Holmes - more campaigning in school

Teresa Holmes has had even more photo opps during her campaign for re-election. 

This post and photo shows her with a Latina in a school, supposedly honoring National Hispanic Heritage Month.

Does anyone else think she is just trying to drum up votes, so that she can survive the upcoming election?

This is clearly campaigning. Note that she misspelled the name of the school district  AND that she wants your vote.

There is every possibility that this will find its way to the State Inspector General and to the S.C. Ethics Commission in the form of a complaint.

Does this show Teresa's flagrant disregard to Board Policy and ethics laws? 

Remember her excuse when she tried to explain away the violation of State law, when she had failed to file her Statement of Economic Interests Report with the S.C. Ethics Commission before taking the oath-of-office? She said nobody told her about the filing requirement. Too bad, so sad. The rules were right on the Ethics Commission website! It was her responsibility to read them and follow them.

Open letter to R2 superintendent re Holmes

The following email has been sent to Supt. Davis regarding Teresa Holmes improper use of a school for political purposes. What action will he take immediately?

Supt. Davis,

I request a written reply to this message.    

I request - demand - that you put a stop to Teresa Holmes' political campaign stops in Richland 2 Schools. It is obvious that she is using her classroom visits for election campaign photo opportunities. It is a last-ditch effort to shore up her campaign and to recover from her chaotic, disastrous term as board chair.

Don't you require trustees to obtain your permission to visit schools? Don't they have to state the purpose of their visit? And remain within that purpose?

This must be against Board Policy. Shouldn't she have her hands at her sides? Does she have written permission from all the students to use their pictures? If any students are minors, isn't parental authorization required?

Further, it must be against ethics laws of the State of South Carolina.

YOU have the authority to prevent such use of schools, classrooms, students and personnel.

Please act immediately on Monday morning to stop this in its tracks!!

Gus Philpott

You might recognize the woman in the picture with Teresa. Isn't that the woman who said on WIS-TV that she was in such fear back on January 25th?

Holmes' false claims

Why would Teresa Holmes make false claims on her private Facebook page? Does she think only her Friends will see it?

1. Holmes is not a "Commissioner" of Richland 2. Richland 2 does not have any commissioners. Elected officials are called trustees. And she is not even a legal trustee, because she has never taken the oath-of-office legally!

2. She is not an Assistant Administrator at Fairfield County School District. She hasn't worked there since August 1, 2021, when she resigned after her some of her responsibilities were reduced.

3. She lists PAST positions as if they are current positions. They are not.

4. When a person lists "Studied at ...", it is usually because they did not complete a degree program at that institution. To what end are those institutions even listed?

Wise voters know how much consideration to give to Teresa's re-election bid. I wish her well. I hope she comes in no worse than 12th. Of course, there are only 12 candidates running.

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!