AUBURN – A veteran Edward Little High School teacher lambasted members of a government watchdog group Wednesday night, furiously calling their budget questions “ludicrous” and “arrogant” during the School Committee’s public comment period.
“Your children are being well-educated,” said math teacher Tina Vanasse, who turned to face the audience during the School Committee’s first televised meeting. “Please, for the love of God, don’t listen to the people who are questioning this superintendent and this school committee about the budget.”
Members of the United Citizens of Auburn have routinely attended School Committee meetings since the group formed in November. In the wake of skyrocketing property taxes, members vowed to closely inspect both the school and city budgets this year. They often ask funding questions or request information during the meetings’ public comment periods.
On Wednesday, after an hour-long workshop on the $33.6 million budget proposed for next year, some members and other residents asked about the high number of administrators at the high school, mileage compensation for school leaders and expense reports, among other things.
Vanasse was the last person to speak. She was the only teacher.
“How does a man with no educational background have the arrogance and the audacity to stand before the superintendent and the School Committee and ask the questions they’re asking?” she said.
She blasted speakers for questioning school spending. She called Superintendent Barbara Eretzian a great administrator, and said she couldn’t understand why people were second-guessing Eretzian’s educational decisions.
“You are asking this woman questions that are ridiculous,” she said loudly. “You parents with young children, stand up and shut these people up.”
Although members of the United Citizens of Auburn had asked questions during meetings before, Vanasse said she finally spoke up after someone recently wanted to know why she spent $2,000 on an educational item. She was frustrated by the inquiry, she said, because she needed the item for her students and because she often helped the school system win grants worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.
“How dare they question what we do and how we do it,” she said after the meeting.
Greg Desgrosseilliers, who asked about mileage compensation, said Vanasse’s comments didn’t phase him. Filling out a form to request more information, he missed much of her speech.
“She’s entitled to her opinion,” he said. “I’m there to find out what I want to know.”
Other speakers agreed. While they don’t begrudge teachers their pay or the school system adequate funding, they said, they want to know where their taxes are going and why.
Said one speaker, Dan Herrick, “I’m going to ask more questions now.”
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