5/14/19 Board Meeting - 4 HOURS

Did the Richland 2 School Board set a record on Tuesday, May 14? The meeting ran 3 hours 54 minutes, and that's in addition to the 30-minute budget input time and the 60-minute executive session.

A clue to the length of the meeting shows up right at the beginning of the recorded video on YouTube. Mrs. McKie rambled on and on while introducing Keith Price, who was to give the Inspiration Moment. As an Assistant Principal he is obligated to attend board meetings. She should have just introduced him and let him proceed.

The Board fails to control the length of the Inspiration Moment. It should be brief. It should be a "moment"; to me, that's a minute or two. Mr. Price is a good reader. His six-minute, three-page "Inspirational Moment" would have better as a two-minute, one-page comment.

McKie started to say "coming off of the May 1st day of protest", but she corrected herself to refer to Teacher Appreciation Week.

At (23:30) be sure to watch the segment with Principal Bobby Cunningham of the W.R. Rogers Center. He is an excellent speaker and he covered the information about his school in an interesting and rapid manner.

McKie must be running for office somewhere. Her effusive thanks to Mr. Cunningham, while slipping in a few toots on her own horn, were far too long and too gushy. There was something different about McKie Tuesday evening - some rambling, stumbling with wording and lack of cohesive statements that hadn't been obvious at earlier meetings this year. And then she burst into applause for Mr. Cunningham, which was unique to Board meetings. Watch her expression, as she led the applause.

At (34:45), the beginning of the public participation segment, Mrs. Agostini asked to make some remarks. McKie postponed Mrs. Agostini and said she had a couple of comments. Then McKie read the Rules of the Road. Man! I expected her to say, "Did you get all that, Gus?"

If you listen carefully to her words, you'll know why you never hear from any staffer after you make comments during the public participation segment. The Board never discusses public comments or, as a Board (decision), directs the Superintendent to assign someone to respond.

In other words, if you are lucky enough to say something pleasing to McKie, you might get your three minutes. If not, she'll gavel you in submission, which Ms. Holmes had asked her to do earlier this year. If you attended any Board meetings last year, before McKie took the top perch on the roost, they were run in a friendly, professional, competent manner, and the public didn't get beaten up.

McKie could have just said, "If you ain't got somethin' nice to say, don't even think about standing up to say anything."

And then McKie totally blew off Mrs. Agostini and introduced the first speaker for the public comment period. TALK ABOUT A SNUB!

Mrs. Agostini addressed inconsistencies occurring regarding public participation and described changes in the form which the public must sign in order to speak. She referred to a March 12th change in the sign-up sheet's wording, after she received complaints about changes in speaker order. McKie had assumed control over the order of speakers.

Mrs. Agostini continued. On February 12 a speaker was denied speaking time, because she had not filled out the forms in time. Agostini mentioned that, under the previous Board Chair, any one was welcome to speak, whether he had signed up or not. McKie said she would strictly adhere to Board Policy and wanted to be "as ethical and policy-abiding" as possible. Then, on March 26, McKie did not act as ethically and policy-abiding as possible, and she allowed a speaker who had not complied with her rules to speak. And she cut off a speaker (me) when a second topic was mentioned.

Again watch McKie's expression of conceit and disrespect toward Mrs. Agostini. Her smirks and childish behavior are completely out-of-place for the position of a Board Chair.

Then McKie accused people of using her "graceness (graciousness?) and latitude for personal gain and for insult"/ Well, Lawdy Lawd!!! To whom could she be referring? What does she really mean?

If McKie is going to prohibit personal attack, of which there haven't been any, she should refrain from attacking a member of the public. Remarks about failures of public officials are not personal attacks!

Then listen carefully to McKie's snarky "thanks" to Mrs. Agostini for bringing up her remarks. And watch her expression.

At (41:14) the first speaker, James Mobley, was introduced and McKie welcomed him with "we'd love to hear from you." WHOA, NELLIE! What's that about?

I am curious whether the Board has lost confidence in Amelia McKie.

The board's effort to create a Board Policy that would have enabled them to remove an Officer (such as the Chair) failed earlier this year. Actually, it passed, and the Board should act to correct that. Why did it really pass?

The vote on that proposed Board Policy was 3-4. Three for, four against. It failed. However, Mrs. McKie and Ms. Holmes are illegally on the Board. Without their votes the Policy would have passed 3-2. Counting the same three as For but leaving only two Against. There have been other votes that were declared with the wrong outcome.

The Board will eventually be held accountable for these errors.