Lackawanna School Board Shenanigans
Recently, some friends were dining at the Blackthorn Restaurant in South Buffalo. They happened to witness the chef of the restaurant approach a table and start telling the patrons seated there that they needed to vote for John Makeyenko in the upcoming school board election. Apparently, the chef stated that he needed a job with better health insurance and John had promised him a job in the Lackawanna Schools maintenance department if he won.
After a little investigation, it turns out that "the chef" is Mark Daley, the brother of John Makeyenko's good friend Bob Daley - whose wife Courtney was put on as a teacher's aide last September.
5B APPOINTMENT OF COURTNEY DALEY/TEACHER AIDE POSTION
Motion by Member Friend, seconded by President Makeyenko upon the
recommendation of the Superintendent of Schools, Nicholas D. Korach, to approve
the appointment of Courtney Daley to a 10 month Teacher Aide Position. Ms. Daley
meets the qualifications as outlined in the District posting. The effective date of
employment will be September 1, 2011. Her salary and benefits will be in
accordance with current CSEA contract.
Motion amended by Ronald Miller to appoint of Elizabeth Krakowski to this position,
seconded by Motyka.
VOTING ON THE AMENDMENT FIRST FOR Mrs. Krakowski
AYES: Motyka, Miller, Makeyenko
NAYS: Joyce, Friend, Sanders,
3-3
AMENDMENT FAILED
DULY PUT TO A VOTE ON THE ORGINIAL MOTION OF MS. DALEY
ALL IN FAVOR/NONE OPPOSED
6-0
APPROVED
After a little more investigation, it was revealed that Mark used to work at the Mulberry Restaurant in Bethlehem Park, but left because of...you guessed it-the owner wouldn't give him health insurance!!!
While YOU are on the subject.......
Patronage and nepotism breed incompetence.....I have said it a thousand times! We all know it, and have experienced working with some flunkie at some point because "daddy knew someone somewhere, and they could not hold down a job without " connections ". It is all over the County, and Lackawanna is the poster child for it......we know, and so do they, so they fight and pay their way in by buying their "cocktail party tickets ect. for the rest of their lives! They would not get away with their call-offs and no-shows/tardiness, grievances if someone looked at you funny, ETC., in the private sector, never .
Lots of us do not have health insurance, and many who do have BIG$$ money deductibles......we just deal with it, and would never compromise our integrity by sucking up to a candidate who does not have the children and communities interests at heart! Yuck! It is like selling your soul to the devil, and perpetrates an already broken system.
New subject.......on Truman School Bond vote which I felt boxed in to vote yes for.
$$6.65 mil is A LOT of money....right?! So, they could have closed Truman and sold it to whoever.........built a hall or two off of Martin Road School and put the kids in there like all other schools who always house K-6th.
Truman is Pre-K thru 2nd and then Martin Road 3rd thru 6th, then they go on to the Junior and Senior High in one building. Lackawannna is really a little district.
They keep threatening to pull Pre-K (I hope not but if they do, HEAD START will boom and they would love it!), and we have declining enrollment every year due to the Charter Schools ..........so.........
Seems to make sense to do this to save on busing, heat, electric, maintenance, GASOLINE for school vehicles and teacher trips, etc., etc., etc.!
Only one problem........less maintenance men, custodians, two men who sit in hall when you go to get your child out, LA cops security, ETC., ETC., ETC.!!
Patronage to build their political pyramid because they hang the good jobs of $15.00+/hr with FULL BENEFITS and minimal deductibles if any over their heads.....
Can't wait for Business First....tick tick!:hopelessness:
Please, Keep it in perspective Steeler Nation.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Steeler Nation
I assume if you were on the school board you would only hire the most qualified individuals for every position that becomes available. Teachers, aides, maintenance workers, lunch ladies etc. and never give any special consideration to family and friends. Yeah Right!!!
I love to help people....and have helped people through-out the years with jobs, leads, references, and visited HR/bosses to put in a good word for them. I never said I had a problem with a job or two in a family.........but they have to be qualified for the position of course. Please keep this in perspective.
It is the blatant nepotism and patronage that creates incompetence that is out of line. It adds to low moral, unsafe working conditions, and not carrying your full share of the work-load that is wrong because your husband or daddy is so-and-so. Come-on, would you really want to go to work with that going on?!?
When kids don't have enough books to do their work from, when parents have to bring in school lists a mile long, and less buses so the kids have to walk far in the winter because the budget is cut.......BUT, there is lots of overtime, + created part-time jobs for people who are retired or have another decent outside employment is what I am talking about.
Lackawanna has a lot of job-hoarding going on and the "family and friends club" greedily gobble the pie when other qualified LA citizens remain on the outside looking in. I did not create the downward spiral of LA City and Schools, I have fought against the hidden agendas and lack of transparency for years.
ie. Giving a Policeman's wife a wonderful job with Cadillac benefits on top of his from the City is what I am talking about.
A woman who is active in the schools for years was voted down from that job and "consideration" went directly to the Policeman/School Board Trustees wife. I am not putting them down.....maybe they can't live on his $35.00/hr+ salary due to personal reasons. I apologize in advance....
Again, I do not have any problem hiring competent people who NEED A JOB. LA due to the high levels of nepotism and patronage tries to shove a square peg into a round hole and putty it in for the next 30 years or so due to political paybacks. NOT every time or everyone, of course, but LA history speaks for itself! It is a known fact that you have to be "connected" in LA to "get-in" or be the only one with the proper credentials at the time. Even then they will cover for them to keep that golden paycheck coming! A Department Head recently said something to the effect that why shouldn't they get all the jobs....they are the ones in power and make the decisions. In other words, What resume'??!!............
I do not disagree with you Steeler Nation, just a few tweaks on the implementation of good management practices.:)