To Tell the Truth...

To view a larger size of the photo click on the below link and see if you think its fake.

http://www.buzzbeeler.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Dance_Orate_Screenshot.png

How many times, when you were young, did you get caught with your hand in the cookie jar? I’m quite sure the answer for many of us would be; “Darn tooting I did!”

If you were like me, when that happened you had two choices. You could tell the truth and get punished, or you could lie about it and hope that the person who caught you bought the lie, allowing you to live for another day. (Then you offer up praise to the Cookie Monster.)

But today’s topic is far more serious than getting caught taking a cookie before dinner. It’s just a metaphorical device used to give you the drift of where this blog is going.

You see, folks, I don’t believe in cookie monsters. Chances are that, if there are some missing cookies, someone took them.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at what the Sun wrote about the ethics complaint filed against Dr. Dance:

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/education/bs-md-co-dance-vote-contract-20160509-story.html

When you read the Sun’s version, versus what I’m about to give you, there are—in my humble opinion—some shortcomings in the information department.

After reading both, you decide who has the best cookies.

Let’s begin with the actual ethics complaint, which the Sun doesn’t have. Keep reading and you will see the links.

Now let’s take a look at a quote (which the Sun does have) from BCPS Spokesman Mychael Dickerson:

Mychael Dickerson, a spokesman for Dance, said his portfolio on the website Orate.me is a fake that Dance had nothing to do with creating.

“Dr. Dance did not set up the Orate page and his personal attorneys are working with the company to find out who fraudulently created it,” Dickerson said in an email. He added that Dance has followed the terms of his contract.

If you can take your eyes off the photo at the top of my blog long enough, you might want to see this list of speakers:

http://asugsvsummit.com/2016-speakers/

To make it easy to find what we are all looking for, just press–control + F and search for “Dance” to find Dr. Dance’s profile.

(Sorry, that we missed the April conference that sold out in San Diego. I would have loved to have heard that person speak, but then again he's not there.)

Here is another interesting aspect (that you did not read in the other account) that is an important key to this ethics issue.

Take a look at a copy of the state law regarding superintendents—and, just in case you don’t know, state law Trumps (sorry about that … my finger slipped) county law, so look at (2) and read it closely:

Maryland Education Section 4-202

Article - Education

§ 4-202.

(a) Each county superintendent is entitled to the compensation set by the county board.

(b) (1) The salary of a county superintendent may not be decreased during his term of office.

(2) Each county superintendent shall devote full time to public school business.

Can BCPS create its own law that Trumps (at least it’s not bold this time) state law?

The answer to that, my friends, is a big fat NO!

Let me throw some more salt in this open wound.

Take a look at the Baltimore County Code on Ethics. Under the County Code–7-1-302, it states:

The employment does not create a conflict of interest or the appearance of a conflict of interest...or the finical interest is disclosed.

Now we have what is often referred to as a sticky wicket.

Folks, it gets even gooder [sic] as we take a look at the contract to which Mr. Dickerson was referring.

I know this may include a lot of reading, so grab a handful of cookies, a glass of milk (or your favorite beverage), and peruse these documents:

1. http://www.buzzbeeler.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/ERP-Complaint-Form.pdf

2. http://www.buzzbeeler.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Exhibit-A-orate.pdf

3. http://www.buzzbeeler.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Exhibit-D-deliberate-excellence-addr.pdf

4. http://www.buzzbeeler.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Exhibit-E-outside-events.pdf

5. http://www.buzzbeeler.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Exhibit-F-PIA-response-20160429.pdf

6. http://www.buzzbeeler.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Exhibit-G-promo-videos.pdf

What an interesting bit of information regarding Dr. Dance’s “two step” on the Orate.me profile, claiming that it is fake and that he knew nothing about it.

I guess the Cookie Monster is a fake also.

As I begin to wind down, I have to make the following remarks.

The board has had ample time to digest these issues, so—despite whatever excuse the board members come up with—they should, at the very least, pause for the cause until this entire situation can be properly vetted. Because, as of right now, Dr. Dance has not answered some key elements to some very important questions regarding the money trail.

In closing, Mr. William Groth is a courageous man and Ms. Ann Miller stands for true disclosure, i.e. the truth, for challenging BCPS and its flagrant disregard of the truth. I have dealt with the school system many times, including one more nail that I have to hammer, and it is not an easy task.

I have received dozens of emails from parents describing the opposite of the BCPS propaganda.

As for the quote of board chair Charles McDaniels—which sort of says, “Who the hell cares, its business as usual at BCPS”—I say that Mr. McDaniels should find a seat in the peanut gallery.

That is, after all, where the nuts sit.

(Sorry to be so glib, but to deny all of this evidence before you at least vet it is a bit nutty.)

If what Dr. Dance says is true about someone else faking the Orate page profile, then why did he wait until after the brouhaha to ask the site to take down the profile?

You can’t tell me with a straight face that he knew nothing about this because, given his rising status with the Obama administration and all, someone at Orate would surely have vetted the information before posting it.

After all, the alternative is that someone made up the profile out of thin air.

To that end, folks, I ask you, who has the best cookies—moi, or that “lamestream media” publication whose name I can’t recall at the moment?

You decide…