Finally, Fullerton’s First School Board Broadcast
The Fullerton School Board doesn’t show its meetings on cable or the Internet. In fact, they don’t even post the audio recordings online. The only way to find out what really happened is to drive over to the district headquarters and ask for a CD.
Well that’s pretty sad, especially given the board’s constant bloviating about their total technological immersion programs for little kids. Shouldn’t the self-appointed exhibitors of the next YouTube generation be a little more eager to put themselves online?
We can do better. And so the Friends are going to bring some extra transparency to the Fullerton School Board meetings by broadcasting them and posting the archives online for the benefit of the public. Here is the first recording of last night’s meeting:
Most of the meeting is spent “giving out gold stars” just as commenter Fullerton Rudy predicted, but there are a few interesting items in the video:
- Discussion and approval of Board policy on Charter Schools – 1:37:00
- Discussion and approval of lawsuit against OC Health Care Agency regarding state funding changes – 1:41:30
Our hope is that the district will ultimately take the reigns and opt to broadcast and record their own meetings, but in the meantime we promise to archive them here at FFFF for all to see (and comment on.)
How much did this cost? It can’t be that expensive.
Boards are rarely inclined to broadcast their own ignorance outside the hollowed halls of “the institution.” I hear that our city council wouldn’t put their meetings on cable tv until someone made a stink about it. Perhaps someone here can tell that story?
Sweet Iridescent Jebus! It took the FCC years! All the supposed conservatives like the imbeciles Catlin and Bankhead kept yammering about the cost. The real truth was that they were afraid the public would get to see how dim they really were (are).
The Internet is free. The camera is a hand-me-down. It took 5 minutes to set up the camera, 30 seconds to pack it up and a minute to start the upload when I got home.
There’s no reason for the district to keep avoiding the broadcasting of their own board meetings.
“There’s no reason for the district to keep avoiding the broadcasting of their own board meetings.”
Well, there’s no reason for you or me or any one of 150,000 citizens in the FSD catchment area. But the Superintendent and Board may have a really good reason – they don’t want you to see what they’re doing. Board meetings aren’t for conducting business. That shit’s already been taken care of. No, it’s all about handing out gold stars as Rudy has so eloquently stated. And those gold stars just come up with the rations.
And after you watch the dispensation of the gold stars, the rations are bound to come up again!
Took a long time for Planning Commission meetings to be broadcast too.
Kudos to FFFF.
I tried to watch this…I feel inclined to pray for Chris Thompson even more now…
Good job!
Minard, you had so many opportunities to influence the school board to televise the board meeting, and it sounds like you’re happy they are now being published, so please explain why they weren’t when you were on the school board?
I tried to get a language change in our new policy toward Charter Schools simply expressing that they were “one excellent” option for education reform. Not better than our schools, just an expression of support for the phenomenon which protects against onerous union power. I couldn’t get a 2nd for my 2 word insert.
I was also the sole vote against a resolution authorizing joining a lawsuit “should it become necessary” against the county. The Orange County Health Care Agency is discontinuing funding for mental health services because the state is no longer funding the mandate. I was unconvinced that there was any logic in playing ‘sue the next guy in line’ musical chairs.
Well done! And you’re right!!
It sounds like Chris desperately needs a partner to help him get things done! Praying for true reform and for someone willing to fight the good fight!
More citizens should be taking the initiative to record public meetings and posting them online if the government can’t afford a more professional setup.
I was going to do what you did at Placentia Council Meetings until Council Member Yamaguchi let me know they had recently installed cameras.
Though I understand the frustration that these videos aren’t already posted online considering how easy it may seem to us digitally savvy citizens, you’ll be amazed at how much outside vendors charge governments to install “professional” grade equipment and the hosting charges for these videos. Never underestimate an entrepreneur’s ability to fleece the tech-illiterate. :]
Jefferson, make sure that Placentia is actually going to post the recordings online. DVD’s stashed in a closet won’t really help the public see what’s going on.