Comments on: MARKTALK ALBANY (NY) EXCLUSIVE: GUILDERLAND BOARD OF ED “EMERGENCY” MEETING MONDAY MAY BE ILLEGAL ATTEMPT TO SILENCE PUBLIC - TEACHERS RESPOND

By: KP

KP — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 00:35:34 +0000

I cannot believe in this time in our lives, Social Studies would not be the most important subject of the students term at school. Instead they are fighting the WAR of freedom of speech. Students, parents and community members should realize that the school board is not showing freedom.They are shutting up the ripe minds of tomorrow. These students that they are taking these fine teachers from are the students that will someday become school board members themselves. What kind of message are you sending to the future.

By: HG

HG — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 20:49:51 +0000

By doing what they did is infringing on freedom of speech. This school board and superintendent must go.

By: Mark Grimm

Mark Grimm — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 18:33:57 +0000

By law, every school board meeting must be open to the public (though they are trying to leave the impression it isn’t). They have to first convene to vote publicly to enter executive session if that’s what they intend to do. That’s why the district website notice says, “probable Executive Session pending Board action.”

They have also changed the room location to the principal’s conference room instead of the larger room where meetings are normally held. That is likely designed to limit the crowd and maybe to avoid televising the meeting. I don’t know if the principal’s room is wired for broadcasting. That’s something to monitor.

The district pulled the plug and went to black on the local cable channel broadcast the other night as soon as the board members started to leave. Many, many people were watching at home.