QCSD board member Linda Martin has crossed the line. Her re-election campaign has either blatantly violated the district's Code of Ethics, or intentionally exploited a loophole to get around it. Under school policy, she could face severe punishment from the board. But with her buddies in control, don't count on it.
The "Friends of Linda A. Martin", her registered committee, distributed campaign flyers to QCSD teachers. On school property. During school hours. Using the teachers' school mailboxes, teacher's lounge, and QCSD email. Methods that only Martin, among all 11 candidates, employed.
The flyer, obviously intended to scare QCSD employees (Martin's employees) read, in part "Attention Teachers and Support Staff. Are you concerned about this year's school board elections? Do you know what a reformed party controlled school board means?? ...As most of you know, a 'reform' undercurrent is afoot that wants to cut school taxes no matter what the present AND future costs to our children and community! By characterizing our school district as 'a low achievement, high-cost educational operation', the reform party makes many pie-in-the-sky promises of improvement by 'permanently reducing costs without cutting a single program the public desires to keep'."
There was more of the same, ending with "If you would like to hear more, and learn how you can help maintain excellence in the Quakertown School District, please come to this informational session Wednesday, October 3, at 4:00 p.m. James Michener Library Mill Street - Quakertown. Sponsored by: Friends of Linda A Martin".
The rules against this are so simple, even a school director can understand. Most districts, including QCSD, have adopted the PA Department of Education Code of Ethics for board members concerning political activities on school grounds...
Policy 011 Section 2B: 6. We will not use our positions as School Directors to benefit ourselves or any individual or agency .
POLICY 321 : POLITICAL ACTIVITIES "School property and school time, paid for by all the people, may not be used for political purposes. No employees shall engage in political activities upon property under the jurisdiction of the Board. Political circulars or petitions may not be posted or distributed in school except by U.S. Mail".
Can you say Misusing an Elected Position for Personal Benefit? Appearance of Impropriety? Conflict of Interest? The point is to keep politics out of the schools. But Linda Martin thinks she found a loophole. Linda's Loophole. At her meeting, she first denied even knowing that "Friends of Linda A. Martin" is her campaign committee, until her chairman, David Zaiser, acknowledged it. Then she denied that flyers were placed in teacher mailboxes, until a staff member said she saw them there. Then Martin pulled out Linda's Loophole: There was no impropriety because, instead of school personnel, she got some "wonderful" parents to go into the schools and hand out her flyers. Martin sought an advantage over all of the other candidates, who rightly chose to respect district rules. Either the other 10 were pretty stupid for missing the opportunity, or Martin is the only one who is wrong. You decide.
You would think that people involved with education would understand not only "the rules", but the reasons for those rules. It is not acceptable to search out loopholes and then claim total innocence. They would not accept that from a student. Superintendent Dr. Lisa Andrejko acknowledged that Martin supporters have been handing out flyers at recent school events, and putting them under windshields in school parking lots. And, virtually anyone can get access to the teacher's lounges, and school mailboxes. In fact, Dr A was already drafting an administrative regulation to control it. Too late to prevent Martin's abuses. But, she stressed, it is up to the board to deal with political activities. What are the chances that they will close Linda's Loophole, and show that their Ethics Code actually means something?
Andrejko is also investigating whether a district employee was involved: "The issue of an employee in possible violation of Policy 321 has been brought to my attention as the employee's supervisor. I will take the necessary steps to investigate and handle this personnel matter in an appropriate manner." The QCSD Code of Ethics makes it clear that violators (including Martin) must be dealt with harshly: "Violations of any of the foregoing shall, at the discretion of the Board, constitute cause for reprimand, penalty, or dismissal."
Martin's behavior shows, again, that she is unworthy of our trust. She not only approved the flyers, and the questionable methods of distribution, but she then tried to deny any responsibility. Her answers ranged from evasive to false. This is all part of a much larger, more dangerous, issue. Martin knows full well that her tight-knit board majority is highly unlikely to even criticize her, let alone impose punishment. In fact, many of her cronies were actually at her meeting to support her! The same folks responsible for the out-of-control spending, high taxes, Integrated Math fiasco, midnight teacher contracts, ignoring complaints of grade manipulation, burying unfavorable student and parent survey results, and the atmosphere of "we-know-best" secrecy.
Martin's abuse is so rare that there is no precedent around here. This board will be setting the standard. Are they going to make it clear that our community - which elected them - won't tolerate a director violating the Code of Ethics (or, just as bad, getting around it)? Or will they look the other way, and signal to future members (like themselves) that there is little risk in unethical conduct?
To try to distract from her actions, Martin is hypocritically blaming her opponents for accepting a campaign contribution from a developer. Aside from the fact that the board has no say in local development, Martin ignores the fact that this is the man who is contributing almost $1.5 million for the road that allowed QCSD to build the new Strayer Middle School. Which she voted for! Her own campaign manager has publicly apologized for Martin's accusations.
The point of Martin's flyer, and, in fact, her entire campaign, has been to criticize her opponents, Dean Wackerman and Lou-Ellen Renshaw, both of whom finished well ahead of her in the May primary. Their overall message has been to reform QCSD, and make the board accountable to the community. Ironically, and fittingly, Linda's Loophole has shown every resident why reform is, indeed, necessary.