The Virginian-Pilot
©
VIRGINIA BEACH
After a heated discussion, the School Board on Tuesday appointed at-large board member Carolyn Weems to the Bayside seat.
Board member Sandra Smith-Jones said Weems might not be eligible because she didn't speak at a public hearing last week. She cited part of a bylaw that reads: "No person whose name is not considered at a public hearing shall be appointed."
Weems did not speak or bring other speakers on the advice of legal counsel Kamala Lanetti. Lanetti told the board that while no legal precedent could be found on the issue, the board had the applications of all 12 candidates at their disposal at the hearing, and therefore considered them.
Of the remaining nine board members, seven voted to appoint Weems. Smith-Jones abstained, as did Pat Edmonson, who missed the hearing.
Weems sat in the audience and looked stunned by the discussion.
"I did everything I thought was best for the board and to get more people involved," she said. "The process has overshadowed my qualifications."
Weems, who has served as the board's at-large member since 2002, said she wanted to represent her neighborhood. She will replace Dan Lowe, who resigned last month.
The appointment does not change the length of her term, which runs out at the end of 2010.
Her at-large seat will be opened to applicants as soon as she resigns to take the oath of office for the Bayside seat. The other 11 applicants will be considered for the at-large seat unless they withdraw.
Applications are due to board clerk Dianne Alexander by 10 a.m. Dec. 23. A public hearing will be held about 6 p.m. Jan. 5.
"I don't like what we've done the last two weeks, but talking to the lawyers, I couldn't find a way around it," board Chairman Dan Edwards said. He looks forward to returning to school-related issues. "I don't like it when the board has to deal with ourselves. We're not at our best."
Lauren Roth, (757) 222-5133, lauren.roth@pilotonline.com
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RULES WERE BROKEN, MS. WEEMS SHOULD NOT BE ON THE SCHOOL BOARD
Ms. Carolyn Weems should not be representing the Virginia Beach School District. She circumvented and violated the student transfer eligibility rules by moving her son to the Princess Anne district to play baseball for a "BASEBALL SCHOOL". The rules are very clear regarding student transfers and residency requirements and she broke the rules, but yet she serves on our school board. The rule states that at a minimum the following facts must exist:
(1) The original residence must be abandoned as a residence; that is sold, rented or disposed of as a residence, and must not be used as a residence by any member of the family,
(2) The entire family must make the change and take with them the household goods and furniture appropriate to the circumstances, and
(3) The change must be made with the intent that it is permanent.
Putting her son and husband up in an apartment in the Princess Anne School Zone did not satisfy the residency requirements of the VHSL. She violated the rules and should be held accountable.
Everyone can judge for themselves, but the rules are everyone, even school board members.
She was in the meeting???
SHe was invited to attend the meeting? the other candidates were not! ADVANTAGE
SHe had access to the Board lawyer - ADVANTAGE
Noone ran against Dan Lowe including WEEMS. The process was unfair more than it should have been.
I am going to work to ensure WEEMS is voted out in 2010.
Amazing
The Bayside School Board seat has been unopposed for several consecutive terms. If all those applicants wanted to be on the School Board so badly, one of them could've actually tried to get the support of voters by actually running for it some time in the past two decades.
New Day...New Article...A New Set of Pitiful Circumstances
This is the script for a Saturday Night Live segment, right?
Characters: A wishy-washy legal consultant; a clueless school board member seeking to represent a school district she didn't send her own kids to; a SB Chair who got his job by caving to the pressures and promises of former SB members and who thinks the SB is not at their "best" when not dealing with school related issues(LOL); one member who abstains because she doesn't want to go on record as being opposed to the appointment; and another member who missed the crucial public statements.
Public servants...ain't we lucky!
Disingenuous Ms. Weems
Ms. Weems plans on running for SB re-election in Nov. 2010. Her crafty move to the Bayside District is one of self-preservation. Now, when she runs for re-election, she will only have to compete against a handful of candidates who live in the Bayside District instead of 40 or more who might opt for the at-large seat. Pretty smart! She wants to represent Bayside? Was she doing that when she moved her son to Princess Ann High? Bayside High wasn't good enough for her family?
Chairman Edwards says his hands were tied? He needs to do some explaining on that one. #1.List the names of the candidates publicly.
#2. Read the resumes. #3.Select the candidates who seem most qualified--3, 5,or ALL. #4. Interview the candidates! #5 Vote. Ms Weems should have resigned her seat and allowed herself to be interviewed. Then the board could have considered her, along with the other candidates, and still have voted for her. Something's fishy here!
pa
is pa in the bayside dist.
Is PA in the Bayside District?
No, they just have a better baseball team.
What;'s the Problem?
Actually, as I read these posts, I wonder if people have taken leave of their senses. Ms. Weems was elected to the School Board, and certainly the preference of the voters must be the predominant factor in this change. If she prefers the Bayside seat, it is still the same electorate, so for the life of me I can't figure out all this angst. This way, the citizens of Bayside get to keep their elected school board member, and a new at large person will be appointed. What's the problem?
The problem is the process.
The problem is the process.
One of your past posts advocated for openness. This is a SB Chair and Administration that balked at televising their workshops. Even now they are not televised live. This is a SB that was willing to waste taxpayer money to hire a General from Georgia during a process that the SB closed to the public. The man, who had already quit his job in Georgia because he was being investigated, was subsequently indicted for misuse of school funds. This is a SB who rejected applicants for the job because they were "too employee friendly." This is a SB that has a lot of baggage and no real leaders. My guess is, she doesn't have 100% support from the SB...so will this lead to divisiveness among the members? How will this decision help as we attempt to move our school system forward, especially when a united SB is what it will take to manage this economic crisis?
Her selfishness causes Bayside not to have two members on the Bo
Actually, as I read these posts, I wonder if people have taken leave of their senses.
- Yes the Board has!
Ms. Weems was elected to the School Board, and certainly the preference of the voters must be the predominant factor in this change.
- Correct, she was elected to the AT-LArge Seat and is already on the Board, so why change her from the seat she was ELECTED to?
If she prefers the Bayside seat, it is still the same electorate, so for the life of me I can't figure out all this angst.
- Not True, this is only for the BAYSIDE district - of which she never ran for and the Board has never interviewed any candidates for which is reguired and listed as a proceedure in the vacancy filling requirements and the chairmans original mandate to the board.
This way, the citizens of Bayside get to keep their elected school board member, and a new at large person will be appointed. What's the problem?
- We(bayside district) did not elect her to represent us. We didn't speak for her at the hearing, we dont' elect her when she ran a few years ago, and with no discusion about the seat from the Board, something is wrong. Now the board is about to go another 45 days with