is pushing the idea that any volunteer who, according to The Hour, who travel on overnight field trips, spend time with students outside of school, communicate with students electronically, or work with students multiple times, would be subject to self-financed fingerprinting and background checks.
Hey, why stop there, If you plan on sending your kids to Norwalk schools, or having kids at all, get your fingerprints and background check to the principal as soon as possible.
Fortunately there are some saner people on the BOE who questioned the language and intent of this rule. From the Hour:
Superintendent Salvatore Corda questioned the policy language that states a volunteer who performs a one-time, supervised service, or volunteers who work in their child’s school during the school day, would be exempt under the policy.
Corda asked board members whether supervision, or the amount of times a person serves in a school, would take precedence when determining exemption.
Member Robert Polley said the policy needs more clarity in order to be enforceable.
“The policy has to be written so it is unambiguous as it is written,” he said.
Susan Hamilton, the board’s secretary, voted to adopt the policy with an amendment that would mandate a revision during the 2007-2008 school year, in an effort to get the change on the books before the school year’s end.
After a 4-4-1 vote, ex-officio member Mayor Richard Moccia voted against the adoption, breaking the tie.
The board voted 5-3-1 to table the policy until June 26, with Hamilton, Chair Jody Bishop-Pullen and Tom Vetter voting against tabling the policy, and Rosa Murray abstaining.
The item must be voted upon before July 1, so that prospective volunteers will have time to be fingerprinted, Hamilton said.
Clearly Jody Bishop-Pullan, Susan Hamilton and Tom Vetter have decided that in America, treating volunteers like criminals is in the spirit of the innocent until proven guilty rule of law thing that we’ve been freedom fighting for all these years. Oh yeah, yesterday was the anniversary of D-Day. Papiere, Bitte
source: The Hour , Too many questions linger, board tables volunteer policy, By AMANDA PINTO, June 7, 2007
