A Healthy End to Pottstown Schools' Fiscal Year

Thursday's school board meeting was blessedly short, about an hour.

Which is not to minimize the importance of the action they are about to take Monday, which is to adopt the second consecutive budget that does not raise taxes.

Given the financial difficulties placed upon our school system by the state's extremely broken funding system for education, that is a pretty remarkable achievement.

Linda Adams, the district's business manager who engineered this feat, likely will be rewarded with a new salary of $139,225 by a vote of the board Monday night.

That's a .8 percent salary hike from her current salary of $138,119 which, if you ask me, is a small price to pay for two consecutive zero tax-hike budgets, something unheard of in most of Pennsylvania.

Also unheard of for most of us not in public education are payments for unused sick time. But as Superintendent Jeff Sparagana prepares to leave the district, he will enjoy a $38,523.57 payment for unused sick time.

His makes up more than half of the $67,043 that the board will likely vote to approve Monday in payments for unused sick time.

Also earning a tidy reward for remaining healthy will be Taffi Wolf, the district's retiring technology director, who will receive $13,940 for unused sick time.

Retiring special education director Pamela Bateson will enjoy a payment of $6,950 for the sick days she did not use.

Its in their contract, so they are entitled to the money, but I sometimes wonder why I did not decide to feed at the public trough and get rewarded for staying healthy.

Anyway, the school board declined to discuss any of this, so its probably not important.

Here are the Tweets of the things the school board thought worthy of public discussion at a meeting hardly anyone attended.

PHS Graduation Speeches, a Tale of Two Nicks

Mercury Photos by John Strickler

The Pottstown High School Class of 2015

Did you miss the Pottstown High School graduation ceremonies Monday?

I did.

The Mercury now cover graduations primarily with photographers. Without a reporter's words to clutter things up, there is room for more photos.

Left out, however, are reports on the speeches, a loss felt most keenly by the proud family of those giving them.

But thanks to the ever-industrious John Armato, now you can read the speeches given by Valedictorian Nicolas Muriel, Salutatorian Nicholas Irvin (who I remember fondly from my son's Little League days) and Superintendent Jeff Sparagana right here on this very blog.

Without further ado...

Nicolas Muriel:

I think I speak for everyone when I say that this past week has felt tumultuous and frenzied, and perhaps the weight of these events can be lost in the bombast. Now is an

opportune time to reflect on just what has led to this moment. For most of us, it’s been at

PHS Valedictorian Nicolas Muriel

least 13 years of determined, rigorous work in the classroom. For many, even more has been applied through humanitarian, communal, and service activities provided through the district. That’s not even getting into the recreational, yet both highly competitive and bonding, activities in the sports field that a noticeable portion of our class have participated in. To have reached this level is a testament to our growth and our character, and that is immensely applaudable.

Of course, now is also opportune to realize the point of no return we are facing in these next few minutes. Regardless of whether one is going to a post-­secondary institution, the world of work, or the armed forces, the moment you receive a diploma is the moment your life changes. With the certification of your skills you receive, you are mentally endowed with the obligation to utilize those skills to not only improve your life but also your community. Whether you travel 10 miles or across the world in your future endeavors, the sensibilities and logic you’ve developed in your school career will aid you in being an exemplary citizen in your life and hopefully those you affect.

Upon realization of what we can be, it would be polite, nigh necessary, to thank those who have helped us reach this point in our lives. The teachers are naturally the first consideration, and I can vouch that the vast majority are not only informative, fair, interesting and constructively critical, but also humorous, relatable, and most importantly joyously purposed in their work. The fact that many also participate in multiple areas of school life, from coaching to volunteering to even participating in amazing pep rallies and yearbook dances, really shows their dedication to not only teaching us but reaching us. Who else remembers the fun of learning every country in the world in eighth grade, the unboundable charisma of teachers like Mr. Arms, the pep of teachers like Sra. Dudonis and Mrs. Gazzillo, the energy in teaching proofs of Mrs. Martinez, the wit and craft of Mr. Decker along with his leading of the renaissance of school musicals, and the cheer of Mrs. Rieger uniting our whole school for a filmed performance? The characters of the teachers were a massive benefit to learning in this district. There are also those in our personal lives that help motivate us to succeed. As kids, being reminded about doing homework or showing grades may have seemed overbearing, but that continued interest and concern for scholastic progress from our guardians is one of the many key things they aided us in through our development. The friends we made also helped immensely, relieving potential tension behaviorally, making us more interested in trying out extracurricular activities, and making the school a multifaceted experience of not only academic but social learning.

So, class of 2015, in the excitement of today, do not neglect to take some time to take it all in: how much you’ve been able to experience, the people who have helped you along, and what lies ahead. It’s an incredible honor to be speaking to you all today as your valedictorian, and I wish the best of luck in your future endeavors.

Next up, of course, is salutatorian Nicholas Irvin:

Good evening everybody. Class of 2015, we did it! We are finally here, graduation day. Looking back on the past more than a decade, I seem to remember everything like it was yesterday. Elementary school seems so close, yet so far away. I can still remember the field days. The days where everything seemed so simple. We were young, clueless, and just going with the flow of what our parents wanted. Then came the middle school years and team unity days, we were so awkward and thought we were cool and rebellious with cell phones and texting in class, while trying to avoid getting caught by the teacher. Then in high school, we finally found ourselves and who we were. We made our friend groups a little smaller and we were beginning to make the world, the one that we wanted to live in.

Now that we sit here on graduation day we can look back at the successes and accomplishments we have created and received. Vince Lombardi once said, “It’s not whether you get knocked down; it’s whether you get up.” Almost as sure as the world spinning, there has been a time where you have wanted to give up and stop caring; maybe you caught a case of senioritis. While tonight it seems that all of our troubles are going to wash away, more likely than not, you are going to have a lot more problems and struggles that will occur, but don’t let these discourage you.

As I look back on the things that I have done in my life, one thing that really sticks out to me is playing baseball. I started playing when I was five years old. One big thing that I have learned over the years is that everyone fails, but it is playing baseball that helped me realize these next few lessons. On the baseball field, we are told that a player who succeeds three out of ten times is a considered a great player. Failing a couple times does not make you a bad person or a failure, it means that you are human. I have also been taught that there is more likely than not going to be another chance. If you strike out, you can’t give up, you go back to the dugout and wait for the next turn to try again. There will be another chance to make up for the mistake. Never give up because the next chance will come and a time when you least expect it.

After we leave this ceremony tonight I want to ask all of you to thank everyone that has gotten you to this point today, whether it is your parents, grandparents, aunts/uncles, etc. I would like to thank the important people in my life at this time. Throughout the years we have made some incredible friends. Some, like my Rupert family, have been there since the beginning. Then there is the band family, the ones we met in fourth-­fifth grade and then really became close to in middle school. And in some cases, you meet friends in your senior year of high school, and you become so close so fast, they end up being your prom date.

PHS Salutatorian Nicholas Ervin

Next, I would like to say thank you to all of the teachers that have helped me and taught me throughout my four years here. You guys are the reason that I can stand here today. You are amazing people and I would not want another group of teachers to give me the education I have gotten. However, I would like to give a special thank you to Mrs. Martinez. You were truly my school mother. I haven’t had you since sophomore year, but yet I still think I managed to have a conversation with you every day for the past four years. You would let me sit in your room on my free blocks and bother you, or if I had a problem, you were always there to listen. Thank you so much for everything that you have done for me through the past four years.

Now for the family. Or well my second families, baseball and band. The other players on the baseball team have helped me grow into the person I am to today, and have helped teach me the lessons I spoke about earlier. I would like to thank the Mullens, Robinsons, Wolfels, Pennypackers, Owens, and Gebhards. Whether it was giving a ride to an away game, or simply giving an extra drink if we would run out. You have helped me throughout my life in more ways than you guys can imagine. Next, for the band. Some of the best people I have met in my life have come from the band. I am giving a special thanks to all the band moms out there. They really care about us. Sometimes, they knew what we needed before we did, and they always had it ready when we asked.

Next I would like to thank my aunts and uncles. Thank you for everything that you have done for me throughout my 18 years, no matter how big or small.

My grandparents. Mommom and Poppop White. You are what I would consider the all American grandparents. You can find them at almost anything. Whether it be award ceremonies, banquets, band concerts, football games, or baseball games, chances are if I was there playing or performing, they were there to watch and cheer me on. Mommom and Poppop Irvin. They may not have always been there in person, but I would like to imagine that they were always there in spirit and I am sure tonight is no different. While my grandmother is here, my grandfather is not. On April 21, 2013, my grandfather had passed away. So far, that has been the toughest day of my life. While he was proud of my cousins and I, when he passed away, I was more determined than ever to make sit on this stage tonight and make him even more proud than he already was. Buppy, you may not be here in person, but I know you are here in spirit to hear me say that I love you and I hope that I am making you proud each and every day.

My sisters. Where do I even begin with them? Hannah, you have taught me more than you probably think. You have taught me how to be determined. When you want something you go and get it. That is a trait that I have really learned from you. Jessica. You are one of the funniest people I have ever met. While Hannah has taught me how to be determined, you have taught me to not forget to have fun along the way. You two have helped me more than you can imagine and I could not be more proud to call you two or anybody else my sisters.

Finally, Mom and Dad. As I stand here speaking to you today, I hope that you are proud to call me your son, even though I know you guys tell me you are every night. You have been there for me every step of the way, and I know that you will be with me for the rest of the steps that there are. Whether it was the dumb little questions my dad would ask me every day when I got home from school, or the times when they would ask if I needed help with my homework. Even though I would always tell them no, they never stopped asking. While the questions may have been annoying every day, I am glad they were asked because it showed me that you truly cared. I love you guys from all depths of my heart and I could not be happier to call you my parents and I would not take another set over you guys any day.

I want to end with one final quote. Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” Keep this in mind as you go on in your life. Don’t be afraid to be different. Put yourself out there. If you want something go for it and don’t be afraid if someone tells you that you can’t. Use their doubt as motivation to fuel your fire and prove them wrong.

Once again thank you to everyone mentioned and congratulations class of 2015, I couldn’t have imagined going through this experience with another group of people. Thank you.

Finally, we give you the remarks of Superintendent Jeff Sparagana:

Good Evening and welcome parents, family members, school board directors, staff members, honored guests and most importantly 135th consecutive graduating class of senior students from the Pottstown High School.

This event marks Pottstown School District as one of the oldest diploma granting public school systems in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. In fact, as you know last year we celebrated our 175th anniversary as a school system

To the graduates: you are to be commended for achieving this goal.

We are all very proud of you accomplishments. Last evenings Baccalaureate ceremony was a just wonderful tribute to the class of 2015.

Did you know that you can be born in Pottstown and within the borough’s 5.5 square miles you can experience high quality: Pre Kindergarten education through PSD or PEAK; elementary and middle level education and then attend a comprehnsive high school; be dual enrolled or participate in the early College program, and receive college credit while in high school; as well as get an associate’s degree at MONTCO or four year degree through the articulation agreements it has with 4 year universities while not leaving the borough.

As you are about to join the ranks of 134 years of alumni and take your position in our

Superintendent Jeff Sparagana

society, I want to share a few facts about your collective efforts as the Class of 2015.

• · Your class is made up of 172 students (92 girls and 80 boys). 

• · 32% or 55 of you started your public education as Kindergarten students here in Pottstown. 

• · 33% or 56 of you are going on to attend a four year college or university. 

• · 17% or 29 of you are going on to attend a two year college or university. 

• · 18% or 31 of you have already secured a full-time position in the world of work. 

• · 8% or 13 of you are going on to attend technical-trade school. 

• · 5% or 8 of you remain undecided as to your next stop. 

• · 3% or 6 of you have already joined a branch of the armed services. 

Just in case you were not keeping track - 58% of the class of 2015 has chosen to further their education and a total of 79% have made a decision as to their future.

These are commendable numbers and deserve our applause.

Each year we tell the story of Pottstown High School and our outstanding students, families, staff, and administration.

The proof of any successful school system is NOT measured by the School Performance Profile, the Keystone exam or a co-curricular event.

The measure of a successful school system is the end product – its senior graduates of which there are in this our 176th anniversary year is over 19,000 strong. Our graduates have gone on to distinguished careers in many fields including – business, medicine, education, science, the military, entertainment, and other aspects of the Arts, architecture, engineering, college professors, the area of government, law enforcement, just about every field imaginable has been effected by our Graduates. ???

This event, today, is where the rubber meets the road! Remember, today is an important benchmark in your journey but none the less, just a benchmark, and an important one at that. However, you should know that in this fast paced, digital world of 2015 – 70% of post secondary jobs today require an associate’s degree or equivalent to be employable.

That is why I remind you that this evenings accomplishment although commendable and cause for celebration is just a step in the process of your development, a page in the book, maybe a chapter, but clearly not the final chapter in your book of personal growth and development through education, and most definitely not the final step along your path to success in this life. Graduates you are prepared to go out and compete in this global world we live in, but I remind you in order to compete and WIN you must continue to grow and develop by advancing your education and building your skill set.

As you have heard, some of your classmates are entering the world of work; going into the military; to a technical school; a community college; or a four year college. My message to you is, you cannot stop now.

The Class of 2015 has earned many awards over the years in a wide variety of categories, but today I am here to share with everyone listening that the Class of 2015 has earned a grand total of approximately $2,565,825.00 in scholarships, grants and awards. This is the highest total of any graduating class in recent memory.

I commend the Class of 2015 for your perseverance, determination and dedication to yourselves, your families and your school community. Class of 2015 - You make us all “Proud to be from Pottstown”!

A “wise man once said ” when asked: “What is the key to Happiness and a meaningful life?”

• · Good Health 

• · Meaningful Work 

• · Having love in your life 

Graduates - I wish each of these for all of you! Congratulations!

  

PEAK Performance and Little Libraries

Council's Wednesday work session was surprisingly light, but with a few delightful interludes.

Photo Courtesy of Dick Whittaker

This is what the Little Libraries look like.

One was a proposal by the Pottstown Rotary Club to put "Little Libraries" in at
least two (possibly more) locations around town.

People can simply take a book and return it, or not. It is a project of the club's Literacy Committee.

Another was a presentation by Pottstown Schools Superintendent Jeff Sparagana on the district's signature early learning program, called PEAK, which stands for Pottstown Early Action for Kindergarten readiness.

Council also seems inclined to move ahead quickly with the vacant property ordinance advocated by Community Champions which will provide a way to get a handle on derelict vacant properties in town.

You can read all about it in the Tweets below:

Lincoln Elementary, Bigger and Better Than Ever

Photos by John J. Armato

Lincoln Principal Calista Boyer addresses the crowd.

Saturday was a busy day in Pottstown and one of the many things I would have liked to attend but did
not get to was the re-dedication of Lincoln Elementary School.

This is my neighborhood school (do we still say that in Pottstown?) and the school my son attended.

He was educated by many of the teachers in this the above photo and I will confess to having a soft spot for it.

But I was working the snack bar for the Pottstown Schools Music Association at the Pottstown/Boyertown football game and the one Mercury photographer working Saturday had about

The crowd listens to a speaker at the start of the re-dedication ceremony.

10 other places to be.

So I did what I always do when I can't get something covered, I go with Plan B and rely upon Public Relations Coordinator John Armato, who took photos and sent them to me despite the fact that I messed up his new iPhone trying to show him how to use Twitter.

Hey I didn't mean to do it, but, let's face it. I don't know as much as Twitter as I like to pretend I do.

Anyway, enjoy the pics and congratulations to Lincoln for opening on time.

Schools Superintendent

Jeff Sparagana

As many of you will remember, that was an open question earlier in the year when three elementary schools, Lincoln, Franklin and Rupert, were all supposed to be completed before the start of school.

Two of the schools made it, and work on Rupert continues while the students and staff stay in the former Edgewood building on Morris Street.

Hopefully, Rupert will be ready to open by the start of the next marking period, but only time and a late-running construction project will tell if that goal is attainable.

Third Grade Teacher Michael Koman, an excellent teacher of my son's, helps out with the fun and games.

More fun and games were set up up in the renovated school's all purpose room.

Welcome to Pottstown Senator

Photo by John Armato

State Sen. Robert Mensch, left, meets with Steel River Playhouse director Marta Kiesling and PAID director Steve Bamford during his recent tour of Pottstown.

The new 24th State Senatorial District will soon include Pottstown.

When Pennsylvania's long-delayed legislative re-districting finally falls into place in the beginning of

the year, Pottstown will not only have a new, additional representative in the House of Representatives, but a new state senator as well.

The boundaries of the 44th District, currently represented by John Rafferty, will shift south and the 24th senatorial district, will slide south to encompass Pottstown, as well as West Pottsgrove and Upper Pottsgrove.

The 24th district seat is currently held by Republican Robert Mensch.

Photo by John Armato

Mensch tours the Sly Fox Brewery

In an effort to get out in front of the change, Pottstown officials last week invited Mensch for a day-long visit to the borough to help him re-familiarize himself with town and to be sure Pottstown's issues are front and center.

Schools Superintendent Jeff Sparagana spear-headed the effort and reported on the results to the school board Monday night.

It began with a walking tour of the downtown area.

"To start, we visited VideoRay, ArtFusion, Steel River Playhouse and Weitzenkorn's, which Senator Mensch remembers because his father used to work at OxyChem and that's where he bought his suits," Sparagana said.

The group included Borough Manager Mark Flanders, PAID Executive Director Steve Bamford,

Photo by John Armato

Mensch meets with ArtFusion 19464 director 

Erika Hornburg-Cooper.

TriCounty Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Eileen Dautrich, Hill School Headmaster Zach Lehman, PMMC CEO Sharif Omar, PDIDA Executive Director Sheila Dugan and Myra Forrest, executive director of the Foundation for Pottstown Education.

From downtown, the group boarded a trolley and visited the Pottstown campus of Montgomery County Community College, the Schuylkill River Heritage Area headquarters, The Hill School campus and the community gardens on Chestnut Street.

From there, the group went to Pottstown High School where the culinary arts class prepared lunch

Photo by John Armato

Mensch meets with Weitzenkorn's proprietor Marc Weitzenkorn.

and, in the process, "really went above and beyond," Sparagana said.

Afterwards, Sparagana said the group visited Pottstown Municipal Airport and the Sly Fox Brewery on the Circle of Progress.

"Senator Mensch told us he never expected to have the type of day he had and he was pleased and impressed by all the collaboration he saw taking place in Pottstown," Sparagana said.

"It was a good opportunity to demonstrate what happens here as this community comes together as one," Sparagana said.

Superintendents Now Goal-Oriented

It's a known fact that in Pennsylvania, school superintendents are generally the highest paid

Sparagana

employees of a public school district.

That's not so surprising when you consider that they are, in essence, the CEO's of organizations with multi-million-dollar budgets.

But until this year, it was generally up to an individual school board to exercise oversight.

Performance reviews and goal-setting has been spotty at best.

But things have changed.

According to this Feb. 4 report in The Times-Tribune of Scranton: "Part of the state budget enacted for 2012-13 called for the evaluations of school superintendents. Boards and superintendents are required to develop performance standards, and those standards are to be posted on the district's website. After the superintendent is evaluated, the district must post on its website whether the superintendent met the performance standards."

Which means that Pottstown Schools Superintendent Jeff Sparagana will be evaluated based on his and the district's performance in achieving a set of goals, which were adopted at the Aug. 19 school board meeting.

I have uploaded the full list of those goals to Document Cloud and you can click here to read them all.

The goals are divided into categories which include: continuous improvement planning, curriculum development, instruction, community, district operations, fiscal management, project oversight and school safety.

For those of you who don't want to read the six-page list, here is a sampling:

• Aligning curriculum with "PA Common Core Standards;"
• PSD makes Adequate Yearly Progress under the federal No Child Left Behind guidelines;
• Promoting a system within the district "that seeks to engage each member of the district community, promotes, enhances and sustains a shared vision, positive school climate and ensures family and support for student participation in the learning process;
• Common email, global connect, text messaging and E-alert system in all schools;
• Effective and efficient use of the district web site to communication information and issues regarding district operations to the school board and community;

There are several categories related to re-districting and the construction projects, the closing of Edgewood.

Another goal is to craft a budget "that maintains all programming and provides for redistricting."

****

On another subject, the school board also re-appointed Stephen Kalis as district solicitor.

He will be paid $185 per hour, a rate that has remained unchanged for the last four years he has held the post.

On Their Honor

Blogger's Note: I had to miss this ceremony this year because it was the same day Digital First folks were meeting with Gov. Corbett. My thanks to John Armato for providing this report.

Recently the Pottstown Middle School held a candle lighting induction ceremony for 44 new members of the National Junior Honor Society. 

Superintendent Jeff Sparagana 

The candle lighting induction ceremony was conducted at a school-wide assembly which was also attended by school district administrators, school board members, and parents of the inductees. Entertainment was provided by the middle school jazz band under the direction of Ben Hayes. The audience heard arrangements of the theme from “James Bond,” “Stand By Me,” and “I Got Rhythm.”

The National Junior Honor Society is sponsored by Lois Sanders who also organized the candle lighting induction program. Jeffrey Sparagana, Superintendent of Schools, was the keynote speaker and encouraged students to strive to their highest potential and never allow anyone to tell them that they cannot achieve.

Eighth grade honor students Dylan Brandt and Khalif Jeter provided the welcome and introduction of the keynote speaker. Students taking part in the candle lighting ceremony included: Yuliza Cruz, Khalif Jeter, Janna Jones, Kyli McKee, Kenny Patel, Emily Iezzi, Heather Swanson, and Nyles Rome.

Ms. Sanders and eighth grader Alivia Lopez led the inductees in the National Honor Society Pledge. 

A student must obtain a minimum grade point average of 91% during their sixth and seventh grade years and maintain that average in order to be a member of the National Junior Honor Society. 

Additionally, they must complete an application that includes obtaining character references from community and staff members. They must also promise to maintain the high standards of National Honor Society and serve their school and community by participating in various service projects throughout the year.

Under the direction of Ms. Sanders, students work to maintain high standards of academic achievement and community service. Their participation helps to keep them focused from an early age on the goal of high academic achievement. Students who actively pursue academic excellence increase their chances of success in adult life.

Soaad Elbahwati recited a poem to close the ceremonies. New inductees and their parents were invited to a reception held in the middle school library.

The Pottstown School District is proud to have a local chapter of a prestigious organization such as the National Honor Society and a coordinator who works tirelessly to provide opportunity for students to develop a value for education. This year’s inductees include:

Jamal Adams, Brooke Beyer, Hailey Christman, Ansela Corney, Alyssa Dlutz, Reilly Dugan, Tiana Dupiche, Gianna Epps, Bryce Ferguson, Claire Fetterman, Dale Groff, Andraya Guy, Kiersten Heverly, Alexandra Hickey, Aniya Jackson, Ceara Jackson, Tavia Jeffcoat, Emily Jerdon, Gianna Kimmell, Sean Lafferty Emilie Lineman, Alondra Magana, Juliet Manley, Peter Marcheskie, Rachel Martin, Martin Metzger, Taylor Mickletz,Trinity Miller, Audrey Morton, Tiffany Myers, Angel Onate, Emma Pargeon, Courteney Parry, Alexus Perez, Abigail Richter, Cole Rulli, Izabelle Shiffler, April Smith, Justine Villamar, Julian Weber, Kimberely Wilkinson, Isaiah Williams, Nicholas Wilson, Nina Yost

Another Lesson in Transparency

As forecast, Jeff Sparagana is
Pottstown's new superintendent

Sadly, no one took me up on my bet, made in this Nov. 30 post, that the school board was poised to appoint Jeff Sparagana as the district's new superintendent.

This means no extra money for Christmas presents at my house now that they did last night.

Although sad for what won't be under the tree, it's not really a surprise.

After all, people in Pottstown have become quite used to promotion from within.

Sparagana represents the fifth time in a row that the Pottstown School Board has chosen a superintendent from within its own administrative ranks.

Which, all in all, doesn't say much for my powers of prognostication.

But that's not really the point of today's post. It's not worth much to crow about predicting something everyone pretty much knew would happen anyway.

(Further, if any of you are pausing during the onslaught of the Mayan apocalypse to read this, you know my powers of foretelling are sadly lacking indeed.)

Besides, I like Jeff Sparagana and I think he'll do a pretty good job.

He has already put Pottstown on the map with its early education initiatives and is known state wide, if not nationally as an expert on the subject.

As a principal, he always ran a pretty tight ship and as the assistant superintendent, who has the unenviable responsibility of dealing with personnel issues, he's already proven himself in what is probably the most difficult part of being a leader in a large organization.

What we're here to talk about today is the dog and pony show which led up to Thursday night's expected but unannounced vote.

Judyth Zahora

The ring leader of this performance is School Board President Judyth Zahora, who talks the talk but rarely walks the walk when it comes to public participation.

To be sure, other members of the school board bear a responsibility to speak up for the public's involvement as well, but they rarely object to the hypocrisy of decrying public apathy while repeatedly preventing public involvement.

Listen, it's understood that in a matter as delicate as hiring your chief administrator, some things have to remain private, but somehow, by some miracle of science, other districts seem to find ways to involve the public in ways Pottstown would never dream of.

They form citizen committees; or, (horrors!) allowing the public and staff to interview the final candidates.

Zahora said publicly that she wanted the public to be involved this time in the search for a new superintendent, that it was a big decision.

Zahora told the board at the Nov. 1 school board meeting that she would like public meetings the board would hold on the superintendent matter to be in the large group instruction room in the middle school where the board meets for regular meetings.

“I’d like the meetings to be here and I would hope we’d have a big crowd here and for these to be as public as possible,” Zahora said. “I’d like to believe we’ll have a large amount of public interest.”

Later in the evening, referring to the district’s use of electronic communication to keep in touch with families, Zahora said, “The more communication we have, the better for our staff, our students and our parents.”
That would be the talking the talk part of the equation.

What happened next?

What happens when Lucy offers to hold the football for Charlie Brown?

First, the board held a closed-to-the-public executive session with Jerry W. Shiveley, the executive director and CEO of the Montgomery County Intermediate Unit on options it could consider in its search.

Why the public could not know these options remains a mystery Scobby Doo and the gang could not solve.

Then a set of several public meetings on how the board could proceed were tentatively scheduled.

None of them ever occurred and no explanation was ever offered.

Instead, suddenly, as so often happens with the Pottstown School Board, a decision emerged from nowhere and the public is left scratching its head, and subsequently chided by Mrs. Zahora for never attending public meetings.

Small wonder.

I'll forgo going through the list of similar public-excluding actions taken by the board over the years. (I don't want Amy Francis yelling at me again on Facebook).

But if you're interested, they're outlined in this Nov. 4 article I wrote for The Mercury.

I would rail against constant contradiction, but I've done that before and, unlike so many things in Pottstown, I think I'll pass on doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.

Instead, I will resign myself to the Pottstown axiom  "that's the way we've always done it," to which I will ask why we wonder that things keep turning out the same way....

That's the Way We've Always Done It

Is it too soon to
congratulate

Jeff Sparagana as
the new superintendent?

So here's what I'm thinking.

I'm thinking that the failure of the Pottstown School Board to hold a public meeting about hiring a new superintendent Tuesday, as had been tentatively scheduled, has a reason.

And I'm thinking the reason they didn't have a meeting is, they didn't need to.

This month it is officially 15 years since I arrived in Pottstown and was put on The Mercury pay roll.

In that time, I have watched new superintendent searches conducted in school districts from Daniel Boone, Owen J. Roberts (sometimes painfully), Spring-Ford, Phoenixville (sometimes expensively) and Boyertown.

I'm sure I missed some, but those are the ones I remember.

In all that time, however, I have never seen one conducted in Pottstown that looked beyond the borough border.

And I'm starting to think we're about to see the same thing happen again.

When I arrived, Frank Heifer was the superintendent and he had been an assistant to Ray Feick who preceded him. Then it was Tony Georeno, followed by David Krem and then Reed Lindley  all of whom had come up through the ranks of the school district.

There was never a 

terribly good explanation

offered for Lindley's departure

Now, with Lindley's sudden and unexplained departure many months before his contract ended, the school board seemed poised to begin an actual search outside the border.

This was due largely to the fact that the obvious successor, Assistant Superintendent Jeff Sparagana, having twice failed to secure the post, had announced his retirement prior to Dr. Lindley stepping down without warning.

Dr. Sparagana then agreed to delay his retirement until the end of the school year to give the board more time to find a replacement.

Still, in the arc of finding a new superintendent, six months is not a lot of time.

So why in the world would they cancel a meeting designed to get things started -- at least publicly.

Why indeed?

Well, being the amateur historian that I am, I firmly believe that  in most cases, past predicts future and if there is one past event in Pottstown that you can predict will occur again, it is promotion from within.

So am I saying I think Dr. Sparagana -- now finally sitting in the superintendent's chair -- likes the way it feels?

I am.

Am I saying that I think the Pottstown School Board would love to have one less major project on its plate, like searching far and wide for a new superintendent, and would equally love to offer a trusted familiar face a three-year contract?

I sure am.

How confident am I?

Pretty damn confident.

It was Mark Flanders' knowledge of

Pottstown and its employees that won

him the borough manager's job, council

members said when he was appointed.

Am I willing to put my money where my mouth is, always dangerous ground for an underpaid journalist?

Yes again.

So, it's official, I will bet anyone who thinks I'm full of it $25 that the next superintendent of the Pottstown School District will be Jeff Sparagana.

But before you put your money at risk, consider how we do things in Pottstown.

Over at Borough Hall, the insider candidate was chosen despite dozens of applications from those with more experience; and before April rolls around I think we will again see the insider, in this case Rick Drumheller, named the new police chief.

Understand, this is not to say that I think any of these folks will do a bad job. In fact all three mentioned here are quite competent and I suspect they'll do fine.

They are all dedicated and have all given years of service to this borough in one form or another. And yes, that should count for something.

As one person in a position to make these decisions told me, "I hate to disqualify someone just because he is local."

I think it likely Drumheller will be chosen as Pottstown's

new police chief.

But the best indicator, I think, of how Pottstown officials view these things, are the comments made by the borough council members during the obviously pre-arranged statements they made in support of the appointment of Mark Flanders as borough manager.

Several council members talked about his familiarity with the staff and how Pottstown works.

They said they valued that over hands-on experience running a municipality, a viewpoint which is not only their prerogative but perfectly valid.

But I suspect another familiarity was at play as well, the familiarity board members have with Flanders and, soon enough I suspect, a familiarity they have with Drumheller.

Why should the school district, which has the longest record of promoting from within and valuing familiarity, change their ways now?

The only minds they would need to change are Dr. Sparagana and his family.

And after all, that's the way we've always done it.