* BOOOST Protest of Hartford School Board Meeting Announced by Independent Candidate

Chatting prior the joint session of Hartford School Board and Select Board on Wednesday, 9/12/12 , are the four candidates for two of Hartford's seats in the Vermont House: (l-r) Kevin Christie (Democrat), Paul Keane (Independent), Sheila Vowinkel (Democrat), and Alex DeFelice (Republican.)

Mr. Thomas DeBalsi,

Superintendent

Hartford School District

September 15, 2012

Hi Tom,

It was nice to sit next to you at the joint Select Board/School Board meeting the other night. Since it was the first time we have been in a meeting together I thought you were

remarkably poised in the presence of my theatrical style. 

Indeed, your allusion to Macbeth’s famous  “sound and fury” soliloquy was charming, especially the  “a poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage and then is heard no more.” (V,v, 19-28)

For me this is the key phrase: “is heard no more”.  Ever since I woke up from my cancer surgery four years ago to discover I was not yet dead, I have treated every hour as if it was my last.

How liberating death is when it has retreated for just a bit.

I’m so glad you reminded this old wrinkled warhorse activist from the seventies of that.  

It is refreshing to have a superintendent who is sensitive to great literature. (I mean that sincerely.)

I just wanted to let you know as a courtesy a month in advance so you will have time to notify me if I am incorrect, that I will be attending the next school board meeting wearing a placard for my organization BOOOST: “Better Opt Out of Standardized Testing.” 

You can read its inaugural letter in today’s Valley News  challenging parents across America to revolt against their school boards, or  you can read it at the BOOOST blog http://testoptout.blogspot.com/

Now here’s what I want to make sure I am correct about, especially after Wednesday’s meeting when the School Board Chair found it ever so difficult to decide whether he would entertain questions from the public. 

I assume I am correct that there is no printed policy which says the public may not comment or protest either by voice or by carrying a placard at a taxpayer-paid-for school board meeting in the Town of Hartford whose charter exists in communion with the First Amendment of the United States’ Constitution guaranteeing citizens “the right to peaceably assemble  and petition the government for a redress of grievances.”

I am a citizen and a taxpayer and I am protesting my government’s use of my taxpayer money in a manner which I believes harms “late bloomer” children.  Indeed, a lawyer might propose that it constitutes DISCRIMINATION  against late bloomer children. 

But we will leave that for another later  time.

You can read about it in my inaugural article (link above).

Rest assured that I will be courteous, but I will be my usual theatrical self:spontaneity may spill over onto  pompous protocol, of which I saw a great deal the other night.

I believe the First Amendment in its Hartford, Vermont incarnation doesn’t prohibit theatrical people from enjoying its protections.

Please do let me know if I am incorrect.

Yours very sincerely,

PAUL

Paul D. Keane

(HHS ,Ret.)

M.A., M.Div. M.Ed.

PS:

Perhaps this time you won’t want to sit next to me.  I’ll understand.  :>) lol!

cc;

Mr.Riesberg

Mr. Collea

Mr. Fogg

Mr. Gardner

Mr. Heavisides

Mr. Hagen

Mr.  Walker

Mr. Haehnel

Mr.Christie

Ms. Vowinkel

Mr. DeFelice

Mr. Franzoni

Mr. Frank

Mr. Gregg

Mr. Kenyon

Ms. Cassidy

Ms. Caruso