"Implicit Bias" training in Richland 2?

You may be interested in this article about the $3,000 spent by a North Carolina school board for "implicit bias" training.

Is any of this nonsense going on in Richland 2?

Either on the school board or anywhere else in the school district?

Check out this article, titled "EXCLUSIVE: North Carolina School District Spends $3K for ‘Implicit Bias’ Training".

What in the world is "culturally responsive teaching"? Sure sounds racist to me!

By the way, if you haven't seen "Am I Racist?" yet, you'll want to speed things up a little. The last day for showings at local Regal Cinema theaters (Sandhills is close) is Wednesday, October 2. 

Gun at Spring Valley H.S.? NO

"Does everyone know one Spring Valley High School student, who had a gun on him, was arrested TODAY during school hours? The 2 other students who accompanied him, with the intent to shoot up the school after entering through a back door (to get around metal detectors), got away on foot. This is according to the threats made prior to the incident.

"I think parents and the public should be aware of this, but it is nowhere in the news and the school never went on lockdown!! I have 2 children at this school, I’m appalled and highly concerned."

This was posted on NextDoor at approximately 3:50PM.

The same poster made a second post that supported the first.

Nothing about this is posted on WIS-TV yet.

There is a reason for the metal detectors at schools. NO student (or teacher or staff) should admit anyone from the outside through side or back doors. Period!!!

[Edited 9/25/2024}

Following is a letter that Jeff Temoney, Principal at SVHS, sent to parents:

Dear Spring Valley High School Parents and Guardians,

I hope this email finds you well. I'm writing to address a situation that occurred yesterday and to clarify some misinformation that is circulating in our community on social media.

Yesterday afternoon, we had an incident involving two of our students. The students were off campus during school hours and allegedly took items from a nearby store without paying. Richland County Sheriff’s deputies pursued the students back to an area near our campus and additional law enforcement responded to the situation.

I want to emphasize that at no point was there a weapon involved in this incident. I understand there may be rumors suggesting otherwise, but I can assure you with absolute certainty that there was no gun on our campus yesterday or at any time during this event.

The safety and well-being of our students and staff are always our top priority. We take all security matters seriously and respond swiftly to any potential threats. If a weapon had been on campus, you would have heard that information from me. Confirming important information and not spreading rumors helps keep our campus safe. As always, we're committed to maintaining open communication with our school community.

If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to reach out to my office. We appreciate your understanding and continued support in making Spring Valley High School a safe and positive learning environment for all our students.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Sincerely,

Jeff Temoney

Principal, Spring Valley High School

"Am I Racist?" Have you seen it?

"Am I Racist?"

This is a great movie! Have you seen it yet? 

Get over to Regal Sandhills and see it. Soon!

And don't leave before the very end. It's not over when the credits start rolling. Sit through the credits and wait for what happens after the credits.

When you see others leaving, tell them, "Stay. It's not over yet."

This interview with Matt Walsh and Kevin Roberts, President of The Heritage Foundation, is very good. It's worth the time to watch it. Click on the video at the top or hit   https://www.youtube.com/live/ECWfCniYBTM

What's the best thing to do, when DEI raises its ugly head in the classroom or a faculty meeting? Speak up. Don't sit there silently. Stop worrying about your grade or your job.

Challenge these stupid DEI ideas. Now!

SCDE and PragerU Partnership

WIS-TV announced a new partnership between the South Carolina Department of Education and PragerU. 

Three cheers to Ellen Weaver and her staff for approving this.

But how did WIS-TV announce it through its reporter, Kevin Connaughton?

He wrote, among other words, "The conservative media organization and nonprofit, founded in 2009 by radio talk show host Dennis Prager, has generated controversy through its provocative educational videos."

"controversy"? "provocative"? 

To me, that's opinion, not news.

I emailed the reporter this morning:

"Was your article on the SCDE and PragerU intended to be News or Opinion?

"Why would you write that PragerU has "has generated controversy through its provocative educational videos"?

"Isn't that your opinion which, I would suggest, doesn't belong in a news story? I suggest that only The Left will consider PragerU videos as "provocative". PragerU presents information that is too often left out of curricula in our schools. I invite you to view a number of 5-minute videos and Thursday Fireside Chats on http://www.prageru.com and then write another article about this partnership."

You can read his article on wistv.com

SC Superintendent announces partnership with conservative media organization PragerU

Which school bus stop?

Just another day in the Life of a School Bus Driver...

Which route is this on?

https://www.facebook.com/reel/8237243493000264 (Be sure to turn on the sound.)

Spring Valley SRO escapes jail time

No doubt you saw the news about the Spring Valley SRO who escaped jail time for his misdeeds at Spring Valley High School. Just exactly why did Judge Daniel Coble not send him off to prison???

If you only read the local media or watched it on TV, you missed the whole story.

Read the long article on the Washington Post website. Read it slowly and carefully.

Ask why. Ask WHY!

What kind of investigations were done that allowed Jamel Bradley to get away with it for so long?

Where were the breakdowns in Richland 2? Where were the breakdowns at the Richland County Sheriff's Department?

Here's the link to the WashPo story:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/interactive/2024/south-carolina-sro-child-sexual-abuse-jamel-bradley/

Georgia School Shooting

I found a shocking statement in one of the CBS News' online articles.

"FBI Atlanta said on social media Wednesday night that county authorities had interviewed the suspect last year about online threats to commit a school shooting."

It's my guess that school officials, SROs, and other law-enforcement personnel know who the future shooters are.

And that they are reluctant to "profile" them.

The school-to-prison "pipeline" can be shutdown. Implement the right programs of respect and discipline. It's way past time for "Tough Love".

The Social Justice Warriors, at least around here, will scream racial profiling. I say, "So what?"

Look at the photos of the troublemakers in your schools. Look at the photos of the criminals and suspects in the news? What do you see? 

National BeSmart Week was August 26-30. I'll tell you, folks. Gun locks will not solve the gun violence problem in schools or in Columbia or in this country. Wimpy approaches to the problems will solve none.

All the "Did you know..." questions are worthless. I don't want to hear that pitch one more time. 

Surely there are some smart people around Richland 2 who can figure this out. It's time to stop talkin' the talk and start walkin' the walk. 

R2 School Board Race

The race is on. The filing period for the school board election closed on August 15. As I recall, there are at least eight hats in the ring.

What should the qualifications be to win one of the three Trustee positions that will be elected this November?

First and foremost, the person should have executive leadership and decision-making skills and experience. Help elect these people, not just the ones with the most friends.

The Trustees on the Board are in charge of policy-making. They don't operate the District; that is the job of the superintendent. They should leave the "dirty work" to the superintendent.

Give direction to the superintendent and then monitor her performance.

Too many board members have been "in the kitchen" too often. Can you imagine what would happen if Directors of Ford Motor Company spent time on the factory floor, listening to employees who put fenders on cars or operate robots?

The persons elected should understand finances and the "big picture". 

They should understand that "they" make the decisions for Richland 2, not the South Carolina School Boards Association. They should stop wasting so much time on revising Board  policies.

Splashed on the District's website is "Purpose Driven, Future Ready". Seriously? Look at the grade-level reports. 

Abdullah Mustafa was the sole speaker in the Public Comment period on August 13. To view Mr. Mustafa's comments, go to this board meeting and scroll forward to 20:44 on the timer.