Premier 100 day trip to St. Helena island

On Saurday, June 4, 2022 there will be a day trip to St. Helena Island, S.C. for the Premier 100 Men-of-Color program.

Thanks to a tip from a reader, I inquired about this. 

The response from the District was, "As a culminating activity for this year’s Premier 100 retention efforts, some of the male educators of color who work in Richland Two will take a day trip to St. Helena Island to tour the Penn Center."

That response prompted several questions in my mind.

How many employees will attend?

Are those who attend being compensated?

Who pays for it?

What is the budget for the event?

Does the District provide transportation? School bus? Chartered motorcoach? More than one?

What retention effort is there for female teachers?

What retention effort is there for white male teachers?

When is the Board either going to make this part of the superintendent's job description and evaluate him on it, or direct him to shut it down?

Why isn't the Premier 100 Men-of-Color program considered race-based and discriminatory?

Can OIG investigate Richland 2? (not yet)

Media are reporting that Gov. McMaster may ask Brian Lamkin, Inspector General for the State of South Carolina, to investigate the Richland 2 School District because of the chaos (my word) that has become so public.

I welcome such an investigation.

However, in reading the OIG's webpages and, in particular, the section "File a Complaint" this message is prominent.

This is why the passage and signing of S.202 is so important. It will broaded the powers of the Inspector General. Urge your state legislators to complete work on S.202 and pass it without delay. The Bill is in Conference Committee now (House: Bernstein (D), Caskey (R), Collins (R); Senate: Hembree (R), Young (R), Hutto(D))

Complaints we can investigate.

Where we can help:

The Inspector General can only investigate allegations of fraud, waste, abuse, mismanagement, misconduct, or wrongdoing involving South Carolina State government agencies and their employees in the Executive Branch of State Government (includes public colleges and universities).

We cannot investigate allegations involving the following:

• Judicial Branch (courts, judges, and certain regulatory agencies),
• State Legislature (senators and representatives and their staffs)
• local governments (city and county governments, police departments, sheriff departments, school districts, etc.)
• Federal government agencies and their employees
• private businesses
• individuals (who are not state government employees)

Source: https://oig.sc.gov/file-complaint

OK, so what does Gov. McMaster know that the I.G. doesn't know.

Will the OIG be able to investigate Teresa Holmes and Amelia Mckie for not even being legitimate members of the school board? 

For usurping public office? 

\For acting as officers of the school board? McKie for her $57,000 debt to the South Carolina Ethics Commission? 

Holmes for failing to open an investigation into the January 25, 2022 boardroom incident? 

Holmes, Baron Davis and Claxton for refusing my request to attend the hearing of my grievance against the superintendent? 

Holmes and B. Davis for refusing to address my complaint about the improper expansion of AR KI-R in my Trespass Notice to apply to ALL Richland 2 properties and not just R2i2? 

Holmes for failing to open an investigation in the incident in the April 28, 2022 executive session (and determine whether it was even a legal executive session)?

Nashville, May 11, 2022

Why is this story just showing up now on WIS-TV? Two weeks later (but only one day after the shootings in Uvalde, Texas).

Teachers at Inglewood Elementary School, in Nashville, took action when a man tried to force his way into their school.

https://www.wistv.com/2022/05/25/teachers-hold-down-intruder-until-police-arrive/?fbclid=IwAR1t6w6J7a3_aPsDGdbJPNQnU7gQJVPa5vmzGh6v-Cpi6RBJNQvlWXyi9q4

Read the story. Have we got teachers and staff here who would do the same?

Kudos to those teachers.

Maybe this article should be read at the next Inspirational Moment of a board meeting!!!

Parent Survey - Safety & Security

Did you receive your survey that was distributed by the Committee of the Whole on Safety & Security?

This survey was mentioned at last night's board meeting. 

Did you receive it? Did you return it?

Since I'm not a parent of a Richland 2 student, I did not receive it. I have submitted a request for a copy via the "Let's Talk" webform on the District's homepage.

If you did not receive one, be sure to ask for one, and return it before the deadline.

Do you think the Committee on the Whole should inform the public what it is considering? Are you willing to be left in the dark?

Do you think the Committee should have a special webpage on the District's website, where current information is posted and Minutes of meetings of the Committee of the Whole  can be viewed? They do keep Minutes, don't they?

Speak up, folks!

Quorum - Committee of the Whote

How many board members must attend meetings of the Committee of the Whole (ex., on Safety & Security)?

Holmes was quick to tell board members on April 26 that "you don't have to attend". Really?

Robert's Rules of Order §40:5 reads, in part, "In a committee of the whole or its variations (52), the quorum is the same as in the assembly unless the rules of the assembly or the organization (that is, either its bylaws or its rules of order) specify otherwise."

For the Richland 2 Committee of the Whole, the quorum is five (5). If three do not show it, the committee of the whole cannot transact business.

It is the duty of the presiding officer to confirm that a quorum is present (§40:11). If a quorum doesn't show up, the only action by the presiding officer is to call for a motion to adjourn.

Who will give Holmes the bad news?

Move the Supt. - now

The question has been raised here before about the location of the superintendent's seating at board meetings. Trustee Scott has raised the question in public session of the board.

The superintendent currently claims the seat of privilege, in the corner between the two sides of trustee seating. Did he tell Holmes that is where he wanted to sit? How did he end up there?

For example, at last night's board meeting, to the right of that center position were the seats of Holmes (absent), McKie (Secretary), Caution-Parker, and Agostini.

To the left of that center position were Manning (Vice Chair (and last night's presiding officer)), McFadden, and Scott.

Supt. Davis occupied the center position, the corner position, as he has for a number of months. Any casual visitor to a board meeting would assume that the person in the centermost position was the board chair. 

What does Robert's Rules of Order say?

§3:7 "The presiding officer should be placed so that ... he can see the entire hall and all present can see him (see also 47:5). The presiding officer's official place or station (usually in the center of the platform or stage, if there is one) is called "the chair." During meetings whoever is presiding ... is referred to as "the chair."

Why was Trustee Scott blown off, when she raised the question of the superintendent's seating location?

Is this important?

Of course, it is important. It is the Board that is running things, not the superintendent. Or, at least it is supposed to be that way.

Board Meeting Length? Preposterous!!!

The length of last night's school board meeting was inexcusable. 

The board convened at 5:30PM; went into executive session; concluded executive session at 6:19PM; re-convened at 6:30PM; took a 5-minute recess for a bathroom break; and adjourned at 10:50PM.

James Manning was exhausted before the end of the meeting. And why not?

The agenda for a board meeting is set on Thursday or Friday before the meeting by the board chair and the superintendent. Did Teresa Holmes set it last week with Supt. Davis? Who really drives the agenda - the board chair or the superintendent?

James Manning chaired the meeting last night, because Holmes was home after exposure to COVID. Did he just get stuck with what they planned?

If this board functioned like a true board of directors (trustees), it would be there to hear final information and make decisions, not to nitpick details. A real board would not tolerate lengthy dog-and-pony shows by staff, who are told what to do by their boss - the superintendent.

The board should set an adjournment time of 8:00PM and then confine the work to 90 minutes. If the board chair saddles them with hours of painful listening, then control over the meeting should be exercised by three trustees, and three should walk out. I don't care which three. But it would probably be the three who currently comprise the "minority".

Last night only two would have needed to walk out. I believe a quorum has to be present in-person, but I'm not positive about that.

On a school board the division of majority vs. minority should never exist. It should be one board. That obviously is not the case with the Richland 2 School Board.

Again, last night's Inspirational Moment was not. A violin solo by a student was a performance. I think the introduction by McKie (in itself a performance, or a dress rehearsal for Toastmasters) and the thanks by her were longer than the student's solo. Why won't Holmes tell McKie to just introduce the Moment? Make it a Moment, not a performance. Or, if it is going to showcase students, then be honest and re-name that portion of the meeting.

Board meetings are out-of-control time-wise because the board does not have enough business people on it. Voters can change that this November.