Verde Independent editorial failed to understand need and law about setting up Administrative Colleges in Arizona

The Blog responded to an editorial of February 4 in the Verde Independent entitled “Creating Verde Valley College ’tilting at windmills’” that strongly suggested a separate administrative college was not possible in the Verde Valley.   Click here to read the Verde Independent editorial.

The Blog responded in detail to the editorial.  There is no doubt that a separate Administrative Community College can be set up to service Sedona and the Verde Valley.  Click here to read the Blog editor’s response in the Verde Independent datet February 9. 

Wills’ joins newspaper in voicing surprise at Administrative College for Verde Valley discussion

On February 3, 2015 the Verde Valley Board Advisory Committee met on the Verde Campus in Clarkdale.  Toward the end of the meeting, under the agenda item of “Ownership Linkage Recommendations,” the Committee discussed whether to bring a motion asking that the District Governing Board consider “to retain an independent consultant to study the structural benefits and costs of a separate Verde Valley college.” The motion was tabled until the next meeting.

The idea of such a consideration seems to raise the hackles of both President Penelope Wills and Editorial writer Dan Engler. Wills’ told Engler that she was in the dark that the issue of creating a separate administrative college was going to be discussed. She also told him that she was even more surprised to learn the issue did not surface until she left the meeting.

Wills’ also agreed with Engler that the agenda as written apparently violated the Open Meeting law.  She stated that “It’s very challenging to work with Paul (Chevalier) in setting the agenda and not always clear what is going to happen in the meeting. It is supposed to be as clear as possible. They have been well versed in open meeting law and how to put an agenda together and it still has been very challenging for us.”

 Given no action was taken and the matter will be discussed at next month’s meeting, the question is whether Wills’ will file an Open Meeting Law violation claim against the Governing Board Committee.  Don’t hold your breath.

You may read the editorial in the Verde Independent by clicking here. You may listen to the brief discussion regarding this by clicking here.

Verde Valley Board Advisory Committee submits 16 recommendations to District Governing Board–will the Board seriously consider them?

The Verde Valley Board Advisory Committee has submitted 16 recommendations to the District Governing Board.  At the August 31 retreat, however, they were only minimally considered.  It is not clear  when, if ever,  the Board will carefully review each of the 16 recommendations.  Both of the Verde Valley representatives, Al Filardo and Deb McCasland, are encouraging the 5 member Board to take the recommendations seriously and to incorporate them into the strategic plan the College is now working on.

Here are the recommendations.

1. Allocate a far greater percentage of financial resources generated in the Verde to the Verde.
2. Establish effective and efficient local decision-making through a Verde Advocate structure rather than through Prescott.
3. Implement an ongoing Verde marketing and recruitment program of continuous and direct interaction with Verde lower and secondary education students and their parents.
4. Focus on increasing student numbers in the Verde.
5. In the Verde Valley create a CTE building for classes in fields that meet the needs of Verde residents.
6. Prioritize building a state of the art delivery system.
7. Add sufficient remote learning centers for distance learning opportunities.
8. Provide and increase core transfer courses.
9. Provide and increase multiple pathways of 2+1, 2+2, Certification, and CTE.
10. Increase Verde scholarship and financial assistance and maintain an affordable tuition rate.
11. Add focus on working with governments in all Verde communities to increase broadband coverage that can be used by the college.
12. Fund all capital projects privately or through bonding rather than taxes, tuition and fees.
13. Further incorporate workforce demand analysis in education decision-making. Build stronger local partnerships for business development and job creation.
14. Focus on solutions for Verde affordable student housing.
15. Encourage the immediate exploration of alternative models or structures to increase Foundation related activities and fund raising in the Verde.
16. Recommend revised criteria for evaluating investment needed for new programs as well as criteria for continuing programs.  (Note. The red emphasis is put on each recommendation by the Blog.)