On Wednesday, I posted an edition of CAT Tracks entitled Cairo BOE...October Bills (which I subtitled "They Be Trippin'...and Payin' Lawyers".)

Prior to voting on the bills, the President of the Cairo BOE said something along the lines of "Somebody out there has put out that seven members of the BOE are taking a trip to New Orleans."

Well...

...I thought: "That Somebody couldn't be me." I mean...I went back and re-read my post and I said: "Of the seven members of the Cairo, ILLINOIS Board of Education, five OPTED OUT of going to Chicago, ILLINOIS for the annual conference of the ILLINOIS Association of School Boards."

Bears repeating:

F-I-V-E!

On a further note of "clarification"...

The President of the BOE indicated that two administrators were also going...like this makes it all better!?

Well...

Sure enough...in re-reviewing the District's "Open Accounts Payable List" (aka "the bills") I found that I did indeed miss the two administrators. (CAT Tracks Editor's Note: Have to admit a prejudice here. Other than the Superintendent of Schools, administrators in Cairo tend to be treated like, well, teachers. If they are able to get a "freebie", God bless them.)

But...

Since the President of the BOE feels it worthy of mention:

Actually, one of the administrators is going to Chicago and one is going to New Orleans.

Another "clarification", however, made me feel once again that I was the "somebody"...despite the aforementioned discrepancy in the headcount.

Namely, the President of the Board emphasized that the BOE members were "taxpayers".

I know that, but...

I vaguely recalled making a catty "taxpayer" reference in my "Cairo BOE...October Bills" post. However, upon further review, my comment was NOT aimed at the BOE members, but, instead, at their former Superintendent/current Interim Superintendent...Leotis Swopes. What I said was: "Color me jealous, I guess. Just remembered...unlike Leotis, I'm one of those Cairo School District taxpayers. They be partying on MY dime!"

Guess I should have used "he" instead of "they" in the final sentence, but upon further reflection...WE (the BOE members and me) may all be taxpayers, but THEY get to party while I stay home. (Maybe THEY will bring me one of those "The BOE members went to New Orleans and all I got was this stupid shirt." On second thought...probably not.)

After the President of the BOE was through with her "clarifications", Interim Superintendent Swopes kicked in with a defense of the "trippin' BOE members". Leotis said something along the lines of: "The IASB recommends and encourages BOE members to attend workshops and conferences for training and education purposes."

The IASB...the ILLINOIS Association of School Boards...the folks that are having THEIR conference up in Chicago...at the same time that F-I-V-E Cairo BOE members are running off to New Orleans.

I might be wrong...

...but I gotta believe that the IASB would prefer CAIRO, ILLINOIS BOE members to attend THEIR "Joint Annual Conference" than the "National Alliance of Black School Educators".

I shall now offer MY "clarification"...

I'm all for school board members attending regional and/or state workshops and conferences to gain knowledge and skills that will improve their understanding of and roll within the educational system. Since there are no educational prerequisites to become a BOE member, training is fundamental...learning on the job dangerous.

However...

I draw the line for such training at the boundaries of the Great State of Illinois. You don't get elected to the school board...to see the world! If that's your ambition, join the navy!

POSTSCRIPT:

Madam CAT President received a supplement to the "October Bills"...five additional pages. Since "somebody" got into trouble relating/interpreting the original set of bills, I'm going to simply reproduced the first two pages (of five) below...that have further information about the "trippin'": (Starts at the bottom of the first page - CARDMEMBER SERVICES - and continues half-way down the second page. NOTE: NABSE and JAC are the trippin' items.)

FOOTNOTE:

Got feedback yesterday "from the trenches"...where the downtrodden (aka pee ons) labor daily.

They were "steamed"...

...noting that BOE members aren't required to "car pool" like teachers. That BOE members aren't required to "share a room" like teachers.

They were also "steamed" when they looked around the SIP meeting and saw that ten (10) of their colleagues were no longer employed due to the financial condition of the District...

...while the members of the Cairo Board of Education made plans to PARTAY!

RUMOR HAS IT:

You remember the movie "White Men Can't Jump"?

Following the SIP Day, you can add...