Althouse: "What happened in our closed sessions is confidential... I’m not in a position to go back and replow that ground."

February 20, 2013

"What happened in our closed sessions is confidential... I’m not in a position to go back and replow that ground."

So said Madison School Board member Ed Hughes about what happened just before one of 2 finalists for superintendent withdrew.

There were 5 other semifinalists, and there was supposed to be a community forum between the 2 finalists, but Walter Milton Jr. dropped out after this closed session that Hughes doesn't want to talk about.

So we were deprived of the community forum, and the position was given to Chicago Public Schools administrator Jennifer Cheatham, who was at that point, the only finalist.

Now, Milton is expressing himself saying he "was told this wasn’t going to go well" and he ought to withdraw, which he did.

22 comments:

rhhardin said...: I forget when some court decided that college students could vote where they went to school, but it was a bad idea.; 2/20/13, 9:15 AM
Unknown said...: "He was told it was not difficult to cheat ham, wild and crude as it sounded — all it took was a torturously slow hand, a modicum of education, and a desire to replow ground once sown with the seeds of deprivation."; 2/20/13, 9:19 AM
Sorun said...: Thankfully Madison gets someone from that stellar school system in Chicago.; 2/20/13, 9:25 AM
Ann Althouse said...: Welcome to the fray, F.U. Scott Fitzgerald.; 2/20/13, 9:27 AM
traditionalguy said...: The school board secrets are secret. There is power in secrecy. Bow down!; 2/20/13, 9:32 AM
Bob R said...: Did the school board do their own search or did they hire someone to do it? I'm usually skeptical about these headhunter services, but at least they know how to use Google.; 2/20/13, 9:33 AM
TomHynes said...: The headhunters forgot to Google the candidate's name.; 2/20/13, 9:36 AM
TomHynes said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 2/20/13, 9:36 AM
Curious George said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 2/20/13, 9:43 AM
Curious George said...: Madison picks the white woman over the black man. Huh. Maybe she's part Indian. Did you notice the high cheekbones?; 2/20/13, 9:43 AM
edutcher said...: I guess we're all Chcagoans now.; 2/20/13, 9:49 AM
Anonymous said...: In Chicago we say, "That's a nice business you've got there. It'd be a shame if something happened to it." Replace "business" with whatever object you want to coerce.; 2/20/13, 9:54 AM
SGT Ted said...: Overly broad "Confidentiality" rules in government functioning can mean little more than "secrecy" and "lack of accountability" to voters and taxpayers.

Its time to get rid of it when it comes to how government arrives at hiring decision not decided by voters.; 2/20/13, 9:57 AM
madAsHell said...: It was always intended to be a one horse race.; 2/20/13, 10:04 AM
SeanF said...: Were any of the semi-finalists Dewey and Howe?; 2/20/13, 10:11 AM
CWJ said...: It must suck to be any of the other 5 now-named semi-finalists. Unless they all said thanks but no thanks, the board in effect said none of them was good enough that they could take the place of a candidate who couldn't pass the smell test. No second looks, just give the job to the remaining candidate.; 2/20/13, 10:24 AM
Anonymous said...: he "was told this wasn’t going to go well"

The Chicago Way.; 2/20/13, 10:27 AM
Seeing Red said...: I hope he sues, where's the popcorn?; 2/20/13, 11:47 AM
Methadras said...: This should be the most open process available. You are going to hire someone who for all intents and purposes is going to be leading the direction of the public school system in your region, but nope, the tax payers who foot the bill for these human fungus' have no recourse when these 'proceedings' are secret. You are gonna get who they tell you you are gonna get and you're gonna like it and if you don't, then oh well, we picked him or her, so too fucking bad.; 2/20/13, 12:53 PM
Hammond X. Gritzkofe said...: "What happened in our closed sessions is confidential," Hughes said. "I’m not in a position to go back and replow that ground."

I'd be interested in a comment from someone knowledgeable about Wisconsin's Open Meeting Act.

As I understand our Texas Chapt 551 of the Government Code, a certified agenda or record must be kept of the Closed/Executive Session. It is a criminal offense to disclose that official record.

However those present at the Closed/Executive Session bound to secrecy about it. They are free to comment publicly about what went on if they want to.; 2/20/13, 12:54 PM
Hammond X. Gritzkofe said...: However those present at the Closed/Executive Session are not bound to secrecy about it. They are free to comment publicly about what went on if they want to.

(Sorry; overedited that a bit in original.); 2/20/13, 12:56 PM
Bryan C said...: School board sessions should never be "confidential".; 2/20/13, 3:03 PM