THANK YOU LUISA D'AMATO FOR CLARIFYING BOARD'S (WRDSB) CONDUCT

Today's Waterloo Region Record carries the following Opinion piece by Luisa D'Amato titled "Trustee code of conduct denies free speech, wouldn't survive Charter challenge". Luisa clarifys several items including the Code of Conduct itself. She calls it a weak, authoritarian document which is exactly what it is. It is simply designed by what passes for brains at the WRDSB as a way to inhibit both criticism and truth itself. It is what self-serving groups of people do who know full well they aren't making decisions in the best interests of those they are governing or setting rules for.

Michael Ramsay was advocating on behalf of students when he was interviewed by 570 News radio. He did not gild the lily and told it plain and unvarnished. That is exactly what senior staff, administrators and their minions on the Board do not want. Mr. Ramsay later referred to the process around the Trustees' table as a kangaroo court. Always has been, likely always will be.

Luisa D'Amato sums it up nicely at the end of her article. She states "There is something distinctly thin-skinned and undemocratic about this emphasis on positive spin over truthfulness in our local, publicly funded schools. We have so many real challenges in education in this part of the province. I'm not proud that, at this time, cheerleading is valued more than scrutiny.".

As plain spoken as Luisa is I actually accuse her of being a tad diplomatic in her last paragraphs above. She states "at this time". Ha! Cheerleading is exactly what the Board, Administration, Teachers and their unions have been insisting on for decades. Afterall it's all about them with students and parents not even rating in the top half dozen priorities. That is the truth that the self-serving bureaucrats and powers that be want to keep hidden forever.