School committee takes up policy
By Phyllis Moore
Published in News on May 3, 2015 1:50 AM
The school board's policy committee has begun the process of developing a policy to deal with members using technology like Skyping and FaceTime as a substitute for attending meetings in person.
While the topic could be considered a universal one, it originated with the Wayne County Board of Education from a very specific issue.
District 2 representative Dr. Dwight Cannon has had an increasingly spotty attendance record for the past year and a half since taking a pastorate and setting up another residence in New Jersey.
His attendance at regular monthly meetings fared better than committee meetings and called sessions, which he has attributed to the lack of advance notification and his inability to accommodate last-minute scheduling.
For some of the meetings he has been unable to attend -- including closed sessions and interviews with potential superintendent candidates -- he has utilized FaceTime or conference calls.
In recent months, Cannon's ability to fulfill his elected obligations effectively, and the security of those teleconference calls, prompted the board to seek a policy dealing with Skyping.
At the policy meeting this past Wednesday, committee chairman Rick Pridgen address the issue.
"I have had probably more phone calls from people in my district than any other subject," he said. "I think largely due to the publicity that's been in the newspaper."
The policy committee also includes Cannon and board member Jennifer Strickland. Pridgen and Mrs. Strickland attended the meeting at central office, while Cannon was there via FaceTime.
Pridgen said he had called Cannon the week before and left a voicemail asking him to bring some ideas to the meeting.
"I didn't get to talk to you but I did leave a voicemail message for you," he said. "I was wanting to know when you could either conveniently sit down with the three of us, maybe face to face, to sit down and discuss as a committee, or either do you have any ideas that you brought to the table today?"
"I have my suggestions, but I would like to hold them for future conversations," Cannon replied.
He later told Pridgen that he did not call him back "intentionally" because he knew they would be having "this discussion."
"To wait to have this discussion at another time, I don't think it's a good idea," Mrs. Strickland said. "I think we at least need to begin to work through the process -- go ahead and at least start to get the ideas flowing of what direction we want to go, but not waiting to convene at another time."
Pridgen said he had researching policies in other districts, noting that while Skyping itself is not illegal, like teleconferencing or FaceTime, there should still be parameters put in place.
"I do think we need to come up with something to limit the amount of times," he said. "One of the biggest complaints that I had from the public was the fact that we're being paid to be there but then we're not there. And I can understand that to a certain extent, but I can also understand that there are extenuating circumstances that cause us to have to be away from time to time."
Some options he mentioned were to imposing a limited number of absences, or possibly withholding the stipend if that number is exceeded.
The issue of security was also raised.
"Are there other people in the room? What's going on?" Pridgen said. "Dr. Cannon, when we're looking at you, I'm just seeing a couch right now and I'm seeing a background of a white wall, but if somebody walks by in the background and we're in closed session, to me that would be an interference."
"That's the potential for us to get sued as well," Mrs. Strickland said.
"I'm just saying, we need some parameters of some type, especially for closed session meetings, not necessarily as much I guess for open session meetings but for closed session, and some of the school systems have those things spelled out in their policies."
Then he asked Cannon if he had any comments.
Cannon said he had "quite a few comments" but would reserve them for a later time. His main concern, he said, was to be fair and to make sure nothing was done illegally.
"Those things that you mentioned, I think the intent, especially the security, is very much involved," he said. "I've never been in a session where there was anybody in the room, whether I'm in my office or in the privacy of the church parsonage. This is where I am today, the parsonage."
He also lobbed a veiled attack against other potential fractures within the board.
"The one thing I would like is that we be fair and if these issues or policy committees are driven by issues that come up, and we should be, then let us be fair with other issues that have come up such as complaints against other board members for immoral conduct and impropriety," he said, without specifying names or details. "Those things need to also be addressed.
"Maybe they were not made in the public eye. It's not because the public doesn't know, either, because a lot of the grievances and complaints came from public entities."
Cannon said he had taken every step to ensure he was in compliance with his board duties, conferring with both the board attorney and his own legal counsel, suggesting that "we've got to be very careful about censuring other board members."
"I don't take that to be the case here," he said. "I like the spirit and the tone that is present, and I'm with you and I would like to help develop (a policy). But there's some other issues and I think the last thing I want to say is, when we give restrictions to Facetime and I don't think I Skyped, not one time since I've been on the board so when we give restrictions to FaceTime or other videoconferencing and I'm the only one that utilizes this, so when we give restrictions, let us make sure that we plan our meetings."
He also suggested that his absenteeism had only become problem recently, and that for the first two years of his time on the board, and when given ample notice, he had been present.
Mrs. Strickland said she believed efforts could be made to better schedule committee meetings with advance notification.
Cannon said he intended to fulfill the obligations of his role as a school board member and was receptive to working on a policy with the committee.
Pridgen suggested putting something together for a first reading by the June or July meeting.
"If we don't move on it, there's going to be some upset people," Mrs. Strickland said. "At least it needs to be known that we're working on it."
"That's another thing that bothers me," Cannon said. "I've received calls and people have heard what I've said today. My constituency, people in my district, people not in my district, but I don't want the board to be controlled by people who have political agendas, either."
Mrs. Strickland said she understood the sentiment, but her intent had centered more around making sure the public they serve felt heard.
"I agree but I have the same feeling when people come to me complaining about board members' actions and there's some things, I don't go to those board members," he said, adding, "One voice is just as important as another, but I really hope that we're doing it because it's a legitimate concern, not somebody trying to get rid of me."
"No, no, I don't think that's the case at all but I understand," Mrs. Strickland said.
Allison Pridgen, executive director for administrative services, asked that committee members provide her with suggestions, policies from other districts and any information they deemed pertinent toward developing a policy for Wayne County.