Pickerington Area Taxpayers Alliance

Did our community make a mistake electing Jim Brink to the School Board? Were we just heady with excitement about slow-growth candidates that we didn't think things through? Perhaps this is part of the slow-growth strategy --- let the District's scores decline and the area won't be as attractive to new people. Is the PLSD taking a dive to support their Pickerington City Council friends, like Dave Shaver, Ted Hackworth, Brian Wisniewski and Heidi Riggs? Just because they haven't learned the art of negotiation doesn't mean our children must suffer!!! How do Lisa Reade and Gail Oakes feel about this? I think it's important to find out.

In this week's Pickerington Times-Sun, Jim Brink is quoted as saying he thinks it is ''a mistake for the district to hang its hat on the performance measures on the state report card.'' Given the district's current and future demographic and the inclusion of students with special needs in the testing process, ''it's going to be pretty difficult for us to get the perfect ratings,'' he said.

He said the Pickerington schools should focus on its own academic goals and measurement.

However, I see other districts that have had to face similar challenges to Pickerington's, namely Hilliard, and have been able to maintain their ''Excellence'' rating. Why can't Pickerington? I smell a rat, and I don't like it!


By Distraught and Furious

Jim Brink bad as PLSD President


Apparently Jim Brink wants to be the next school board President, and doesn't think Gail Oakes is qualified. I question his motives. The current President (Wes Monhollen)is coaching him in his goal of Presidency. Is this an alliance that can be trusted?

Gail Oakes has served the school board well, and I believe both Jim Brink and Lisa Reade were calling her the new ''Madame President'' of the Board at the election victory party in November. What has happened since then?

I hope somebody can talk some sense into Jim Brink and Lisa Reade before it's too late, before we have an even more divided school board so nothing good can be accomplished.


By Something stinks

Some Children Left Behind


Apparently Mr. Brink thinks it's OK to ignore the education of special needs children. So much for No Child Left Behind.

Out of context

Keep in mind before you begin to railroad Mr. Brink for ''leaving behind children with 'special needs,''' that he has a child that falls in that classification. Mr. Brink had one child that progressed through Pickerington's 'gifted program' and another that qualified for the 'special needs' program.

Funny how you can jump to conclusions without all the facts. That's almost as funny as Jesse Jackson being paged to the white courtesy phone at the airport.

By Casual Observer