Safety Committee Meeting - 4/17/23 - Maddening

I shall never get through the recording of that meeting!

I watched a few minutes of the meeting on April 17; and I have tried to watch more of it 2-3 times.

The Safety Committee is meddling in the arena that the Office of the Superintendent controls. Why?

Because they haven't learned to distinguish oversight from management. There are three trustees on the Committee and some others. As trustees of the board, their role is making decisions.

Not nit-picking the badge operation of the new Million-Dollar alert system.

Not trying to micro-manage the deployment of metal detectors. 

Not going to schools in other districts to learn how they use metal detectors and solve the manpower problem.

I made it to the 50-minute mark, and I'm done with it. I've never know what happened in the final 40 minutes.

How pervasive is DEI?

Read this article about Larry Arnn's talk at the Heritage Foundation’s 50th Anniversary Leadership Summit last Friday. Arnn is the president of Hillsdale College.

Arnn considers DEI programs as "massively destructive".

Now, what was announced by Richland 2 last Friday? 

"The Richland School District Two Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is inviting the public to attend a Community Conversation on the Importance of Inclusion in Schools and the Community. The event is taking place Wednesday, May 3 at 6 p.m. in the auditorium of the Richland Library Sandhills location at 763 Fashion Drive in Columbia."

Panelists will be Dr. Doyle Stevick, Executive Director of the University of South Carolina’s Anne Frank Center and professor in the College of Education; Katherine Webster, Blythewood High School student and member of the No Place For Hate Initiative; Ms. Maddie Coffman, teacher, Richland School District Two; and Mrs. Katinia Davis, Chief Special Education Officer, Richland School District Two. 

Will this be a "community conversation" or is the panel going to tell you what you must believe?

As parents, teachers, staff, and community members, are you interested in learning about the "importance" of Inclusion? In order to fight your (DEI) enemy effectively, you have to know the enemy. Here's one chance to do that.

Expect New Meeting Record

The Richland 2 school board will hold two meetings tomorrow. I expect a new record for meeting length.

The first meeting is a Special-Called Meeting. It starts at 3:00PM (Tuesday, April 25) and will likely consist only of an executive session. The listed topic is "Contractual Matter Regarding the Superintendent Search".

Personally, I doubt that description is sufficient to meet to requirements of the South Carolina FOIA Act. Exactly what is it about a "Contractual Matter" that they are going to discuss? Are they dealing with a search firm? Are they considering candidates? Are they about to offer employment? 

South Carolina Public Records Law is in the statutes at Title 30 Public Records, Chapter 4 Freedom of Information Act. Section 30-4-70 deals with matters that can be addressed in confidential Executive Sessions. 

§30-4-70(b) reads, in part, the Chair "...shall announce the specific purpose of the executive session. As used in this subsection, "specific purpose" means a description of the matter to be discussed..."

Merely announcing the topic may not be sufficient to announce the purpose of the Executive Session. What will they discuss for 2½ hours?

At 5:30PM the Regular Board Meeting is to start. The board will again enter Executive Session. Look at the length of the agenda for that executive session! Will the Regular Session re-convene at 6:30PM?

Next look at the agenda for the Regular Meeting! 

Will the Trustees recess for coffee? A comfort break? A nap?

The length of that agenda is absurd. When will the Board hire a public meeting consultant?