How many cases of COVID-19 have been diagnosed among Richland 2 School District students, staff, employees or parents? Any?
Schools are closed. Where are the kids? Are the sequestered in their homes? Obeying the social-distancing recommendations? Do they really how serious today's circumstances are? Is each doing all that is necessary to contain the disease and avoid spreading it?
What has been the financial impact on families?
Who needs assistance and doesn't know how to get it?
The March 31st School Board meeting is still scheduled. Monitor the Richland 2 website for any cancellation.
Tuesday, March 24, 2020
Saturday, March 21, 2020
Special-Called Board Meeting needed
On March 13, 2020, Richland 2 School District announced that "Beginning Monday, March 16, 2020, through Spring Break:
- all student and staff travel will be canceled or postponed."
The District's schools have been closed by order of South Carolina Governor McMaster.
Obviously, what the announcement means is that "school-related and District-paid travel" as regards staff and "school-related/sponsored travel" by students. If students wish to travel on personal business, that will be up to their parents, not the school district.
Teachers and parents are being communicated with by the district's Administration.
It seems to me that the Board should be calling a Special Meeting to hear, as a group, what the Administration is doing and to confirm steps being taken by the Administration to address the closure of schools and the impact on the District and all of its employees from the coronavirus spread, as well as providing correction and/or direction as needed. It's called Leadership.
It is the Board that is responsible to taxpayers and voters of the District, and the public is entitled to know just what is going on. The way that should happen is in a public meeting of the Board. For example, are teachers being paid? Is full-time staff being paid? What about part-time, hourly workers (cafeteria staff, custodial staff, security staff, bus drivers)?
This could easily be done by announcing a Special Meeting, open to the public and live-streamed, with full awareness of the open meetings laws, and at the same time encouraging the public not to attend in person.
Board members could sit six feet apart from one another, skip the Executive Session, and reduce the number of staff members who normally give up an evening to sit and watch. A handful of chairs could be placed for any audience members brave enough to show up at a public meeting.
The Board is responsible for about one billion dollars of assets, nearly 30,000 students, and over 3,000 employees.
Too many on the board lack executive mentality for leading a large business. Some of them cannot even manage their own finances in an ethical manner. Too many come from an educational background and lack meaningful business experience and training to direct the management of such a large business.
Think large corporation. Would shareholders tolerate Directors with significant personal obligations in arrears?
Tuesday, March 17, 2020
Arithmetic Errors pursue McKie
Amelia McKie has trouble filing required reports with the Ethics Commission on time and filing them correctly.
As mentioned in the previous article, she said in a public meeting of the Richland 2 School Board (in January 2019, I believe) that it wouldn't happen again. I understood her to be telling the public that she'd be filing future required reports on time.
Campaign Disclosure Reports due to the South Carolina Ethics Commission are to be filed quarterly. However, McKie's reports for 4/10/2019, 7/10/2019, and 1/10/2020 were filed late.
Her Report due 10/10/2019 was filed on time, and she amended it on 3/4/2020.
On the Amended Report she reports $250.00 in "individual funds" contributed to her campaign. Now, what would cause her to "remember" that contribution five months later? And why didn't she report it correctly and on time?
The next obvious problem (obvious to anyone with a rudimentary skills in arithmetic) is why does she have less money on-hand than was reported in October 2019? If she received a contribution of $250.00 and didn't incur additional expense (which she didn't), wouldn't she have more money on-hand?
But that's not what her filed Reports show. Her amended report corrected an unexplained error in the original report, but it did not correct the errors that occurred earlier in 2019. Those errors still exist.
This leads me to decide that the Ethics Commission doesn't examine the reports when they are filed. It looks like the Ethics Commission just accepts them as filed.
Then it's up to someone, somewhere, to inspect the reports and alert the Commission to the errors.
The magic of computers ought to make it easy to confirm sums and differences; you know, basic arithmetic calculations. Flags ought to pop when numbers don't agree. But they don't.
As mentioned in the previous article, she said in a public meeting of the Richland 2 School Board (in January 2019, I believe) that it wouldn't happen again. I understood her to be telling the public that she'd be filing future required reports on time.
Campaign Disclosure Reports due to the South Carolina Ethics Commission are to be filed quarterly. However, McKie's reports for 4/10/2019, 7/10/2019, and 1/10/2020 were filed late.
Her Report due 10/10/2019 was filed on time, and she amended it on 3/4/2020.
On the Amended Report she reports $250.00 in "individual funds" contributed to her campaign. Now, what would cause her to "remember" that contribution five months later? And why didn't she report it correctly and on time?
The next obvious problem (obvious to anyone with a rudimentary skills in arithmetic) is why does she have less money on-hand than was reported in October 2019? If she received a contribution of $250.00 and didn't incur additional expense (which she didn't), wouldn't she have more money on-hand?
But that's not what her filed Reports show. Her amended report corrected an unexplained error in the original report, but it did not correct the errors that occurred earlier in 2019. Those errors still exist.
This leads me to decide that the Ethics Commission doesn't examine the reports when they are filed. It looks like the Ethics Commission just accepts them as filed.
Then it's up to someone, somewhere, to inspect the reports and alert the Commission to the errors.
The magic of computers ought to make it easy to confirm sums and differences; you know, basic arithmetic calculations. Flags ought to pop when numbers don't agree. But they don't.
Financial Integrity - how important?
How important should the personal financial integrity of School Board Trustees be?
Should it be squeaky clean? Above reproach? Should all Trustees be keeping very high standards of personal financial integrity?
And what happens when they don't?
Well, if you're a Richland 2 School District trustee, apparently nothing happens.
For insight to this question, refer to the South Carolina State Tax Lien Registry at dor.sc.gov/liens Search the Lien Registry for "Individual".
Enter the name of your favorite trustee and inspect the results.
A second place to look is the list of Debtors on the website of the South Carolina Ethics Commission at ethics.sc.gov Near the top right of the homepage click on "Debtors". After you read about the (unsuccessful) efforts of the Ethics Commission to squeeze payments out of the debtors, scroll to the bottom of the page and click on "Debtors List (PDF)"
The Ethics Commission apparently has trouble alphabetizing names, because it has put McK before Mah. Look for Amelia McKie. Her $51.750 debt shows a Default Year of 2016. That was halfway through her first term as a trustee. You would have to read the Commission's Decision & Order dated July 3, 2018 to get the whole picture.
When McKie had not made any payment toward her debt, in July 2019 the Ethics Commission filed a judgment with the Richland County Common Pleas Court (Case No. 2019CP4003809). You can inspect the court entry here.
The South Carolina Department of Revenue is the collection agent for the Ethics Commission. Apparently, it's pretty busy, because no entries appear in the court record after July 2019.
Is it any wonder that the List of Debtors on the Ethics Commission website, dated 1/13/2020, is 28 pages long and that the uncollected amount of debt is $2,762,979?
McKie's debt isn't the largest or the oldest. I think it was in January 2019, after her ethics' woes were reported publicly, that she said it wouldn't happen again. She meant "filing late" wouldn't happen again. Yet it did! She filed Campaign Disclosure Reports late not once, not twice, but three times! The Reports due 4/10/2019, 7/10/2019, and 1/10/2020 were filed late.
She did file her 10/10/2019 report on time (10/10/2019), but she amended it on 3/4/2020. See the next article about her amended Campaign Disclosure Report, filed 3/4/2020, for her Report filed on 10/10/2019.
Maybe someone should ask Gov. McMaster why the DOR isn't doing a better job collecting these debts?
Should it be squeaky clean? Above reproach? Should all Trustees be keeping very high standards of personal financial integrity?
And what happens when they don't?
Well, if you're a Richland 2 School District trustee, apparently nothing happens.
For insight to this question, refer to the South Carolina State Tax Lien Registry at dor.sc.gov/liens Search the Lien Registry for "Individual".
Enter the name of your favorite trustee and inspect the results.
A second place to look is the list of Debtors on the website of the South Carolina Ethics Commission at ethics.sc.gov Near the top right of the homepage click on "Debtors". After you read about the (unsuccessful) efforts of the Ethics Commission to squeeze payments out of the debtors, scroll to the bottom of the page and click on "Debtors List (PDF)"
The Ethics Commission apparently has trouble alphabetizing names, because it has put McK before Mah. Look for Amelia McKie. Her $51.750 debt shows a Default Year of 2016. That was halfway through her first term as a trustee. You would have to read the Commission's Decision & Order dated July 3, 2018 to get the whole picture.
When McKie had not made any payment toward her debt, in July 2019 the Ethics Commission filed a judgment with the Richland County Common Pleas Court (Case No. 2019CP4003809). You can inspect the court entry here.
The South Carolina Department of Revenue is the collection agent for the Ethics Commission. Apparently, it's pretty busy, because no entries appear in the court record after July 2019.
Is it any wonder that the List of Debtors on the Ethics Commission website, dated 1/13/2020, is 28 pages long and that the uncollected amount of debt is $2,762,979?
McKie's debt isn't the largest or the oldest. I think it was in January 2019, after her ethics' woes were reported publicly, that she said it wouldn't happen again. She meant "filing late" wouldn't happen again. Yet it did! She filed Campaign Disclosure Reports late not once, not twice, but three times! The Reports due 4/10/2019, 7/10/2019, and 1/10/2020 were filed late.
She did file her 10/10/2019 report on time (10/10/2019), but she amended it on 3/4/2020. See the next article about her amended Campaign Disclosure Report, filed 3/4/2020, for her Report filed on 10/10/2019.
Maybe someone should ask Gov. McMaster why the DOR isn't doing a better job collecting these debts?
Sunday, March 15, 2020
Schools closing
A media announcement today alerted me to the closing of Richland 2 schools.
Read all about it here.
Gov. McMaster has ordered all 1,250 South Carolina public schools closed.
Now, here is the crazy part. Schools have become caregivers and providers for students, and Richland 2 schools will be providing bagged breakfast and lunches that can be picked up at a number of schools. Those school are listed in District 2's announcement.
A high percentage of Richland 2 students receive meals. Of course, the meals must be picked up, which will create a huge problem for parents who are working.
The schools never should have gotten in the free breakfast and free lunch business. This Federal program is a disaster for creating independence. Kids should eat breakfast at home and either bring lunch or have the money to buy lunch.
Maybe if kids gave up their Air Jordans and cell phones and tattoos and piercings and bling, they'd have the money for food. Think so?
Read all about it here.
Gov. McMaster has ordered all 1,250 South Carolina public schools closed.
Now, here is the crazy part. Schools have become caregivers and providers for students, and Richland 2 schools will be providing bagged breakfast and lunches that can be picked up at a number of schools. Those school are listed in District 2's announcement.
A high percentage of Richland 2 students receive meals. Of course, the meals must be picked up, which will create a huge problem for parents who are working.
The schools never should have gotten in the free breakfast and free lunch business. This Federal program is a disaster for creating independence. Kids should eat breakfast at home and either bring lunch or have the money to buy lunch.
Maybe if kids gave up their Air Jordans and cell phones and tattoos and piercings and bling, they'd have the money for food. Think so?
Saturday, March 14, 2020
March 24th walk-out canceled
The State newspaper is reporting that the SC for Ed walk-out planned for March 24 has been postponed or canceled, due to concerns about the coronavirus.
On Friday morning reporter Bristow Marchant wrote that the march at the Capitol was "postponed". Well, we'll see. Maybe it was really canceled.
I'm curious how a gang of teachers can get in contact with the CDC and DHEC. What kind of "consultations" did they engage in?
SC for Ed (some unnamed person) was quoted as saying, “While we are committed to advocacy on behalf of our profession, the number one concern is the health and well-being of the students we teach,”
Yeah, sure. It's all for the kids, folks. If you believe that, please call me right away about that bridge in New York City I've been trying to sell.
If it really was "all for the kids", the teachers would be at work and teaching the kids on the day planned for the walk-out.
On Friday morning reporter Bristow Marchant wrote that the march at the Capitol was "postponed". Well, we'll see. Maybe it was really canceled.
I'm curious how a gang of teachers can get in contact with the CDC and DHEC. What kind of "consultations" did they engage in?
SC for Ed (some unnamed person) was quoted as saying, “While we are committed to advocacy on behalf of our profession, the number one concern is the health and well-being of the students we teach,”
Yeah, sure. It's all for the kids, folks. If you believe that, please call me right away about that bridge in New York City I've been trying to sell.
If it really was "all for the kids", the teachers would be at work and teaching the kids on the day planned for the walk-out.
Friday, March 13, 2020
SC for Ed walk-out, March 24
At the March 10 Richland 2 School Board meeting there was absolutely ZERO discussion at the Board level about the teacher walk-out planned for March 24.
If you would like to hear what I told the Board about this on March 10 at the board meeting, go to YouTube.com and view the March 10 Board Meeting. Advance the counter to 0:26:17 for my remarks to the Board about the March 24th SC for Ed walk-out.
What will happen in Richland Two on March 24? Will it be like last year? Richland 2 said it wasn't going to close and, then, the day before May 1, 2019, Richland 2 caved. It just could not fill 600 teaching positions that were going to be empty because so many teachers took "personal days".
This year one school district has already caved in. Chester County School District has announced that classes have been canceled for March 24.
Contact your school's Principal AND Supt. Davis to express your opinion. Teachers are under contract to work. That's what they get paid to do.
There is no infringement on their right to express personal opinions to their legislators, and they should do so - on their own time.
Last year the District never reported its loss for that walk-out. Nor did it report on the disruption to families, when students were not allowed to attend school. This forces many parents to take days off or hire baby- or child-sitters.
Tell your child's teacheres to write letter, send email, make telephone calls (after school hours), visit their legislators after school hours, and NOT to discuss their walk-out in the classrooms.
A teacher is allowed a certain number of personal days during the school year. These are for medical and dental appointments, etc. When 600 teachers take the same day as a "personal day", that's a walk-out, a work slowdown, a strike.
The Board should have directed the superintendent to order the teachers to be at work. It didn't. Maybe it's time for a new board. Remember them in November, when three Board positions will be elected.
If you would like to hear what I told the Board about this on March 10 at the board meeting, go to YouTube.com and view the March 10 Board Meeting. Advance the counter to 0:26:17 for my remarks to the Board about the March 24th SC for Ed walk-out.
What will happen in Richland Two on March 24? Will it be like last year? Richland 2 said it wasn't going to close and, then, the day before May 1, 2019, Richland 2 caved. It just could not fill 600 teaching positions that were going to be empty because so many teachers took "personal days".
This year one school district has already caved in. Chester County School District has announced that classes have been canceled for March 24.
Contact your school's Principal AND Supt. Davis to express your opinion. Teachers are under contract to work. That's what they get paid to do.
There is no infringement on their right to express personal opinions to their legislators, and they should do so - on their own time.
Last year the District never reported its loss for that walk-out. Nor did it report on the disruption to families, when students were not allowed to attend school. This forces many parents to take days off or hire baby- or child-sitters.
Tell your child's teacheres to write letter, send email, make telephone calls (after school hours), visit their legislators after school hours, and NOT to discuss their walk-out in the classrooms.
A teacher is allowed a certain number of personal days during the school year. These are for medical and dental appointments, etc. When 600 teachers take the same day as a "personal day", that's a walk-out, a work slowdown, a strike.
The Board should have directed the superintendent to order the teachers to be at work. It didn't. Maybe it's time for a new board. Remember them in November, when three Board positions will be elected.
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