Fiddling while Quaboag Burns?

[No friction dancing.]

The recent events at the school (protesting and whatnot) have gotten me thinking. Are we fiddling while Quaboag burns? Are we doing too little, or are we doing too much?

I know that there are people that feel pretty strongly about Mr. Collins leaving. I'm not going to get into my opinions on the matter. They're irrelevant to the thread. Besides, I'm a moderate. But I think that all of the commotion caused by the protesting, the armbands, and the stickers didn't really accomplish anything, other than disrupting an otherwise perfectly fine day (for me at least).

If you really liked Mr. Collins, then just go about your day to day business. I'm sure that he became Principal because he wanted to see kids get an education. Do him a favor and do just that. Show the community that he's taught you something.

If you don't like Mr. Collins, then go about your day to day business. This should be obvious.

If you're a moderate, then congratulations. Maybe you'll have an opinion when we learn more about what's going on. Maybe not.

Remember this:
Just because the inmates are running the asylum doesn't make them any less crazy.

[garyc7689]

well put. if one wants to show their appreciation for what C. Steve had done for the boag. go to the school board meeting. im pretty sure its the 27th. i know if i was a school board member and 100 kids showed up to a meeting about their principal. id tihnk about what he means to the administration.

[w1ck3yd00]

Well, honestly I believe that Mr.Collins was one of the best principals this schools ever seen. But I agree that all this 'protesting' went too far.

A silent protest to exemplify our feelings of support and quick return is fine, but the skipping class and relentless badgering of the superintendant and new principal was wrong, in my honest opinion. If some believe there is more to be said, they should remember that there is only so much they can say. I know he's our principal, I know it's our school and we deserve more information, but going about it, detesting, accusing and attacking every individual who was put in the middle of this, is wrong.
I belive there is so much more to this story, it's an unfair assumption that the entire mess rests on the shoulders of the superintendant. Even if that is the case, you don't know that for certain. As of this current moment, I would support Mr.Collins if the 'leave of absence' (And I use that term very loosely.) was unfair. But to assume that whatever comes out of the superintendants mouth is fallacy, or casuistry without more information is just getting ahead of yourself.

I think the 'hardcore' protesters should take a step back and organize themselves to not look as though a terrible autrocity has been committed, when nobody is really sure that's what the case is.

Just some thought.

[No friction dancing.]

Well put everybody. When more facts come out it will be easier for everybody to make an educated opinion.

[Jesus]

When we get a new perm. principal there will probably be changes. If the new principal makes bad decisions and is unfair to kids (not going through with the deals collins set up so that they graduate), then we should protest. Maybe we will get an even better principal. Not bloody likely, but maybe. If it is Mr. A then I am protesting. That is also very doubtful. We will find out soon enough.

[w1ck3yd00]

I recently have found out the 'rational' of the superintendant. It was innapropriate. Now that information is being let out, people can begin to voice their feelings and ardor for whichever side it is they choose to take. I support Mr.Collins and I hope the superitendant is fired for her premature accusations with little to no evidence for support.

[bs060306]

Here's the latest info:

Today (Sunday) about 20 concerned parents had a meeting with Mr. Collins to discuss his leave of absence. In the 3.5 hour meeting, he told them exactly why Mrs. Jacobs placed him on leave. Ready for this?

1. He's being accused of changing a student's grade. He adamantly denies this, of course, but has an alibi anyway. He was at a conference at the time, and can prove it because the date and time of the grade change was recorded on his computer--a computer readily available to anyone.

2. He has also been accused of inccorectly reporting where last year's grads went to college. He persnally went around to seniors and asked where they were going, becuase Ms. Wood was supposed to but didn't. Students obviously didn't say where they were actually going. As if this is even a big deal, Mrs. Jacobs is blaming it on Mr. Collins.

Mrs. Jacobs can pull this kind of crap without consequence becuase Mr. Collins is an "employee at will." Until he has worked here for three years (which will be at the end of this year), Mrs. Jacobs can do whatever she wants to him and he can't do anything about it. The same policy goes for teachers. After this year, she has less power.

At the School Committee on March 7 (@ WCES) the parents are presenting a petition that asks Mrs. Jacobs to leave. Her contract will have to be bought out.

Mrs. Jacobs left the student body, faculty, and community hanging when she so abruptly placed Mr. Collins on leave. Everyone has noticed her inconsistencies in information (a.k.a. lies) in the newspapers. Now we know that our principal has been taken away becuase she has a vendetta against him. The student body has the right to act against her. Not with another sit-in, but with its presence at the School Committee Meeting. Come show your support for Mr. Collins and your opposition to Mrs. Jacobs, and expect flyers when we return to school. Look for news reports in the local papers as well.

[w1ck3yd00]

I prefer to remain on the 'articulate' side of debates, but... this isn't even a debate, persay, anymore. So,

Down with Jacobs!

I hope you read this MIZ Jacobs. You're foolish actions have consiquenses.

Please reconsider returning, Mr. Collins!

[No friction dancing.]

Listen, this is a place to talk about facts, and have intelligent discussions. Stay constructive with what you have to say. "Down with Jacobs" is toeing the line. Please from now on, unless you have either new facts or some type of constructive analysis (but for the sake of all that is holy, don't post trig functions on here)don't post. I don't want this to go down the slippery slope that this forum is so familiar with and turn into a series of personal attacks.

[QED]

It is now official, Mr. C. Stephen Collins has resigned from his position as Principal of Quaboag Regional Middle/High School.

An informative meeting was held on Feb. 27 at 7:00PM to convey this information, as well as to provide the reasons for his departure. As was rumored, there were two accusations against Mr. Collins. The first, that he falsified the listing of college destinations for Quaboag graduates, was thrown out. The latter, that he modified the grade of a member of the Class of 2005 in order to allow the student to graduate, was upheld by the internal investigation. It was confirmed that the grade was changed from Mr. Collins' computer at 6:10 in the morning the day following his initial entry of the grade. It was not verified that the grade was changed using any account traceable to Mr. Collins himself, as the password used is used by multiple people.

In perhaps the saddest part of this affair, the people who conducted the investigation came to the conclusion that all four of the alibis provided by Mr. Collins for his whereabouts at the time when the grade was changed were false. Faced with this fact, and possibly other pressures that remain covered by the confidentiality of the investigation, Mr. Collins chose to resign as principal.

Many constructive questions were asked at the meeting, and many uninformed and, quite frankly, retarded-sounding questions were asked as well. Feel free to post your (respectful) take on the meeting below.

[w1ck3yd00]

One playful message and repromandation is presented on a silver platter.

Anyway, Mr.Collins may have 'officially' resigned, but he does want his job back. How do I know? I personally asked him. Many of the questions, in my honest opinion at the meeting, were not 'retarded', QED. If some individuals chose to inquire the attorney present, it was with substantial belief they would be answered. (Which by the way, was the worst presentation of 'factual evidence' and 'question time' I've ever attended. The answeres, I believe, were meant to be convoluded and vague since it is abundantly clear their case is as stable as a pyramid of twenty people stacked on one persons shoulder, who is standing on one foot.) Isn't the only retarded question the one not asked? Or so the message has been relayed to students.

Hope that wasn't 'toeing the line'.

But anyway, at the meeting held this past Thursday at Warren Community Elementry School, I believe again, the school committee and superintendant were faced with the presentation of support by numerous individuals who have been exposed to the level Mr.Collins has ameliorated each students high-school life, and want to make the committe aware of the level of austerity this situation administers.

The one part of this meeting that sincerely showed an almost smug side of the committe, in my opinion, was the disregarding of the statements provided by Justin Dolan. What's your take on it?

[No friction dancing.]

I have to respectfully disagree with you about the fact that the only retarded question is the one not asked. Here are some pretty stupid ones, provided by the champion of stupid questions, Gregg:
1. If you cut off your own arm and ate it, would you gain weight, or lose weight?
2. If a person with multiple personalities threatens to kill themselves, is it considered a hostage situation?
3. If sign makers go on strike, do they write anything on their signs?
4. If you get scared half to death twice, does that make you dead?

Now back to what matters--creating controversy.

[QED]

I apologize for my harsh language, I was fairly upset at the time and did not mean to demean in any way the people who support Mr. Collins. He did, after all, support me in starting this forum, and I know of a number of positive things that he has done for Quaboag. I was simply venting over the fact that many of the adults displayed less restraint and focus than the students, asking redundant questions (many of which had been answered clearly, with the person who was asking again having already heard the first answer and simply hoping further agitate the crowd) and ignoring the answers they were given.

I can understand why a number of the parents, teachers, students, and community members were upset with certain answers, and with certain lacks thereof, and I commend them for taking a public stand and challenging the conclusions reached by the report, and many made points that were well thought out and supported by the evidence. My statement was simply an expression of frustration over the eventual conclusion of the discussion due to a series of unrelated, redundant, or rhetorical questions that were not constructive.

The attorney was, in my opinion, unnecessarily vague on certain answers, and many of these cases were later cleared up by more specific questions. He failed to obtain a clarification as to the infamous "P" grade, leading to at least four people asking if the "P" grade meant that they/their child would not recieve credit, even though he had already stated his lack of knowledge on the subject. This type of unneccessarily repetitive question is what led Mr. Landine to conclude the session, even while others in the room still had valid questions. "I can't divulge that information", whether it is the answer you are seeking or not, is not an answer that is likely to change after a few iterations.

Again, I did not mean to offend or suggest that supporters of Mr. Collins were in any way unintelligent. I overemphasized the level of inattention displayed by certain questions, and I apologize for any offense caused by my comment.

[No friction dancing.]

I think that people just want answers right now. Nobody has gotten any satisfactory ones right now, and that has probably made the problem worse. If all the secrecy were removed, I bet that this could be resolved a lot quicker, and with a lot less shenanigans. QED, I think that everybody gets caught up in it, everybody gets caught up in the moment and acts hastily. Like with those "protests". So I'm not surprised at the questions people were asking.

[Shep]

Well, we're coming up on the two-month anniversary of Mr. Collins going on leave. The school is still standing (and smelling, at least in the MS). The staff is still standing (to leave simultaneously at 2:45). The students are still standing (except those who have passed out from exhaustion due to the homework load, or those who are just stoned). Life has returned to about as "normal" as it gets around here.

Now that things have cooled off a bit in some areas, I've made a few observations.
1. I haven't seen a "We Want Collins" sticker, button, or blimp in about a month. Have people stopped supporting him in public because they no longer support him or because they no longer care?
2. We're still alive. But there is one key difference now. The good ol' "Cougar Pride" seems to have turned into "Cougar ... oh, what's that word for not caring, umm.... er.. oh, yeah, that's right, it starts with 'ap-'... apple? apartment? apartheid? Oh, apoplexy. That's right. Cougar apopl- No, wait, ah, screw it".
3. Everyone (at least those who have an opinion at all) hates our administration. I'm not sure why. No one really knows. Guess its just the latest outlet for the hatred we used to show the cafeteria staff.

I want to know who else has noticed this. Everyone is apathetic towards everything now, and it's starting to really tick me off. The math team won for the year. No one cares. The basketball team one the WHOLE STATE. We mentioned it briefly in our conversations that Monday. We had Grease, and people noticed mainly because it was hard not to, with the sheer volume of work that went into it and the general takeover of the auditorium and its adjoining hallways. Whose job is it to wake everyone up and get some people to start caring again?