Much of the 5 page letter is not factual (*1), it lacks documentation (*2), is not written in accordance with professional communication standards (*3) and does not reach the level of English skills most of us older folks had to learn in 7th and 8th grade. It's also factually and academically misleading (*4).
It was obtained under the Missouri Sunshine law and is a public document. As such, I feel our NMCC school board should have made that letter public for all residents and voters in the NMCC R-1 District to read.
It may take a short while for the letter to load since I had to put it in a JPEG format. Feel free to print copies and share those copies with other people who care about our schools, our tax money, and our children.
Click here to read the letter.
Notes
*1. example: the bond issue was defeated by 63.15%, not 60% as stated in the letter
*2. professional letters have 2 purposes, to inform, to persuade or a combination. They should also have a tone of goodwill. Source: "Business Communications by Mary Ellen Guffy http://www.meguffey.com/bcpp5.html "
*3. The quotes used in the letter were not attributed to a source, as proper English composition requires. The sentences are so long that some of the sentences are entire paragraphs. The sentences need to be shortened so the reader can understand the meaning of the paragraphs. Some of the paragraphs have 3 or even more prepositional phrases before getting to the subject matter. If you are interested in a good, short page on how to be a better writer, I would suggest "tips on grammar, punctuation and style" at the Harvard University Writing Center at the following www address http://www.fas.harvard.edu/%7ewricntr/documents/GP.html (copywrite 1999 by Kim Cooper)
More links are available at another free web site I put together at http://www.oocities.org/jsteve11/businesscommunication.html
*4. Page 3, 3rd paragraph of the letter says it's only 14 miles from Matthews to MNCC School. 14 miles from what point to what point? Document what you write in an official letter. Did any board member ride the bus to experience just how long the trip is? Did you ride it a minimum of 5 times (N=5 is the minimal number in a statically equation) and measurer it from the longest, shortest and medium bus ride time? What is the average time on the trip? Next, what is the standard deviation from the mean (in simple English, is there a wide or short variation from the average)? Show DESA what that means by putting that information on a bell graph or bar chart. A basic rule in report writing or statistical analysis is to use the proper data and appropriate graphs to accurately relate the information to your reader. Otherwise, this falls in the area of academic dishonesty, which is every bit as serious as direct plagiarism.
UPDATE 4 January 06 Since I placed the April 1, 2005 letter to DESA on the net, this site was "hit" (looked at by web users) more than I thought possible. 2 candidates have announced for 2 spots on the NMCC Board, one is an incumbent.
Question: 1. Does the April 1, 2005 letter represent academic honesty? 2. If not, where did you find academic dishonesty in the letter? 3. If in fact, you feel the letter does not meet the criteria for academic honesty, should the school board be held accountable by the residents of the NMCC R-1 District? When and where can we question the incumbent school board member on these and other questions residents have concerning the NMCC Board?
Academic Dishonesty
Heather E. Lorimer Ph.D.
Youngstown State University, like all respectable educational institutions, considers academic honesty to be essential. The point of education in most fields is to develop skills such as problem solving, critical thinking, information aquisition, and the ability to clearly express ideas to others through writing or speaking. Grades are a way that progress towards these goals is measured. The final degree serves as a certification that a student has acquired these skills - which are necessary to perform on the job or in school for a more advanced degree.
source documentation: http://cc.ysu.edu/~helorime/AcademicHonesty.html
For additional information on academic honesty, try http://www.reference.com/search?db=web&q=%22academic%20honesty%22
*Letter to D.E.S.A. under Missouri Sunshine Law!
*DESA Rejects
*Natl. Blue Ribbon
*Gold Star
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