Dennis Leone on 'Spin City': Nearly all policy changes of past 4 years needed because of OEA and ORTA's look-the-other-way culture

From Dennis Leone, April 12, 2008
Subject: RE: Spin City...another name for Columbus, OH?

Yes, and given all that happened between 1995 and 2003 under the leadership of the Dyer, the Fab 5, and Endry, it is astonishing to read that OEA -- under the so-called Plan B -- wants a board that “focuses on strategic governance matters rather than operational issues” and “observes a clear separation of board and CEO roles,” yet OEA (and in particular, Leibensperger and Frost-Brooks) have publicly resisted all of the recent motions I made which were designed to do precisely those things.

I guess OEA and ORTA still would prefer the executive director to have the unilateral power to “adopt all further policies” instead of being responsible for operations and administrative regs. I guess OEA and ORTA would prefer for the executive director to have the unilateral power to give rehired retirees at STRS all of their accumulated sick leave from their previous school district, even if they were paid for those days upon retirement. I guess OEA and ORTA would prefer the executive director to have the unilateral power to adopt his own policies pertaining to severance checks for laid off employees and the payment of private/personal legal fees of STRS employees. I guess OEA and ORTA would prefer the board to vote on big ticket contract issues without so much as having a summary of proposals before voting

In fact, nearly ALL of the 25-30 policy changes that have occurred in the past 4 years were needed because of a look-the-other-way culture that OEA and ORTA were part of. OEA is an embarrassment to active teachers. ORTA is an embarrassment to retirees. Some things never change.

Dennis Leone