Thomas was never able to give his full proposed speech at the meeting.
But posted the following statement Thursday morning
"Last evening the Pottsville Area School Board again failed to address the true concerns of the residents of the Pottsville Area. This issue of course is the hiring of qualified candidates. They instead chose to take unwarranted personal attacks against me. As you will see in the article, they claim that while I served on the board, I hired my family members. I feel as though I need to clarify. When I was on the board, my mother was hired as a SUBSTITUTE lunch aid working on an as needed basis. I never made phone calls on her behalf nor would I ever. While I'm disappointed in their unwillingness to explain their broken hiring practices, I remain optimistic that the truth will soon be prevailed."
Below is a copy of what Thomas had proposed to say
Board members:
Thank you for the opportunity to again address you this evening. You are all well aware of the recent firestorm of criticism you have been receiving in light of the controversial hiring of the transportation supervisor. As a concerned citizen and a Pottsville High alumni, I have been very active in discussing this issue, and I want to clarify a few things:
First, I want everyone to know that I have nothing against the person hired for the position or her husband. I believe they are good people. I just respectfully disagree with whomever made the decision that she was the best qualified candidate for the job. I know some of the others that were interviewed, and their experiences, qualifications and work history all were superior in preparing them for that position. In fact, I feel badly for the incumbent, as she now has to work in an environment where her every move will be monitored, scrutinized and evaluated and her accomplishments will not likely ever outshine the shady manner in which she was selected.
Secondly, I do want to know when, where and how the longstanding hiring practices of the school district were modified. In the past, the Board often deferred job candidate selection to the department head that was making the hire. In this case, according to published reports, the Department head, Mr. Ansbach, recommended someone else. Yet, his recommendation was disregarded. Who empowered that change in practice? Are you all comfortable with that change? If so, will that change not lead to even more political maneuvering and posturing when it comes to personnel decisions? If that practice is no longer present, I believe it is a mistake and encourage each of you to reconsider the change.
As a former Board member with many of you, I am embarrassed for each of you. You were made to look foolish, incompetent and far from the independent community minded leaders I would like to think each of you are. Rather, the Administration placed you in a position in which you should not have been placed. I was disappointed with how each of you responded, or should I say failed to respond, when placed in that position. You were elected to run the school district, not be a rubber stamp for the unimpeded power trip of the Administration.
I understand some members of the Board have stated in small group meetings with employees that "We made a mistake, but we can't take it back". If that is the case, I ask each of you to acknowledge that publicly tonight. Repeat in this forum what the majority of our citizens know. The wrong person was hired. It was a mistake. It was a mistake that should not have happened. I applaud Attorney Rismiller for taking some action by having a personnel committee meeting. It is a good first step. What else will you do?
Finally, I think the Board needs to hold accountable those that put you in this position. The Administration is to blame, and each of you are to blame. Transparency and truthfulness is all that we, the citizens of Pottsville, want. The Superintendent of Schools has been mum on this issue. He is the public face of the district. Yet, when times get tough, he hides in the ivory tower. He fails to address citizens, and he hides from the media. He doesn't return phone calls for comment. That is not leadership! That is complacency. That type of leadership will not take our school district to new heights and will not prepare our students for success beyond the hallowed halls of Pottsville High. We all had higher expectations and they simply are not being fulfilled. Morale among the staff continues to decline to unprecedented levels. Feelings of lack of respect and not caring are prevalent among your employees. They have fear of retribution and a culture of shame is replacing the culture of pride that always existed. Whether you want to admit it or not, it is time the Board examines the overall operation of our district leadership. Can it be improved? I hope so. Will it improve - not if you - our elected leaders do nothing! Leadership is missing here. Will you provide the leadership needed? I call on all of you to comment on my remarks? Was this hiring a mistake? If so, what will you do about it? And more importantly, what will you do make sure it never happens again?
Thank you.
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Link to Republican Herald's coverage of the meeting
http://republicanherald.com/news/pottsville-area-school-board-discusses-new-supervisor-hiring-process-policy-1.1771996