TEACHERS SHOULD BE PAID AT MARKET VALUE

The Editorial this morning in the News-Herald (http://www.news-herald.com/articles/2011/08/23/opinion/nh4405821.txt):

"They taught us in a way that helped the information stick with us and encouraged us to keep on learning for a lifetime.

Some might even have fostered a desire to actually become a teacher just like them.

Unfortunately, though, that million just isn't there.

As evidenced by countless school districts turning to voters for new funding, it's a problem for every school district.

So, as we weigh teachers' worth, we consider several factors, including education level, effectiveness and district budget.

It's easy to let sentimentality take over as you discuss what people are worth vs. what you can pay them. In this case, that can't happen. The pot of money isn't very deep and definitely has a bottom.

We favor allowing the market to dictate teachers' pay. Reward them for advanced degrees and efforts to better their contributions to schools and students' lives, but expect the same concessions required of those who pay them — the taxpayers.

More and more of us are shouldering greater portions of our health care costs and giving up raises. We expect the same level of sacrifice from those who work for our cities, counties and school districts."

We agree!

TEACHING METHODS CHALLENGE EDUCATION MYTHS

The following is an article printed October 18th in the LA Times. It challenges traditional school leaders thinking.

Districts and states that use the 'value-added' approach have had some surprising results: Class size, student background and schools' funding appear to be less critical than has long been believed.

By Jason Song and Jason Felch , LATimes
October 18, 2009

"For years, schools and students have been judged on raw standardized test scores. Experts say this approach is flawed because they tend to reflect socioeconomic levels more than learning.

The "value-added" approach attempts to level the playing field by focusing on growth rather than achievement. Using a statistical analysis of test scores, it tracks an individual student's improvement year to year, and uses that progress to estimate the effectiveness of teachers, principals and schools.Academics have also used the approach to test many assumptions about what matters in schools.

Scholars are still puzzling over what makes for a great teacher or school, but their results challenge orthodox assumptions like these:All teachers are equal. For decades, schools have treated teachers like interchangeable parts. Value-added results suggest there are sharp differences in teachers' effectiveness.

More money, more learning.

The highest growth among students is often in poor schools with low achievement scores, according to districts and states that have adopted the value-added approach. Students at affluent schools sometimes have high proficiency scores but make little new progress year to year. Teachers can't overcome a student's background. Recent research shows that with several effective teachers in a row, students can overcome disadvantages. Some studies suggest minority and poor students make as much progress as other pupils when placed with the same effective teachers.

Class size is key.

Modest changes in class size have been shown to have little to no effect on student learning. Bad teachers tend to teach in poor schools. Several studies suggest that there is more variation among teachers within a school than across schools. Effective instructors are often distributed across rich and poor schools, and they tend to stay at challenging schools longer than at ineffective ones.

Teacher experience matters.

Although teachers are generally paid more for years of experience, research suggests that instructors show dramatic improvement in their first few years and then level off. Teachers with 20 years of experience are often no more effective than peers with five.

Teacher education matters.

Schools routinely pay higher salaries to teachers with graduate degrees. But several studies have found that educators with advanced degrees do no better than those without, with the possible exception of high school math teachers.

Teacher credentials matter.

Most public schools pay teachers more for certifications and advanced credentials. But several studies have shown that non-traditionally prepared instructors -- such as those in the Teach for America program -- have similar or slightly better outcomes than certified ones."

As always you can contact us at carecommitteepac@yahoo.com.

A CASE OF SCHOOLS LOSING SIGHT OF THEIR MISSION

Another interesting article from the Washington Post. What were school district board members and administrators thinking. This is a case of school district administrators not understanding their mission.

"Gifted Student Is Being Held Back By Graduation Rules

By Jay Mathews
Monday, October 5, 2009
Washington Post, http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/04/AR2009100402297_pf.html

Anyone who wants to appreciate how strong a grip high school has on the American imagination -- and how clueless some school districts are about this -- should consider the story of Drew Gamblin, a 16-year-old student at Howard High School in Ellicott City.

Drew, a child so gifted he taught himself to write at age 3, craves a high school education and all that comes with it -- debate team, music, drama and senior prom.

After a series of inexplicable decisions by Howard County school officials, such as requiring him to stay in a Howard High algebra class he had already mastered, his parents decided to home-school him and put him in college classes. But Drew insisted on his high school dream.
So he is back at Howard, although it's not clear what grade he is in, and the school district is making it hard to enjoy what the school has to offer. He is being forced to take a world history course he already took at Howard Community College and a junior-year English course he took at home, as well as classes in other subjects he has studied.

Drew said he hopes that school district superintendent Sydney L. Cousin will use a state regulation that would allow him to create an alternative way for Drew to graduate without so much course repetition, but it doesn't look good.

Drew could go to college right now. He passed the Maryland state High School Assessment test in sophomore English at the advanced level (Howard refuses to give him credit for the course) and did the same in American government. Two years ago, he scored in the 92nd percentile on the PSAT and placed in the top 4 percent of all African American students who took the exam.

But he wants those high school memories, and he wants the county to admit its mistakes. "If I've earned the credit, I've earned it," he said. "I'm fighting for what is already mine."
Patti Caplan, spokeswoman for Howard schools, said the district "spent an overwhelming amount of time" on Drew's case and offered him "numerous opportunities and accommodations, to no avail." Because of confidentiality rules, she said, she couldn't say more.
In a nine-page decision Aug. 19, the Howard school board denied the family's request for credit for courses taken in college and at home. The board's only hint of any regret at what it put the family through came in saying that "because of their persistence, the parents were able to persuade the administration to accept the Japanese language [two of Drew's college courses] in fulfillment of the modern language credit. It is unfortunate that situation took so long to be resolved."

His parents have appealed the Howard board's decision to the state school board, but that process will take months.

It didn't have to be this way. Some school districts have welcomed children as in love with learning as Drew is. His mother, Ellicia Chau, said the first clue about what her son could do came at age 18 months, when he put together a 50-piece puzzle.

At 21 months, he was sounding out letters on the sides of delivery trucks. During Thanksgiving dinner when he was 3, his mother wondered who had written the name Ike, one of Drew's uncles, on a napkin. Drew eventually convinced her it was he.

Chau, who said she is a big supporter of public education, put him in Howard schools. In the middle of third grade, he was promoted to fourth grade. But when sixth grade became too slow for him, the district refused to move him to seventh. "It is not our policy," an official said.
So she pulled him out to home-school him. But, at his insistence, in 2006 she enrolled him in ninth grade at Howard High. She said she tried to follow the rules, but interpretations of them kept changing. One official agreed that Drew had mastered algebra, but it wasn't until November that year that he was allowed to move to geometry. Because of red tape, another month passed before he got any assignments in that class.

Drew's situation is no surprise to advocates of gifted education, who report clumsy handling of kids like him all over the country. Howard has been slower than other Washington area districts to embrace acceleration, although it is getting better. Its participation rate on Advanced Placement exams has doubled since 2002.

Most American high schools look hard for ways to give struggling students their diplomas. Maryland let 4,000 students graduate this year by doing special projects after they didn't pass the required state tests. Meanwhile, Drew has been told he has to listen to old lectures and take tests he has already passed to finish high school.

"I don't want to be 40 and not have these memories to look back on," he said. In a way, he is getting his wish, because being bored to distraction often comes to mind when people think about their high school experience.

But I don't think that is what Howard school officials intended when they decided to tell this bright student that their interpretations of the rules were more important than his education.

This poor student should have never gone through this. As always you can contact us at carecommitteepac@yahoo.com.

ZERO TOLERANCE POLICIES ON PUNISHMENT - NOT GOOD FOR OUR CHILDREN?

The Wall Street Journal reported this afternoon, http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704107204574473331382043514.html about two incidents of "stupidity" involving the judgment of public school officials in other states. Some of the schools in Lake County purportedly have similar zero tolerance policies - as you will see in reading these incidents - nothing replaces common sense. Hopefully we won't see the same types of lapses in judgment occur here.

"Zero-Tolerance Watch Matthew Whalen, 17, is an Eagle Scout who has completed 10 weeks of military training and plans to attend West Point. But he's worried his plans to serve his country may be thwarted by the geniuses who run Lansingburgh Senior High School in Troy, N.Y., where Whalen is a senior. In an interview with FoxNews.com, he explains what happens:

He said his school's assistant principal, Frank Macri, approached him on Sept. 21 and asked him if he was carrying a knife.

"I was taken down to the office, and they told me that a student told them that I was carrying a knife," Whalen said.

He said he told them "they could search me and everything, and they said, 'There's no need for that.' " . . .

"And they said, 'Do you own a knife?' I said, 'Yes, I'm a soldier and an Eagle Scout--I own a knife.'

"And they were like, 'Well, is it in your car or anything?' And I told them, 'Yeah, it's in my car right now.'

"And they asked me to show it to them. I didn't realize it was going to be a problem. I knew it wasn't illegal--my police chief grandfather gave the knife to me."

Whalen said he took school administrators to his car because he thought their fears would be allayed when they saw it was just a 2-inch knife.

"They thought I had a dagger in my car or something like that, so I thought yeah, I'd show it to them," Whalen said.

"I showed it to them, and they told me I had a knife on school property and had to be suspended."

But things didn't end there, Whalen said.

"They brought a cop in, who told them 'he's not breaking any laws, so I can't charge him with anything.' "

Nonetheless, the principal suspended him from school for five days. Then, at a "superintendent hearing" that the superintendent didn't bother to attend, the principal quadrupled the punishment. Whalen says he worries that the disciplinary action on his record will hurt his chances for admission to West Point. Let's hope Principal Macri is shamed into backing down.

Good sense seems to have prevailed in Newark, Del., where, as we noted yesterday, five-year-old Zachary Christie was sentenced to 45 days in reform school for bringing a Cub Scout utensil to school. Reports NBC News:

On Tuesday night the school board made a hasty change to its code of conduct. The seven-member board voted unanimously to reduce the punishment for kindergartners and first-graders who bring weapons to school or commit other violent offenses to a suspension ranging from three to five days. . . .

School board member John Mackenzie told The Associated Press before the meeting that he was surprised school officials did not use common sense and disregard the policy in Zachary's case. The need for common sense to prevail over the letter of the law was a recurring theme among the boy's supporters and school safety experts.

It's amazing how often our government schools turn out to be run by people who need to be told of "the need for common sense to prevail.""

Perhaps those school districts in Lake County who have zero tolerance policies should consider implementing a "common sense" disciplinary policy instead?

Let us have your thoughts. As always you can contact us at carecommitteepac@yahoo.com.

DOUBLING DIPPING PUBLIC OFFICIALS - NOT A GOOD THING!

We received a comment from a reader complaining about a double dipping administrator in their district. The following is a Plain Dealer editorial from August of this year, expressing that paper's view. We agree with the sentiment.

""Double-dipping" has been a fact of Ohio life for decades. In its purest form, the practice of letting some public workers bank both a full taxpayer-paid salary and a taxpayer-subsidized pension is supposed to let talented officials stay in public life without sacrificing retirement benefits.

For a while, until federal rules changed in about 1991, public employees even enjoyed the "bargain" of paying a salary for double-dippers shorn of the need to contribute to the retirement benefits they would have paid for another worker. Currently, state taxpayers pay a 14 percent pension contribution for public workers who contribute 10 percent.

The idea is to benefit Ohioans, not to pick their pockets or insult them.

That's why over the years -- despite the public distaste for a perk few in the private sector can enjoy -- double-dipping in Ohio was not just tolerated but broadened to include some in hard-to-fill jobs, including teachers.

Too bad so many public officials instead treat the perk like membership in a private club to which the public should not have access, enriching themselves while adding to the taint of cronyism.

Shamefully, full figures on how much double-dipping enriches our public servants are hard and sometimes impossible to come by. That, in turn, thwarts checking the claim that the practice doesn't cost state retirement funds extra.

True, a disgusted public did finally prevail on the legislature some years back to require that elected officials planning to "retire" and then return to public life disclose that fact to county boards of election before seeking election. That's how the public learned recently -- thanks to reporting by The Plain Dealer's Henry J. Gomez and Joe Guillen -- that at least 17 prominent elected officials in Cuyahoga County are part of the double-dipping club, or soon will join it.

The disclosure requirement doesn't apply to nonelected officials, however.
Virtually every year, the Ohio legislature takes another unsuccessful stab at reforming this process -- and no wonder. That's like asking the fox to renovate the hen house.

Lack of transparency is the first thing that has to change. Every double-dipper in Ohio should be listed, starting with elected officials, and the full taxpayer-subsidized salary and pension delineated.

Next should be an extension in the time double-dippers must spend retired before they can return to public life and draw both a salary and full pension benefits. For some workers, it's now just two months. That should be extended to at least six.

It's true that double-dipping is legal in Ohio. That doesn't make it an inalienable right, particularly at a time when more than one of every 10 Ohioans can't find a job in any field."

As always you can contact us carecommitteepac@yahoo.com.

AUBURN CAREER CENTER - BOARD SHOULD READ CONTRACTS THEY APPROVE?

The News-Herald reported on Friday that the Auburn Career Center Board just approved a contract with their employees union for the next three years, http://www.news-herald.com/articles/2009/10/09/news/nh1545093.txt.

The vote was 9-1 by the board. What the News-Herald did not report was that one of the board members requested this vote be delayed by a week so that all the board members could read the contract. When this board member moved to delay the vote - this was voted down 9-1. This contract WILL COST YOU THE PUBLIC well in excess of $10 million dollars over its life!

This kind of reminds us of the situation occurring with the United States Senate on HealthCare Reform - in that the Senate may not make the bill available with enough time for all the Senators and the public to even have a chance to read the bill.

This isn't transparency or even good governance when even our elected officials aren't reading the details on what they are voting on. For this poor behavior we give the Auburn Board a failing grade!

As always you can contact us at carecommitteepac@yahoo.com.

MADISON SCHOOL DISTRICT - BOND ISSUE? - ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

We received the following note from Toni Rogers who runs the Citizens for Smart Schools PAC in Madison, Ohio in response to our blog on whether Madison will have a bond issue on the ballot next spring. Toni originally though we were indicating that a bond issue would be on the ballot in November. We indicated we didn't make such a statement but if so we would correct it.

We hadn't but Toni wrote us the following thoughtful comment, which we will share with you so you can have another side of the picture.

"The news reporter emailed me back, correction ran the next day. I think you were responsible for the tax fatigue comment. I run a PAC in Madison, Citizens for Smart Schools. Formed in 1994. We may have tax fatigue, and I have voted NO for school tax levies since the early 90's BUT when the bond issue comes up in May, I will be supporting it. I am a member of the Facilities Committee and I believe that we will be presenting a proposal to the Madison community that they will not be able to say no too. As I actively campaigned door to door against the Bond issue two years ago,I told those same individuals that I would be back asking for $125 extra dollars in property taxes and I would appreciate there support. The majority agreed. It is not that we do not want to take this opportunity of the tobacco settlement money, we want to be able to sustain it with a net zero increase in operating expenses if not a significant savings. So that is the real story....trust me. Thanks for the website, it is a great idea."

We were responsible for the voter fatigue comments - because the voters in Madison appear to be tired. We'd like to thank Toni for her comments and working with the Madison School District. We'll look forward to hearing about Madison's proposal next spring - if the new board decides to put another bond issue on the ballot.

MADISON SCHOOL DISTRICT - ANOTHER BOND ISSUE?

Not yet! At least for the moment.

The News-Herald reported http://www.news-herald.com/articles/2009/10/06/news/nh1531888.txt today:

"Madison school buildings still in the works

Published: Tuesday, October 6, 2009

By Sandra M. Klepach SKlepach@News-Herald.com

This election day marks two full years since Madison voters rejected a $77 million centralized education complex near the high school.But the Ohio School Facilities Commission, which would have funded 60 percent of the bill, approached Madison School Board again last month.Still interested in our program? it asked. Let us know by Oct. 9 and you'll get dibs over the 20-some districts that don't.

The board unanimously approved a response."Basically what we sent to the Ohio School Facilities Commission is saying, yes, we are still interested," board President Jacqueline Azbill said.By the voted language approved last week, Madison now enters an "active planning process" with the OSFC, which offers it "priority" status, to prepare for a possible conditional approval in 2010. "The School District Board intends to obtain funding by May 2010," the resolution states, to oblige the next funding cycle, which ends July 2010.

Azbill said board Vice President Rex Reigert heads the facilities committee that meets regularly to discuss building possibilities, for which the district would likely get a 50-50 funding split. The OSFC now offers a segmented project option, but it's laden with rules, including a requirement that the district raise 4 percent of its assessed valuation for any one project, Superintendent Roger Goudy said."Such a project would cost Madison about $19 million and likely include a new middle school "and something," Goudy said, adding Homer Nash Elementary is currently being considered for the latter."The campus plan has pretty much died," Goudy said. "This gives the future board the option (to consider a OSFC project), where had we not passed this, then that ship would have been out of the port. At least we want to have those discussions."

In November 2007, voters rejected a 4.81-mill bond issue designed to raise $33.6 million, plus a 0.50-mill, 23-year operating levy. That combined issue would have cost taxpayers an initial $165.68 a year per $100,000 of property valuation, but it failed by a vote of 3,466 to 2,183.

Citing a lack of community support for the plan, Madison School Board pulled the same bond issue from the August 2008 special election ballot.

Madison voters will be busy Nov. 3, filling three open School Board seats from a pool of eight candidates, only one an incumbent. Voters also will decide a 1.68-mill emergency renewal operating levy, which would cost homeowners $51.45 per $100,000 of property valuation and generate $697,270 annually for five years. The issue otherwise expires in December."It is the committee's recommendation to the Board of Education that we have a segmentation on the ballot for May," Azbill said. "Now, we have a lot of work to do yet, the board hasn't approved that. It's just a recommendation. Some of the board members wanted some other things considered. It's ultimately up to the board, we have to approve it.""

If the majority of the board doesn't change Madison voters may be looking at a bond issue in February or May or next year. Sounds like the current Madison board members can't resist the temptation of matching funds.

We think this is only going to fatigue the voters.

As always you can contact us at carecommitteepac@yahoo.com.

PERRY SCHOOL DISTRICT - IS BOARD UP TO NO GOOD?

We understand the Perry School District Board is considering giving a number of their administrators large, long term contracts just as they did with the Treasurer. In these financially difficult times we don't think that is a good idea. We hope the board doesn't follow through. It would not only be a shame, but also a slap in the face to the tax paying public.

We also understand that certain Perry School Board members have attempted to deride the information we print in our blogs. We welcome those members to point to our errors. We suspect we won't hear from these board members because our experience with similar individuals show their type like to work behind the scenes to discredit the messenger rather than having a spirited debate over the facts.

Finally, we received the following blog from one of our more active readers. This blog compares the Perry Treasurers salary and other administration at Perry with administrators in districts Perry Schools like to compare themselves with.

From our reader:

"These are current numbers and do not reflect any increases that the districts might possibly have given, nor does it reflect the huge increase accorded the Perry CFO to be effective August 1, 2010. What it clearly does show is the current comparison of Perry with these 12 other districts. Bear in mind that the 12 districts are the 12 districts the Perry administration and board wanted to be compared to. This is base pay only and does not include benefits, perks, or other compensation.

For those who have a hard time with spread sheets following is a simple analysis:

THE TWELVE SELECTED DISTRICTS

ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENTS

Perry's Asst Super currently makes $127,806 more annually in base pay than Bay Village-don't have one.

Perry's Asst Super currently makes $6,912 more annually in base pay than Beachwood's Asst Super.

Perry's Asst Super currently makes $5,416 more annually in base pay than Brecksville's Asst Super.

Perry's Asst Super currently makes $127,806 more annually in base pay than Chagrin Falls-don't have one.

Perry's Asst Super currently makes $19,651 more annually in base pay than Chardon's Asst Super.

Perry's Asst Super currently makes $16,156 more annually in base pay than Kenston's Asst Super.

Perry's Asst Super currently makes $127,806 more annually in base pay than Kirtland-don't have one.

Perry's Asst Super currently makes $8,141 more annually in base pay than Olmsted Falls Asst Super.

Perry's Asst Super currently makes $127,806 more annually in base pay than Orange-don't have one.

Perry's Asst Super currently makes $127,806 more annually in base pay than Rocky River-don't have one.

Perry's Asst Super currently makes -$1,179 less annually in base pay than Solon's Asst Super.

Perry's Asst Super currently makes $127,806 more annually in base pay than West Geauga-don't have one.

TREASURER/CFO's

Perry's Treasurer/CFO currently makes $26,975 more annually in base pay than Bay Village's Treasurer
.
Perry's Treasurer/CFO currently makes $947 more annually in base pay than Beachwood's Treasurer.

Perry's Treasurer/CFO currently makes $1,814 more annually in base pay than Brecksville's Treasurer.

Perry's Treasurer/CFO currently makes $19,181 more annually in base pay than Chagrin Fall's Treasurer.

Perry's Treasurer/CFO currently makes $41,268 more annually in base pay than Chardon's Treasurer.

Perry's Treasurer/CFO currently makes $27,339 more annually in base pay than Kenston's Treasurer.

Perry's Treasurer/CFO currently makes $29,671 more annually in base pay than Kirtland's Treasurer.

Perry's Treasurer/CFO currently makes $39,815 more annually in base pay than Olmsted Fall's Treasurer.

Perry's Treasurer/CFO currently makes $6,031 more annually in base pay than Orange's Treasurer.

Perry's Treasurer/CFO currently makes $12,928 more annually in base pay than Rocky River's Treasurer.

Perry's Treasurer/CFO currently makes $12,820 more annually in base pay than Solon's Treasurer.

Perry's Treasurer/CFO currently makes $67,186 more annually in base pay than West Geauga's Treasurer."

Thanks to our reader. As always you can reach us at carecommitteepac@yahoo.com

MADISON SCHOOL DISTRICT - BUSING: DID COURT MAKE RIGHT DECISION?

We don't know - but here is what we do know.

Judge Lucci of the Lake County Common Pleas Court ruled Friday on the Madison Bus Driver Union (OAPSE) law suit by dismissing the claims against the Madison School District and their administrators.

If anyone has a copy of the ruling please forward it to our attention at carecommitteepac@yahoo.com.

We don't know all the details but do understand that there may have been tactical errors in the OAPSE union lawsuit. The News-Herald quoting Judge Lucci's ruling indicated that the former bus drivers only recourse was to follow grievance procedures in their contract for unfair labor practices under the Ohio Revised Code.

Unfortunately for these former bus drivers given the time frame that has elapsed it is most likely too late to file a grievance. This truly is a shame and these individuals should have had their grievance heard on the merits rather than having their case dismissed with no opportunity to be heard.

The News-Herald article http://www.news-herald.com/articles/2009/10/03/news/nh1519822.txt is as follows:


"Court makes decision on Madison bus union
Published: Saturday, October 3, 2009

By Sandra M. Klepach SKlepach@News-Herald.com


In a sweeping ruling Friday, Lake County Common Pleas Court Judge Eugene Lucci dismissed a lawsuit filed last year against Madison School Board, two district administrators and Community Bus Services of Youngstown, hired to staff and operate the district's bus garage.

Lucci denied jurisdiction over three of the claims, though, including the prominent breach of contract claim.

Attorneys for the Ohio Association Public School Employees Local 238 filed the suit July 30, 2008, on behalf of 37 school bus drivers, bus assistants and school bus mechanics who lost their jobs when the district privatized its garage at a savings of $1.5 million over five years.

OAPSE Field Representative Lloyd Rains did not respond to a message left on his cell phone Friday afternoon.

The suit alleged that the board breached its collective bargaining agreement with OAPSE — lasting July 1, 2006, to June 30, 2008 — when it voted June 17, 2008, to hire CBS effective July 1, 2008.The decision was made five days before the union's contract expired and new negotiations could be scheduled, OAPSE claimed. Laid-off employees were notified June 19 "for reasons of economy and efficiency" and told they could reapply through CBS.The suit asked for an injunction to stop and void the CBS contract, as well as compensatory and punitive damages.

It named the school board, CBS, former Superintendent James Herrholtz, Assistant Superintendent Matthew Chojnacki, and the state of Ohio as defendants.

The state was named because the lawsuit claimed certain parts of House Bill 66, enacted in 2006, are unconstitutional because they can be used to interfere with contracts.Oral arguments were heard Sept. 25.

Lucci found that the board achieved both economy and efficiency in hiring CBS.However, he denied jurisdiction to rule on the "breach of contract" claim, the "refusal to bargain, discrimination, and violation of public policy" claim, and whether a certain rule applies to unions wherein transportation service employees are included with other employee classifications."

The plaintiffs' only means of recourse is to follow the grievance procedures laid out in the (collective bargaining agreement) and in (Ohio Revised Code) 4117 (regarding unfair labor practices." Judge Lucci wrote.

Chojnacki, School Board President Jacqueline Azbill and CBS President Terrence Thomas also couldn't be reached Friday afternoon. But current Superintendent Roger Goudy said it's good to have the suit behind them."This is hopefully going to start the healing process, because these things are never healthy for either side," he said. "It's one of those things unfortunately that got to this point, and we'll hopefully all move on together from here and build a better school district."

Goudy did not know the cost of the district's legal defense against the suit."