It appears that the heat is getting to our Mayor. If he is attempting to stop citizens and taxpayers from expressing their opinions by means of a letter to the editor maybe he should think before he speaks.
MacArthur | 12.22.05 - 1:27 pm | #

I'm slightly critical of the Board myself. Here's a letter I wrote that both papers published.

"During their first full meeting, the new school board erred on one important issue. The trustees passed a recommendation of the superintendent’s, rescinding a previous motion from last May and replacing it with a new one.
The original motion formed a committee whose purpose was to create a long-term strategic plan for all Langley’s auditory and communicatively challenged students. The new motion replaces this committee with a review of how services are given to Langley’s students with special needs. The special needs review is welcome and long overdue, but there are three problems with the board’s decision.
First, the district’s bureaucrats will conduct the new review. The commiittee could have included all stakeholders. Where is the transparency and inclusion that all the trustees promised during their recent campaign?
Second, the original motion was strongly-worded and called for a long-term strategic plan to be developed. The newly-passed motion is weakly-worded and promises no such outcome.
Last, neither the board nor the superintendent indicated what happened to the committee struck in May. Did the bureaucrats ignore a motion passed by the board?
The district’s head bureaucrat, superintendent Don Truscott, is retiring next year. The most important task this board is facing is finding his replacement. Board chair Steve Burton has said the trustees are looking internally and externally for candidates.
Let’s hope they live up to their promise of inclusion and transparency during this process. Langley is the eighth-largest school district in B.C.
We live in the best city in the best country in the world. We should be able to attract one of the world’s best school superintendents. If the trustees settle for anything less, they will be doing our community a disservice."
Bruce Northway | 12.22.05 - 10:30 pm | #

Where is Trustee Patterson on this issue? Obviously shes the one who wrote the letter to the papers on Kur't speech at the first Council meeting.
Gurnt Blanston | 12.26.05 - 12:46 pm | #