I would like to share something with you that I feel is important. Snohomish Schools over the many years has been among the tops in the Nation, but it seems that recent leadership, poor economics, and the leadership that should be looking after the Schools is "travelling in different directions". Various Letters to the Editors in the areas papers have born this out in the past years or so. In fact $ 1.6 M in arrears for the Schools is involved among the foray. The Herald (Everett, WA.) Sun. Jan 24, 1999 Section A, Opinion, page 8A LETTERS printed the Letter that follows, and I QUOTE: SNOHOMISH SCHOOL BOARD Could have better meetings The Snohomish School District should strive to have a good relationship with its citizens. One way this can be done is to provide as much specific information as possible on meeting agendas. It is better to go eyond the minimum legal requirements in an effort to satisfy community concerns; particularly when this can help to build harmony within the school district - - something Snohomish sorely needs. The school board needs also to extend common courtesy toward citizens who attend the board meetings. It is a requirement of the law that the public is allowed to address the board regarding any items on the agenda, before or during the board's consideration of that item. The board must accept citizen input, including public criticisms, and allow matters directly related to the district business to be placed on the program. The president will have to put aside her own personal agenda if there is ever to be any chance to build harmony. I suggest that rather than having citizens "sign up," only to exclude the sign up sheet, that the president ask if there is any public discussion before a vote is taken on each item. Not only would that save the district paper and ink costs, it would encourage citizens to speak in a friendlier manner. Plus, I believe the citizens may have a better solution which could completely outweigh the subject of the vote. The Open Public Meetings Act states: "The people of this state do not yield their sovereignty to the agencies which serve them. The people, in delegating authority, do not give their public servants the right to decide what is good for the people to know and what is not good for them to know. The people insist on remaining informed so that they may retain control over the instruments they have created." Isn't it time the Snohomish School Board obey this law? VAL BARSCHAW Snohomish END OF QUOTED LETTERS TO THE OPINION PAGE OF THE HERALD. COMMENT: I liked what I read in Mrs. Barschaw's Letter so much that I phoned her, complimented her for her excellent Letter, and asked her permission to share it here and elsewhere as I felt it was worthy of Note to any and all districts, not just Snohomish. Behind closed doors shenanigans are not my "cup of tea". We need to "wake up and smell the coffee" and all those other drats - and become INFORMED - not MISLED by the propaganda mills as to what is going on around us. Mr. Barschaw informed me that a Meeting will be held at the PUD Bldg (Public Utility District) a block N of the public library in Snohomish, 7 p.m. Tuesday Jan 26th. re Snohomish Schools and invites the Public to attend. I realize that this is a Local matter, but if things get out of hand with school districts in other areas of this Nation, then there are ought to be more meetings to keep INFORMED. I have always been proud of Snohomish School District over the many years, and of the quality of teachers they have had in the Past. I am dismayed at what is going on, has been going on, and how it is impacting the teaching, and the teaching staff of the various schools of Snohomish. We do not want to lose good teachers because of economics that have gone awry, and I hope that will not happen. We don't want the curriculum to have to suffer for the same reason. Snohomish Schools' past reputation of top notch students should not be compromised by shenanigans that have been hidden from the Public, until it is late in coming to light - and that applies to ALL of our Nation's schools. Carroll in Snohomish. <><><><><>30<><><><><><> ___________________________________________________________________ You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com/getjuno.html or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866]