Claire: You write: "Board member Maureen Sullivan expressed some worries about the costs of going sending the students to the Penn Relays."
Actually, I repeated several times that I support our athletes (I was told it was 8, not 10) running in the prestigious Penn Relays. And certainly the board will pay their registration fees, transport them to the event in Philadelphia and hire substitutes to cover the classes of the teachers who will be accompanying them. What I did not support is paying for the students, at least one of whom is a freshman, to spend three nights in a hotel on an extended field trip when their races are likely to be completed in one afternoon or morning.
The 250 laptops are for current 7th and 8th graders, not juniors and seniors. The board voted 7-1 to spend $224,000 of federal stimulus grant money on these laptops for the next school year. There was no discussion about the costs of hiring additional tech support staff to service these laptops or how the board hopes to keep funding this program for subsequent 8th graders without money from Washington.

You forgot to mention that the students would also be visiting colleges and museums and that you approved a $1400 fishing trip. I also noticed that you didn't note the ethics presentation, especially the discussion of a violation of board member executive session confidentiality- more specifically, that NO board member shall divulge any information pertaining to any subject (supt search etc..) discussed in executive sesision, before, during or after, UNLESS bu court order. hmmmm..... Didn't you write a letter in the reporter making accusations and blog on this very website all about Romano?
KF has been cutting wasteful positions, poorly performing employees, outsourcing, excessing overages of staff, through attrition, collective bargaining givebacks, replacement of entire upper administration (some with no healthcare coverage) and collecting monies owed to the district. All, without costly lawsuits (sans Petrosino's bogus suit) and not violating ethics laws. With all of these creative solutions, why cut from the kids? Especially, one that was hard earned and will provide a chance for those students to visit colleges and historic museums? Cuts first-kids last?

there was discussions about the laptops going forward, - you just didn't go to the meetings (on your committee)when it was discussed or, as usual, didn't bother to ask until you sat in a public forum. What exactly have you accomplished on your own? If I recall, one of your slate candidates wanted to know why the curriculum was online- aren't you head of the technology committee? Why didn't you give her an answer?

correction:wasn't online

What's up with you, Jane? Either Kids First is paying you a lot of money to spend all day trashing Sullivan or you're really a man (or not) and you're just utterly obssessed with her. She seems to be the only one voting for reforms and against waste these days, especially with Rose Markle and Irene Sobolov voting in lockstep with the machine at every meeting (for example, yesterday's vote to close the meeting to the public for a routine matter, mentioned elsewhere on this site). Your list of Kids First accomplishments is ridiculous--taking credit for attrition? You're in trouble if that's all you've got. In fact, with the laptop boondoggle and the Philly junket, Kids First justs keeps digging a bigger and bigger hole for themselves. Talk about forgetting to mention something, Jane, you forgot to mention that the Philly trip is a junket for Markle's best friend, Judy Burrell. Three nights in a hotel--meals included--for a couple of relay races--quite a deal. You explain it away saying the kids will see museums and colleges. For $3,000 the whole school could take a class trip to Philly for the day. But you have to be one of the eight kids on Judy's team to go on this class trip. Markle should have abstained in the voting, so there's something for you if you're looking for actual ethical violations. How do you know Petrosino's lawsuit is bogus? Sounds like you're the one leaking executive session information.

Judy Burrell is the coach. I asume you would prefer someone else go with the kids. Petrosino's lawsuit is public knowledge and docs were found on another website-it doesn't take a rocket scientist to read. though it. Given your response indicating attrition as the only thing KF has done, maybe reading is harder than i thought.

btw, nice try at spin ;-)

watchdog, what a sad story. You believe that a sitting Bd Member wanted the children to ride the bus a total of 12 hours and miss all the college tours and mixers because she didn't want the Track coach to accompany Track team to the largest Track event in the counrty? Just because she she believed the Track coach and Ms. Markle were friends.

So it isn't about being a fiscal conservative? (She voted for a fishing trip) but in reality it was about the Track coach and not the kids?

Jihad?
Grow up Maureen, you are a Trustee of other people's children, -for now.
Attacking religion Ms. Sullivan?
Once again, Conduct unbecoming from Middle Finger Maureen.

"What I did not support is paying for the students, at least one of whom is a freshman, "

1 freshman? There had be more than 15% of the students who are freshemen or sullivan could be violating student confidentiality.

Nice Sullivan, now the public knows that you did not support the freshman. Hopefully, the parent's won't sue the district for a BoE member outing their child. This is the type of trouble the district can get in when BoE members don't follow the LAW and act according to their own made up interpretations of the LAW.