A Bit about Bit by Bit
21September 11, 2009 by Tyson Wynn
News came yesterday that RSU has hired a new director for the Bit by Bit therapeutic equestrian program. I shared the information via Twitter and Facebook yesterday. You can read RSU’s reeducation document press release here.
First, what do I think of Jennifer England? All I know is what I have read in this press release. It appears she is a well qualified and competent person. Her years of involvement seem to indicate a sense of commitment and caring for persons with needs similar to those who so greatly benefit from Bit by Bit. I can’t argue with that.
That said, when was the last time you ever saw anyone issue a press release that said, “Please note, we have hired a complete loser.” Read me well: I am not saying England is a loser, but I am saying that if RSU, in its haste to install a new Bit by Bit director—maybe to help squelch public backlash over a blatant and idiotic administration blunder—did hire someone less than primo, do you think they’d tell you? RSU’s press release is merely its spin, designed to restore public trust in a program people know has some serious problems.
But let’s assume that Ms. England is absolutley as described, which I am sure she is, and that she is a caring, capable woman who will care deeply about the Bit by Bit program. How does that set her apart from the previous directors, all of whom have been described to me using the same words by volunteers in the program? How does that fix the issues with Bit by Bit, NONE OF WHICH HAVE BEEN IN REGARD THE DIRECTORS OF THE PROGRAM? It doesn’t. Period.
In short, a new Bit by Bit director does nothing to fix the problems in RSU administrative oversight and operation of the program. Further, if she is a smart and savvy professional who truly cares about the program, and nothing changes within the RSU administration, she will get frustrated, ask questions, and—most likely—be terminated like those before. I, for one, want Ms. England’s association with Bit by Bit to be more than a brief interlude before she has to file a wrongful termination lawsuit. That means reform must occur.
And so I ask, What does reform look like? I’d like the many of you who are visiting this site to weigh in via the comments sections and tell me what you need to see from RSU to convince you to reinvest your time, talent, and treasure in the Bit by Bit program.
And let’s all be clear here. This issue is not dead. There are many volunteers and donors who are still livid over RSU’s (mis)administration of Bit by Bit. And while no one I have communicated with desires to see any Bit by Bit students harmed, they are committed to seeing Bit by Bit fixed—even if that means withdrawing themselves and their resources, including horses, until a real fix is executed. That, in the long term, will ensure that there is a Bit by Bit to serve those with special needs. In short, it’s the most caring and most responsible response. We all know Bit by Bit can exist and operate without being under the RSU umbrella. Is that what it will take? Is RSU willing to fix what is truly broken? Weigh in below.
Category Claremore, Larry Rice, My 2¢, News, Oklahoma, Ray Brown, RSU | Tags:
21 comments
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Well, I agree completely with the fact that just because Dr. Brown quickly hired Ms. England in a whirlwind, this does not in any way address our main concerns for Bit by Bit. As you say, if she is a competent as is stated in their press release, Ms. England will eventually be faced with the same destructive mentality of Drs. Brown and Rice that the previous leaders have experienced.
FYI Just wanted to let people know that information posted in a comment here earlier today was in error. There is no meeting scheduled for tonight.
I have received several emails from volunteers who are withdrawing from the program as volunteers not wanting to hurt the kids but until the beuacratic problems are solved.
As for the new director I am unsure as if I will be returning to Bit by bit as a volunteer or if my children will return as riders until things are straightened out. These quick changes are not good for the kids- they are the ones who will stress and be hurt trying to understand where Trista is. It is Trista whom they had formed a bond as their teacher and looked forward to returning to her.
Just my feelings
Let’s look at the hiring of new director as a good thing. Let’s not forget that the program is still UNDERSTAFFED. There is no riding instructor. The new director and the equine director cannot possibly teach all the classes and do the work they were hired to do. Bit by Bit has lost ANOTHER talented and dedicated staff member with Trista’s departure. Why does this keep happening?
Because no one from RSU will answer questions directly or truthfully when asked. People get overworked and understaffed and underpaid for all that they are expected to do. The new director is a good thing but unless everyone stands up and make RSU hear us nothing is going to change and the director will be packing before we know it and then its back to the same thing we are facing now. It is the children whom RSU is hurting- not the volunteers. IT IS THE CHILDREN
Jennifer and all the former Directors all came well qualified, but start asking questions and she
will be gone like the others. How about looking
at the equine director and others- seems like
they never lose their jobs, or they know just
what not to ask. The kids will be hurting and lets
hope everyone starts to open up.
Maybe the equine manager and others work hard to keep everything going for the CHILDREN. They have feelings just like the others, which have been STOMPED on bad. The equine manager has put a lot of effort into making sure the horses are well cared for (4 years). Even sitting up with a sick horse to wee hours of the morning. Also working with nothing but flashlights during the ice storm along with help of student workers and office manager to take care of those horses. The equine manager even has had to leave activities for her children to tend to things at the center. The office manager and equine manager also work with the rodeo team. The equine manager is also certified to teach classes and does so. She was also injured at work and had to have surgery.
This equine manager been there the longest of any they have had, for a while there was one a year.
In asking questions you should look at some of the parents and a former director that like to stir up trouble for the staff and ask why. Ask why the first director took retirement. Ask for the REAL daily student count for each year before last year. The office manager has gone over and above her office work to help in all other areas. They both have a right to be tired and cranky at times. Ask when their last raise was. Has the two directors before interim director Trista put in as many hours as the Equine manager and office manager. Ask for the REAL story. RSU lies to and bullies their employees and also listens to others instead of who is doing the actual work. The equine manager and office manager should tell them to “take this job and shove it” and be able live without this awful stress they are under. I for one will pull my horses out of the program when they leave.
Children are and will be hurting because the way RSU runs this program. There are other horse programs out there to be looked into.
Did channel 6 news really think they would get the real story by talking to an employee of Bit by Bit and PR Brent O. from RSU. If that employee had told the real story she would have been out of a job by evening. 6 news should talk to the volunteers and parents that see what is going on at the center. RSU still won’t admit that they need more help. Or interview Trista.
If I was an employee left at Bit by Bit I would worry what happens to my job when they bring the new director. Think Dr. Rice is hiding his head in a hole in the ground and afraid to admit he
can’t handle what is going on and passes the buck to Dr. Brown, who can’t handle it either.
I have been a volunteer at Bit by Bit for several years. I have worked with 3 directors and 2 equine managers, and several extremely gifted teachers. All have been more than qualified for their jobs. All have have been dedicated, loving, caring people. And ALL of them have been overworked and understaffed. For me, each one that has left was a great loss for the program.
In the past I have not inquired too deeply as to why people were suddenly gone. I knew that if I did, I too would become frustrated and leave the program. I told myself that the children were the most important thing.
Bit by Bit is a place that was created just for these extremely special children. It is a place they get to go where they are totally accepted. But, somewhere along the way we seem to lose the ability to maintain that happy environment.
Administrative bureaucrats, and social politics get in the way. The kids deserve better than this from us.
I received what I consider a propaganda letter from RSU regarding the hiring of a new director, and it angers and sickens me. I frankly cannot watch another round of “Meet the New Director”.
The letter shows the inablility and unwillingness of the RSU administration to fix a broken system. They seem to forget the volunteers are very clear on the actual work week the staff has at Bit by Bit…and it doesn’t resemble anything RSU’s claims. We know this because we are there. We aren’t blind and we aren’t stupid. The letter would be laughable if it weren’t so tragic. And how is it that RSU all of a sudden has the ability to locate and hire a new director and apparently a new full-time instructor? Since they seem to have stacks of qualified candidates, why did they take so long? If they had bothered to act more quickly, we wouldn’t be having this conversation. The new session would be starting this week, and the children would be getting to ride their horses. But they didn’t and we aren’t.
It is time that all parties involved get their acts together and create a workable solution. If RSU cannot think outside the box, they are going to destroy this great program, and the children are the ones that will ultimately lose.
AMEN!!!!
RSU isn’t looking at the children!
They are just refusing to give an inch.
All they give is propaganda, its became their
standard letter.
They are still not helping the needs of the program.
RSU LISTEN TO THE CHILDREN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
what if some of you big shots were in their shoes.
I agree 100%. The letter that we all received regarding the program- states the number of hours of each full time staff and what the exact duties that each staff member is responsible for. No where in the letter does it mention that the entire workload ends up falling on the shoulders of 1-2 people when others start asking questions. THe letter is an outright lie. It is time that the actual truth comes out. Talk to the real people out their and ask a question that will catch them off guard and reask that question until the truthful answer comes out. Someone will end up saying what actually is the truth.
On the Channel 6 news the other night; anyone who knows Pam knows that expression on her face was not one of comfort- but one that said she was being monitored closely and that she had been told what to say. She was very uneasy- not because she was being interviewed but because of fear for her job. RIDICULOUS> As for the PR person he just restated what the letter said and did not answer anything. All rehearsed.
Everyone at RSU needs to understand totally that this program is for the kids benefit not their POCKETS. I hope and pray that the organizations who provide grants to this program will start asking questions and make people responsible for where the money that has been given to this program is not SOFT MONEY AND ENDING UP IN RSU big wigs POCKETS- but actually going into the program. I hope that they can actually get truthful answers. As for the land that was given for this program I think the lady should look at her signed agreement with RSU throughly and realize that they have misused the land and went against the agreement and pull the land back to themselves. I then think that the program should reopen under no one but a private individual. RSU has messed up this program because they do not put the kids first. They put their incomes first and I for one am tired of it.
I don’t have any connection to this program, but I think that it is important to note that if RSU didn’t care at all about the Bit By Bit program, they would just not do it. I suspect that it is a very expensive program to run compared to other therapeutic programs. While Tyson’s blogging seems to have shed some much needed light on this issue, simply venting about it online will not improve the situation. I certainly have seen enough to think that some changes need to be made by the administration in terms of staffing and the treatment of volunteers and staff, but I would urge each of you who are connected to this program to try and reach out in a civil manner and document your letters and visits with the administration. If you are treated rudely or the situation does not improve, call KOTV. Actual interaction with the people in power, no matter how you feel about them, is the only way to get results. Best of luck to those of you who try to improve this program. Let’s all hope things improve for everyone!
They want volunteers to donate more and more of their time so they don’t have to pay for more staff. They want the work to be done for free.
This is not what volunteers intended when they signed up. It was to be for the children and at
what they were comfortable in doing.
Volunteers are just that and shouldn’t be made to
feel guilty because they can’t or don’t want to do more. RSU should be ashamed at what they are
doing to the Bit by Bit program. They bully and
take the joy out of being a volunteer.
They also bully their staff and take the joy out
of their jobs.
Ok, this is getting out of hand. Is the program understaffed? Yes. Has it been mismanaged? Maybe. However, don’t lose sight of the fact this program costs RSU money and a significant amount. Resources are tight at a rapidly growing college and a bad economy. My daughter attends RSU and I know they need student housing, my faculty, more degree programs and the list goes on and on. You better be carefuly what you wish for with RSU not being involved with the program. That could happen and the program could go away. RSU loses over $100,000 per year on the program.
Calmy make your claims and issues known to RSU officials. I don’t know about Dr. Brown but everyone has told me that Larry Rice is a good and decent man. I feel confident hears what is being said and is making changes and will make more significant changes when the time is right.
Money spent on special needs children is money lost by RSU. GET REAL!! What if your daughter
was one with the special needs, would you feel the
same way then. These children have rights also,
they didn’ ask to be born the way they are. But they can show the most unbaised love that you can ever know. Just because the economy is bad and RSU
has other needs for your daughter and other students shouldn’t mean that these children should be the ones to do without.
Go back and read my post. I didn’t say the money is wasted…I said it is lost money, meaning I pay the university a ton of money for her to go to school there. I think you are reading too much into what was said. My point is that several posts indicate they want RSU seperated from bit by bit. RSU is putting money into the program, not making money. If they exited stage left I don’t think the program would have much of a future most especially in these economic times.
Ask the parents and volunteers how they feel
about all of this. Volunteers are going to
be leaving the progam which is short of volunteers
to start with. Parents are tired of having to
explain to their children why their favorite
teacher is no longer there. So much change is
not good for these children. All they want is for RSU to bend a little and hire more staff so the change in staff will quit happening. That just would be a part instructor to teach at night.
The cost might be in the range of $3,000.00 for 9
months. They could have a small fund raiser for this, but RSU still wouldn’t use it for extra help.
What is happening at Bit by Bit?
Is anything being done to correct the situation?
I am so sick to death of hearing about “A good and decent man” when it comes to Larry Rice. When will people start reading the WHOLE sentence where people say over and over and over again that…surely…surely…soon…he will put things right at RSU. GIVE IT UP FOLKS! Rice can’t do it. Who can? Who knows! Larry Rice either can’t or won’t right the wrongs at RSU. When will we all start taking responsibility for placing the blame where it belongs! Look further up the dirty skirts to David Boren, Stratton Taylor, yes, even Robert Henry’s little boy. This won’t be posted but, God knows it is true and it’s him I’m trusting to finally clean up this Tom Volturo puke pool called RSU, NOT Larry RICE!
Always so many accusations being thrown around and names being called. RSU is doing a pretty good job of educating their students (which is their primary responsibility) with their limited resources as a small school. I’ve talked to Tyson about his problems with RSU, and he has some legitimate concerns. However, most of the angry people I see posting here fire out these accusations and names without any evidence to back up their claims. If you’re mad about Bit by Bit or something else, do something about it. I can assure you that calling RSU and its employees childish names accomplishes nothing.
People ARE talking to Dr. Rice and Dr. Brown.
Their concerns seem to fall on deaf ears.
New director will fix all, so far changing directors hasn’t helped, its getting worse.
No matter what anyone thinks these special
children have their place in our world and
deserve better than a make do with their program.
They are not asking for much. Just some extra
help to make sure safety is a number one factor.
Even when the program was on campus it had a
night instructor, not a daytime instructor doing
double duty. These workers have many job duties,
sometimes one duty conflicks with their other job duties. Can you be in two or three places at once? Thats what is expected of them sometimes.
Have you volunteered at Bit by Bit?