In these times of very tight budgets we must do everything we can to be wise stewards of tax payer dollars. My comments at past board meetings and in the media are not meant to disparage any employee of the district. I truly believe that a majority of our employees have the children's best interest at heart.
However, I am personally accountable to the public and I take that charge very seriously. We as a board with staff input need to have a conversation about these no bid contracts and make some changes in how we do business.
There have been several situations lately that have raised public concerns about the way Hillsborough County Schools awards consulting contracts.
Read Tampa Tribune Marilyn Brown story here.
Read St. Pete Times Leticia Stein story here.
View Channel 10 Mike Deeson story here.
Read Channel 10 Mike Deeson story here.
What are your thoughts on no bid contracts?
4 comments:
Hmmm. No-bid contracts are acceptable if:
1) The product or service is really so unique that no other provider can be found. This does not include specifications that are ridiculously specific and designed to fit only one favored company, of course, which will come as a major disappointment to the district's purchasing poo-bahs.
2) The no-bid section is only in force until another manufacturer or provider emerges or is found. After that, it should be bid out.
Other than that, I don't think they're anything but an invitation to cronyism and corruption.
You have been entrusted with taxpayer money to use for the best education of our children.When the Supe and SB are screaming money woes- cut salaries, increase teaching preps, cut programs, classes, etc., and then spend wantonly, you lose our trust--teachers, parents and all those who pay taxes. I know it's in retrospect, but the huge blunders made this year will be remembered for a long, long time. The SB cannot afford to continue to appear to be so thoughtless, irresponsible and arrogant.
We DO appreciate those of you--still in the minority--who continue to go against the entrenched good ol' boys 'n' gals.
April,
You continue to do a wonderful job, however I have a question. 1. Was the $3.1 million for five years for the software was used to scale the semester exams a no-bid contract? Also, scaling exams is something that I, as well as anyone else that has taken a graduate level course in Measurements has encountered. It certainly not 3.1 million worth of complexity. In fact it is embarrassing that the subject supervisors can't do on their own. In fact this should be part of Hilderbrand job.
Artificially inflating scores will only underscore how little confidence the County has in their own exams, yet MAP will use these scores to grade me. What a joke.
Anonymous 11:09,
Please email me at april@voteapril.com. I would like to have a conversation with you. Thank you, April
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