The daily newspaper, the Missoulian, treats a 30 year employee with total disresppect and an inappropriate force of action in dismissing her!!

As I've mentioned in another post, I am familiar with the goings on in the circulation and distribution department of the Missoulian newspaper having worked there for many years. Sometimes I stray from "school talk" and discuss other issues in our city.

One thing that has always bothered me is that a favorite employee of mine, who had worked at the Missoulian for 30 years, was run out of her job about 3-4 years ago, unfairly and inappropriately by those that knew her and her work ethic . for this post I will call her "Debbie". 

Mind me, I only heard about this dismissal after it happened.  And it was a big deal. How could it not be -  this very conscientious and caring and responsible employee was not at work one morning when I went to pick up my papers. And everyone, including myself, was in shock.

This is how it what happened. An employee from the Missoulian Human Relations Department (aka as Personnel) and a security officer came into "Debbie's" office and escorted her out the door. Having security involved in letting her go seems a little overkill as "Debbie" is a very nice person.

Was this anyway to treat a loyal employee that had held together a very demanding department in a newspaper with many pitfalls and challenges? Was this anyway to treat a long-time employee who kept a department humming efficiently as possible for many years?  "Debbie" always looked after her work force for which she was responsible. "Debbie" always treated her employees with a sense of loyalty and fairness and was cognizant of any special problems that needed to be worked out. 

 "Debbie" was so loyal to her department and her employees and to the Missoulian that she had many, many hours of vacation that she never used, saving the newspaper money. And many shifts "Debbie" worked long over her scheduled hours.

And this is how our daily newspaper, the Missoulian,  treats one of their most loyal, most industrious, long-time (30 years plus), hardest working, and efficient employees ever? Inexcusable.

"Debbie" requested that if she was not allowed to work in her current job as circulation manager that she be allowed another job within the Missoulian, such as just stacking papers in the garage. the Missoulian was so mean-spirited that they would not even allow her to work at a lower level job within the system for which she would be immensely  qualified.

What a shame and what a gigantic mistake Lee Enterprises made when they escorted "Debbie" from her office a few years ago, direly harming the Missoulian as the circulation department has not run as well since she left. 

Does Missoula County Public Schools Superintendent Thane deserve his award of the best superintendent in Western Montana?

Since following the school district in 2003 and 2004 and in subsequent years due to the MCPS school district closing my families neighborhood schools I have observed the leadership up close and personal. 

What I and others have found is that Missoula County Public Schools is massively mismanaged! I believe if anyone observed what I have they would have the same opinion.

So -- to my question in the title - "Does Mark Thane deserve his award of being a great school system superintendent?

My intent is to be objective as possible- so I'm asking the most obvious questions to see if the award is deserved. 

Here they are - questions that I believe would be address parent's biggest concerns -

* How many miles a day are Missoula's children traveling on a bus to go to school?"

* How large is the school that our children will be attending? Is it less than 200 for a grade school?

* How many grades are in each school? Is there a narrow grade span or a wider grade span? In other words - are there K-8 schools with all 8 grades plus kindergarten or are there elementary and middle schools with 1st through 8th grade with kindergarten?

* What is the percentage of administrators to non-administrators in the district?

* What is the pay roll of the administrators?

* Is the salary and benefits part of the budget at 80% or less?

* Are the children's scores on reading & arithmetic good or at least above average?

* Is the school district funding programs that are linked to United Nations education programs such as the International Baccalaureate program?

* Is the district funding too many programs so that basic education classes are not funded adequately?

* Is the district supplying children with a textbook for each class subject instead of over use of handouts?

* Is the district supplying the children with adequate school supplies that are traditionally supplied to students or are teachers picking up the bill for some or all of the school supplies?

* I'm sure there are other questions one could ask of a school district to make sure that children are getting a good education. Please write a comment if you can think of more ideas.

"Move over Emma, here I come. You've had your turn, now it's my turn when naming MCPS schools!" Jeanette Rankin

As I've mentioned, Emma Dickinson School has been closed for many years now. Immediately after the closure and most likely the reason it was closed, it became the building for adult learning classes. Over the years this building being used for adults - not for the area's children as was the purpose for building the school in the first place - the school district has expanded it's classes (and its administration BTW). Do people know that the adult learning center now  has TWO administrators making approximately $80,000/year plus benefits - probably more now!!

So - now the name of Emma Dickinson has been taken off the school building.  No more Emma Dickinson School. I saw a flyer calling it the Dickinson Building. This is so corrupt.

So where does Jeanette Rankin come in. The school district is now building a NEW school up Miller Creek which was called Cold Springs school, which is a school which has been closed.

The district decided to open up bids for a new name for the school in the past few months. Some children decided that a good name for the new school up Miller Creek would be the Jeanette Rankin School. (After the first woman in the Congress and who voted against getting into the Second World War.

So, again, move over Emma. MCPS does not value you or your school. Now they are on to someone new for awhile

NOTE: If you would like to know exactly how a school was approved to be built up Miller Creek soon after the district sold Roosevelt School in 2005 just ask former MCPS Board members, Rosemary Harrison and Drake Lemm and other Trustees. And you could also ask former MCPS superintendent James Clark. All of these people could fill you in on the corruption they were causing during all their property meetings (and behind the scenes, of course).

Josh Slotnick not up to speed to lead Missoula as a County Commisioner

As a citizen in Missoula for most of my life (hailing from Lake County as a young child), I became alarmed regarding the mismanagement and corruption going on in our biggest school district, Missoula County Public Schools. Our family and the families on the northeast areas of our city were tragically in the cross hairs of MCPS officials and closed three of our public schools. 

Because of my concern regarding MCPS school business I attended many MCPS meetings after the school closures which happened in 2004. School properties were discussed in many, many of these meetings. One piece of property that came up a lot was the Duncan Drive 13 acre parcel set aside for a potential school site down the road. This site has been used/leased to Garden City Harvest for the PEAS farm for just $1.00/year! The length of the term of the lease has varied and I don't have the terms as I write this post. I think one term was 10 years and another 3 years, however, don't quote me on this.

In 1996, MCPS bought this land specifically in order to build a school for the Rattlesnake area's children. I have some minutes which allude that this is true - however, I don't have this document info at the time of this writing.

So - as Josh Slotnick has been the point person on the Garden City Harvest lease, he has come before the school board and requested to continue the lease. Recently, and before the huge $158 million dollar bond was passed, MCPS gave Garden City Harvest a 40 year lease term and I believe the lease rate is still only $1.00 a year! This is unconscionable for a school district to give any entity this length of a term - one never knows if there will be a need for a school on this land in the next few years let alone the next 40. This lease will be in place, unless it is considered obsolete someday, long after many of us are on this earth.

To get back to Josh Slotnick - he placed the needs of his garden project - the PEAS farm ahead of the public good. He went before a MCPS committee meeting and told the members that Missoula would be so compromised if this little farm would not be given a 40 year lease. He sloshed and groveled before the group - it was not a pretty sight.

I lately saw a letter to the editor that alluded to the fact that Josh Slotnick was an entrepreneur. How can he be this great entrepreneur when he grovels before a school board saying that he absolutely needs this public land in order to continue his precious garden. 

Entrepreneur Josh Slotnick is not!

Do not vote for Josh Slotnick. I would urge you to write in a person who you think would serve Missoula's needs, not a pet project. I also do not like the work of his opponent, Jean Curtis, who has thrown so many of Missoula's traditions under the bus. Moreover, since Josh places his own needs before the public good it would behoove Josh to return to his roots - his family garden, Clark Fork Organics, which may have actually been an entrepreneurial entity and at which I bought many vegetables at one time, especially their great collards.

BTW, I ran into Josh at a local store a few years ago and brought up the fact that the Duncan Dr. property could/ would be a site for a school. Josh showed his true colors - he said that this property would never be used for a school and would never be needed for this purpose. Throwing all caution to the wind and revealing that he was totally for his needs, throwing the needs of the public to the dogs/or the pigs which the PEAs farm has raised at one time (to the consternation of the neighbors.

Another BTW, the PEAS farm was allowed to build a permanent building on this land. How could that happen when it is a leased site? How could that happen when this land was to be set aside for a public school? Something stinks here!

MCPS and Josh Slotnick have proved they cannot be trusted.

WHAT!! Emma Dickinson School is now called the "Dickinson Building! What is going on! Corruption - that's what!

I was shocked when I walked into Albertsons in Trempers - (something I've done for more than 50 years!). on a flyer on the bulletin board was a notice of a class being held at the Lifelong Learning Center in the DICKINSON BULDING!!!

Shocking! This is not the Dickinson Building no matter what Missoula County Public Schools wants to call it!' This is an important school building in honor of the first school teacher in Missoula, Emma Slack Dickinson.

To now name this school building which was closed in the late '90's under questionable actions and against the public will and best practices is disgraceful.