Calling for Greater Transparency
Alliance for GP Public Schools Response to the October 8th BOE Meeting
Alliance for GP Public Schools believes our school leaders should prioritize students, support teachers, and commit to transparency in governance. They also should demonstrate calm, measured, and respectful communications with each other and with the GPPSS community. These are best practices that build public trust.
Unfortunately, a contentious discussion at the October 8th Board of Education meeting led to a breakdown in civility and decorum that reflects poorly on our district. At issue was a February 13, 2024 email obtained through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). The sender, Vice President Ahmed Ismail, addressed the email to Superintendent Dr. Andrea Tuttle and Trustee Sean Cotton and blind-copied Trustees Lisa Papas, Ginny Jeup, and Terence Collins. The email refers to a “discussion” between Ismail, Papas, Jeup, and Collins that “revolved around cleaning everything out of Trombly and piloting a hybrid ECC program there on the first floor in the Fall.” Trustee Valarie St. John inquired about discussions taking place with a quorum of the school board outside of regular meetings and expressed concern over potential violations of the Open Meetings Act (OMA).
The board majority denied having a meeting about Trombly; however, a quorum of the board held a discussion about it that did not include Trustees St. John and Worden, as the email shows.
Any discussion regarding important matters, whether in person or through electronic communications, should be brought to the full board in a public meeting. The OMA states, “the use of electronic communications for discussions or deliberations, which are not, at a minimum, able to be heard by the public in attendance at an open meeting are contrary to the OMA’s core purpose—the promotion of openness in government.”
Superintendent Tuttle, appearing visibly angry, read from prepared remarks in which she expressed disapproval of Trustee St. John asking her to take actions that fall outside her purview, and she lamented the number of FOIA requests that “consume Dr. Stanley’s time.”
Despite heated remarks and lengthy comments at the October 8th meeting, some important questions remain:
Why were Trustees St. John and Worden excluded from discussions about the use of Trombly?
Do these discussions that include a quorum of the school board violate the Open Meetings Act?
Has the board majority held other discussions about board matters that exclude certain school board trustees?
The community deserves answers to these questions.
Furthermore, excessive FOIA requests easily could be avoided by simply providing more transparency in governance.
Heightened emotions, accusations, and division compromise our district’s continued success. Our school leaders should focus on students and teachers, commit to transparency and collaboration, and treat each other with respect.
