No sooner than I pushed the “publish” button on my last article, I received the latest missive from Virginia Korte in my inbox via the anonymous “Voice of Scottsdale” blog.
I was rather shocked to see the normally-genteel Scottsdale city council woman refer to Scottsdale Unified School District governing board member Pam Kirby as an “alpha dog,” and in the next paragraph Korte refers to board meetings as “bitch sessions” orchestrated by Kirby and board member Barbara Perleberg to persecute soon-to-be-ex-SUSD Superintendent David Peterson.
Yes, this is the same Virginia Korte who is a champion of “civil dialog.” The same Virginia Korte who has tirelessly promoted tolerance through her “Unity Pledge,” and a proposed city ordinance to protect lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender residents and employees.
It just goes to show, yet-again, that this whole notion of “civil dialog” equates to: “If you criticize me, you are being uncivil,” and, “How dare you point out the facts!”
The SUSD governing board was elected by the voters to look after OUR tax money; to hire the right person as superintendent, and to hold them accountable for delivery value in exchange for tax dollars spent…and, I might add, a handsome $200,000/year salary (plus expenses).
If asking for information and citing facts is uncivil, well, I guess you can call me a “dog” and “bitch,” too.
Woof.
9 Comments
I was called worse when I alleged held a “star chamber” session to oust the “architect” of the High School bond (Bill Johnson). The community doesn’t have all the facts because we are not privy to what happened in executive session. Korte’s shill’s suggestion that Pam Kirby was the cause of his demise is pure speculation.
In 2013 the City Council adopted a so-called “civility pledge.” I was the one dissenting vote, because I saw the “civility pledge” was a farce, designed to protect the incumbent Council candidates while muzzling those of us who oppose their short-sighted, parasitic “growth” and spending policies. They don’t want us to point out that these policies actually degrade Scottsdale’s special character, overtax our infrastructure and cost existing residents both in tax dollars and in reduced quality of life. And the Council majority would really like us to stop talking about how hard they have tried to raise taxes on Scottsdale residents.
If the Council majority really believed in civility, they would have renounced the dark-money negative mailers supporting their candidates and lying about rival candidate Kathy Littlefield. But instead they spouted high-minded rhetoric while their candidates wallowed in tens of thousands of dollars of dark money helping their campaigns. Their idea of civility is, we have to be nice to them while their surrogates trash their opponents. Totally hypocritical!
Thankfully someone asked hard questions and didn’t accept evasive answers. If the price of doing that comes with being indirectly labeled as a “bitch”, so be it.
But, while all this sputtering is going on between public officials, another Charter is opening up in the heart of SUSD country ready to strip another block of kids from our public schools.
So, can we please get on to the real issues asap?
Until the Board and new Superintendent successfully address the continuous threat of Charters and stabilize our enrollment, every one of us needs to worry whether SUSD will still function by the time our kids graduate.
I want my daughters to graduate from a thriving K-8 and High School. Not a school gasping for survival as this District’s 30 schools starve for funds with empty desks in half the classrooms.
Fixing those problems would require the Superintendent and Board to make tough decisions about closing underutilized schools, cutting admin expenses, etc. It would also help to have a more public education friendly legislature.
Well said, Bob.
Our Superintendent and the Board Majority refuse to admit that we have too many school buildings. The cost of the building isn’t the problem. The problem is all the Staff required to operate a campus. If 250 children attend a K-5, the staff size and staff cost is the same as a campus with 1,000 students.
Couple that inefficiency with the massive District overhead then toss in the miserable state funding for our schools and it’s no wonder we can’t pay our Teachers what they deserve.
When a Teacher can’t afford to live where they work, something is seriously wrong.
Clearly, Ms. Korte’s label is a badge of honor since she refers to the 2 competent, focused and capable SUSD Board Members. If being bright, having integrity and having the courage to act makes one a bi#$h, then so be it. The board could use at least one more member who is as qualified as Ms. Kirby and Ms. Perleberg.
Korte’s “Bitches” are heroes to most of us.
Very very offended by the comments of Virginia Korte. Its incredibly sexist to call a strong woman a bitch, you’d get in serious trouble if you said that in the workplace. And its completely untrue. I’ve watched many Board meetings, and Pam Kirby is exceedingly polite and professional. She is tenacious, assertive and motivated…but always civil. People always speak about Korte like some sort of icon, but she shows just how out-of-touch and dated she is with this misogyny.
Well after some time has passed, the Peterson has set the table of joy.
http://www.scottsdaleindependent.com/news/report-hostile-workplace-prompts-scottsdale-schools-superintendent-to-resign
See, it was a hostile workplace….
Sadly, I see the Board just giving in like a wet noodle. They will want to avoid any further issues with Peterson’s flight from the district. Nice to know that he probably will get more cash to soothe his issues, while the district is left to pick up the pieces.