Special ed director said to siphon $10m

[Robo]

Headline article today in the Boston Globe about how the Merrimack Special Education Collaborative director has fraudulently siphoned off $10M. Westford is one of the 10 member communities who supports this institution. Where is the oversight from Westford on this? Clearly this organization hasn't been wisely spending these funds on the students who need it and educating these students appears secondary to filling their own pockets.


http://www.boston.com/news/local/mas...?p1=News_links

[dweir]

During my tenure on the School Committee (SC) 2005-2008, the MEC came to the SC seeking renewal of our membership in their organization. When I saw this item on the agenda, I did my due diligence by pulling up their finanical reports on guidestar.org. Seeing the exhorbitant salaries with large yearly increases, I raised the concern at the SC meeting over the salaries being paid by MEC. I suggested we review how our membership funds were being spent before renewing our membership, but in regular SC fashion, the investigation was delegated to the staff and we never followed up.

This information was not hard to find. Evidence of misuse of funds came every spring in the form of tickets to the annual dinner -- a lavish event to which elected officials and adminstrators were invited. The co-mingling of MEC special education services and their technology/professional business was well known. We accepted bids from MEC for bulk purchases like food items and internet service.

We did this without ever seeing any competing bids. The SC wanted to hear/see no evil. MEC didn't even bother to hide their trail. They knew they didn't have to because of the way SCs conduct themselves these days. No one cares.

I sent a tip on this to the Lowell Sun. I think I saw some article reporting the outrageous salaries. Over $400K for the "CEO" -- with large increases each and every year. I wish I had called the DA's office. But would they have done anything on just a suspicion?

We really do need a taxpayers association because many of the elected officials are too timid or naive or busy or corrupt or trusting or misguided or unskilled to (1) understand that oversight is the job they were elected to do (2) to actually carry out that job.

Then again, I wasn't relected and neither was J. Moran... so you lost your only two members of the SC who ever did look at the budget books and question spending -- including the ever-increasing special education account. Maybe the public doesn't really care.

The people with responsibility for oversight include Westford's representatives to the MEC committee. They should have been looking closer at expenditures and reporting back to the SC. What is going to change to ensure that it is done now?

You can see the recent membership of the board on p. 29 of the attached document. I recognize the names Crisafulli and Espindle.
Salaries are listed on. p. 22.


Source of attached file: http://www.guidestar.org/FinDocument...070515f2-9.pdf

[dweir]

More details in today's Lowell Sun.

[Robo]

During my tenure on the School Committee (SC) 2005-2008, the MEC came to the SC seeking renewal of our membership in their organization. When I saw this item on the agenda, I did my due diligence by pulling up their finanical reports on guidestar.org. Seeing the exhorbitant salaries with large yearly increases, I raised the concern at the SC meeting over the salaries being paid by MEC. I suggested we review how our membership funds were being spent before renewing our membership, but in regular SC fashion, the investigation was delegated to the staff and we never followed up.

This information was not hard to find. Evidence of misuse of funds came every spring in the form of tickets to the annual dinner -- a lavish event to which elected officials and adminstrators were invited. The co-mingling of MEC special education services and their technology/professional business was well known. We accepted bids from MEC for bulk purchases like food items and internet service.

We did this without ever seeing any competing bids. The SC wanted to hear/see no evil. MEC didn't even bother to hide their trail. They knew they didn't have to because of the way SCs conduct themselves these days. No one cares.

I sent a tip on this to the Lowell Sun. I think I saw some article reporting the outrageous salaries. Over $400K for the "CEO" -- with large increases each and every year. I wish I had called the DA's office. But would they have done anything on just a suspicion?

We really do need a taxpayers association because many of the elected officials are too timid or naive or busy or corrupt or trusting or misguided or unskilled to (1) understand that oversight is the job they were elected to do (2) to actually carry out that job.

Then again, I wasn't relected and neither was J. Moran... so you lost your only two members of the SC who ever did look at the budget books and question spending -- including the ever-increasing special education account. Maybe the public doesn't really care.

The people with responsibility for oversight include Westford's representatives to the MEC committee. They should have been looking closer at expenditures and reporting back to the SC. What is going to change to ensure that it is done now?

You can see the recent membership of the board on p. 29 of the attached document. I recognize the names Crisafulli and Espindle.
Salaries are listed on. p. 22.


Source of attached file: http://www.guidestar.org/FinDocument...070515f2-9.pdf

You raise a lot of important issues and maybe AG Coakley's office would be interested in what you know. This is shameful on so many levels and you wonder why such a large misappropriation was not caught earlier. It would appear many were complicit in this and did nothing because they were directly benefiting or were too apathetic or afraid of retaliation. I wonder why Westford did not have stronger oversight of this? As you point out, Crisafulli and Espindle were involved on the boards. I also suspect Westford liked the lower cost of MEC and didn't really care about the quality of education or services at MEC. I agree that a taxpayers association would be of great value because clearly our elected officials and those we entrust to watch our interests are more focused on looking for opportunities for personal gain. Who is Westford's MEC rep. and who appoints that individual?

[dweir]

Another article in the Lowell Sun.

I believe Supt. Olsen did not attend the overnight stays. He spoke disparingly of these events back when I first learned about the tickets sent to the SC. Were I on the SC, I would want to try to verify that information -- and I would do so knowing that Supt. Olsen would not be offended or defensive about such a check. He knows that verification is part of the job, and that to do so only strengthens his reputation for integrity.

From the description of the events, it sounds like this Boston dinner was a separate event. from the one SC members were invited to. I think the one I recall was a dinner at The Silks in Tyngsboro.

Another indiciation something was wrong:
I attended a MASC symposium on special education. I think Margaret Murray attended, too. I could be wrong, but this meeting might have been held in Chelmsford.

In any case, several directors of special education collaboratives were in attendance. Ours was not. These other directors were "roll up the sleeves" types of participants. They brought problems and ideas to the table. Their engagement in the conversation was an indicative of a person passionate about and dedicated to their work. They were experts in their field, pragmatic, and budget conscious.

After the meeting, I looked up their salaries and learned they were more in line with principals and other full-time administrator roles. It just reinforced the feeling that we were getting a raw deal from our collaborative.

[Robo]

Another article in the Lowell Sun.

I believe Supt. Olsen did not attend the overnight stays. He spoke disparingly of these events back when I first learned about the tickets sent to the SC. Were I on the SC, I would want to try to verify that information -- and I would do so knowing that Supt. Olsen would not be offended or defensive about such a check. He knows that verification is part of the job, and that to do so only strengthens his reputation for integrity.

From the description of the events, it sounds like this Boston dinner was a separate event. from the one SC members were invited to. I think the one I recall was a dinner at The Silks in Tyngsboro.

Another indiciation something was wrong:
I attended a MASC symposium on special education. I think Margaret Murray attended, too. I could be wrong, but this meeting might have been held in Chelmsford.

In any case, several directors of special education collaboratives were in attendance. Ours was not. These other directors were "roll up the sleeves" types of participants. They brought problems and ideas to the table. Their engagement in the conversation was an indicative of a person passionate about and dedicated to their work. They were experts in their field, pragmatic, and budget conscious.

After the meeting, I looked up their salaries and learned they were more in line with principals and other full-time administrator roles. It just reinforced the feeling that we were getting a raw deal from our collaborative.

Supt. Olsen has been on the board of Special Ed Collab for the last 5 years and on the Board of MEC for 2 years! How does he not suspect or know what is going between these two organizations! Instead he focuses on how he didn't stay overnight at the Boston Harbor Hotel. He has an obligation as the senior school administrator to oversee these issues, instead he was right in the middle of it and did nothing. Why??

[R Gagnon]

Supt. Olsen has been on the board of Special Ed Collab for the last 5 years and on the Board of MEC for 2 years! How does he not suspect or know what is going between these two organizations! Instead he focuses on how he didn't stay overnight at the Boston Harbor Hotel. He has an obligation as the senior school administrator to oversee these issues, instead he was right in the middle of it and did nothing. Why??

sorry. had to delete

[Robo]

To make any changes in the status quot would shed a less than favorable light on the former school super who benefited to the tune of $6000 for a job that involved 0 hours of work.

If Superintendent Olsen's reputation for integrity were real rather than the thin veneer that it is, he would have not only distanced himself from that tax payer provided slush fund, he would have blown the whistle on it. Just saying.

There are two more articles in the Sun on this story

http://www.lowellsun.com/editorials/ci_18360534 and

http://www.lowellsun.com/todaysheadlines/ci_18367886

Supt. Olsen is the consummate spin master and his constant self reminder about his integrity is disingenuous. I recall the food scandal here in Westford a few months back in which he claimed the food service program was excellent and how he bragged about taking corrective action (spun such that he takes credit for initiating action that was actually ordered by the Board of Health). At budget time Supt Olsen is always blaming high SPED costs for budget woes and then we find out that he is on the board of two organizations that have been using our school budget dollars to the line the pockets of his cronies. Then he has the nerve to insist that he has integrity!!

[Robo]

There are more questions raised about this continuing story in Today's globe:

http://www.boston.com/news/local/mas...ial_conflicts/

I am amazed that Westford has not sought out better control of these funds especially when they constanly blame SPED costs for their budget woes. I hope the Westford SC will look into this.

[Amber]

Shit like this is beyond the pale and really pisses me off. Matt needs an AAC device. It's a communication device for functionally non-verbal or limited-verbal individuals with autism. Changed the recommendation from a $8000+ Vantage Light to the <$1000 iPad which, equipped with the appropriate app, better suits his needs anyway.

WPS says if the insurance doesn't cover it (they don't, I checked), and they have to pay for it, Matt can ONLY use it at school and it would belong to the school. Whether it's the $8000 or $1000 device. It's supposed to be his for communicating, somehow he only needs to communicate at school and not at home? Excuse my word choice, but are you fucking kidding me? I just saved you over $7000 by agreeing that the more expensive device was NOT appropriate for him, and you won't even let it be HIS device?

Meanwhile, we're still funding thievery like what happened at MEC, completely unchecked.

So a developmentally delayed first grader gets the shaft, but a continued lack of oversight by the SC which causes this is a-ok in your book? Bet your ass you'll be blaming MY son and every other child getting SPED services next year at budget time instead of your own gross inadequacies.

You suck. I really, truly hope there's a special place in hell for you.