Kudos for Agostini's closing comment

Near the end of last night's marathon board meeting, when Board and Superintendent Comments were begun, Trustee Agostini led the way with, "Good night".

It's too bad everyone else didn't follow her lead.

Especially Teresa Holmes. I lost track at how many times she said "political" and then made snide comments clearly favoring her buddies on The Squad.

Hopefully, Chair Manning will cut off any future politicking by Holmes from her seat on the board. Remember - she still has never taken the oath-of-office legally.

The rest of the board should have forced her to step away from the board or take the oath-of-office legally, after she filed her SEI on December 4, 2018.

Free Lunch? Special Meeting 8/25/22

Yes, Virginia, there is a free lunch.

Whoever said there is  no such thing as a free lunch?

If you stuck around to the end of last night's board meeting and heard what the superintendent had to say in his closing remarks (starting at 3:43:25), you heard him say, among other, usual, elaborate remarks that he has a plan to provide free lunch from the General Fund to students who don't qualify for free and reduced-price lunch.

The superintendent continues to be a man who, if something can be said in a few words, will take a few hundred words to say it.

There will be a Special-Called Board Meeting on Thursday, August 25th, at 5:30PM to discuss meal funding. Chair Manning said he will allow for public input. The agenda provides for Public Participation.

What will that meeting cost the District? Six trustees at $340 and one chair at $400, plus staff? Looks like $2,440 plus dinner plus employee and security time. For a deal that the superintendent should be figuring out and just presenting to the board for a decision. Sheesh!!!

Manning thanked the staff. How many were there last night? Twenty? For what reason?

What a waste of resources to have so many Richland 2 staff at board meetings? Why isn't any board member addressing that waste?

Employee Grievance - how resolved?

On the agenda for last night's board meeting (8/23/2022) was Item 16.2 Employee Grievance, which was to be heard in Executive Session 2.

At 3:33:40 on the Livestream recording of the meeting, Chair Manning said "Item 17.1 is not needed. We were able to resolve that without a vote". 

Slight error there. Item 16.1 is the Grievance, scheduled for Executive Session 2. If Manning knew at the beginning of the meeting that the Grievance had been resolved, then the Agenda for the meeting should have been amended to remove that item.

To state merely that the item was no longer needed is a failure in transparency.

A second item (16.3) Superintendent Evaluation Process was on the agenda for Executive Session 2. Manning blew right by that without mentioning it. What happened to that item?

Why did no Trustee question that?

McKie Ethics Debt - Still $57,100

Why hasn't Amelia McKie been paying off her $57,100 debt to the South Carolina Ethics Commission?

Does she think that "running out the clock" on her term-of-office will impact the debt?

According to the Ethics Commission, she still owes $57,100.

A judgment was filed in the Richland County Common Pleas Court on July 10, 2019. That's more than three years ago. The State's collection agent is the S.C. Department of Revenue (DOR). 

What grade has it earned for collecting this debt?    F

Why hasn't the DOR taken action? Hasn't there been ANY collection attempt? Hasn't it collected even $50 or $100?

Amelia appears to have money. She looks presentable at board meetings. Hair done. Clothing looks new. Jewelry in place.

When she doesn't look up during public participation, is she writing out her budget plan for paying off her ethics debt?

SUPERINTENDANT ??? Seriously?

August 9, 2022 Convocation. 

Livestream.com - Not Available

YouTube.com - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hE_C77Dwrl8

Supt. Davis (at 1:00) "Public education is under attack."

There is no "A" in Superintendent. A "Premier" school district. Right? And Richland 2 can't spell "Superintendent"?

The District had from August 9th to August 19th to review that video and correct it, while it withheld it from the public. Or was it embedded on August 9 as the superintendent spoke?

Well, is there any reason it should not be? There he stands. At a podium. In front of a red curtain. To the side of a projected image on a screen that cries out

Protecting the Brand

Achievement

Culture / Environment

Talent

Supt. Davis continued, "Public education teachers are under attack. Administrators are under attack." 

Referring to the logo of the Richland 2 flame, "2. That logo is under attack."

Didn't anyone proof the video?

Listen to his comments about the "world stage". Replay the video and note on the very first slide. The Mission is to "develop global citizens of tomorrow."

Shouldn't the mission be to develop students who can read, write, spell, add and subtract, and who know how to learn?

Was the superintendent practicing for a Ted Talk?

Meet School Board Candidates - Sept. 8th

It is critical that credible candidates for the Richland 2 School Board be supported.

There will be a gathering of some of the candidates at Doko Manor on Thursday, September 8th, at 6:00PM. This gathering is being planned by Common Sense Conservatives for R2. SEE here.

Even though you may have already selected those for whom you will, show up to hear what they have to say and learn what YOU can do to help them win.

Sure, each will benefit from donations. Just as important is your effort to help them win. Talk with your family, your neighbors, your friends, your co-workers,  and with everyone you encounter between now and Election Day, November 8.

Early voting starts two weeks before Election Day. October 24 - November 5, 2022

NOTE: In-Person Absentee Voting is no longer authorized by law. Source: https://www.richlandcountysc.gov/Government/Departments/Voter-Registration-Elections/Early-Absentee-Voting

Extras at 8/23/2022 Board Meeting - Be there!

You'll want to show up at Tuesday's school board meeting at 6:30PM on August 23, 2022.

First, there will be public input on ESSER. That will be at 6:30PM, right after the board reconvenes following the first executive session. Has there been any information released by the District, so that the public will know on what to comment? I haven't seen any. Have you?

An unusual item appears on the agenda for the executive session - Item 2.2 Athletics Appeal. Then, at Item 8.1, the board will vote in public on that appeal. 

Thanks to the trustees who believed it was fair to give a person under threat of discipline the right to be heard. (Note: they didn't do that with me in February, when I filed a grievance about the No Trespass Notice issue after Pamela Davis blew a gasket when I introduced myself to her.) Three trustees at that time did think it was fair to hear my side of the story, but Holmes, Manning, McKie and Caution-Parker voted against them (and me).

An irregularity in board procedures will occur Tuesday night, when the board is asked to consider Board Policy BAA - Board Self-Evaluation - and to suspend it temporarily. You can read this Policy on the District's website and in the attachment to the Agenda.

The irregularity is that the board is being asked to vote on it at its first reading. Normally, a vote is taken at the second reading.

It makes sense to suspend it "temporarily". Better would be to postpone it, not suspend it. Three board members (Manning, Caution-Parker and trustee-elect McKie) will leave the board at the beginning of November, because they did not file for re-election. Their last meeting will be October 25, 2022. 

Why waste time asking them to say good things about themselves on the way out the door?