[Vision2020] Renaissance Charter School
DonaldH675@aol.com
DonaldH675@aol.com
Mon, 26 Jan 2004 22:57:42 EST
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In an article in tonight's Daily News, Susan Seaman, suspended principal at=20
Renaissance Charter School, mentions that school enrollment is down=20
approximately 50% since 2003. She implies that her suspension may be based=20=
on the schools
=E2=80=99 need for operating money. At first glance that hardly seems possi=
ble since=20
she is on paid leave. Seaman might have addressed the reason for the=20
enrollment drop, and the subsequent decrease in state support, but she didn=
=E2=80=99t.
=20
Renaissance School has been in financial trouble for at least two years. Th=
e=20
initial startup monies were spent routinely as operating funds. A novice=20
bookkeeper would realize that as these funds dwindled the school would event=
ually=20
fall into a deficit. Somehow, Susan Seaman and the business manager, Carol=20
Kampenhout, eschewed basic financial planning and responsible stewardship of=
=20
state educational funds in favor of pie-in-the-sky projected enrollments tha=
t=20
would bail them out financially; enrollment increases, by the way, that the=20
school was physically unable to accommodate. Despite repeated requests from=
three=20
of the seven person Board of Directors for timely and transparent financial=20
information none was forthcoming. Note, that I said three of the seven. Th=
e=20
majority of the board expressed unquestioning confidence in Ms. Kampenhout=
=E2=80=99s=20
financial management and Ms. Seaman=E2=80=99s *superb* leadership. This mis=
placed faith=20
continued throughout the second semester of 2003 despite repeated complaints=
=20
about the lack of fiscal documentation and serious parental concerns regardi=
ng=20
academic accountability on the secondary level. =20
=20
Indeed, there is an entirely new Board at Renaissance now. The three board=20
members who were denied access to current, accurate financial information, a=
nd=20
who were blocked in their efforts to demand accountability from both Ms.=20
Kampenhout and Ms. Seaman resigned in July. Two members out of the four=20
ideologically bonded majority resigned in August after serving four plus ye=
ars. The two=20
remaining long-term members, Deborah Lind and Ray Richmond, who were=20
particularly devoted to sustaining the Seaman-Kampenhout management team, we=
re forced=20
to resign in November. Their long-called for resignations were part of a de=
al=20
brokered with the few teachers left in the school. That is, the teachers=20
agreed to a salary cut, if among other negotiated terms, Ray Richmond and De=
borah=20
Lind resigned. (Both Lind and Richmond had repeatedly extended their own=20
expired Board terms apparently under the curious impression that their prese=
nce=20
was useful. The question naturally arises at this juncture, useful to who?)=
=20
Carole Kampenhout, the Business Manager and Administrative Assistant to=20
Principal Seaman left town to take a new job last August. Ms. Kampenhout ha=
s=20
subsequently returned to Moscow, and it is to be hoped will be available to=20=
explain to=20
her considerable role in the financial collapse of the school. FYI: It took=
=20
a public records request under the Freedom of Information Act to bring to=20
light the $26,000 she paid her husband for handyman work around the school.=20=
This=20
informal contract was never endorsed by the Board of Directors, who were=20
unaware of it. Based on that unhappy fact, and her consistent refusal to ans=
wer=20
financial questions from the school board or public and her adamant refusal=20=
to=20
adopt the financial software recommended by the Moscow School District, I fi=
nd=20
it unlikely that Ms. Kampenhout will voluntarily provide additional informat=
ion=20
on her financial management practices at Renaissance. (Sorry to remind you=20
but this is our tax dollars at work here folks.)
=20
The current Board of Directors has undertaken a Herculean task, but at least=
=20
(with the help of Moscow School District) they are able to provide accurate=20
expenditure and deficit figures. I am afraid that despite their efforts it=20=
is a=20
case of to little, to late. Whatever the failures of the former board, sinc=
e=20
late July 2003, the current board continues (at least until last Friday) to=
=20
advertise programs that no longer exist at the school, showcase faculty that=
=20
resigned last summer, and run parental endorsements from parents who have lo=
ng=20
since withdrawn their children. Despite repeated requests from parents and=20
teachers no longer at the school to remove their names, and their endorsemen=
ts,=20
they remained on line. =20
=20
If they can=E2=80=99t manage to a website, it seems unlikely that they can s=
ave a=20
school.
=20
Rosemary Huskey
=20
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<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=3D"Times New R=
oman" size=3D3>In an article in tonight's Daily News, Susan Seaman, sus=
pended principal at <st1:place><st1:PlaceName>Renaissance</st1:PlaceName> <s=
t1:PlaceName>Charter</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType>School</st1:PlaceType></=
st1:place>, mentions that school enrollment is down approximately 50% since=20=
2003.<SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>She implies that her su=
spension may be based on the schools=E2=80=99 need for operating money.<SPAN=
style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>At first glance that hardly seems=
possible since she is on paid leave.<SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> =
; </SPAN>Seaman might have addressed the reason for the enrollment drop, and=
the subsequent decrease in state support, but she didn=E2=80=99t.</FONT></P=
>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT face=3D"Times=20=
New Roman" size=3D3> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3D3><FONT face=
=3D"Times New Roman"><st1:place><st1:PlaceName>Renaissance</st1:PlaceName> <=
st1:PlaceType>School</st1:PlaceType></st1:place> has been in financial troub=
le for at least two years.<SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Th=
e initial startup monies were spent routinely as operating funds.<SPAN style=
=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>A novice bookkeeper would realize that=20=
as these funds dwindled the school would eventually fall into a deficit.<SPA=
N style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Somehow, Susan Seaman and the bu=
siness manager, Carol Kampenhout, eschewed basic financial planning and resp=
onsible stewardship of state educational funds in favor of pie-in-the-sky pr=
ojected enrollments that would bail them out financially; enrollment increas=
es, by the way, that the school was physically unable to accommodate.<SPAN s=
tyle=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Despite repeated requests from thre=
e of the seven person Board of Directors for timely and transparent financia=
l information none was forthcoming.<SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> =20=
</SPAN>Note, that I said three of the seven.<SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes=
"> </SPAN>The majority of the board expressed unquestioning confidence=
in Ms. Kampenhout=E2=80=99s financial management and Ms. Seaman=E2=80=99s *=
superb* leadership.<SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>This misp=
laced faith continued throughout the second semester of 2003 despite re=
peated complaints about the lack of fiscal documentation and serious parenta=
l concerns regarding academic accountability on the secondary level.<SPAN st=
yle=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT face=3D"Times=20=
New Roman" size=3D3> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=3D"Times New R=
oman" size=3D3>Indeed, there is an entirely new Board at Renaissance now.<SP=
AN style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The three board members who wer=
e denied access to current, accurate financial information, and who were blo=
cked in their efforts to demand accountability from both Ms. Kampenhout and=20=
Ms. Seaman resigned in July.<SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>=
Two members out of the four ideologically bonded majority <SPAN style=3D"mso=
-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>resigned in August after serving four plus year=
s. The two remaining long-term members, Deborah Lind and Ray Richmond, who w=
ere particularly devoted to sustaining the Seaman-Kampenhout management team=
, were forced to resign in November.<SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> =
</SPAN>Their long-called for resignations were part of a deal brokered with=
the few teachers left in the school.<SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> =
; </SPAN>That is, the teachers agreed to a salary cut, if among other negoti=
ated terms, Ray Richmond and Deborah Lind resigned. (Both Lind and <st1:City=
><st1:place>Richmond</st1:place></st1:City> had repeatedly extended their ow=
n expired Board terms apparently under the curious impression that their pre=
sence was useful.<SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The questio=
n naturally arises at this juncture, useful to who?)<SPAN style=3D"mso-space=
run: yes"> </SPAN>Carole Kampenhout, the Business Manager and Administ=
rative Assistant to Principal Seaman left town to take a new job last August=
.<SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Ms. Kampenhout has subseque=
ntly returned to <st1:City><st1:place>Moscow</st1:place></st1:City>, and it=20=
is to be hoped will be available to explain to her considerable role in the=20=
financial collapse of the school.<SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> </=
SPAN>FYI: It took a public records request under the Freedom of Information=20=
Act to bring to light the $26,000 she paid her husband for handyman work aro=
und the school. <SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>This informal=
contract was never endorsed by the Board of Directors, who were unaware of=20=
it. Based on that unhappy fact, and her consistent refusal to answer financi=
al questions from the school board or public and her adamant refusal to adop=
t the financial software recommended by the <st1:place><st1:PlaceName>Moscow=
</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType>School District</st1:PlaceType></st1:place>,=
I find it unlikely that Ms. Kampenhout will voluntarily provide additional=20=
information on her financial management practices at Renaissance.<SPAN style=
=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>(Sorry to remind you but this is our ta=
x dollars at work here folks.)</FONT></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT face=3D"Times=20=
New Roman" size=3D3> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3D3><FONT face=
=3D"Times New Roman">The current Board of Directors has undertaken a Hercule=
an task, but at least (with the help of <st1:place><st1:PlaceName>Moscow</st=
1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType>School District</st1:PlaceType></st1:place>) the=
y are able to provide accurate expenditure and deficit figures.<SPAN style=
=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I am afraid that despite their efforts=20=
it is a case of to little, to late.<SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> =20=
</SPAN>Whatever the failures of the former board, since late July 2003, the=20=
current board continues (at least until last Friday) <SPAN style=3D"mso-spac=
erun: yes"> </SPAN>to advertise programs that no longer exist at the sc=
hool, showcase faculty that resigned last summer, and run parental endorseme=
nts from parents who have long since withdrawn their children.<SPAN style=
=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Despite repeated requests from parents=20=
and teachers no longer at the school to remove their names, and their endors=
ements, they remained on line.<SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPA=
N></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT face=3D"Times=20=
New Roman" size=3D3> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=3D"Times New R=
oman" size=3D3>If they can=E2=80=99t manage to a website, it seems unlikely=20=
that they can save a school.</FONT></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT face=3D"Times=20=
New Roman" size=3D3> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=3D"Times New R=
oman" size=3D3>Rosemary Huskey</FONT></P>
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New Roman" size=3D3> </FONT></o:p></P></BODY></HTML>
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