Schenectady school district asks state to silence former board member
By LAUREN STANFORTH, Staff writer Last updated: 4:22 p.m., Tuesday, December 29, 2009
SCHENECTADY -- The city school district asked the state education commissioner to issue an order silencing a former school board member who alleged that current board members knew school employees were working on district time to get the members elected. The state Education Department denied the request, which came in reaction to an appeal filed by the former board member. The development is the latest concerning an internal report commissioned by the district into alleged unethical and criminal behavior surrounding former facilities supervisor Steven Raucci. Raucci awaits trial on arson and weapons charges for allegedly placing explosive devices at the homes of his enemies -- some of whom were school employees.
Former school board member Joyce Wachala said she had read the report last summer and filed the appeal last week asking Education Commissioner David Steiner to remove board members based on the report's contents. Wachala claims the report contains employees' statements about campaigning for school board candidates on taxpayer time under the direction of Raucci and then-school board President Jeff Janiszewski.
Janiszewski has denied Wachala's claims.
On Dec. 23, the day after Wachala served Superintendent Eric Ely with the appeal, school attorney Shari Greenleaf faxed a letter to the Office of Counsel at the state Education Department requesting the state keep Wachala's appeal confidential and "issue an order directing (Wachala) to refrain from disclosing" its contents. Greenleaf said making the appeal public "would be detrimental" to the district and asked that the district be notified if the state receives a Freedom of Information Law request for Wachala's appeal.
An assistant counsel at the state Education Department wrote Greenleaf back the same day, stating the commissioner does not have the authority to issue such an order.
Greenleaf has said the information Wachala learned during a closed-door executive session was confidential. The school attorney also sent Wachala a letter last week that said the district would take "extraordinary measures" if she continues to discuss her appeal and the contents of the Raucci report. Greenleaf did not specify what kind of measures.
Nothing in the state's Open Meetings Law precludes someone from discussing what happened during an executive session -- unless there is another law that covers a specific topic, said Camille Jobin-Davis, assistant director of the state Committee on Open Government. For example, things like student test scores or if a student has been the victim of a crime are guaranteed confidentiality under certain laws, she said.
"The confidentially conferred has to be by statute" Jobin-Davis said.
Lauren Stanforth can be reached at 454-5697 or lstanforth@timesunion.com.
Ya just can't make this stuff up! There really are more than THE THREE STOOGES! (Larry, Moe & Curley) They are all on the schenectady school board!
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno't mtaetr in waht oerdr the ltteres in a wrod are, the olny iproamtnt tihng is taht the frsit and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. If you can raed tihs, psot it to yuor wlal. Olny 55% of plepoe can.
Well, well, well!! We finally have someone who saw, read and knows everything. And is using the law to force the hand of the school district to expose everything!!!! Perhaps Wachala was only on the school board for a couple of months, but those were obviously the key months. There is a God and justice after all!!!!
And hell, I wouldn't stop at the re-payment to the taxpayers.....I'd push for heads to roll for EVERYONE in the ENTIRE school district who used Raucci for their own political/personal gain!!!
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
Schenectady schools to consider keeping business superintendent
By LAUREN STANFORTH, Staff writer Last updated: 12:34 p.m., Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Michael San Angelo, Schenectady schools assistant superintendent for business, was the only upper level administrator who didn't have his contract renewed last year sparking speculation that San Angelo was taking the fall for the Steven Raucci debacle...........>>>>...........>>>>...........Read more: http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=885087#ixzz0bm4BlcQR
SCHENECTADY Board to eye extending official’s contract San Angelo was Raucci’s boss, has been named in suits BY MICHAEL GOOT Gazette Reporter
Assistant Superintendent for Business Michael San Angelo may be staying with the district past June. The Board of Education tonight will consider extending his contract one year to June 30, 2011. San Angelo’s existing pact was to expire at the end of June. He was one of the top administrators whose contract was not extended during a flurry of resolutions the board acted on in late June, before two new members were seated. This sparked speculation that San Angelo was being blamed for the actions of Steven Raucci, the former district facilities director who is currently in jail awaiting trial on terrorism and arson charges. Raucci also allegedly abused and harassed his work colleagues and was allowed to collect $50,000 in overtime during the last year of his tenure. A recent state comptroller’s office audit faulted the district for a lack of documentation of Raucci’s overtime. San Angelo was his direct superior and has been named in lawsuits by people who say that he knew of Raucci’s workplace misconduct and did not act. Former maintenance employee Ryan Rakoske alleged that he tried to inform district officials about Raucci in a May 2005 meeting with San Angelo, then-Superintendent John Falco, then-President Jeff Janiszewski and Human Resources Director Michael Stricos. The school board meeting will take place at 7 p.m. at Central Park International Magnet School. Superintendent Eric Ely said he is recommending that the board retain San Angelo. Ely said he could not comment on why San Angelo’s contract was not extended last year: “That was a board decision. It was not my decision.” Ely has reorganized the business office this year following a number of retirements at the end of the last school year. There is a new treasurer and business manager, and some other clerical positions were left unfilled. The district is putting together its plan to respond to the audit from the comptroller, Ely said. School officials have already implemented a number of recommendations, he said, but he did not want to discuss specifics. Board President Maxine Brisport voted against contract extensions last June and said Tuesday she is still not in favor. “I think we need to show a certain level of accountability to the district and to the public. We need to have a district that represents the values of the community,” she said. San Angelo made $155,167 in 2008-09. If his contract is not renewed, it would be the third major administrative position that will have a new face...............>>>>...........>>>>..............http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....r00900&AppName=1
CANDIDATES SOUGHT SCHENECTADY — An organization seeking to put new members on the Board of Education is seeking candidates. Schenectady Citizens for Openness in Public Education (SCOPE) is issuing an invitation to any person interested in running for the board in the May election to e-mail 108SCOPE@gmail.com. The group will send prospective candidates a questionnaire. The organization promises to interview all people expressing interest. SCOPE will be interviewing prospective candidates on at least two separate occasions in January and it hopes to make selections before the end of the month.
SCHENECTADY School board tables contract move BY MICHAEL GOOT Gazette Reporter
A proposal to extend the contract of Assistant Superintendent for Business Michael San Angelo was pulled off the agenda by President Maxine Brisport Wednesday because not all board members were present. San Angelo’s contract expires at the end of June, and the proposal is to extend it one more year. Brisport said at the start of the meeting that board member James Casino would not be attending the meeting and Jeff Janiszewski would be arriving late and might have to leave early, so she did not think it appropriate to discuss the item. Casino has missed several meetings since August, when photos of two parties he hosted for his son Jimmy surfaced on Facebook. The photos showed young people drinking what appears to be alcohol and Jimmy’s mother, Donna Casino, being held upside down over a beer keg drinking. The photos have since been removed from the Web site. Casino was not present for the Sept. 2 meeting or the Sept. 16, Oct. 21 and Nov. 18 study sessions. Rumors have been swirling about his future on the board, but Brisport said after the meeting that Casino had a conflict and “has not communicated any decision” about his status. Authorities were looking into possible charges, although the status of any investigation could not be learned on Wednesday. District Attorney Robert Carney did not respond to messages left by The Daily Gazette concerning the matter. Board members spent the bulk of the meeting discussing the proposed restructuring of Schenectady High School aimed at improving a low graduation rate of around 50 percent. The Schenectady Federation of Teachers presented to Superintendent Eric Ely a letter with 120 signatures of teachers criticizing him for dismissing their suggestions, particularly with regard to the schedule. Ely has said he will not accept any plan that retains the modular schedule, which consists of eight rotating days where students in full-year courses meet for six out of those eight days, sometimes at different times of the day. Ely has said the schedule is too difficult to administer and only 70 percent of students get into their chosen classes. ........>>>>.................>>>>.................http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....r01103&AppName=1
SCHENECTADY Official gives in on class blocks Schedule battle dropped to focus on other issues BY MICHAEL GOOT Gazette Reporter
Superintendent Eric Ely is abandoning his fight to dump the current high school schedule. Ely sent an e-mail to staff and posted an announcement on the district Web site Thursday stating that he would drop his effort to eliminate the modular schedule, in which classes meet in hour-long blocks in a rotating format. Under such a system, students don’t always have the same classes at the same time. Ely had called the schedule unworkable because only 70 percent of students get into their desired classes, despite the cost and effort put in by the administration to design the schedule. “My desire to change to a schedule that allows more students to be scheduled properly is not going to be achieved in the timeframe allowed,” Ely said in a statement. Ely had argued that a change was needed to improve on the district’s low graduation rate of around 50 percent. He added that the debate over the schedule is distracting from the other issues surrounding restructuring at the high school, including poor attendance and the idea of creating a freshman academy. Ely said the district would explore a variety of schedule alternatives during the 2010-11 year. He said people with ideas on restructuring should contact Paul Scampini, house principal of the School of Global Commerce at the high school, at 370-8162 or e-mail scampinip@schenectady.k12. ny.us. Board of Education President Maxine Brisport said Ely’s decision was a good step in the right direction, showing that he is responding to the concerns of the faculty and parents, who had expressed support for keeping the current schedule. “If we’re stuck on the scheduling issue, we can’t move forward,” Brisport said. ..............>>>>....................>>>>.......................http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....r00902&AppName=1
Logged
who used Raucci for their own political/personal gain!!!
These "leaders" lack the basic decency to resign in disgrace. Get out and take your buddies with you.
