Nick Scarpello: or How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love Dirty Politics

This morning my wife had the pleasure of going into work and finding that someone named Nick Scarpello had submitted an OPRA request for not only the usual salary information but her W-2s, performance reviews, resume, application, shoe size, salad dressing preference, and favorite Band! I would like to go on the record right now and say she is a 7.5, prefers Balsamic Vinaigrette but will settle for Bleu Cheese, and loves ABBA, which had I known earlier might have resulted in a longer engagement.

Of course I understand that this is just part of the game, but I must admit some small part of me hoped that it wouldn’t go this far. The funny thing is that I can’t quite figure out what he hoped to find? Did he just want to scare us? Is the opposition going to imply that I am too closely tied to the schools and BOE? For one they’ll find that despite what our Governor says not everyone in the education field is grossly overpaid. Second, I know that they’ll find out my wife is a hard worker who approaches her responsibility to the children, parents, and community of Point Pleasant with integrity and passion, and they will not find anyone that knows her or works with her that will say any different!

Ultimately this is aimed at me and I have to admit that in a way I’m flattered that something about my beliefs and my philosophy is threatening enough to people in power that they are compelled to act in such an underhanded way just to try to put me in my place and preserve their power and influence. I don’t like anyone taking pot shots at my family, but I stand by what I believe in and if they want to say that I am too sympathetic to our schools I will say, yes I have great affection and pride in our schools. I believe in and support our teachers. I value all the school professionals that contribute to the greatness to which we are all beneficiaries. My life is made better by the quality of our schools, my children’s lives are made better by the quality of our schools, and our community is better because of the quality of our schools.

If someone wants to imply that some association of mine with our schools is a negative reflection of my character, then everyone in our community who values our schools and feels passionately about them should take that as a direct insult.