Blythewood H.S. "swatted"

The whole story isn't known yet and may never be fully disclosed. The short story that the "shot(s) fired" at Blythewood High School today was false.

Will full details be released?

How quickly was it determined to be a hoax? Were all students still on campus? 

Once the complaint was determined to be unfounded, did students return to classes?

If some idiot or other miscreant phones in a "shots fired" report, wouldn't the first step at the sheriff's department be to contact the school and the SROs and learn what they have to say about it?

"The sky is falling." Really?

Westwood High School - better this week?

Are conditions better this week at Westwood High School?

Has the Principal figured out how to restore order and control the violence, so that the school is safe for all students and staff?

It was shocking to me to learn that not all the trustees were informed of the disorder at Westwood. Were any of them informed? Did any of Manning, McKie, Holmes or Caution-Parker know of the level of fighting and the lunchroom restrictions that were put in place?

Because of the importance of safety and security at this time, all the trustees should have been informed.

They need not be involved. That's the superintendent's job to quell that disorder - by whatever means necessary. If he doesn't or can't do it, then the trustees get involved.

What role did "equity" play, if a decision was made to restrict the flow of information?

We heard "More Justice" referred to on Monday night. Are the miscreants being coddled? Is Administration just saying, "Please don't fight."

We see how that's working!

What percentage of students at Westwood H.S. are the troublemakers?

What do you, the readers, think about James Manning's unilateral decision to disband the Committee of the Whole on Safety & Security?

(OK, I know many of you fear retaliation or retribution, if you speak up. Email your comments to me. I'll publish them without your name.)

Timeline for Candidates' Forum

This may help you find your way through the 2+-hour Richland Two Candidates' Forum that was held October 3, 2022 at Spring Valley High School.

Go to   https://livestream.com/richland2/events/10621014/videos/233172004

07:38 Recording begins with introduction by Patrick Kelly, Moderator.

One-minute opening comments

12:05 Joe Trapp

13:06 Tamika Washington

13:58 Maryann Wright

15:10 Teresa Holmes

16:27 James Mobley

17:35 McGee Moody

18:42 Angela Nash

19:39 Niki Porter

20:40 Darrell President

22:03 Eric Rovelli

23:53 Larry Smalls

24:04 Terrance Staley

25:17 Question 1 "If you are elected to the school board, what would be your top priorities and how will you encourage community support for our schools?"

26:23 McGee Moody

28:19 Angela Nash

30:06 Niki Porter

32:28 Darrell President

34:34 Eric Rovelli

36:24 Larry Smalls

38:39 Terrance Staley

40:55 Joe Trapp

43:04 Tamika Washington

45:18 Maryann Wright

47:17 Teresa Holmes

49:36 James Mobley

50:15 Question 2 "Knowing the ongoing educator shortage crisis in this state, what policies do you believe are necessary to enable Richland 2 to recruit and retain the best talent to work with our students?" (Question varied slightly between candidates.)

51:10 Maryann Wright

53:23 Teresa Holmes

55:42 James Mobley

56:20 McGee Moody

58:06 Angela Nash

59:41 Niki Porter

1:02:04 Darrell President

1:04:26 Eric Rovelli

1:06:43 Larry Smalls

1:09:01 Terrance Staley

1:11:01 Joe Trapp

1:13:13 Tamika Washington

1:15:24 Question 3 "Richland 2 is a diverse community. In your opinion, how can board members both support and enhance the experience of diverse learners, educators and families in our schools?"

1:16:08 Terrance Staley

1:18:15 Joe Trapp

1:20:30 Tamika Washington

1:22:27 Maryann Wright

1:23:57 Teresa Holmes

1:26:15 James Mobley

1:27:03 McGee Moody

1:29:08 Angela Nash

1:30:54 Niki Porter

1:33:27 Darrell President

1:35:40 Eric Rovelli

1:37:20 Larry Smalls

1:39:37 Question 4 "If elected, what skills do you have and what steps will you take to contribute to the effective operation of the board as a whole?"

1:40:20 Darrell President

1:42:31 Eric Rovelli

1:44:22 Larry Smalls

1:46:34 Terrance Staley

1:48:51 Joe Trapp

1:51:02 Tamika Washington

1:52:57 Maryann Wright

1:54:53 Teresa Holmes

1:57:07 James Mobley

1:57:53 McGee Moody

1:59:54 Angela Nash

2:01:49 Niki Porter

2:04:14 One-Minute Closing Comments

2:04:40 Tamika Washington

2:05:36 Maryann Wright

2:06:36 Teresa Holmes

2:07:52 James Mobley

2:08:37 McGee Moody

2:09:34 Angela Nash

2:10:45 Niki Porter

2:11:57 Darrell President

2:13:06 Eric Rovelli

2:14:10 Larry Smalls

2:15:21 Terrance Staley

2:16:21 Joe Trapp

2:17:28 Moderator thanked the candidates and the members of the League of Women Voters, and the Richland 2 Teachers' Forum, and the audience (in-person and online).

A Filter for Choosing

Did you attend the Candidates' Forum last night? Watch it on Livestream? Planning to watch it?

Did you miss it? Watch it here: 

https://livestream.com/richland2/events/10621014/videos/233172004

I suggest this filter/lens for choosing four candidates to join the school board on November 8th.

The school district is a business. It's a huge business with about $1 Billion in Assets, a $300 Million annual budget, 3,500+ employees, and 28,000+ students.

If YOU owned that business, whom would you pick from the 12 candidates last night?

That puts quite a different slant on it, doesn't it?

What if the Columbia or South Carolina Chamber of Commerce had conducted the forum and put together the questions?

What if there had been some hardball questions last night, worthy of a $1 Billion business' board of directors? 

The teachers and the staff (yes, even the bus drivers) don't run the business. They work there.

All those questions and answers about pay, benefits, and working conditions stroked the teachers and those among the candidates who talked about pie in the sky.

The District has a fixed amount of money. The source of the money is the State and property taxes. The mindset of many of the candidates was just "Pay teachers more", without thinking that there is no "more" from which to pay.

Voters should elect people who know how to run a business! That sharply narrows your choices.

I used my Prioritizing Grid again, when I got home last night. Some of my choices changed!

36 Days to Election Day!

Early voting starts October 24.

The closest early-voting location for many of us is R2i2.

https://www.richlandcountysc.gov/Government/Departments/Voter-Registration-Elections

Penn Center - in today's news

Penn Center. Recognize that name?

That's where Supt. Baron Davis took a busload of "100 Premier Men of Color" on a field trip. What is Penn Center?

It's a museum on St. Helens Island, about 157 miles from R2i2, where one of the first schools for slaves ("formerly enslaved people) was located.

I never inquired whether that bus trip was paid for by Richland 2 or funded by separate donations.

Why was it in the news today? 

According to an investigative article in The State today, it received more than $1,000,000 from the State of South Carolina this year. And it apparently was an unregistered charity in this state.

"Richard Kenyon, finance director for Penn Center, which operates a museum on St. Helena Island in Beaufort County that was awarded more than $1 million this year, last week told The State his failure to register the charity was an oversight that would soon be rectified."

Source: www.thestate.com/news/politics-government/article266221911.html#storylink=cpy

Oh, my. Just an oversight, don't you know?

Bad side of online registration to speak

What is one major, possible, bad aspect of the new online registration to speak that is required of members of the public who wish to address the Richland 2 school board?

Suppose someone in Administration, or with influence over the Administration, decided that a certain member of the public should be blocked from speaking. Maybe that member of the public has been pointing out many errors and faults of the board and the District. Maybe the District would like to silence that person.

All that would be needed now would be to block that person's registration to speak at a meeting or, worse, accept the registration and block him or her from the list that the board chair uses to call speakers to the microphone.

If that ever happens to you, make sure you email the entire board AND let me know so that I can publicize it here. 

Also, stand up in the meeting and call out, "I registered to speak, and you haven't called on me." You should be able to get those words out before the chair summons Security to remove you.

It "probably" won't happen at the next two board meetings, and you can be more sure that it won't happen after the new board is seated.

The tide will definitely shift on November 8th. The Woke element of the board will be gone.