Chaos - Again!

Board meeting chaos!!

At 7:52PM I bailed out, when the superintendent began his Highlights.

The board was late starting the public session, which commenced at 6:39PM (after ending at 6:31PM, according to trustee-elect McKie's motion. Extreme discourtesy is shown to those attending in person and virtually, when the board runs late in its executive sessions without any message or apology to the public.

Once again, the Inspirational Moment was a performance, and it was not inspiring. McKie's introduction seemed more like an audition for Toastmasters. All she needed to do was introduce the Moment. Same with following the Moment. Thank those who were involved and move right into the Pledge of Allegiance.

Trustee-elect and acting Chair Holmes announced a Special-Called Board Meeting for Thursday, April 28, 2022, 4:30PM at R2i2 to address safety and security issues, in consideration of TWO guns having been confiscated at Blythewood High School this week.

Holmes lost her place several times in the agenda. Maybe she would work better with a printed agenda and then check off what has been completed. 

Holmes read Consultant Liz Guthridge's report on the two Executive Coaching sessions. Holmes couldn't even read the whole thing coherently. She stumbled many times while trying to read the report. You'd think that an educator with the 35 years' experience (to which she referred tonight) would have learned to pronounce "asks" by now; it's not "aks". The first executive session must have been a wing-dinger, based on the comments by board members after that report was read. The claws must have come out during the executive session, and they were still out. Trustees Agostini and Scott were right. Those two training sessions provided little or no value. 

Trustee Scott asked what the cost was for those "trainings". My estimate? $13,000. ($8,000 for the trainer plus $5,000 for the trustees plus staff time to prepare and set-up)  Another businessman and I watched them. Almost NO value.

Chaos reigned supreme when the Board tried to discuss forming a committee. It should have been a three-minute discussion. Instead, it went on and on, and it was clear that most on the board had no idea what the purpose of a committee is. And then Holmes made a HUGE and DISRESPECTFUL error when she referred to Christine (Christine Lewis, the Special Assistant to the School Board?) as "my girl". Ms. Lewis is NOT Holmes' "girl". She is an administrative assistant to the entire seven-member school board.

And then, as the Executive Coaching Update ended, Holmes announced it was time to move on to Item 9.1, Executive Coaching. "Oh, no. We just did that..."

McKie made several unnecessary and inappropriate comments during the first portion of the meeting, including her comment when voting on the Committee was underway. Trustee Agostini raised a Point-of-Order, but Holmes allowed McKie to continue. There's The Core Four for you. Sticking together.

Gary Ginn Grievance - TONIGHT

Do NOT miss tonight's board meeting - Tuesday, Aril 28.

When you look at the agenda, you'll see just one item in the short Executive Session that starts at 5:30PM.

BUT - look down further on the agenda for tonight's meeting and you'll see a SECOND Executive Session. That one lists a grievance to be heard. That grievance is the matter of Rihland 2 vs. Gary Ginn.

Gary is the second white man who was kicked out of the Jasnuary 25, 2022 board meeting, after Pamela Davis, wife of Supt. Baron Davis, created a disturbance prior to the beginning of the 5:30PM meeting.

The first part of the disturbance was shen she shouted at me after I introduced myself.

I was not in the board room when Pamela Davis is reported to have uttered profanities at a 14-year-old student who was seated behind her. He told me what she said to him. Ginn intervened, and Ginn told me that he was told by Marq Claxton, Safety & Security Director, that Baron Davis had told him to Trespass him (Ginn) and kick him out.

I was either in the hallway speaking (voluntarily) with a RCSD deputy, or I had already left the meeting after Claxton put me on Trespass. I was not "escorted" out of the meeting! In fact, I asked the two security officers if they were going to walk out with me.

Board Chair Teresa Holmes and Supt. Baron Davis set the agenda for board meetings. What was their planning (scheming?), when they decided to schedule Ginn's grievance after what has been the normal ending of the meeting? They certainly could have scheduled the grievance in the First Executive Session. If they thought they needed extra time, they could have started the first Executive Session at 5:00PM, instead of at 5:30PM.

Or do they think that the audience - the interested and conerned public - will not stay around until the middle of the night for the second session and the public vote on Ginn's grievance.

We all know what the decision will be. Let me predict it.

To uphold the Trespass Notice and vote against Ginn: Holmes, McKie, Caution-Parker, Manning

To vote in Ginn's favor: Agostini, Scott, McFadden

Lay in your supply of NoDoz. Don't miss it. Of course, you won't get a chance to view the fireworks that will take place IN the Executive Session, but you can watch the vote (if you can stay awake that long).

Another Gun at Blythewood High School

Today, Tuesday, April 26, another gun was confiscated from a student at Blythewood High School.

Today's suspect is a 17-year-old girl, according to one reader of this blog.

What in the world is going on at BHS?

I'm working on getting the girl's name.

I got the boy's name from yesterday's gun seizure. As soon as I can confirm it, I'll post it here. Then I'll invite comments from readers about why he would take a gun to school.

Same with the girl.

As I asked yesterday, why hasn't there been a peep out of Richland 2 about that "wonderful" Be SMART program, about which they were so excited in December?

15 y/o with gun at Blythewood H.S.

Let's hear once again from Richland 2 how well the BeSMART program is working.

Richland County Sheriff's Department took a 15-year-old boy into custody today for having a gun at school. No word yet on what kind of gun or whether it was loaded. 

And definitely no word on the 15-year-old's name. He will enjoy the privilege of privacy from The State and the local TV stations. 

If I can get the name, you'll read it here.

At least The State newspaper got the personal pronoun right (presumably). 

Remember the big hoop-de-lah last December when there was the big name-signing ceremony at R2i2?

Has anyone heard even a peep out of Richland 2 or BeSMART about all their wonderful efforts to lower gun violence in area schools?

How many Richland 2 students have been involved in gun-related incidents since December 5, 2021?

At the time, it looked to me like All Talk and No Walk. 

Has any teacher or administrator heard what Be SMART is doing?

[Edited 4/25/22 10:40PM]

Here's the print version of the telephone message that was sent out by Principal Matt Sherman:

"Hello Blythewood High Parents. This is Principal Matt Sherman.

"I am calling to let you know that this afternoon a weapon was confiscated from a student while the student was in class. This is alarming to hear so let me assure you that the situation was addressed swiftly, our employees and students are safe, and we have been able to continue with our school day without interruption.

"The teacher saw the weapon and immediately called for assistance from the School Resource Officers and school administrators. The weapon was turned over to a School Resource Officer as soon as the SRO entered the classroom without incident.

"So far in the investigation, we do not have any evidence to indicate that the student threatened to harm anyone at school.

"School administrators and our SROs followed district procedures and board policy in administering disciplinary and legal consequences. Students should never bring weapons onto school grounds and they face serious consequences when they do. In accordance with state and federal law, Richland Two Board Policy JICI states that a student who brings a weapon to school faces expulsion of no less than one year.

"Our leadership team is extremely proud of our teacher who responded quickly and of the students in the class who remained calm while the situation was addressed. Parents, I do ask for your help in stressing to our students the importance of “See Something. Say Something.” Ensuring the safety of our campus for all students and teachers requires all of us to work together to keep weapons off our campus and to alert administrators and SROs immediately whenever someone sees something that may cause harm to others.

"If you have any questions or concerns about school safety, please contact a school administrator."

She said "What?"

Don't miss the attachment in the agenda for Tuesday's board meeting, on April 26.

Remember those "Executive Coaching & Parliamentary Procedure" sessions that the board attended?

Liz Guthridge was the facilitator who was hired to try to tamp down the chaos that is the Richland 2 School Board.

You can read the attachment under Item 9 on the Agenda. You can view it by plodding through the website to the agenda, or just click right here: Update

The two workshops were "nice". They were soft. Liz must have known the problems, but she didn't get in anyone's face. They needed to be hardcore. Some heads needed to be knocked. I'm reminded of the story about the farmer who hit his mule over the head with a 2x4. When asked why, he said he had to get the mule's attention. 

Pay special attention to Page 4, on which Liz Guthridge shared an honest opinion:

(Click to enlarge)

Read that again. She writes candidly that the board (meaning, I believe, the majority - The Core Four) may not have the will to get out of high conflict and work together. With that, she hits the nail squarely on its head. 

Remember the night when Trustee Scott kept calling a Point-of-Order? Finally, Teresa turned to her and declared, "I AM the Point-of-Order at the time." She got away with it. She shouldn't have. Three Trustees should have stood and walked out.

I say, "Wait until November 10. When the shoe is on the other foot and those now in the majority find that they are no longer in the majority, they'll suffer their karmic due."

Just who do they think they are???

Just who do (some) board members think they are?

Read today's FoxNews article about a school board meeting in Sarasota County, Florida, and compare it with what you know about the Richland 2 board.

A woman "was kicked out of a board meeting for what she was 'about to say'". 

Was there a training somewhere that school members attended? Did they all learn somewhere that the People, the Public, are just there to provide the money and they'd better sit down and shut up?

Board chairwoman Jane Goodwin sounds just like our very own Teresa Holmes. Read the article here.

At how many Richland 2 board meetings have you heard Teresa Holmes say, "You can't mention names." Meeting after meeting she gets away with it. Do you know that she is WRONG?

Richland Two's Board Policy BEDH says that "The board will not permit in public session any expression of personal complaints about individual school personnel or any other person connected with the school system.

If a member of the public strays into forbidden territory and mentions a name, Teresa says, "We (the royal We) don't say that." A Parliamentarian would correct her, but then the Parliamentarian would get fired. Names ARE permitted. Complaints are not. Teresa struggles with the distinction from meeting to meeting.

"(Incumbent board member) Ziegler, who is running for re-election this year, said, 'out of touch, power hungry, oftentimes very progressive, liberals' have 'overtaken school boards,' and 'grotesque' instances like these will undoubtedly impact the upcoming elections on a national scale."

Sound familiar?

We had our "grotesque" instance on January 25th, right here in Richland County. Gary Ginn and I are in "Richland 2 Jail" until July 1st.

By the way, it seems that at least one administrator has been directed not to reply to me. He is an honest, smart, ethical person. I know he would reply, if he could do so without fear of retaliation and/or retribution.

Va. Asst. Principal Sues School Board

Could it happen here?

A former assistant principal in an elementary school in Virginia is suing the school board there. 

Are you familiar with the book, Courageous Conversations about Race, by Glenn E. Singleton? The rest of the book title is A Field Guide for Achieving Equity in Schools and Beyond. Any chance that that book has found its way to Richland County?

Wow! There is a strong clue to what the reader will find within its covers. The dreaded CRT!

Emily Mais was employed at the Agnor-Hurt Elementary School in Charlottesville, Va., which is in the Albemarle County School District. That's approximately 100 miles SSW of Loudoun County, Va., where parents have been on the warpath about Critical Race Theory for months.

Read the FoxNews article here. The headline is Former Virginia administrator sues school board, alleging racial harassment.

So much for engaging in a courageous conversations. 

As you have heard at numerous Richland 2 school board meetings, "You have the right to your opinion."

What I heard when the board chair says that is, "You have the right to your opinion, even when it's wrong." Does anyone else hear it that way?

Apparently, Mais made the unforgivable mistake of using the term "colored people", rather than "people of color". The news article reports that Mais' attorney said that Mais apologized for a "slip of the tongue," but "Another teacher who was in that training began berating her in front of others".

What is wrong with people today? All the talk of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and some people are still so thin-skinned that they'll complain if a butterfly goes by in the wrong direction. And I'm not referring to Ms. Mais.

Good luck to Emily Mais. May she collect the big bucks from Albemarle County School District, and may they have to pay it from their own pockets and not out of insurance!