Van Buren Public Schools Superintendent Michael Van Tassel has the support of his school board, with only one trustee questioning anything at all that he wants to do. So, the board must agree that employees should not possess the Independent in district buildings, because that’s his rule.
The recent summary of a community survey of 400 voters aimed at figuring out why the May sinking fund millage failed, pointed out the importance of the paper to the school district.
In Supt. Van Tassel’s report to the public in a recent board meeting, he failed to mention the Independent, which was emphasized again and again by the professionals. First, they pointed out that 79% of the voters do not have children in the schools and these voters are needed to pass any millage. He announced that.
Most of these voters get their information on the schools from the Independent whether he likes it or not. They had a pie chart showing this and other charts. He didn’t announce that.
The last sentence in the 51-page Executive Summary by EPIC-MRA, the highly regarded survey firm, reads: “Recognizing the penetration limitations of official newsletter communications, garnering as much coverage concerning the district’s efforts to make the most of what it has via the Belleville Independent is beneficial.”
He might want to rethink his hostility.
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4 Comments
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WOW! What’s he afraid of? (Van Tassel)
He must be on a power surge trying to dictate what ADULT PROFESSIONAL COLLEAGUES choose to read.
Mr. Van Tassel you’ve overstepped your power, back up.
This reminds me of the former VBT supervisor (Mr. Jacokes) when he attempted to keep the Belleville-Area Independent out of the senior department at township hall. It didn’t work so he backed off.
VBT Superintendent trying to remove peoples rights to reading specific news media? This is beyond dictatorship, this is Nazi Germany tactics. Refusing to allow people to read news unless it is approved by you or your regime? Censoring the news media is the 1st step. Maybe the millage didn’t pass because the public doesn’t trust you, Mr. Van Tassel. Seeing how you operate, I will be sure to vote down every millage until you are out of office. Once they ban you from entering district building, I will then start regaining my trust with our board!
Yes, Van Tassel is bonafide gestapo.