Why? Because they can hide behind closed doors.

Well you see (4.00 / 2)

it's for the public good.Evslin,he's worried about it!

"The reason (the meetings are not open to the public) is so people can explore ideas without worrying about sounding stupid," Evslin said.

Unreal!
http://www.reformer.com/localn...

---

by: BP @ Tue Mar 09, 2010 at 22:07:19 PM UTC

Complete about face (0.00 / 0)

 Open meetings after all.

Members of the Challenges for Change Education Design Team decided Thursday that their meetings will be open to the public starting Monday.

http://www.burlingtonfreepress...

---

by: BP @ Sat Mar 13, 2010 at 11:50:09 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Thanks for the follow up (0.00 / 0)

It's over at http://ramabahama.net ... only it's still under construction (but so is the rest of my life)

---

by: Rama Schneider @ Sat Mar 13, 2010 at 12:34:46 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Cue Charlie Rich (4.00 / 1)

And when Tom Evslin gets behind closed doors, then he parrots his right-wing handlers, and he promotes far more cuts. Cause no one cuts our schools like Tom Evslin does.

Tom and the Cutz are coming soon to a school district near you!

---

by: bozo @ Tue Mar 09, 2010 at 23:47:40 PM UTC

Where's the traditional media on this one (4.00 / 1)

This is a hell of a lot more destructive to the future of Vermont than worrying about anonymous donations to higher education institutions.  So where are Paul Sands, BFP and company?  Word is that a class action suit is coming!  The sooner the better, as this looks like a Pelham/Douglas plan to dramatically change government in Vermont.  But remember Shumlin and Smith gave them the keys to the safe.  C for C is a fraud - big time. Still waiting for the apology from S&S!

---

by: reelvermonter @ Wed Mar 10, 2010 at 00:33:46 AM UTC

Evslin == bad news (4.00 / 1)

I must say, I'm beginning to truly detest Evslin.

Also, has anyone else seen the petitions being widely circulated by a R.Roper affiliated with EdWatch Vermont http://www.vermontersforbetter... (presumably the same Rob Roper, late of the GOP chairmanship) calling for "school choice".  It  never mentions vouchers, but that's what they are really after.

---

by: Michael Inners @ Wed Mar 10, 2010 at 00:54:18 AM UTC

Vermonters for Better Education (4.00 / 1)

Here are the folks behind this group.  None are big fans of public schools:

HVBE is governed by a board of directors whose members include: Lenore Broughton of Burlington (chair), Chris Robbins of Danville, William Corrow of Williamstown, Jeffrey Pascoe of South Burlington, and Wendy Wilton of Rutland City. Retta Dunlap is the Executive Director.  

---

by: reelvermonter @ Wed Mar 10, 2010 at 01:20:13 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Closed doors vs. Participation (4.00 / 1)

Evslin builds strawman and dissembles concept of what requires participation vs. what requires full disclosure.

From the article:

Tom Evslin, chief technology officer for the state of Vermont and coordinator of the Challenges for Change efforts, said the meetings were designed to include just the team members to allow for a more free exchange of ideas.

"The reason (the meetings are not open to the public) is so people can explore ideas without worrying about sounding stupid," Evslin said.

He added that it will also eliminate any potential political posturing that might stifle the discussion.

Evslin said he has questioned the Attorney General's office about whether the meetings are subject to open meetings laws and was told that they are not.

His comments are 50% irrelevant, 50% wrong and 50% deceptive.  That adds up to almost 100% bullshit, even for a Republican.

The open meeting law has many components.  

While there may not be a notice and participation requirement for this meeting, i.e., a specific "public meeting" trigger (1 V.S.A. fm section 312) ), there NO confidentiality provision that covers these state functions either (1 V.S.A. fm section 316).  

In other words, Mr. Evlsin's we must close-the-doors to avoid "stifl[ing] the conversation" suggests that he thinks the meetings are confidential, or that they are somehow privileged sessions to "speak without scrutiny."  They are not and his suggestion could not be further from the truth.  

The Challenges to Make Excuses legislation did NOT waive any portion of the public records statute, the public meeting law or any other open government law. (& if it did, someone write me quickly, so I can look into this further, my first reading of the statute showed no change).

These groups can not make any decision involving any policy, money, or any other substantive issue at these meeting.  More importantly, any documents -- of any kind -- notes, computer records, emails etc. that the participants generated relating to these meetings are public records that must be copied and provided to any Vermonter, person, corporation etc. that asks for them.  

sláinte,
cl

-- Religion is like sodomy: both can be harmless when practiced between consenting adults but neither should be imposed upon children.

---

by: Caoimhin Laochdha @ Wed Mar 10, 2010 at 02:08:55 AM UTC

curious (0.00 / 0)

I am curious.  Exactly what does "Challenges For Change" mean, especially in Douglas speak. Any ideas?  

When you wake up each morning look around you.  It might be the last time you get to do it.  

---

by: Watercloset @ Thu Mar 11, 2010 at 07:14:33 AM UTC

Budget cuts (n/t) (4.00 / 2)

---

by: Michael Inners @ Thu Mar 11, 2010 at 21:58:12 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

All state departments in the program (0.00 / 0)

Have been "challenged" to save "change" (as in money). In some ways, the concept is laudable: take a look at the core goals of your organization, and determine whether you're meeting them and whether there are aspects of the work you do that isn't really part of that, and could be cut.

Unfortunately, the way this tends to play out in real life (at least in the corporate world) is that organizations are cut to the quick and end up failing in meeting their actual goals.

The problem with the approach is that it's only used at budget cutting time. Since the only allowable option is to cut back, the organization can never truly examine how to best serve their constituents, because they must automatically exclude any changes whose continuation or expansion would result in increases.

Beware the Everyday Brutality of the Averted Gaze

---

by: mataliandy @ Thu Mar 11, 2010 at 23:00:31 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

yup (0.00 / 0)

Take a program, wait until it has almost impossible challenges from a cratered economic environment, then take resources from it.

That's a good strategery to support the GOP gummint-hating, bidness-can-do-no-wrong ideology.  It makes it that much easier to drown gummint the bathtub.

If we can just cut gummint services and taxes, bidnesses will coming flocking to Vermont, and a thousand flowers will bloom, and a jazillion points of light will surround us in an ethereal wonderful glow.  We'll all be walking around in the woods with our 4G wireless connections to use the google on the internets taking orders from China for maple-flavored organic goat cheese and wind-turbines, and executing trades in our 401Ks from our quaint little summer homes on the lake - which we can all afford now because we're not paying any taxes - and, with no permitting and such, we can save money by putting our sewage right into the lake - my little bit surely can't hurt anybody (and so what? - you can't prove that my feces is ruining the lake)!  

Our students will be able to take online courses that will make them effin' geniuses, and they won't get any of the taint of communitarianism from the public school systems.  Sick people will be able to put their hands on their iPhones and be miraculously cured (or not - f@ck 'em)!

Douglas, Dubie, et. al. care not one whit about good government.  They are promoting an ideology.  A crude and a simplistic one at that.  A pipe dream.

 

---

by: Undamned Yankee @ Sun Mar 14, 2010 at 14:56:00 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

thanks (0.00 / 0)

Thanks Mataliandy.  I know that the "Challenges for Change," was just a shield to get rid of state workers in favor of private ones.  It can, of course, be used in a real constructive way too, but this is not the way that the guv means it.  

When you wake up each morning look around you.  It might be the last time you get to do it.  

---

by: Watercloset @ Sat Mar 13, 2010 at 08:11:25 AM UTC