A year ago, I studied Pencader's achievement data and concluded that although the school was financially insolvent, that it deserved an opportunity to right the ship just as the Christina and Red Clay school districts had been granted in years previous. A finance problem can be fixed in relative and real time, whereas, failure to deliver student achievement requires extended time and resources to spur results. With a sound financial plan and oversight from the authorizer, Pencader was poised to reclaim its previously positive reputation. Of course, there would be road bumps, living on a shoestring budget, as an obvious one. But, on that hot summer day last July when the State Board voted to allow Pencader to operate, few could have foreseen the impasse that grips the school today.
I struggle with where Pencader is and how it's leadership came to breach the public's trust - at times, right before my eyes. Some of Pencader's turmoil has been captured by the New Journal - the language a teacher used toward a student, the teacher's relationship to the school leader, the school leader's questionable Ph.D., low enrollment in the critical month of May.
A year ago, putting my own reputation behind Pencader, I made the journey to Dover to ask for a second chance. The State Board of Education saw fit to grant that request and I continued to personally support Pencader as an unpaid volunteer, completely outside my role as a publicly-elected official.
For the last 10 years, I have been a stay-at-home mom. In September 2011, when my son started full-day kindergarten, I began the transition back to the paying workforce - a function of the economy - with very limited hours - only during the school day to accommodate my children's needs. Last October, I was working on my substitute teacher applications when I was offered a position as a cashier in the Pencader cafeteria.
My very special daughter would later put it this way: "Mom, you went to college to be a lunch lady?"
I accepted the position because it met my needs - daytime hours that allowed me to be home for my children and husband. My interest culled from my experience - years in food service in my teens and during college. And, it was self-satisfying to work for a school whose students, teachers, and families I admired deeply. Finally, I felt comfortable that as a child nutrition services worker, at $9/hr for 3-4 hours a day, I was not propelling my personal life and my school board life into a conflict of interest. And I made enough each month to pay the electric bill.
In May, my employment at Pencader was suddenly disrupted. While I completed the school year as an employee in good standing, I did so after requesting a mutually agreed upon leave that was granted by the Pencader school board as it was comprised in May. The details are part of a labor dispute and I have invoked my rights under employment law to maintain confidentiality. Pencader's board and administration are also bound to maintain confidentiality.
Don't ask, I won't provide comment about it.
So, why did I file FOIA?
Last summer, my reputation helped to legitimize the fight to keep Pencader open. The ensuing year, however, has been wrought with lessons for me to learn. I am deeply saddened by just how far off-trajectory Pencader has travelled. As this school attempts to rebuild yet again, I harbor serious concerns for the culture that has taken hold and the premise that outside scrutiny is not welcome.
I have asked the A.G. for a FOIA finding because I am concerned that absent absolute direction from the state authority on sunshine laws that Pencader's inexperienced board will fail to uphold transparency as required by state laws. For that matter, as far as I can see, an A.G. finding is the best method in which this board can engage to legitimize its actions. Absent a finding, the board will continue to be the subject of conjecture and innuendo which will only serve to undermine it's ability to conduct business.
While I thoroughly expect that this request will be met with anger from many who support Pencader, I am hopeful that the ultimate finding will help delineate a clear path forward for the school's future.
And I only seek only to remind readers that you can support Pencader and its future successes without supporting those whose actions have brought damaging headlines. I urge Pencader's supporters to embrace the sunlight and to seek accountability. Start asking questions and don't stop until you have real tangible answers in writing.
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