Recording secretary botches Minutes. Did Board fire Davis?

On September 13, 2022 the Richland 2 school board evaluated Supt. Davis' performance. They (The Core Four) didn't give him a glowing report, but they did give him a "Meets Expectations" decision and extended his contract for one year.

Take a look at this embarrassing Motion in the Minutes, made by Teresa Holmes and seconded by Amelia McKie:

Mr. Chairmain after reviewing Dr. Davis's report on the Distiricts progress, and considering the Board members comments regarding Dr. Davis's performance I move that we conclude as a Board that Dr. Davis receive an overall meets expectation evaluation for the 2021-2022 school year. I further move that as a result of Dr. Davis's overall meets expectation evaluation that Dr. Davis' employment contract with the District be extended one year. through June 30, 2026. I move that we conclude as a board Dr. Davis Dr. Davis's employment contract

No one has ever taught the board members how to make Motions or taught the recording secretary how to word them. The above motion is verbatim; i.e., as written and entered in the Agenda for the September 13th board meeting. 

Here's that Motion with the errors highlighted:

Mr. Chairmain after reviewing Dr. Davis's report on the Distiricts progress, and considering the Board members comments regarding Dr. Davis's performance I move that we conclude as a Board that Dr. Davis receive an overall meets expectation evaluation for the 2021-2022 school year. I further move that as a result of Dr. Davis's overall meets expectation evaluation that Dr. Davis' employment contract with the District be extended one year. through June 30, 2026. I move that we conclude as a board Dr. Davis Dr. Davis's employment contract

Now, what does this mean - "I move that we conclude as a board Dr. Davis Dr. Davis's employment contract"

Did Teresa Holmes move to conclude (terminate? end? discontinue? cancel?) Supt. Davis' contract?  If so, Supt. Davis is out the door. The Core Four approved that.

How should that motion have been worded?

Motion: to award Supt. Davis an annual evaluation of "Meets Expectations" and to extend his contract to June 30, 2026.

Actually, Teresa never said the words, "I move that we conclude as a board Dr. Davis Dr. Davis's employment contract".

BUT the words are included in the Motion on which the board voted. 

Four board members approved that original motion with all its misspellings and other errors. Inexcusable!!!

Wouldn't it be nice to know what Trustees Agostini, Scott and McFadden had to say about Supt. Davis' performance in Executive Session 2?

How smart are Richland 2 students?

Take a look at this brief summary of some results for Richland 2 students, published in The State newspaper on September 21, 2022.

"Here’s what percentage of students scored an F [emphasis added] in the four core courses on the exam in Richland and Lexington counties. To view results for other county school districts or even individual schools in the state, click here.

"Richland 2 

Algebra: 32.73% 

Biology: 46.06% 

English 2: 14.19% 

U.S. History: 49.74%"

Source: www.thestate.com/news/state/south-carolina/article266063151.html#storylink=cpy

Almost 50% of Richland 2 students scored an F in U.S. History. Think about that. 

What gets covered in U.S. History? The founding of this country? The American Revolution? The Declaration of Independence? The Constitution? The Civil War? WW I? WW III? The 1960s? 

Is Richland 2 preparing students for the future???

Supt. Davis had his performance evaluated by the School Board recently. The result? "Meets expectations"  

The Core Four Manning, Holmes, Cauiton-Parker, McKie) gave him that one. Trustees Agostini, Scott, and McFadden were unsuccessful, when they tried to removed the one-year contract extension.

O.K. what expectations?

Reinstate Committee of the Whole

The following email has been sent to Chair James Manning and Supt. Davis, with copies to all board members.

Chair Manning and Supt. Davis,

Pursuant to Board Policy BEDH Public Participation at Meetings, particularly Agenda Items, which reads "Citizens wanting an item to be placed on the agenda..."

I, Gus Philpott, of 39 Barony Place Circle and resident of Richland School District Two, hereby make this request on September 20, 2022, which is more than three days before the next regular school board meeting on September 27, 2022, and request an Agenda Item for the September 27, 2022 regular board meeting for discussion of Chair James Manning's unilateral disbanding of the Committee of the Whole on Safety & Security.

Specifically, I request a full, fair, transparent discussion of the reason(s) that the Chair announced the dissolution of the Committee outside of a board meeting and without discussion or consultation with the Chair of that Committee.

I request that the board direct the Chair to reinstate the Committee because of the extreme importance of addressing the safety and security problems in the District and involving the participation of community members, parents, teachers, staff, and students. 

Because requests from the public are often disregarded and not approved by a board chair and the superintendent, I request board members also to request this item to be added to the Agenda for the next meeting. If it is not, please address during Board & Superintendent Comments or at another time during the September 27th board meeting.

Sincerely,

Gus Philpott

Departing Trustees about to waste District Money

The following email has been sent to Chair James Manning and Supt. Davis, with copies to the other board members, the State Inspector General, and media.

A similar request was made for the agenda for the September 13th board meeting. Neither Manning and Davis responded to my request.

Should there be repercussions for waste of public monies?

Chair Manning and Supt. Davis, 

Pursuant to Board Policy BEDH Public Participation at Meetings, particularly Agenda Items, which reads "Citizens wanting an item to be placed on the agenda..." 

I, Gus Philpott, of 39 Barony Place Circle and resident of Richland School District Two, hereby make this request on September 20, 2022, which is more than three days before the next regular school board meeting on September 27, 2022, and request an Agenda Item for the September 27, 2022 regular board meeting for discussion of Chair James Manning's unilateral disbanding of the Committee of the Whole on Safety & Security. 

Specifically, I request a full, fair, transparent discussion of the reason(s) that the Chair announced the dissolution of the Committee outside of a board meeting and without discussion or consultation with the Chair of that Committee. 

I request that the board direct the Chair to reinstate the Committee because of the extreme importance of addressing the safety and security problems in the District and involving the participation of community members, parents, teachers, staff, and students.  

Because requests from the public are often disregarded and not approved by a board chair and the superintendent, I request board members also to request this item to be added to the Agenda for the next meeting. If it is not, please address during Board & Superintendent Comments or at another time during the September 27th board meeting. 

Sincerely,

Gus Philpott

One Day - Two Security Events

Yesterday was a busy day for Richland 2 security.

All schools were locked down while RCSD deputies searched the area (not the schools) for two miscreants. They were later taken into custody.

Perhaps Supt. Davis will be kind enough to explain why ALL schools were locked down ...

And a 14-year-old girl had a knife at RNE. 

What is really happening at Richland 2 schools? Maybe, out of 28,000 students, a few incidents are not abnormal. You know; just another day at the office.

This problem isn't going away by being addressed in the superintendent's office or at school board meetings. Where it needs to be addressed is at the school classroom level. 

Does Richland 2 have a master list of the students most likely to bring weapons to school? to start fights? to bully? to be bullied? Would that be profiling? Yes? So what?

According to information received yesterday, there are 38 SROs used by Richland 2. I'm awaiting the balance of information I requested; How much do SROs cost Richland 2?

A while back I thought I heard the figure of $150,000/year for a SRO, his patrol car, gun(s), uniform, equipment, etc. Is RCSD charging Richland 2 $5,700,000 annually.

When a SRO is tied up with a student with a gun or a knife or dealing with a fight or some other criminal problem, does that then leave the school defenseless? How quickly does the SRO turn over the errant student to another RCSD deputy, so he can get back to his duty to the entire school?

There are 32 elementary, middle, and high schools. Add R2i2, Blythewood Academy, W.R. Rogers and other facilities. Are there two SROs at each high school?

Who covers when an SRO is transporting a detained student? is on leave? is sick or injured? I was told (unofficially) that each of the five high schools had two SROs. That's not possible, if there are 38 SROs. 

McKie Campaign Fund $4540

When Amelia McKie leaves office in November, what will she do with the $4,540.87 balance in her Campaign Fund?

The balance hasn't changed since the Third Quarter 2019 Report.

One of the things she cannot do with the money is pay down her $57,100 debt to the Ethics Commission. And she can't spend it on her "vacation" to Miami at the end of this month, when the taxpayers will pay her way to her final National School Boards Association CUBE Conference.

Let's just say that more than a few people think she should not be attending that conference at School District expense, since she leaves the board about a month later. The District will derive absolutely no value for that cost. Nor will it for Mannng's attendance at the same meeting.

McKie's last two school board meetings will be October 11 and October 25.

The term-of-office for the new school board members will start about November 17, and a Special-Called board meeting is planned for November 18 to swear in four board members and seat them.

How to Rate Candidates

When it comes time to make your final selection of the four candidates for whom you will vote in the School Board election in November, how will you choose?

Will you just wing it? Or will you give it thoughtful consideration?

You might even have already decided. Is your mind open? Or have you decided and shut the door on change?

Will you examine a candidate's experience for a Trustee-level, decision-making position? Does he or she have practical, Business experience? Does s/he have financial experience? Is s/he able to see the big picture of large-dollar expenditures? Does the candidate understand that being a school board trustee is NOT making day-to-day decisions about school business matters?

A trustee is responsible for directing the business of the District. How many times in the past year did the Trustees get mired down in "It's for the children"?

Print this grid. I came across it 40 years ago in Denver. It's the National Career Development Project Prioritizing Grid. If I knew where I found it, I'd certainly give credit here.

Working horizontally across the top row, for every choice, circle one number. Ex., do I choose Holmes or Mobley. Holmes? Circle the 1. Mobley? Circle the 2. Next: Holmes or Moody? Circle 1 or 3. Next? Holmes or Nash? Circle 1 or 4. The last one? Holmes or Wright? Circle 1 or 12.

Now do Row 2. Then Row 3.

To score the grid, count the number of circles. Enter that number to the left for each row.

Which row had the highest number? That's your first choice.

Which row had the second-highest number?

Third-highest?

Fourth-highest?

There are your top four candidates. Be sure to vote for them.