Viewpoints
Confidentiality. Privacy.
Ring a bell?
By Chris Elliott
June 09, 2006
Friday
Confidentiality. Privacy. Ring a bell? I was surprised to
hear that Mr. Eklund is now the Vice Principal at Kayhi and the
search is on for a new principal. I don't have children in the
school system anymore, and I quit the School Board just before
"the lady that sells the washers, dryers, and stoves at
the local outlet" was recalled by parents like the lady
who runs all the marathons, so I'm out of the loop (noose?).
As a member of the School Board, I was privy to confidential
information about District employees. With regard to personnel
issues, it is the absolute duty of the School Board to protect
the privacy of District employees. That means you cannot reveal
confidential information unless you want to spend the next 20
years battling the NEA, KEA, KLO, ACLU, etc. And that's the
way it should be. Personnel discussions are between the employer
and the employee. Teachers answer to their building principals,
principals answer to the Superintendent, and the Superintendent
answers to the School Board. If the employee wishes to discuss
a personnel matter in public, then the employee need only request
a public hearing and consent to the release of confidential information.
Unless that happens, the community will never hear all the facts.
It s plain that Mr. Erdrich's reassignment doesn't elicit the
same reaction as that of Mr. Eklund's. Is that because of the
negative public statements made by citizens at a Board meeting
and reported in the Daily News? If so, I guess the community
believes it knows all it needs to know in that case.
Personnel decisions are not made on the basis of whether or not
an employee is "liked". There are strict procedures,
and employees are afforded the opportunity to contest decisions
with which they disagree. The employee is protected by his contract
and has many avenues of appeal.
My advice is to dust off those campaign posters and enter the
fray.
Chris Elliott
Ketchikan, AK - USA
About: 50+ year resident
Related Viewpoint:
 Demotion
of Principal By Susan Doherty - Ketchikan, AK - USA
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