This Isn’t Transparency—It’s Control (Listen to the Audio)
- Kathleen Sposato
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
LISTEN FOR YOURSELF: A Predetermined Decision Disguised as a Meeting
Last night’s “Personnel Search Committee” meeting should have been an opportunity for open discussion, transparency, and thoughtful governance.
Instead, what unfolded was something very different.
A decision that appears to have been made before the meeting even began
Questions from board members that were deflected or left unanswered
A rushed process justified by urgency—but lacking fairness and transparency
I’m sharing the full audio recording below so you can hear it for yourself.
🚩 The First Red Flag: A Committee Already Decided
Before any real discussion took place, a motion was read naming specific individuals for the search committee.
Not proposed after discussion.
Not developed collaboratively.
Not based on expressed interest.
Just… presented.
When I attempted to pause the process to allow for a transparent discussion, I made the following motion:
“I move that we pause before appointing members to the Personnel Search Committee to allow for discussion of Board member interest tonight… taking into consideration interest, availability, and recent participation.”
This is standard governance.
This is reasonable.
This is what the public should expect.
Instead, it was dismissed as “not really a motion.”
❓ The Questions That Should Have Been Answered
I asked simple, direct questions:
Was interest from all board members ever solicited?
How were these individuals selected?
Was the committee decided before the board had a chance to discuss it?
Were attendance, participation, and engagement considered?
The answers?
“The bylaws say the chair chooses the members.”
“There’s a balance of males and females… a balance between parties…”
But here’s what was not answered:
Why weren’t all board members given the opportunity to express interest?
Why were more actively engaged members overlooked?
Why was this presented as a done deal?
🎯 The Moment That Said Everything
When I asked directly:
“Is it fair to say the committee membership was identified before the Board had an opportunity to openly discuss this?”
The response:
“…we need to move fast… we could miss out on good candidates…”
That is not an answer.
That is a justification.
And more importantly, it confirms the concern.
⏱️ “We Need to Move Quickly” — But At What Cost?
Yes, hiring a superintendent is important.
Yes, timelines matter.
But speed should never come at the expense of process, transparency, and fairness.
And let’s be honest…
If urgency is the priority, then wouldn’t you want:
✔ The most engaged members
✔ The most present members
✔ The members actively contributing all year
Not individuals who have:
Missed meetings
Failed to follow through on prior responsibilities
Been minimally engaged during critical periods like budget season
🔇 Shutting Down Discussion
Throughout the meeting, you can hear:
Questions are being cut off
Conversations being rushed
Comments like: “We can have a very brief discussion because I have students out in the hall…”
This is about hiring the next superintendent of our schools.
This is not a box to check.
This is not something to rush through.
Credit Where It’s Due
One board member stood out.
They recognized the deeper issue: “The board… is kind of broken because we don’t trust each other…”
And proposed a solution rooted in transparency:
👉 Include the full board in the committee process
👉 Build trust
👉 Work collaboratively
That motion was seconded.
And then it was voted down.
🧩 A Pattern, Not an Isolated Incident
This isn’t just about one meeting.
This reflects a larger pattern:
Concerns about participation dismissed
Input from certain members ignored
Decisions centralized under the chair
Transparency treated as an inconvenience
Even when two board members raised concerns about participation and engagement, those concerns were completely disregarded.
💬 Let’s Talk About Transparency
I’ve also been told that sharing public records—like this audio—is an issue.
Let me be clear:
If you don’t like how your actions look in public…
👉 Do better.
Transparency isn’t the problem.
Accountability isn’t the problem.
The problem is what happens when the public is finally able to see behind the curtain.
🏫 Why This Matters
This isn’t politics.
This is about:
Our students
Our teachers
Our administrators
Our taxpayers
And the process used to hire the next leader of our school system.
We should expect:
✔ Open discussion ✔ Equal opportunity for participation ✔ Thoughtful decision-making ✔ Respect for governance process
Not predetermined outcomes.
🎧 Listen for Yourself
I encourage every parent, resident, and taxpayer to listen.
Not to take my word for it.
But to hear, firsthand, how decisions are being made.
📣 Final Thought
This board should not be operating in a way that:
Avoids discussion
Limits participation
Centralizes control
And rushes critical decisions
We can—and should—do better.
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