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Dear Constituents:

Here is the latest edition of Des Moines Education Times. This may be the most important edition of this short lived publication we've ever produced. Unlike previous issues it takes a hard look at the School District including a very strong commentary from Jon Neiderbach, former president of the Des Moines School Board and publisher of Des Moines Education Times.

Contained in this issue are a number of key pieces dealing with issues such as violence in the District, summaries of recent graduation reports including the Johns Hopkins Dropout Factory study commissioned by the Associated Press. One stunning fact about Johns Hopkins findings was that the Des Moines District had as many Dropout Factory High Schools as the District of Columbia School District.

Also in this edition is a summary of the Des Moines School District Employee Survey conducted by Des Moines School Board Member Jon Narcisse. The findings may surprise you. Finally the issue introduces three school board candidates. The incumbents were contacted prior to the creation of this edition but they did not respond.

Feel free to share this issue with other concerned citizens whether they live in Des Moines or not. With a budget of approximately $400 million annually, 33,000 students served and more than 5,000 employees what goes on in the Des Moines School District impacts the entire state.

Finally, at the time this publication went to press the Des Moines School Board had proposed eliminating Roberts Rules of Order as the rules governing the Board's meetings. Last night the Board made it official. The Board will now be governed by the "Fairness of the Chair" as its official governance model. No other set of rules will be in effect.

The Board argued Robert's Rules were created for large legislative bodies. That simply is not the case. Below is a copy of a brief history of Roberts Rules of Order from the official website of what are recognized as the standard rules for governing public meetings.

The decision by this Board is a violent assault upon the rule of law. What is more alarming, however, is that the Board is seriously considering banning the public from speaking at its meetings and moving Public Hearings off the regular meeting schedule so the public has no legal standing to speak at regular Board meetings.

The pattern of excluding the public continued days later when Board President Dick Murphy called a secret meeting to discuss giving Des Moines Superintendent Nancy Sebring a raise. The Board extended her contract earlier this spring. The secret meeting was to be held without minutes or notice to the public but was cancelled after Board member Jon Narcisse alerted the media that the meeting was scheduled. At the same time he notified the media that the Board had approved payment of bills without any board review, in violation of state code. Narcisse has been an outspoken critic of the District's CIETC like practice of one member looking at the bills and the others signing off sight unseen.

This issue also includes additional information regarding the awarding of the up to $24 million management contract to Taylor Ball Kitchell, now Taylor Ohde Kitchell. Did you know the winning bid was millions and millions higher than the other qualified bidders such as the Neumann Brothers?

If not wait until you see the rest of the story!

NARCISSE WEEKLY REPORT

December  20, 2007

December 7, 2007

September 27, 2007

Press Release - October 19, 2007

Here's the latest edition of DSM Education Times. There's a lot of really great news in here. Enjoy! Also I would love to get your feedback on the paper including your ideas, suggestions and, should you decide, your submissions of articles, good news or education and youth related photos. 

Noember 1, 2007

Regarding Tuesday's Diversity Plan Decision

Message from Jon Narcisse

One of my highest priorities as an elected official is to share with all of you key data and information as I gain it.

 

This FYI Bulletin contains a copy of the Taylor Ohde Kitchell September payment invoice, a response from board president Dick Murphy regarding my quest to understand why we are paying Doug Ohde $19,200 per month, and a history of the Local Option Tax Project.

 

Please send me your feedback regarding your thoughts on the information contained in this bulletin.

 

You can email me at jon_narcisse@yahoo.com.

 

Housekeeping notes:

 

1. Be sure to check out Megan Hawkin's interview with me. She's doing a piece on this board's first month. The interview can be found on jonnarcisse.com.

 

2. Tonight's listening post turned out very well. Patty Link attended as did seven members of the general public. I will update you on the very positive insights shared at the listening post.

 

3. I am currently working on setting up early a.m. listening posts. We've contacted the area Hy-Vees and are waiting their response. We would like to use area coffee shops but not being a coffee drinker I don't know where there would be one in each of the five high school districts. If you know of any let me know.

 

4. I would like to set up some house visits soon. These would be get togethers where a person invited their family, neighbors or friends and we talk about Des Moines and local education issues.

 

5. I start my door-to-door campaign next week. I will keep you posted on how that goes.

 

Feel free to contact me at:

 

jon_narcisse@yahoo.com
515-280-8092 (Home)
515-883-2222 (Scheduling)
515-770-1218 (Cell)
515-471-5092 (Office)

 

Jon Narcisse

 

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