Newark Schools: No more sucker punches, no more B.S.

A sucker punch is to hit someone who's not expecting it. The recent vote on an exorbitant levy request - held in August - was designed to catch the majority of voters off-guard, to marshal parents and employees, and to win the vote by deception. It cost taxpayers $40,000 and it was in every sense a sucker punch by the schools to the community.

It was the latest entry on a list of ways the Newark School District has alienated the community.

I believe this sucker punch will be long-remembered as a symbol of the District's disregard for the community from which it solicits support - and also the District's unwillingness to play from the top of the deck.

It is also my opinion that this sucker punch will stay associated with the name and history of Keith Richards, superintendent.

Though it may not have been his brainchild, though he may not have supported it privately, though he may have privately been dead-set against it, the fact is that he acted out the part of being the engineer of this sucker punch. In view of all that has come before, it is too much for him to overcome.

As I said before (Replace Keith and stop bullying us) "Against this backdrop his other mistakes in community/taxpayer/parental relations add up to a conglomeration of errors he will not outlive."

The school board should immediately begin consideration of ways in which the District might cleanse itself of sucker-punch disposition. It must find ways by which to assure the community that its days of trying to deceive and bully us are over; that it is working with us to find ways to bring property-tax relief and not make it worse; that it intends to begin acting as servant and not master to citizens it is supposed to serve. No more sucker punches, no more B.S.

All this would be a 180 turn and I hold no hope that Newark School Board is up to that task.