SRC ratification resolutions: Still no letup
by Paul Socolar on Dec 07 2010 Posted in Latest news
Despite some questions about the practice raised by commissioners this fall, a significant percentage of the measures approved by the School Reform Commission each month continue to be in the form of "ratification resolutions" - items brought up for a vote after the contract or work to be approved has already started.
What has changed, as Commissioner Joseph Dworetzky noted publicly at a November SRC meeting, is that the District is now following a new protocol, providing the commission with "a justification for seeking a ratification rather than a pre-approval" on any resolution that comes to the SRC after the fact.
SRC resolutions approving any financial activity after the fact are always labeled as ratifications. However, the written justifications for these ratifications are not included in the abridged, "summary" version of the resolutions that is made available to the public and the media at SRC meetings
Dworetzky said in November he would not support any further ratification resolutions that don't include a justification statement.
In November, 10 of the 68 resolutions on the SRC's agenda involved ratifications after the fact. In October, seven of 35 resolutions involved ratifications.