The Recall Process:
Signing the recall petition does not remove Stoops from office, or even indicate that you want her removed from office - it merely requests that a special recall election occur to allow voters to make that choice:
Step One: Create committee structure; prepare 200 word statement indicating why Stoops should be recalled; get approval from county clerk for statement and signature sheets; file all required paper work with county clerk; establish bank account and begin accounting for all contributions and expenditures through ORESTAR. The approvals, the bank account, and the filings all need to happen within a few days of one another. Our goal is to have this step completed and be ready to start collecting signatures by February 28th.
Step Two: Collect 1001 valid signatures. We still need to aim for at least 1,200 as some will be deemed invalid. We have 90 days from the time our petitions are approved by the county clerk to complete this step. We will be brainstorming and planning for this phase this evening. If we get approval towards the end of February, we would have until sometime around the end of May to collect the required number of signatures. The faster we can complete step the better.
Step Three: The county clerk validates our signatures. Stoops has five days to either resign, effective immediately or face a recall election. The recall election would be held no later than 35 days after the 5 day period to resign. In the event of a recall election, Stoops is invited to write a justification statement indicating why she should remain in office. All voters in the district would be sent ballots and the outcome will be decided by a simple majority of those voting. The costs of the actual election would be paid by the district. This step would be completed by late June, early July. The new school board will be sworn in at the July board meeting and it is they, depending on the exact timing, who would choose someone to replace Stoops.
The following is a preliminary draft of the statement which will appear on the recall petition forms
Susan Meikle-Stoops has failed to represent the public interest in her role as a board member and as chairperson of the Central School Board. She has failed to provide oversight of the superintendent and has allowed the caustic and dysfunctional relationship that exists between the superintendent and district staff to worsen. She is responsible for the antagonistic atmosphere of school board meetings. Ms. Meikle-Stoops has a special responsibility to keep lines of communication open. Instead, she has resolutely ignored concerns raised by district employees and the public - including the vote of no-confidence taken by teachers and classified staff in 2009 and questions regarding bond expenditures. She has arbitrarily and inconsistently limited public comment and prohibited discussion at board meetings. She has used her position as chair to discourage individual board members from speaking directly with the community and staff of the school district. She has failed to share important information with other board members in a timely manner. It is her failed leadership as board chair that has led to the current crisis in our district. Allowing Susan Meikle-Stoops to remain in this position is a disservice to district staff, the community, and most especially children.
Signing the recall petition does not remove Stoops from office, or even indicate that you want her removed from office - it merely requests that a special recall election occur to allow voters to make that choice:
Step One: Create committee structure; prepare 200 word statement indicating why Stoops should be recalled; get approval from county clerk for statement and signature sheets; file all required paper work with county clerk; establish bank account and begin accounting for all contributions and expenditures through ORESTAR. The approvals, the bank account, and the filings all need to happen within a few days of one another. Our goal is to have this step completed and be ready to start collecting signatures by February 28th.
Step Two: Collect 1001 valid signatures. We still need to aim for at least 1,200 as some will be deemed invalid. We have 90 days from the time our petitions are approved by the county clerk to complete this step. We will be brainstorming and planning for this phase this evening. If we get approval towards the end of February, we would have until sometime around the end of May to collect the required number of signatures. The faster we can complete step the better.
Step Three: The county clerk validates our signatures. Stoops has five days to either resign, effective immediately or face a recall election. The recall election would be held no later than 35 days after the 5 day period to resign. In the event of a recall election, Stoops is invited to write a justification statement indicating why she should remain in office. All voters in the district would be sent ballots and the outcome will be decided by a simple majority of those voting. The costs of the actual election would be paid by the district. This step would be completed by late June, early July. The new school board will be sworn in at the July board meeting and it is they, depending on the exact timing, who would choose someone to replace Stoops.
The following is a preliminary draft of the statement which will appear on the recall petition forms
Susan Meikle-Stoops has failed to represent the public interest in her role as a board member and as chairperson of the Central School Board. She has failed to provide oversight of the superintendent and has allowed the caustic and dysfunctional relationship that exists between the superintendent and district staff to worsen. She is responsible for the antagonistic atmosphere of school board meetings. Ms. Meikle-Stoops has a special responsibility to keep lines of communication open. Instead, she has resolutely ignored concerns raised by district employees and the public - including the vote of no-confidence taken by teachers and classified staff in 2009 and questions regarding bond expenditures. She has arbitrarily and inconsistently limited public comment and prohibited discussion at board meetings. She has used her position as chair to discourage individual board members from speaking directly with the community and staff of the school district. She has failed to share important information with other board members in a timely manner. It is her failed leadership as board chair that has led to the current crisis in our district. Allowing Susan Meikle-Stoops to remain in this position is a disservice to district staff, the community, and most especially children.
