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BOE chair to Bennett, members: End animosity
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Posted on May 15 2004
Board of Education chairman Roman C. Benavente called on members of the board yesterday to “refocus” and end an “atmosphere of animosity” with the leadership and the Babauta administration.
“I’m tired of this animosity going around with board members and with the administration… Personal issues must be eliminated from the board,” said the chairman.
The chairman recently issued a letter to public school teacher representative Ambrose Bennett warning him about his use of the board’s letterhead when communicating with teachers without permission from Benavente.
Bennett also gets “a lukewarm treatment” at the board and the Public School System over his “behavior” and for his insistent push for teachers’ collective bargaining—a subject that makes education officials touchy.
At the same time, board member Herman T. Guerrero has openly attacked Gov. Juan N. Babauta on a number of issues, including an alleged failure to provide needed funds to PSS.
“I want to impress among board members that we are supposed to be working for one purpose, that is to make sure that students get what they want. These quarrels are uncalled for. We should be looking for solutions instead of confrontation,” said Benavente.
As for Bennett, he said he hopes that Bennett would go beyond his collective bargaining pitch.
“I’m not trying to criticize him but instead of only talking about collective bargaining and interest of teachers because I believe teachers are well taken cared of, I’d like to hear his opinion on student improvement and other issues,” he said.
As chairman, he said, he tries to accommodate sentiments of all parties: Bennett, other board members, PSS, and others.
As far as collective bargaining power is concerned, Benavente said that it is being looked at now by a recently formed adhoc committee.
