IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: NEWLY ELECTED BOARD MEMBERS ALREADY REPRESENTING PARENTS
Motion to choose someone OTHER than Jaime Bayes for president of Rockwood's
Board of Education.
Izzy Imig made a motion for board member Randy Miller to be president this year.
The motion took place soon after new board members Imig, and Jessica Clark, were sworn in at the April 7th meeting.
It was during the board reorganization meeting that took place prior to the full meeting at 7:00.
Many have expressed frustration with Jaime Bayes as president. On more than one occasion, president Bayes has spoken to parents at board meetings in a stern way that some interpreted as condescending.
This past fall, parents spoke at the October 21st board meeting to tell board members about the explicit sexual content in Rockwood library books. See some of the controversial books that parents have brought to Rockwood's attention here.
During that meeting, president Bayes referenced parent speeches and stated:
"I'm saddened tonight by a lot of the tone and conversation that's taken place from the people who stepped to the podium to use their time in this way. I'm just disappointed. That's all I can say."
Hear it for yourself:
The documents online only reflect Imig making the motion to approve Bayes. They do not show that during the vote for Bayes, both Imig and Clark voted no. Randy Miller voted yes for himself and then yes for Bayes.
Clark also represented voters when she asked Dr. Shelley Willott a question about the controversial books retained by committees. Clark asked for more information on the criteria used to keep the books. Willott reiterated the information they use when discussing the books, which includes professional reviews. (It does not include reviews designed for parents, such as Common Sense Media).
Note: Edited to add the reference to the question about the book review process. It is noteworthy because parents have been wanting to see evidence that board members are not simply rubber stamping what is brought before them.