McClure Resignation

Journal story.....

School board member resigns before starting job

MIDDLETOWN —
For the second time in two years, the Middletown School Board needs to replace a board member who resigned before they started.

Dr. Mark McClure, who defeated incumbent the Rev. Greg Tyus earlier this month, recently sent a letter to the school board and the Butler County Board of Elections saying his replacement needed to be named.

In the letter obtained by The Journal-News, McClure said after meeting with Superintendent Sam Ison and Treasurer Kelley Thorpe to discuss the needs for the next couple years, he evaluated the impact the Affordable Care Act will have on his medical practice.

He wrote that the increased number of patients and the additional documentation required by Medicare will “greatly limit” his time to perform the duties of an “effective board member.”

He asked the board to consider naming Tyus as his replacement. Tyus said McClure’s decision not to fulfil his obligation “angers me” because he should have realized the cost and time commitment before the election.

“That’s not right to the voting public,” Tyus said.

McClure thanked those who elected him, and called his resignation “a difficult decision that took a lot of prayer and review to make the choice to pull out.”

Jocelyn Bucaro, deputy director of the board of elections, said the school board, by majority vote, will decide who will fill McClure’s seat within 30 days. She said that person will serve from Jan. 1 to Jan. 15, 2015, and the replacement will be elected in November 2015 and begin in Jan. 1, 2016.

Board President Marcia Andrew said she was “very surprised” by McClure’s announcement.

This is the second time the board has needed to find a replacement for a candidate before he was sworn in, and the third time a seat was left vacant.

In 2011, Alan Whitt ran unopposed, and after he won, announced he wasn’t going to be on the board. Deanna Shores was appointed to Whitt’s position, and she won a two-year seat on the board in November.

Then in March, board member Chris Fiora was required by law to resign after he moved from Middletown to West Chester Twp. Fiora, who served on the board nearly six years, had 2½ years remaining on a four-year term. The board appointed Christi Delloma to replace him. Delloma also was elected to a two-year term in November

YA KNOW, THIS IS BECOMING SOMEWHAT OF A PATTERN FOR THIS SCHOOL BOARD. THE WAY THE SYSTEM IS SET UP, THE SCHOOL BOARD WILL NOW GET TO NAME ONE OF THEIR CIRCLE OF FRIENDS TO THE POSITION, AS THEY DID THE LAST TIME. APPARENTLY THE CRITERIA FOR SCHOOL BOARD SERVICE AND TO BE SELECTED TO FILL A RESIGNATION IS TO BE A LEVY SUPPORTER AND TO AGREE WITH EVERYTHING THEY BELIEVE IN. KINDA LIKE THE COUNCIL. NO DESENTERS ARE WELCOMED. NO DIFFERING OPINION NEED BE HEARD. A CLOSE-KNIT BUNCH AREN'T THEY.

THIS PRACTICE OF FILLING A RESIGNATION PLACES ALL THE DECISION MAKING IN THE HANDS OF THE SCHOOL BOARD AND REMOVES ALL PUBLIC VOTER INVOLVEMENT. WHY? THE VOTERS WERE INVOLVED WITH THE INITIAL SELECTION. WHY THE EXCLUSION ON THE REPLACEMENT OF THE INITIAL SELECTION? ILLOGICAL.

FOLLOWING MCCLURE'S RECOMMENDATION OF PLACING TYUS BACK ON THE BOARD WOULD MEAN WE WOULD HAVE MORE OF THE SAME OLD SAME OLD. HAVEN'T WE ALL SEEN FOR SO MANY YEARS THAT ALL TYUS DOES IS WARM A SEAT BEHIND THAT DESK? NO CHANCE WITH ANY OF THE BOARD MEMBERS THAT THE DISTRICT WILL BE GUIDED IN A DIFFERENT DIRECTION, CONTINUING TO FLOUNDER ON THE SAME OLD COURSE TO MEDIOCRITY. NOT WILLING TO TRY A NEW PROGRAM? BE PREPARED TO INCUR THE SAME RESULTS. THAT'S WHAT YOU GET WHEN YOU KEEP PLACING LEVY APPROVAL CLONES IN POSITIONS OF SCHOOL GUIDANCE.

processor wrote: Vet, The process of filling a vacancy is a matter of state law.  You make some good points but the law would have to change in order to use a different process.  I highly doubt that the board is looking forward to having to go through this again.   Isn't the solution to get more people to run for the board?

Processor:

I KNOW THEY ARE ACTING WITHIN THE GUIDELINES OF THE STATE LAW, HOWEVER, THE STATE LAW TAKES THE DECISION-MAKING OUT OF THE HANDS OF THE VOTERS WHO WERE SUPPOSE TO DETERMINE, BY THEIR VOTE, WHO THEY WANTED ON THEIR SCHOOL BOARD AND GIVES THAT POWER RIGHT BACK TO THE PEOPLE WHO WILL ALWAYS CHOOSE SOMEONE JUST LIKE THEM, WHO THEY KNOW WILL VOTE RIGHT ALONG WITH THEM AND THEIR PROGRAM. WE, THE PEOPLE, NEVER GET SOMEONE WHO WILL QUESTION ANYTHING DONE, WHETHER IT BE ABOUT MONEY, PERFORMANCE, LEVIES OR DAY TO DAY OPERATIONS. IT WILL NEVER CHANGE IF THE VOTERS KEEP SEEING THE SAME OLD WORN OUT PEOPLE SAYING AND DOING THE SAME OLD WORN OUT THINGS. THE DAM STATE LAW PLAYS RIGHT INTO THEIR HANDS AND SHAFTS THE PUBLIC. NO, IF THE VOTERS PLACED THE PERSON IN OFFICE WHO RESIGNS, THE VOTERS SHOULD HAVE THE SAME OPPORTUNITY TO REPLACE THAT PERSON IN THE SAME MANNER. JMO

Processor:

"Isn't the solution to get more people to run for the board?"

YES IT IS. HOWEVER, I KNOW A PERSON THAT, BACK IN THE 90'S, RAN FOR SCHOOL BOARD. AT THE TIME, THERE WERE THREE CANDIDATES FOR TWO SEATS. WHEN THE CANDIDATE ANNOUNCED THEIR PLATFORM AND THEIR INTENTIONS, WITHIN A WEEK, ANOTHER 5 HAD APPLIED, ALL GATHERED BY THE INNER ELITE OF THIS TOWN. IT DILUTED THE VOTE. SURE, AN UNKNOWN CAN RUN FOR ANY OFFICE HERE IN TOWN. THE DIFFICULTY IS TO OVERCOME THE ONSLAUGHT OF THE ESTABLISHMENT, IF YOUR THINKING DOESN'T FIT THEIR CRITERIA. JUDGING BY WHAT HAPPENED IN THIS CASE, WHEN THE INNER ELITE FIND OUT WHAT AN OUTSIDER'S INTENTIONS ARE, THEY JUMP INTO ACTION TO DILUTE THE VOTES THAT MAY HAVE GONE TO THE CANDIDATE AND THEY END UP WAY DOWN IN THE VOTE TALLY. THIS IS HOW THEY FLUSH THE NON-INNER CIRCLE OUT OF THE SYSTEM.

ADDITIONALLY, IF A NEW CANDIDATE WANTED TO RUN, AND THEY CONSIDERED THE CONDITION AND THE ISSUES OF THIS SCHOOL SYSTEM AND WHAT A MONUMENTAL TASK IT WOULD BE TO FIX THINGS, GIVEN THE RESISTANCE OF THE OTHERS ON THE BOARD, THEY MAY THINK TWICE BEFORE TAKING ON ALL THE HEADACHES.

BESIDES, LET'S FACE IT, THE SCHOOL BOARD'S PRIMARY FOCUS (ALONG WITH THE SUPERINTENDENT), IS TO GET LEVIES PASSED, KEEPING THAT MONEY FLOW GOING TO PAY FOR ALL THE SALARIES AND NEW BUILDING OPERATIONS, KEEPING THE TEACHER'S UNION HAPPY AND MAKING SURE WE HAVE TWO OR THREE ASSIST. PRINCIPALS PER SCHOOL ALONG WITH OTHER LAYERS OF TOP HEAVY MANAGEMENT AND ADMIN. EDUCATION IS SECONDARY. IT MUST BE BASED ON HISTORICAL DATA, RATINGS AND ACCOMPLISHMENT. OVER THE YEARS, THERE HAS BEEN SOME MEGA-BUCKS SPENT ON THIS SCHOOL DISTRICT.....AND WHAT HAS BEEN ACCOMPLISHED WHEN WE LOOK AT THE HISTORY OVER THE LAST THREE DECADES?

Maybe we should all thank those willing to serve at this difficult time, and hope that quality candidates step forward to serve Dr.McClure's term.

MS. ANDREW:
"Vet, the conspiracy exists only in your mind. There is no "inner circle" of "school people.""

ACTUALLY, I HAVE BEEN OBSERVING THE MIDDLETOWN SCHOOL SYSTEM LONGER THAN YOU HAVE MS. ANDREW. LONG BEFORE YOU CAME TO TOWN. THERE WAS AN INNER CIRCLE OF CITY GOVERNMENT PEOPLE AS WELL AS ONE INVOLVING THE SCHOOLS. HAS BEEN SINCE THE 60'S. THIS TOWN IS NOTORIOUS FOR CLICKS AND "PEOPLE OF SPECIAL INTEREST CONTROLLING THINGS". A TOWN OF EXCLUSION FOR MOST. ARMCO'S BIG WIGS CONTROLLED THAT IN THOSE DAYS, JUST AS THEY CONTROLLED THE ACTIVITIES WITHIN THE CITY. THEIR MONETARY INPUT GAVE THEM FREE REIGN, WITHOUT QUESTION, TO DO THESE THINGS. NOW, WITH ARMCO/AK INFLUENCE REDUCED, THE ROLE HAS BEEN TAKEN OVER, OVER TIME, BY OUTSIDERS MOVING IN, ORGANIZING, AND CALLING THE SHOTS WHILE THE REST OF US LONGTIMERS SIT BACK AND ALLOW IT TO HAPPEN. WE ARE AT FAULT FOR NOT RESISTING.

MS. ANDREW:
"Mark McClure was not an outsider. He served a term on the school board before, from 2004-07."

I AM AWARE THAT MCCLURE HAD BEEN ON THE BOARD IN THE PAST. I VOTED IN THAT ELECTION. HE WAS A NEWCOMER TO THE BOARD. GAVE HIM A CHANCE. I AM ALSO AWARE THAT HE WAS MORE OF THE SAME OLD SAME OLD AFTER THE SMOKE HAD CLEARED AND OFFERED NO BETTER APPROACH THAN THE TYPICAL PEOPLE THAT USUALLY SIT BEHIND THAT DESK.

YOU STATE THAT YOU HAD NEVER MET THE APPOINTEES THAT HAVE FILLED RESIGNATION SLOTS IN THE PAST. YOU DID NOT GO INTO DETAIL AS TO WHETHER THE OTHERS ON THE SCHOOL BOARD KNEW THEM AND RECOMMENDED THEY APPLY AND THEREFORE STOOD A GOOD CHANCE OF OCCUPYING A BOARD SEAT. LIKE COUNCIL, LIKE THE COMMITTEES SET UP IN THIS TOWN AND LIKE THE ACTIVITIES THAT OCCUR WITHIN THE WALLS OF THE CITY BUILDING, I BELIEVE THAT THE MAJOR ACTIVITIES OF THIS CITY ARE GOVERNED BY AN INNER CIRCLE OF INFLUENCE, WITH THOSE PARTICIPANTS CONTROLLING THE DIRECTION, MONEY FLOW AND CHARACTER OF THIS CITY. OVERWHELMING INDICATIONS OVER THE YEARS TO THINK OTHERWISE.

YOUR STATEMENT SUGGESTING THAT ALL WHO SUPPORT LEVIES CARE ABOUT EDUCATION. NOT TRUE IF THAT IS WHAT YOU MEANT. SOME OF US CHOOSE NOT TO BLINDLY BELIEVE THE LEVY PROPAGANDA AND DON'T WANT TO SEE MORE MONEY FLUSHED DOWN THE DRAIN FOR NO IMPROVEMENT, BELIEVING THIS WHOLE MIDDLETOWN EDUCATION PROGRAM NEEDS TO BE RE-TOOLED.

THE SUBJECT MATTER IS NOT RUNNING FOR SCHOOL BOARD AS AN OUTSIDER. THE SUBJECT MATTER IS THE STATE LAW CATERING TO THE SCHOOL BOARD BY PLACING THE RESIGNATION REPLACEMENT CHOICE IN THE HANDS OF A SELECT FEW AND TAKING THAT CHOICE OUT OF THE HANDS OF THE VOTERS. THE GENERAL VOTER POPULACE NEEDS TO BE THE ONES CONTROLLING THE SELECTION, NOT THE SCHOOL BOARD. IT ALLOWS YOU AND OTHERS TO SELECT ANYONE OF YOUR CHOOSING AND EXCLUDES THE PEOPLE WHO WERE ORIGINALLY CHARGED TO MAKE THE SELECTION.

I'M TOTALLY AWARE THAT TAXPAYER MONEY GOES TO PAY FOR YOUR SCHOOLS. 80% OF EVERYONE'S PROPERTY TAXES GOES TOWARD YOUR SCHOOLS. I JUST CRINGE KNOWING WHAT I'M GETTING FOR MY PORTION OF THE PAYMENT TOWARD YOUR SCHOOLS. IT IS NOT A GOOD DEAL IMO.....NOT THE WAY YOUR SYSTEM HAS BEEN PERFORMING THE LAST 4 DECADES. I EXPECT A BETTER RETURN ON INVESTMENT.

YOU STATE...."We can only select from people who apply."

OR, ON THE FLIP SIDE....BEHIND THE SCENES, WE CAN ENCOURAGE OUR PERSONAL SELECTEES, WHO WE KNOW WILL GO ALONG WITH THE PROGRAM, TO APPLY, MAKING IT AN EASY CHOICE, GUARANTEEING THEM A PLACE ON THE BOARD. C'MON FOLKS, WE ALL KNOW THAT NEPOTISM, FAVORITISM AND BACK ROOM ACTIVITIES OCCUR ON ALL LEVELS IN ANY ORGANIZATION FROM CITY SCHOOLS TO ALL LEVELS OF GOV. TO THE ELKS, EAGLES, MOOSE, MASONS AND ALL ORGANIZATIONS IN-BETWEEN. SURELY ONE CAN'T BE SO NAIVE. HELL, YOU NEED LOOK NO FURTHER THAN THE LOCAL REPUBLICAN AND DEMOCRATIC PARTIES AND THEIR LITTLE INTERNAL SELECTIONS. KEEPING IT ALL IN THE FAMILY HAS ALWAYS BEEN THE GAME. YOU KNOW THIS MS. ANDREW.

WE WILL CONTINUE TO AGREE TO DISAGREE WITH REGARD TO THE LAST TWO PARAGRAPHS MS. ANDREW. NO NEED TO REPEAT YOUR PLATFORM ON THE SUBJECTS.

SPIDER......I WANT WHAT IS BEST FOR THE SCHOOLS AND THE COMMUNITY. I JUST WANT TO GET THERE A DIFFERENT WAY THAN IS CURRENTLY BEING DISPLAYED BY THE SCHOOL AND CITY GOVERNMENT PEOPLE. I AM FRUSTRATED WITH THE LACK OF PROGRESS IN THE SCHOOLS AS WE CONTINUE TO PLOW MILLIONS INTO A STAGNATED PROGRAM(HOW MANY MORE YEARS WILL IT TAKE FOR PEOPLE TO FINALLY FEEL ENOUGH IS ENOUGH?)AND THE WRONG DIRECTION FOR THE CITY. ONE IS MOVING AT A SNAIL'S PACE AND THE OTHER IS TOTALLY CLUELESS AS TO THE PROPER FOCUS. JMO

MJ:
Tyus to fill seat on Middletown school board
By Rick McCrabb

Staff Writer
MIDDLETOWN —
The Rev. Gregory Tyus, who didn’t retain his seat on the Middletown school board in November’s election, was appointed to the board at Tuesday night’s meeting.

Dr. Mark McClure, who defeated incumbent Tyus in the election, turned in his resignation weeks before he was scheduled to be sworn in as the board’s newest member. McClure said he resigned because his medical practice was going to take up too much of his time.

In the letter McClure sent to the school board and the Butler County Board of Elections, he said after meeting with Superintendent Sam Ison and Treasurer Kelley Thorpe to discuss the needs for the next couple years, he realized the impact the Affordable Care Act will have on his medical practice.

He wrote that the increased number of patients and the additional documentation required by Medicare will “greatly limit” his time to perform the duties of an “effective board member.”

"The Rev. Gregory Tyus, who didn’t retain his seat on the Middletown school board in November’s election, was appointed to the board at Tuesday night’s meeting"


Let's see, an earlier post from Ms. Andrew..... something to the effect....

Vet, there is no conspiracy thing/ no inner circle in the schools. It's all in your mind.


HMMM. SOUNDS LIKE THE SAME OLD RECYCLED "INNER CIRCLE" PERSON TO ME. NO NEED TO RUN. JUST WAIT FOR THE INVITATION. WE ALL ARE FAMILIAR WITH TYUS. DID YOU LOOK BEYOND TYUS, WHO, BY THE WAY, IS MAKING A CAREER OUT OF THIS.

THERE IS A CERTAIN SEGMENT OF THIS COMMUNITY WHO SEEM TO "MAKE THE ROUNDS" GOING FROM COMMITTEE TO COMMITTEE AND OFFICE SEAT TO OFFICE SEAT. FAMILIAR FACES TRAVELING IN SPECIAL CIRCLES YOU MIGHT SAY.

processor wrote: Vet, I think that you're right that it's typically the same people who pop up on all the committees. However, I believe that this is because there is only a core group of people who are willing to sacrifice their personal time to serve on these boards and committees. To solve this more people need to get involved and spend their time on this work. I agree with Ms. Andrew that Greg Tyus was deserving of the appointment for no other reason than he spent the time and effort running for the position.

I won't argue with your statements here, however, I would like to add a few comments in relation to the topic.

We do see the same names and faces participating in all facets of this town's decision-making process. I agree with your statement that it is due to a core group of people who are willing to sacrifice their time......

HOWEVER, I would like to add this statement to your comment......

THERE ARE THOSE WHO WOULD RELISH THE OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE, BE IT ON COUNCIL, ON SCHOOL BOARD OR ON THE VARIOUS COMMITTEES IN TOWN. THERE ARE ALSO A NUMBER OF REASONS WHY THOSE SAME PEOPLE CANNOT PARTICIPATE.

1. SOME JOBS, DUE TO THE HOURS WORKED, THE INABILITY TO GET TIME OFF DURING DAYTIME WORKING HOURS TO ATTEND VARIOUS MEETINGS AND FUNCTIONS. IF YOU DON'T OWN A BUSINESS AND CALL THE SHOTS, IF YOU WORK SHIFT WORK OR IF YOU AREN'T HIGH ENOUGH ON THE FOOD CHAIN IN POSITION TO JUST TAKE THE TIME OFF, YOU ARE AT THE MERCY OF YOUR EMPLOYER AND MOST FROWN ON TENDING TO CITY AFFAIRS DURING WORKING HOURS. MULLIGAN CAN TAKE OFF WHENEVER HE WANTS BECAUSE OF HIS POSITION AT THE BANK. MORT COULD TAKE TIME OFF BECAUSE SHE WAS IN BUSINESS FOR HERSELF........

2. GREG TYUS GOT THE ASSIGNMENT BY DEFAULT. THERE WAS NO ONE ELSE. GREG TYUS ALSO HAS A WORKING POSITION THAT ALLOWS HIM TO TAKE TIME AS NEEDED FOR SCHOOL BOARD FUNCTIONS. IT IS A SHAME THAT THE VOTERS ELECTED ANOTHER, YET END UP WITH THE ONE WHO FINISHED LAST AND WAS EXTRACATED FROM THE SCHOOL BOARD. JUST DOESN'T SEEM RIGHT THAT THE PEOPLE WANTED ANOTHER AND GOT THE SAME PERSON OUSTED BASED ON TAKING THE DECISION-MAKING OUT OF THE HANDS OF THE VOTER AND RIGHT BACK IN THE HANDS OF A SPECIAL GROUP. NATURALLY, THEY ARE GOING TO RETURN TO WHO THEY ARE FAMILIAR WITH.

3. THIS CORE GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT YOU MENTION ARE FORMED BECAUSE THEY ARE IN A POSITION THAT ALLOWS THEM SPECIAL CONSIDERATION TO PARTICIPATE. MOST OF US MAKE A LIVING BY A SET OF RULES SET UP BY THE EMPLOYER AND THAT SET OF RULES DOESN'T ALLOW US THE FREEDOM TO COME AND GO AS WE PLEASE TO RUN FOR OFFICE OR BE ON COMMITTEES. SOME OF US HAVE OBLIGATIONS IN LIFE THAT PROHIBIT PARTICIPATION. IT'S JUST THE WAY IT IS.

4. AND FINALLY, GREG TYUS BEING DESERVED OF THE APPOINTMENT BASED SOLELY ON THE TIME AND EFFORT TO RUN? THAT WOULD MEAN EVERYONE WHO RUNS DESERVES A POSITION. NOPE, I AM NOT EXCITED ABOUT TYUS SITTING BEHIND THAT DESK AGAIN FOR THE UMPTEENTH TIME. WE THE PEOPLE GET NO NEW PERSPECTIVES, NO MEASUREABLE PROGRESS NOR NO NEW THOUGHTS ON DIRECTION WITH THE SAME PEOPLE RUNNING THE SHIP. SAME GOES FOR COUNCIL. JMO

Mike,
That's disappointing to hear. I'm more familiar with school stuff. I know that the board continually has trouble finding enough people to serve on various committees. I also know that no one has been turned down. Maybe the city needs to take a page from the school board's play book.