Tony Rebottaro Final Comments

Response Below

TPS school board president Tony Rebottaro had some advice last night for the public. It seemed he needed to vent a bit as his term comes to a close and his retirement nears. We heard you Tony, thanks to our live-streaming efforts. Now hear us.

You listed issues the board has no control over. You said folks should handle issues at the lowest level first. The last time I brought an issue to you, it was because multiple parents tried to handle it at the lowest level but were ignored. Have you asked yourself why that is?

You said you can’t stand this talk of “needing more transparency”. It was your colleagues who fabricated a conspiracy that we wanted to witness closed-door meetings. We just wanted regular meetings to be live-streamed. Now they are, in spite of your colleagues.

You said, “this town is full of bullies”. Were you referring to the two sitting to your left? You watched silently as my offer to help the board was mocked by your colleague. You also said bullies are a product of the community from which they come. So are elected officials.

Finally, you encouraged people to actually come to meetings. Why? Your board refuses to provide information packets. The majority of you won’t even acknowledge members of the public that attend. Your members openly insult those who speak.

In spite of these points, Mr. Rebottaro, we are in almost complete agreement. Everyone wants to shout, no one wants to have a conversation. I did try to have a conversation with you. You ignored my emails. You ignored me in the audience. You presided over hostile colleagues.

You are a well-respected member of this community, and you have my sincere gratitude and appreciation for your public service. No doubt you provided leadership behind the scenes that the public did not see. Amongst the pitchforks, Mr. Rebottaro, there were folks genuinely wanting to support you. I was one of them.

Thank you for your service.