School Board Election-Official, New Members Sworn In

The results of the Oracle School Board Recall Election was canvassed by the Pinal County Supervisors this morning and is now official.

Installation of new school board members was performed by Pinal County School Superintendent, Orlenda Roberts at the Mountain View Country Club in Saddlebrooke this afternoon.

Madeline Bosma’s Charge Against OSD Teacher Unfounded

An investigation by the County Attorney’s Office, the day after the recall election, has determined there was no wrong doing by an Oracle School District teacher while supporting the recall. Madeline Bosma charged that the teacher had broken Arizona Law.

And the Winner is………..

With all precincts reporting and the absentee votes counted, the unofficial results are in.

Alicia Bristow     1641

Susan Beaman      844

Dave Bowersock 1738

Boyd Bosma         766

Kurt Steffens      1682

Jack Walden         802

A heartfelt thank you to the voters of the Oracle School District and the members of all its communities who worked together for the future of our schools!

How to Recall “The Oracle Three”

We have been contacted by some early voters who say the ballot is somewhat confusing. Because there are no sample ballots sent out for this election, they thought that we should clarify the process.

In order to recall “The Oracle Three” you must vote for their opponent.

That means you must fill in the ovals by the names of following three candidates:

Alicia Bristow

Dave Bowersock

Kurt Steffens

Support Our School District

Below is the teacher’s plea to the district’s voters, followed by a scan of their letter:

April 5, 2008

To the Voters of the Oracle School District:

As teachers and support staff of the Oracle School District, we want to ensure that the voting public is aware of a very important Special Election to be held on May 20, 2008. The purpose of this election is to recall three school board members who we believe are not serving in the best interest of our district.

The reason we wholeheartedly support the recall effort is simple. The recalled board members have failed to provide positive leadership and have continued to ignore the input we have given in regard to the welfare of our district. The teachers of the district work diligently every day to do what is best for our children’s education. It is imperative that our school board make decisions that best support the students, parents, teachers, staff and the constituents they were elected to represent.

We are first hand witnesses to their actions, which continue to have a detrimental effect upon our campuses and our communities. It is extremely difficult to work in an environment where the decision makers’ actions are counterproductive to the positive impact we are trying to make with our students and their families.

Please support the recall effort and vote to remove the recalled board members. It is time to put the focus back on the students and those who guide and care for them.

Respectfully,

The Teachers and Support Staff of the Oracle School District,

As undersigned, individuals:

A Gift For Our New Superintendent

When this recall effort began, it was the community’s hope that the school board members under recall would do the right thing. That would have been either to resign, or to start making decisions based on the school district’s true needs and the wishes of the community. Clearly they have demonstrated that they continue to have no respect for the wishes of the staff and the district’s constituents.

While it is a well known fact that the staff, students and their parents strongly supported the retention of our current Superintendent, a new superintendent has been hired. Despite having this situation forced upon us by the “Oracle Three”, we wish the new superintendent much luck and the best opportunity to succeed.

With this in mind, the best welcome gift we can possibly give him is a school board that is free of the micro-managers who created the current conflict in our district.

For more information on the harm done by micro-managing school boards, visit the Arizona Department of Education website.

Recall Committee Supports School Board Candidates from Across the District

Spring is in the air and it’s time to “Clean House”. The following school board candidates are being supported by the CCRSB: Alicia Bristow from Oracle, Kurt Steffens from Eagle Crest Ranch, and Dave Bowersock from Saddlebrooke.

Alicia Bristow has a BA in Business Management from the University of Phoenix and a Masters in Public Administration from Virginia Commonwealth University. Since 2001, she has been the Executive Director of the Hands Across the Border Foundation, a student exchange program. Alicia will be running to replace recallee, Susan Beaman.

Kurt Steffens , a Tucson native, earned his BA and MA in Education from Arizona State University. His life-long teaching career in California included teaching in Secondary Education, as well as counseling Regular and Special Ed students. Upon retirement, Kurt and his wife Molly returned to AZ and reside in the community of Eagle Crest Ranch in the Oracle School District. Kurt will be running against Jack Walden.

Dave Bowersock received dual BA’s from Wichita State University in Business and Education Administration and his Masters in Public Education. He also had a distinguished career in the USAF as a Pilot, Instructor Pilot and Squadron Commander. Dave has a long history of supporting his local school system, serving on the Pennington County School Board in Rapid City, S.D. and since his retirement to Saddlebrooke, as an Oracle School District Volunteer. His dedication to the district has been apparent for years through his work as an assistant sport’s coach, a tutor, and his implementation of a marine biology program, “Cousteau for Kids”. Running against Boyd Bosma in the recall election is a continuation of his dedication to our school district.

Candidate nomination petitions are due on March 21st. Continue your support of the recall by signing their nomination petitions beginning February 21st. Thank you.

For more details on these candidates, click here: http://www.ffabec.com/osb_candidates.htm

AZ State Board of Education Weighs in on the Effects of a Micro-managing School Board

It is a long understood and well known fact that the leader of a school district is its Superintendent. Here, the Arizona Board of Education pinpoints the problem of Roosevelt School District, a failing district whose school board seems to think they should run the school.

“Political ties among Board members and mid-level management, including principals, leave the Superintendent unable to discipline or provide leadership. The result is a pilotless airplane filled with children, flying in the dark and surrounded by mountains.
Lack of leadership at the top produces poor leadership at all levels, which results in poor performance by the District.”

“The overwhelming consensus is that the board’s harmful interference in district operations is the number one reason nothing gets done or done well in the district. District staff, community members and parents say that the board’s decisions are based on race, personal favors or vendettas and that many district staff are afraid of the board’s retaliation. The negativity and personal attacks have caused the district irreparable harm and it will be a long time before it can recover.”

Oracle School Board Amnesia

As a friendly reminder to all, especially the school board, the mission statement of the Oracle School District appears below. The fact that the “Oracle Three” continually ignore the mission statement (as evidenced by their words and actions) is a major factor in the community’s demand for  their recall.

The District’s Mission, in collaboration with the community, is to provide an educational setting utilizing innovative learning experiences insuring that every child will be able to maximize their potential and become responsible and productive citizens in a changing world.

“The Oracle Three” Refuse Recommendation Made by Board Members Harmon and Carran to Extend Superintendent’s Contract

School district parents and staff were devastated to learn that the opportunity to retain their Superintendent as a retired employee was dashed by Beaman, Bosma, and Walden at the January 15, 2007 Meeting. Despite the Superintendent’s willingness to accept a one year contract, Beaman, Bosma, and Walden voted instead, to give the Superintendent a letter of termination.

One parent who attended the meeting stated, “It was Sue’s last chance to redeem herself, I guess I still thought she might do the right thing.”

“I’m sorry to say I’m not surprised”, said a Mt Vista teacher, “That’s why we’re having a recall.”