Randy Smith responds to critics

In the Deseret News (Feb. 19) David Hansen, co-chairman of the Davis School District boundary steering committee wrote a guest commentary in response to my (Randy Smith's) commentary published (Feb. 4). I would like to respond to his comments here. Mr. Hansen’s comments are bold italicized.

Randy Smith made serious assertions in his "My View" (Feb. 4) about the Davis School District, challenging the integrity of its employees, ignoring actual performance results and loosely presenting information.

First, there is a substantive difference between challenging the districts priorities and their integrity.

Second, I don’t see how I ignored actual performance results; I started with the following statement: “Thanks to some truly outstanding teachers, the Davis School District is one of the top districts in the state and four of the District high schools were listed among Newsweek’s top high schools in the country.”

Third, as for loosely presenting information, this statement is an attempt to discredit my integrity without providing any evidence to support his claim. I have detailed my sources in the article "Just the facts". I would be happy to discuss any facts Mr. Hansen believes are incorrect.

“I was involved in the Davis High School Boundary Committee as the volunteer co-chairman. I was on the inside… Some…claim there were clandestine meetings, secret combinations and coercion to conform. With all I hold true and of worth I say: They are wrong.”

Thank you for your service. You and many others worked tirelessly and thanklessly on the boundary process. Unfortunately, because of the districts chose to violate the laws requiring open and transparent government, we will never know the truth about the boundary process. Whether your view as the co-chair of the Steering Committee was accurate, or the view of several members of the 39 member boundary committee who have spoken personally to me and shown me their written complaints to the district. Open and transparent government not only protects the public , but also protects the good name of honest men and women who are "on the inside" and trying to do what they think is right.

“The only "error in judgment" was the school board's lack of confidence in our parents and youths, who, because of their exemplary involvement and ownership in our children's futures, were provided an unprecedented opportunity to participate in a profoundly important decision.”

Perspective is an interesting thing. For you, someone “on the inside” it was an “unprecedented opportunity to participate”. From the perspective of the district court judge, it was an inexcusable attempt at obscuring the decision making process of this profoundly important decision.

“Mr. Smith has conveniently forgotten that Woods Cross and Bountiful High postponed their own approved remodeling so Davis High and a new high school could receive preciously limited resources. We all sacrifice in public education so that we can provide the best for students regardless of where they reside.”

What I find amazing is not that the district prioritized the construction of these high schools over the Woods Cross remodeling, but that someone prioritized the Woods Cross Astroturf football field over the badly needed environmental system at Woods Cross. Clearly, someone has their educational priorities a little out of perspective.

“We chose to answer fluctuating enrollment and scarce resources with a portable classroom strategy… Mr. Smith declares that strategy a failure and attempts to oversimplify with an expedient financial action, at the expense of any long-range plans.”

Now let’s not be too loose with the facts Mr. Hansen. I believe portables are a very effective tool to handle fluctuating enrollment. But that is not what is happening at Woods Cross. Based on the Aug. 2006 regular ed enrollment numbers at Woods Cross, there were 190 more students then the brick and mortar capacity requiring the use of 8 portables to house those students (by the way, portables don’t come with bathrooms or lunch rooms). Bountiful High on the other hand was 172 students under its capacity. This year alone, ninety students requested a variance so that they could attend Bountiful High and amazingly seventy of those were rejected (download audio: Dec 5 Board Meeting - 6 Mb). The district Director of Planning, Mr. Rogers, reported to the board that as many more wanted to move from Woods Cross to Bountiful (download: Aug 1 Board Audio 1 - 2Mb).

“He ignores educational logistics experts who distinguish between school "facility capacity," "extended capacity" and "optimal capacity," all different numbers with important value in projecting resource allocation.”

Experts do analysis. We asked to see any analysis the district “experts” had done. The district reported that it did not exist. However, the Aug1st board meeting and the Dec 5th board meeting speak to athletics as the driving force behind the districts desire to hold children at a school even though their parents believe a different school would be better for their child.

“No one is being "held hostage," as Mr. Smith perceives.”

If Mr. Hansen would like to give me a call I would be happy to introduce him to several of his neighbors, and several others throughout the district, who disagree with him on this point.

"Don't applaud the Salt Lake District's open enrollment. Ask the countless families that have witnessed the nightmare of "super schools" at the expense of the smaller community high schools. Davis District should not be turned into an elitist community where only "them that has, gets.”"

Huh?

“Don't blindly follow leaders with personal hidden agendas.”

Thank you. I absolutely agree with this point. That is in fact my personal agenda; to remind the Administration of the Davis School District that “Public” schools belong to the public, not the other way around.

“"Mediocrity" would not have placed Utah students and faculty third nationally in Advanced Placement testing. You can't have it both ways.”

Here is where you are wrong. I can have it both ways. I can absolutely recognize the brilliant teachers that we have and the hundreds of district employees that do an absolutely wonderful job AND still expect that our district administration be fiscally responsible and accountable to the parents of Davis County. Let me loosely borrow from a children’s fable. Just because the kingdom is in pretty good shape, doesn’t mean the peasants shouldn’t tell the emperor “he has no clothes.”