Livingston: Had authorization to hire
(Hour 1a) Rich raised questions about how things are being run at the Manchester School District. Questions that, we are pleased to say, got answered after this morning’s show aired.
PUBLISHER’S NOTE: After two inquiries of Communications Director Andrea Alley regarding Superintendent Livingston’s actions, Livingston herself called. She clarified that she was, in fact, authorized buy the Board of School Committee on July 14 to hire personnel over the summer, subject to ratification at the next scheduled meeting of the board. While she agreed that the press release could have relayed this information better and noted our concerns with not only the release, but Alley’s response to our subsequent questions, we nonetheless retract, with apologies, the story we opined on here and present Livingston’s information from the minutes we were subsequently sent. Here is the agenda item we apparently missed on the 14th.
Item 24. Authorizing the superintendent to hire all personnel for the upcoming school year.
Committee Member Beaudry asked does that mean, with this authorization, that the board will not be apprised of any of the appointments of principals or assistant principals? They will just do the hiring and not have to come back to us.
Mayor Gatsas stated I think what it was was that they came back to us after it was done. If there was a problem at that point they were hired conditionally.
Committee Member Beaudry stated I’m just going to reiterate what I have been saying right along. I have extreme difficulty because under the state law for certified personnel, the School Board is actually the ones who do the hiring. The superintendent does the nominating, but we do the hiring. To hire someone, sight unseen, without, at this point, even seeing the background sheets on the individuals who applied, what they have for a background, I personally cannot support that. I will be voting against this motion.
On motion of Committee Member Desrochers, duly seconded by Committee Member Van Houten, it was voted to approve this item. The motion carried with Committee Member Beaudry voting in opposition.
