New LPHS BOT, More Of The Same Old Rubbish
Recent correspondence with Logan Park High School would indicate that the new Board of Trustees is no better than the last. Perhaps this is because to many of the old BOT are still there certainly the new Chair was the deputy in the last board. This is sad as some much better candidates came forward at the last election with much more to loose by way of reputation than the previous members. Discussions with a previous Board member have confirmed to me that the board is very much captured and controlled by the Principal Jane Johnson and in her absence her Deputy Roger Tobin. But back to the new BOT who are they:
Alex King (Chairperson)
Jane Johnson (Principal)
Ruth Barnett
Brian Derrett
Sarah Derrett
Caroline Rickerby
Han Verberne (Staff Representative)
Noi Hudson (co-opted Member).
Luke Shield (Student Representative)
I’m sure that anyone with medical knowledge on the BOT isn’t aware the OSH component of my complaint resulted that fault was found and an improvement notice issued. This was based on the Original complaint that the board ignored. I understand that the Department of Labour (DOL) has quite a file on LPHS. They might like to get in touch with the DOL Doctor and get the real story of their school. But all this would in direct conflict with the ERO report. How could that be? I’ll move on to research the dishonesty aspects of my complaint.
I recently sent an official information request to the school detail below
To: The Board of Trustees,
This request is for all documents including BOT Minutes relating to the handling of my complaint 10.11.08 regarding “Bullying and Dishonesty” at LPHS. If you feel any documents are subject to “Legal Privilege”. Please identify these documents by Author, and Date and I will request the office of the Ombudsman’s to examine them. I also request copies of
The email sent to selected staff explaining the reason why a trespass notice was served on me along with its distribution list and identifying the Author/s.
All correspondence relating to an offer from the German Government to support the teaching of German at LPHS along with the LPHS’s reply early November 2009, any internal correspondence and the Board Minutes of discussion and rejection of this offer.
These requests are made pursuant Official Information Act 1982 the information can either be mailed to me at:
Rob Owen
I got a reply sort of declining my request as Alex King considered it Vexatious apparently I have made a number of unmeritorious complaints to the school in the last year. Year right! Mr King. The DOL don’t agree and I will be taking this up with the Ombudsman you can be sure. But in the mean time just what exactly are you trying to hide? Looking pretty suspicious to me and for anyone at LPHS to talk about good faith, well that’s a joke. But I can assure you I’m a lot more than just trouble.
It amazes me the level of dishonesty and incompetence the successive BOT’s at LPHS are prepared to accept from their paid management.
Filed under: Back ground, LPHS, Questions
To the Ombudsman
Dear Sir/Madam,
Complaint regarding refusal to provide Official Information and Unreasonable Costs against Logan Park High School, Butts Road, Dunedin.
Background
On the 10/11/08 I submitted a formal complaint (attached) to Logan Park High School in Dunedin questioning the honesty of the senior management team there, also raising issues surrounding bullying by the same senior management and in the complaint and subsequent emails the schools compliance with the Health and Safety Act. Prior to this I had attempted to speak to the then chair Margi MacMurdo-Reading believing these problems could be easily sorted out in-house. She initially agreed to meet so long as the BOT’s lawyer could attended, I agreed to this but the meeting never took place as she refused to talk and insisted on formalising the complaint. This complaint was copied to the Ministry of Education and the OSH group within the local Dept. of Labour. The BOT rejected my complaint based on “Legal Advice”. This statement amazed me as the Ministry of Education Guidelines clearly stated for OSH complaints the complaint can come from “Any Party”. Needless to say from this point forward the situation has been mismanaged by the BOT. I could not get copies of any of the procedures used including their complaints procedure which is now available on their web site..
Firstly the subjects of the complaint were delegated by the BOT to resolve the problems (Johnson and Tobin)
I was served with a trespass notice that did not state a reason. I later found that I was accused of threatening to “burn” down the school, a false accusation. I believe it had more to do with preventing me from acting in any support role.
The Teacher whom I believed was being bullied had her career threatened unless she was able to “call me off”.
OSH investigated the school and as a result an improvement notice was issued and serious questions asked. I believe OSH has quite a file on this and I believe found the school less than cooperative.
Competency procedures were started against the teacher I mention in the complaint and these were never resolved but she had been a teacher at the schools for 12 years and no questions were raised. The complainants were Johnson & Tobin and their “subjective opinions”.
We survived through a number of suicide attempts at home.
The Principal and Head of Dept. for Languages tried to explain away the teacher’s state of health with “a battered woman” in the home explanation. (witnesses to support this are available)
The teacher was CAPNA’d (made redundant) at the end of 2009. Without the competency issues being resolved.
At no time did the BOT communicate with the Teacher other than through Johnson & Tobin.
She made the choice to work out her super numeracy at another school and they requested her staff file which LPHS refused to supply. So that the competency could not immediately be dealt with by the new school.
The Teachers practicing certificate has been held up due to the delaying tactics of the school. (Hardly the act of a good employer as required under the State Services Act).
No evidence of any incompetence was found after 2 terms teaching at the new school.
Other Teachers at the school have received similar treatment. Many being driven out signing secrecy agreements and never finding new teaching positions.
There is quite a bit more that can go here if required the full story would take months to tell let alone reading the documents.
Complaint
With regard to LPHS under their administration I expect they would not be above destroying or modifying documents to hide their transgressions. The successive BOT’s at LPHS have never taken any action to resolve the issues. Instead the new BOT Chair Alex King refers to them as “unmeritorious” in declining my Official Information request along with the Boards response has been Faxed 16/08/10 to 04 4712254.
He also uses Section 18(h) of the Act claiming my request is vexatious. It is not and neither is it trivial. I don’t know if this document is to be seen by LPHS so I will not include the purpose of my request but am prepared to explain further confidentially in a separate document or I can discuss this if you call me on 021 669316. I will however say as the BOT failed to investigate my complaint I have been investigating it myself. OSH issues are already proven. I already have considerable evidence of dishonesty.
I hold a limited Power Of Attorney for XXXXXXXXX for matters relating to LPHS. So if this is the issue surrounding privacy referred to it is not a problem
Outcome.
I would like the documents requested. I don’t see how it could take 20 hours retrieving them and am not prepared to open my cheque book in anyway to the exorbitant hourly rate requested. I don’t see why the school should be allowed to profit from their own inaction. They are after all publicly funded and publicly accountable. I believe the official information Act was not designed to allow a publicly funded organisation to cover up dishonesty or incompetence. Many school boards publish their minutes on their web pages. The LPHS board seems to like to operate in secrecy. Often going into committee if a member of the public attends the meeting wishing to observe. I would like to have some sort of finding on their behaviour.
Yours truly,
Rob Owen
I am really pissed off. Here is national NZ talking about bullying at school. I can tell you it will not stop untill the bullies at the top are removed.
WAKE UP NZ.
Your post has lifetd the level of debate
I raelly wish there were more articles like this on the web.