BOE Spends $8K on Retreat with New Supe's Old Friend
It's a little more than just a "meeting." I'm not sure of the going rate for consultants but they are not inexpensive.
hoops said:
the only board member with sense Johanna Wright.
She seems to vote against practically everything.
In any case, while it is hard to assess whether or not the BOE derived $8,000 from this meeting, if it was a useful meeting then the expense is reasonable. I am sure the BOE is sensitive to appearances and would not have approved this if it didn't seem worthwhile. It isn't like they are paid full-time employees with lots of time for boondoggles.
Based on the last two paragraphs of the proposal, looks like a load of horse manure to me.
tjohn said:
hoops said:She seems to vote against practically everything.
the only board member with sense Johanna Wright.
In any case, while it is hard to assess whether or not the BOE derived $8,000 from this meeting, if it was a useful meeting then the expense is reasonable. I am sure the BOE is sensitive to appearances and would not have approved this if it didn't seem worthwhile. It isn't like they are paid full-time employees with lots of time for boondoggles.
Agree with this.
Hopefully this was a training. Dr. Ramos mentioned that he wanted to use the KIVA method in his town hall last spring. It does sound like something that requires expertise and leadership to lead.
I'm also hopeful that it was effective in getting the BOE organized. I just watched the Aug 24th meeting online, and there are BOE members shouting over each other, not letting others finish, etc. And there are mentions of unfinished work, forgotten previous meetings, and other things that seem to hint at a level of disorganization in the BOE that should be nipped in the bud.
Hopefully this KIVA session/meeting/retreat, which followed shortly after that meeting, will prove to have been effective in organizing the BOE to move us, effectively and efficiently, towards a happier place in this district.
It was described as a "meeting" under scope of services and scheduled for Friday morning.
hoops said:
the only board member with sense Johanna Wright.
She's certainly been effective in totally derailing the BOE meetings. As for building something positive, haven't seen it happen yet.
She's definitely against things.
Over $8000 for a 4 hour meeting - WOW!
As you know Team SOMA 2015 is very serious about fiscal responsibility! We have spoken up in the past about Let's Talk and IB we will continue to ask the tough questions.
Having been at the Kiva we were very upset when we learned just how much this exercise cost us.
Team SOMA 2015 is all about team building, data collection and communication but not when it cost us so much & only benefits the around 25 people in the room.
Can you imagine what that money could have done for PTA at Seth Boyden?
Sounds like there is significant work required by the consultant outside of the meeting. If the report that comes out is useful and well-written, I won't be too perturbed by the price tag, especially if it helps our new Superintendent get off to a strong start.
Having said that, I am curious about is whether the KIVA process has enough trained facilitators that an RFP is meaningful, or if the selection of KIVA pretty much dictated who could respond to the RFP.
To me, it looks like we might have put out an RFP so narrowly written that the only possible respondent would be a consulting firm that counts/counted our new Superintendent as a member of the consulting/facilitation team. That potential conflict concerns me more than the price tag, and I hope that it was clear and discussed before the RFP vote was finalized.
file:///C:/Downloads/ACCT_2B%20Corporation%20promotion.pdf
If this is a methodology that we expect to use repeatedly, I think that we need someone in-house trained in doing it, rather than repeatedly flying in former colleagues of Ramos. If it is a methodology offered only by this one consultant, then we need to write our RFPs more broadly to include other similar facilitation techniques.
hoops said:
the only board member with sense Johanna Wright.
Johanna Wright seems to say some things that need to be said, and brings up interesting points. However, when someone else indicates how her points may either be incorrect or just not the primary criteria that can be used at this time, she works hard not to let the other point of view be heard. (And Wayne Eastman may need to brush up on his Roberts Rules of Order, or whatever they are using to guide the meeting, to prevent the derailments).
So while I found many of her statements to add value to the debates, her argumentative actions following them seems to lead to chaos and frustration in the other BOE members, rather than encouraging a problem-solving approach which might take her insights into account.
She often votes 'No' -- even on some things that seem really strange to vote 'No' on. Like the PILOT transparency motion a month or two ago. Why did she vote 'No' on having the township be more transparent about their offered PILOTs? No explanation, just a 'No' vote.
soma2015 said:
Over $8000 for a 4 hour meeting - WOW!
As you know Team SOMA 2015 is very serious about fiscal responsibility! We have spoken up in the past about Let's Talk and IB we will continue to ask the tough questions.
Having been at the Kiva we were very upset when we learned just how much this exercise cost us.
Team SOMA 2015 is all about team building, data collection and communication but not when it cost us so much & only benefits the around 25 people in the room.
Can you imagine what that money could have done for PTA at Seth Boyden?
Since you are trying to politicize this debate, let me request a few things of you:
1. Put your candidate names in your posts...once you are a candidate, you need to post political statements under your own name.
2. Please clarify...were you at the School board offsite on August 28th, or are you discussing some other use of Kiva in a public meeting?
soma2015 said:
Over $8000 for a 4 hour meeting - WOW!
As you know Team SOMA 2015 is very serious about fiscal responsibility! We have spoken up in the past about Let's Talk and IB we will continue to ask the tough questions.
Having been at the Kiva we were very upset when we learned just how much this exercise cost us.
Team SOMA 2015 is all about team building, data collection and communication but not when it cost us so much & only benefits the around 25 people in the room.
Can you imagine what that money could have done for PTA at Seth Boyden?
why do I have to imagine what the money could have done at Seth Boyden specifically and not in the district at large? Why something that only benefits one school?
As for this expenditure itself, I will wait for more information before deciding how I feel about it.
lets hope the "data driven" methodology doesnt come with the next request to the board for the software to run it - that may be a product this "consultant" conveniently has to sell
Actually, as I look at this more carefully what also stands out to me is that the funding was only approved four days before the meeting...
We used Seth Boyden as an example since they came numerous times to the BOE asking for around $10,000 to help with field trips etc.
But the money could have been better used to help many worth while causes in our districts.
Hank imagine how many defibulators could have been bought with that money.
soma2015 said:
We used Seth Boyden as an example since they came numerous times to the BOE asking for around $10,000 to help with field trips etc.
But the money could have been better used to help many worth while causes in our districts.
Hank imagine how many defibulators could have been bought with that money.
I think its best then to not use a specific example or to clearly say its an example especially when one of your criticisms was for an expenditure that on the surface only benefited a group. But even if the expenditure was for 25 people, those 25 have a broad reach...I am not opposed to professional skills development. Like I said, I will wait for more information.
soma2015 said:
.
Hank imagine how many defibulators could have been bought with that money.
I don't have much to say in this thread. But there is no such thing as a defibulator.
It's a defibrillator. If you want to advise their purchase, please spell it correctly.
In theory a defibulator would remove a bone from your leg.
Wait, wait...are you saying that crippling children is part of the soma2015 platform??? 
soma2015 said:
Over $8000 for a 4 hour meeting - WOW!
As you know Team SOMA 2015 is very serious about fiscal responsibility! We have spoken up in the past about Let's Talk and IB we will continue to ask the tough questions.
Having been at the Kiva we were very upset when we learned just how much this exercise cost us.
Team SOMA 2015 is all about team building, data collection and communication but not when it cost us so much & only benefits the around 25 people in the room.
Can you imagine what that money could have done for PTA at Seth Boyden?
soma2015 said:
We used Seth Boyden as an example since they came numerous times to the BOE asking for around $10,000 to help with field trips etc.
But the money could have been better used to help many worth while causes in our districts.
Hank imagine how many defibulators could have been bought with that money.
Is spelling and grammar count for anything, I don't think I want Soma15 leading my school district. Not going to point out the errors but believe me, they are there.
Just sayin'
It's a pet peeve. I work for a cardiac device company that sells implantable defibrillators.
"Defibulator" sets my teeth on edge.
soma2015 said:
We used Seth Boyden as an example since they came numerous times to the BOE asking for around $10,000 to help with field trips etc.
Is it your campaign's position that Seth Boyden should get extra funding for field trips and the like as opposed to other elementary schools? I'm not trying to ask a "gotcha" question, but as you raised it, it's an interesting issue with some valid viewpoints on both sides.
ml1 said:
am I supposed to be outraged over this without knowing any of the details about it?
Yes. That's the basis for good policy and decision-making - uninformed outrage.
ml1 said:
am I supposed to be outraged over this without knowing any of the details about it?
Yes. Didn't you agree to this when you signed up for MOL?
mrincredible said:
In theory a defibulator would remove a bone from your leg.
In reality, defibulation means something else entirely.
DaveSchmidt said:
mrincredible said:In reality, defibulation means something else entirely.
In theory a defibulator would remove a bone from your leg.
Yikes. Google is not always your friend.
Autocorrect mistake. That is what happens when you post from your phone.
As for the question about Seth Boyden, we believe the district needs to support all of its schools. We mentioned Seth Boyden because its PTA came in front of the board numerous times in the last school year requesting additional funding
Holy crapoli--Over eight THOUSAND dollars for a meeting??? This is cray cray!!!
SUPE'S FRIEND RAN $8,100 SCHOOL BOARD ONE-DAY RETREAT
Dr. Theodore Josiha Haig
The Board of Education last week spent more than $8,000 to have a longtime friend of Superintendent John Ramos run a one-day retreat for board members to help organize for the new school year.
Dr. Theodore Josiha Haig, an education consultant based in Qatar -- where Ramos had previously worked -- confirmed he was paid $7,000 for his time, as well as about $1,100 to cover his travel and hotel expenses.
The board approved the funding, 6-1, at the Aug. 24 meeting in a resolution posted below. Board Member Johanna Wright cast the lone opposing vote.
RESOLUTION 3321R
SUBJECT: APPROVE AGREEMENT FOR KIVA FACILITATOR
BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Board of Education enters into an agreement with Dr. Theodore Haig of Dunnellon, Florida to facilitate the KIVA data gathering process and subsequent data analysis for the School Board Retreat on August 28, 2015 in the amount of $7,000.00 plus travel and material expenses.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT the Board President, Superintendent and Board Secretary are authorized to execute and deliver any necessary contracts and reports on behalf of the Board.
A request for quotes for a KIVA facilitator were sent out on August 3, 2015. Dr. Haig was the only respondent available to perform the requisite services on the scheduled date.
Haig told Maplewoodian.com that the fee covered his use of the KIVAdata gathering system for use in the retreat. A former superintendent in several Connecticut districts, including Hartford, Haig also said he'd known Ramos for years.
He said he was the reason Ramos had been brought to Qatar several years ago for Ramos' previous position as principal of the Middle East International School in Qatar.
Ramos did not respond to requests for comment on the cost, but District Business Administrator Cheryl Schneider responded with this email:
In response to your question on the specific costs for the plane, etc. - we are still awaiting the invoice with the cost of reimbursables. As far as the definition of KIVA, it is the data gathering tool that Dr. Ramos described when he first visited the district. Perhaps the Scope of Services we used in soliciting quotes may help:
Scope of Services
The South Orange Maplewood School District recently hired a new Superintendent of Schools, Dr. John Ramos.
A meeting is scheduled for Friday morning, August 28, 2015, with Dr. Ramos, Board of Education members, and members of the senior administrative team to allow communications between the groups to help inform Dr. Ramos of the current operational structure and to develop an appropriate and successful administrative structure for future management of the school district.
The desired process for evaluation and design of the operational structure is the KIVA mechanism for collecting and analyzing data. The KIVA process, noted for collecting a great deal of data in a short time frame, is a highly regimented structure in which circles of participants answer questions in limited time frames, followed by feedback from additional participants.
The successful proposer will be experienced in facilitating KIVA data collection and will be required to provide subsequent analysis and reporting of the data, including the recommendation of structural and operational changes for institutional development and capacity building in the district administration. In the future, when looking for specific information, you may need to utilize the OPRA process we have in place so that we have the request and response on file.