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Thursday, May 8, 2014

How Not to Get Arrested at a School Board Meeting While Speaking Out Against Common Core. | Missouri Education Watchdog

How Not to Get Arrested at a School Board Meeting While Speaking Out Against Common Core. | Missouri Education Watchdog:



How Not to Get Arrested at a School Board Meeting While Speaking Out Against Common Core.

sikeston school board
Sikeston Missouri School Board Members
A story went viral this week about a dad being arrested at a school board meeting.  Concerned citizens spoke out on what they considered pornographic reading assigned by a New Hampshire school.  A father was arrested for disorderly conduct when he went over his allotted 2 minute limit and added comments.  Apparently when it comes to public school commenting, dissent is NOT patriotic and is discouraged.  Adults pay heavy consequences for asking questions and raising concern.  Yes, this dad was certainly a public menace and needed to booked for disorderly conduct.  This is what the system thinks about your opinion and your ability to voice your serious reservations about public policy: it is dismissive and totalitarian in its response.
So here’s a way to not to get arrested at a school board work meeting while stating your concerns and trying to deliver a petition with 500 anti-common core signatures:
The school board refuses to put you on the agenda because it says it’s too full and changes the meeting time without informing the public.
The television news coverage below says the work meeting started at 5:00 PM, but comments on the FB site from attendees say the meeting started earlier than 5 PM.  I can’t find school board documents on Sikeston to see what the usual start time is for the meeting and if notice was sent out about the time change 24 hours before the posted time.  I can’t even find a school board agenda for the school board from this month or previous months.   There is some question on whether taxpayers were given notice of any time change within 24 hours of the meeting as required by policy.  From “Notification of Board Meetings Sikeston”:
sikeston board meeting rules



Sikeston residents are fed up. Parents and citizens are taking a bold stand against Common Core there. Too bad their school board chooses to ignore them. They filed a formal request, in accordance to the district protocol, to be placed on the agenda for this months board meeting to address the board about their concerns with Common Core …. they were denied (of course). They had over 700 people in one week sign a petition to encourage their board to sign a resolution against Common Core, and acknowledge the concern parents have in that community. They How Not to Get Arrested at a School Board Meeting While Speaking Out Against Common Core. | Missouri Education Watchdog: