Greater Lowell Tech School Committee member Erik Gitschier stated “Gerry you are not asking the tough questions. Why?’

That was in reference to the Tech Superintendent.

Seems to me some could take that has another example of harassing the Supt. publicly lobbying trying to get someone to ask her ‘tough’ questions but that isn’t my fight.

I think some of this knocking me for not asking the Tough questions is just a hissy fit because Mr. Gitschier believes I had a copy of the Complete Supt. Eval before the entire Committee. Not that I am saying I did but much like the SUN getting information before it becomes public and not stating where you got it, this isn’t anything new.

I’m not an elected official and don’t have to answer I didn’t or did, but if I did have information for the sake of argument, I think I respected the Committee, the Supt. and the process and didn’t Post anything until 10:00 PM well after it was made available to the SUN and the full committee. Welcome to the world of politics / journalism where such things do occur. Time to be a big boy and stop whining.

I didn’t see Mr. Gitschier complaining when the SUN published a story about the Supt. Dinner being considered to be cancelled before that was brought up at a full School Committee meeting but then he may have firsthand knowledge about that and other tips being given to the SUN.

I recall Mr. Gitschier declining to answer a “tough” question from me about a motion he made before a meeting. That’s his choice.

Since Mr. Gitschier thinks I should ask some tough questions, here are a few questions he may find tough. I wonder if I’ll get an answer.

First a few explanations:

1) When I mention The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Advisory or Education recommendations you can click here to find them.

2) When I refer to email correspondence, the Lowell SUN filed a FOIA request to obtain copies of all emails between the Tech Supt. and all Tech. committee members and did a story about that. Since they had to gather all the emails anyway I also asked and received a copy of them.

The “Tough” questions for MR. G…

Is it the role of a committee member to publicly ridicule the Superintendent on local cable and radio by claiming on many occasions you could not get a tour of the school, that the Supt. doesn’t let you talk to people at the school and she doesn’t respond to your calls/emails in a timely manner? Yet the SUN story about the emails didn’t seem to provide any collaboration to that.

You have not ever produced to my recollection any email or other evidence to support those statements.

Can you prove that she has not offered or responded to a request for a tour? or not responded to you in a timely manner?

You stated the Supt. doesn’t respond to you, yet you emailed to cancel a meeting on January 20th 2012 at 3:44 AM because you were called into work due to snow and she replied at 11:39 am that morning she understood you could not make it but to please reschedule as soon as possible.

Did you ever reschedule has requested?

You have claimed you can’t talk to department heads or people at the school yet in an email dated January 10th 2012 you ask if you can contact Kathy Tierney to get background health insurance information and the Supt. not only replies if it is okay but offers to provide other information for you to pick up.

Did you contact Kathy Tierney to get that information?

On the MA. Education Laws and Regulations for School committee and Superintendents it states clearly – The superintendent appoints athletic coaches. (G.L. c. 71, [[section]] 47A) .

Yet on City Life you stated you called former football coach Kevin Callagy who quit after his feelings got hurt and asked him to reconsider and return to coach football.

Isn’t that a clear overstepping of your role as a school committee member?

The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education recommendations suggest that the school committee may adopt a policy that requires broad-based screening committees to interview candidates for employment, but the superintendent and principal are responsible for determining the specifics of the process.

Yet on City Life you questioned the makeup of the screening committee that was interviewing for the Phys.Ed/AD position, questioning why a school nurse, plant manager and Tech. director were involved when they didn’t have any background in Phys ED. neglecting to mention in fact that part of the PE program is Health and Wellness so the nurse was certainly a plus.)

Is it a School Committee member’s job to question the makeup of a committee involved in hiring staff according to the above listed item?

In June at a Technical School committee meeting you accused Supt. Santoro of overstepping her bounds when it came to reorganization and layoffs and were corrected by both the Chair and the Superintendent. Yet you did NOT withdraw this motion – Request the School Committee reduce the fiscal 2013 budget by $108,282. Which was voted down 7 NO – 1 Yes

After being shown you were wrong, why did you not pull the motion?

Again under The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education recommendations it states: The board is a legislative body that develops, evaluates, and oversees education policies. The superintendent is the professional educator chosen by the board to implement policies and to provide professional leadership for a district’s schools. With such vital responsibilities, a sense of teamwork is essential.

On several occasions you have said one thing but then corrected it. For example at the meeting dealing with the Supt. Review you stated you just opened the School Committee package ‘last night” ( night before the meeting) and didn’t have a chance to call the Chairman to inform him of the possible illegal Executive session instead choosing to bring in copies and produced them of rulings by the State ethics commission and Atty General.

You then corrected it the next day after I brought it up claiming that you mis-spoke.

You have gone on City Life and discussed “rumors” about teachers boycotting graduation and missing funds and has asked the question whether health insurance is Legal for Committee members. You also indirectly called fellow member George O’Hare a Liar.

Do you believe these actions meet or live up to that responsibility to work together as a team?

You made the comment on this BLOG – We have a moral issue at Greater Lowell that is no secret with an outside company being paid to come in and identify the problems for the first time in the history of Greater Lowell. Not asking all teachers and administrators do you think this helps with moral?

Do You believe your actions and comments attacking the Supt. and being disrespectful toward your fellow Committee members contribute to the Moral Issue at the school?

Do you think based on these examples I asked about, a case could be made that because of these actions a person could feel like they were being harassed?