Yes, of course Neslon defends himself. What a blind roadblock of unawareness he is. He doesn't have to accept it, the people who have witnessed his behavior know the real truth, not what Nelson sees as his truth.
So sad about so much damage he has caused. Once he is gone watch things improve drastically. Be careful who you vote for next time...no egomaniacal loonies please!

I wouldn't count on things to "improve drastically" after Nelson leaves. The board was pretty dysfunctional long before that. Rubber-stamping everything that Ghysels and Goldman wanted, with few questions and very little discussion. Establishing district-level advisory committees whose sole purpose was for political cover and whose recommendations were routinely ignored. And now Ellen is imposing 1 and 2 minute time limits for parents and community members while the by-laws specify 3 minutes?! The first step in this board learning how to get along is for them to recognize that they are public servants who were elected to oversee the district on behalf of the community, not despite it.

The hits just keep coming.

All these people should be ashamed at this point. I know Nelson is a major problem but once he's gone do not be surprised to find these problems are still there.

Board meetings are embarrassing.

Not surprising at all, given the state and reputation of the district. In this article, when they say staff, are they referring to teachers? Are teachers getting berated in these meetings?

If you want good teachers, you have to support them. Teachers have three jobs- preparation, teaching/evaluation of students, and emotional support of students. Berating teachers in public about what studies they have or have not read is not only inappropriate, it's harassment, bullying, as well as just bad business because it contributes to factors that reduce teacher retention. Honestly, the things I've heard about this district make it sound like a zoo. I'm embarrassed by my school district!

A well-functioning, high-quality school system is essential for our community. Student learning and success are extremely important, not only for the students and their families, but also for the desirability of our community as a place to live (and that includes home values).
School board meetings should be productive and focused. I appreciate any efforts to achieve this.

This stuff sells ad space. The Voice jumps on any controversial topic...whether it be in the schools or elsewhere in the city. They've become part of the problem. Does this story really shed any new light? Do we think it's well-intended? No and no. But it seems to serve the mission of our local paper.

There are many good things happening in the district and the large majority of teachers and students are to be commended. 5,000 students go to school each day, and many are talented and flourishing. It would be interesting to find every headline The Voice has written about MVWSD in the past 4 years and compare positive to negative. I'm sure it comes nowhere near representing the mix of good and bad in the district.

How do potential teachers and parents of future students learn about the district? Likely, part of their information gathering is via online web searches. So, because of a disporportionate amount of reporting about board dynamics (which, as an example, has virtually no impact on great things happening in daily social studies teaching in 5th grade at Bubb Elementary), the impression given doesn't equate with our kids' daily experience. That's unfortunate for students, parents, teachers, and our community.

But the positives don't sell, or get 100s of hits in the online blogs. Admittedly, it's not The Voice's job to be a PR agent for the District (though one could argue that as a community paper, they could be more concerned with advancing and creating a positive atmosphere in the community). However, it would be nice if The Voice could introduce some balance in their local reporting, rather than chase salacious stories ad nauseum.

It educated me that there was a special meeting during which they finally did the self-evaluation. I attend many of the board meetings and had only seen them put this item off. I hadn't realized it made it into a special meeting.

The Voice isn't making any of this up. They may capitalize on the sensational but the meetings really are a circus and the board really does behave badly, and it's not just Nelson.

I look forward to a day when our school district's board meetings are not so outrageous that they drive traffic to the Voice articles about them.

Mr. Nelson is the only one asking the hard questions. It is a shame he feels obligated to give up on the district.

Concerned -- "Mr. Nelson is the only one asking the hard questions. It is a shame he feels obligated to give up on the district."

Huh??? Are we talking about the Steve Nelson who was censured for his repeated outbursts against other members of the board? THAT Steve Nelson?

For all the good he may have wanted to achieve, his actions have made it so that the best thing he can do now is leave. And quite frankly, he should have left a long, long time ago.

If the Board's rule is 3 minutes for a public speaker unless limited by a (3-2l vote of the Board, anyone simply cut off by Queen Wheeler (without such a vote) would appear to have a legitimate complaint.

It's important for everyone to remember that these school board meetings are NOT public meetings - they are School Board meetings in public. The purpose is to conduct their business in public and get their job done. IF that means imposing limits on public comments - that is their prerogative. Granted, trustee behavior should be observed and evaluated so that it can factor in when elections/reelections come about. Trustees should be guided always by what's best for students and respect their main obligation which is to make policy .... not micromanage the district and/or staff. Trustees should be able to have productive conversations about issues - respectful of differing opinions - but able to come to consensus. They should be team players .... not egotistical opportunists.

It's the media's job to be a watchdog and call attention to issues like this.

Would you rather see Nelson and Coladonato just get away with their bullying and bad behavior, with no one to call them on it? I appreciate that the Voice is here to create a wider audience for the terrible behavior of this ridiculous board we are stuck with. I don't know if Nelson is capable of any shame, but I'm sure glad there is some scrutiny at the local level.

I don't know the players, but coming from your neighbors in Palo Alto, believe me, you want a board that is rough around the edges and willing to ask the hard questions over a bunch of go along get alongs who do nothing but hire and praise expensive C players who cover their backsides really well. If the problem is discourtesy but truth, learn to value the truth for the sake of the kids.

Palo parent -- If you knew the players, you would know that it is mainly about their egos.

[Portion removed due to disrespectful comment/personal attack]