My name is Jay Allen and I am a candidate for school board. I live at 14 Higgins Lane with my wife and our two young children. Both are currently attending Brown school.
The decision to run for school board was not an easy one. The time commitment is enormous, the rewards are few, and at the end of the day rarely is anyone happy. Despite this seemingly grim outlook I felt compelled to run because South Portland’s school system train is off the tracks. I refer specifically to the following:
Redistricting – This process was a mess. Walking the neighborhoods here in town it was the number one issue for the many parents I spoke with. To a person they thought they were not included in the process…..and I agree. To be more to the point it was a travesty. If you read the school board “Roles, Functions and Duties of School Boards and School Board Members” it says: The board is responsible for conducting its business “in the sunshine”. Meaning no backroom deals, no winks and a nod to better connected voters, and certainly not giving access to a select group of people to the exclusion of others.
Unfortunately this is exactly what happened during the redistricting process. At the very end of the process there was supposed to be a workshop where new ideas and options would be explored. What actually happened was a few parents in the Dyer district privately presented a plan that excluded their children from being redistricted. By privately I mean not at the workshop….not in front of the public. At this supposed “workshop” this plan was presented by one of the parents and immediately accepted by the school board. There was no workshop…there was no discussion. It was apparent to all in attendance that this had all been worked out in advance of the “workshop”.
Do I blame the parents involved…not at all? They used all methods at their command to get what they wanted. The school board members were in a bind. The budget vote was coming up in a few days, and because Mrs. Godin had decided to tie redistricting to the budget, they were out of options. If these parents did seek injunctive relief the whole budgeting process would fall into chaos. Do I understand the board’s problem….yes? Would I have handled it the same way….no? Redistricting should never have been tied to the budget in the first place. I believe the board, and Mrs. Godin, were well aware of the backlash that would come from redistricting. By tying it to the budget vote they could create an artificial time line and limit the discussion….which they knew would be overwhelmingly negative.
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High School Renovation – I recently had the pleasure of spending 90 minutes with Jeanne Crocker, the Principal of South Portland High School. I was able to get a tour and talk with her in depth about the issues facing SPHS. I left that meeting with a great deal of respect for Jeanne and a better understanding of the issues. It is clear to me that the High School is a mess. The more I walked with Jeanne the more it felt like I was in Whoville. To say it has been cobbled together over the years would be an understatement. If you get a chance I would encourage you to tour the school so that you have some understanding of the issues. Here are a couple of my thoughts:
There is no chance that the voters will approve a 40-50 million dollar renovation. As a school board member I would not support putting a plan like that up for vote. I do believe that the school needs renovation, especially to its mechanical systems, for it to be safe and effective in the coming years. I’m not talking about the band aid approach; I mean significant structural renovations, system upgrades, etc. This isn’t the place to detail all that is needed but I am comfortable in saying that as a school board member I would support a thoughtful process that laid out a multi phase plan to address these issues. The high school got into this condition because those in charge were always reacting….we need to ask the question, where do we want to be 5, 10, 25 years down the road and act accordingly. By accordingly I mean doing what we can afford after careful analysis of the most pressing issues. I’m a big fan of the “measure twice, cut once” philosophy.
I attended the facilities planning committee meeting at Brown School last week and left shaking my head. It was clear that although this committee is asking for public input….it really doesn’t want it. In a repeat of the redistricting process their minds are made up and no amount of public opposition is going to sway them. The difference is that this renovation project has to be approved by the voters and can’t be tied to a larger issue. In the face of absolutely certain defeat this committee continues to work on a 50 million dollar renovation plan! It would be bad enough if they were only wasting their own time. Unfortunately we have paid the architect (Harriman Associates) something like $700,000 to continue to work on this ill conceived plan…..and it is no where near done. I would not be surprised if the final bill exceeds $1,000,000. Have none of the 18 members of this committee noticed the instability of our financial markets….both here and around the world? How many of us are planning on taking on more personal debt in the near future? I know my family isn’t and I suspect we aren’t alone.
I believe the leaders of our school system are at a crossroads. By continuing to act without regard for what the community is comfortable with they run the risk of becoming completely ineffective. Their belief that they “know best”, and that people in the community “couldn’t possibly understand the issues” is a complete slap in the face to those of us that try to get involved. If you are comfortable with the direction of our school system and the vision of its leaders then please don’t vote for me. I have no interest in sitting on a board that rubber stamps everything the administration wants. It seems to me that this board believes it works for the Superintendents Office. Unless I’m misinformed it is exactly the opposite. While I’m not looking to be at loggerheads with the current board, or Mrs. Godin, there is no reason to hold meetings if the vote is always unanimous.
Finally I would say that “operating in the sunshine” is the one thing I can guarantee will happen. There is not an ounce of “go along, to get along” in me. If I am fortunate enough to get elected you’ll never wonder where I stand on an issue. We may not agree but I will always look you in the eye and explain my position. I will not look at my feet…..and refuse to answer questions.
If you want more information regarding my candidacy please go to www.jaytallen.com.
Best Regards,
Jay Allen
14 Higgins Lane
