Search Firm hired yet?

Has the Richland 2 School Board/District retained a search firm yet to identify candidates for consideration for the new permanent superintendent?

So far, there have been many Executive Sessions but no announcement.

Does the Board know how to hire a superintendent?

Did they contact other districts to find out whom they interviewed but didn't hire?

What will a search cost? And how quickly will it commence? (Hint: it should have commenced in February.)

I recall investigating a job in 1987 for an executive director of a chamber of commerce in eastern Oregon. A member of the board's search committee responded to my resume and asked me a few questions. Then he asked if I'd pay my own expenses to come there for an interview. I was in Kansas City at the time.

I asked how many candidates they planned to interview. Nine. I told him I would pay my own expenses 1) if I were one of two final candidates for the position and 2) if they would reimburse me if they hired me.

I never received any questions, and I never followed up to learn whom they hired. I also realized that I never wanted to be an Executive Director of a chamber. Can you imagine having 15 "bosses" (on the Board of Directors) and trying to keep eight of them happy?

[Edited. Richland 2 has hired McPherson & Jacobson LLC, according to ABC in Columbia earlier today. The firm is located in Omaha, Nebraska. Its website is https://macnjake.com/ 

Guess who is listed on their website as a member of their consultant team for South Carolina: "Dr. Baron Davis". And the Richland 2 Board picked that firm???

Read that firm's "Equity Policy". 

WOKE - all the way.

Role of the R2 Board - forgotten? never known?

Only a month ago (March 23, 2023) the Richland 2 school board heard a presentation by Attorney Ashley Story on the Role of the Board.

Unfortunately, that meeting was not livestreamed, but the excellent presentation by Attorney Story can be viewed here:

https://go.boarddocs.com/sc/rsd2/Board.nsf/files/CQ6S3M6CDC0E/$file/The%20Role%20of%20School%20Board%20Members_Richland%202.pdf

Did the Board learn anything from that presentation? If they did, how did they forget it so quickly?

Most of the board members seem not to know that their roles are 1) direction and 2) oversight. They are not "do-ers".

One of the reasons for 4-5-6-hour board meetings is that board members have inserted themselves too deeply into operations and management of the District. That is not their role. They are Trustees. They are supposed to be decision-makers. They are not management employees of the District.

It could be that the only way to fix this will be in the next two elections.

Rather than attending to all the minutiae, the board should focus on hiring a permanent superintendent. What "face" are they presenting? Do they think that candidates aren't watching the board meetings?

Safety Committee Meeting - May 2ne

The R2 School Board's Safety Committee has announced a 5:30PM meeting on Tuesday, May 2, 2023, at R2i2. 

The agenda shows the the only item is a discussion of Implementation of Metal Detectors..

Why is the Safety Committee addressing an "implementation" of metal detectors. The decision belongs in the authority of the Superintendent, or her designee.

The committee is a group of well-intentioned but untrained volunteers, with the exception of the R2 Director of Safety & Security and the RCSD liaison. The committee may eventually make a recommendation to the Board about metal detectors, but the agenda for Tuesday's meeting doesn't include an Action Step, just "discussion".

May 1st - Special-Called Board Meeting

Richland 2 School District has announced a Special-Called Board Meeting for Monday, May 1, 2023, 6:30PM.

The agenda states there will be an Executive Session for the purpose of a 1) Security Update and 2) Receipt of Legal Advice pending Litigation.

Again, these "purposes" are general, not specific. Is the District running afoul of South Carolina's FOIA law? 

S.C. Code of Laws §30-4-70(b) reads, in part, "...the presiding officer shall announce the specific purpose of the executive session. As used in this subsection, "specific purpose" means a description of the matter to be discussed ..."

"Security Update" is not specific.

"Litigation" is not specific.

Is it time for a complaint to the S.C. Attorney General?

Is the "Security Update" about the stabbing at Ridge View High School? No need to go into executive session for that.

Is "Litigation" that lawsuit about to be filed by Attorney John Mobley, related to that stabbing?  The Richland County Fifth Judicial Circuit Publis Index doesn't indicate a filing yet.

Stabbing lawsuit - already!

Well! That didn't take long.

WACH-TV is reporting today that the family of one of the stabbing victims at Ridge View High School on Tuesday is suing Richland 2 School District and the mother of the suspect, named by WIS-TV earlier in the week as Tony Abrams, age 17.

WACH-TV did not name Attorney John Mobley's client or the student.

However, the article answered a couple of my questions about prior incidents. The article states:

"Attorney John Mobley says this is not the first incident between the students.

"He says days prior the suspect allegedly assaulted the student with brass knuckles and took his belongings."

What? Abrams (allegedly) used brass knuckles against the stabbing victim "days prior"? And stole his belongings? At school? And Abrams was still in school???

How bad is crime at Ridge View High School?

Is it under-reported to RCSD? Do administrators treat crimes as discipline problems? A few years ago I found a Discipline Schedule somewhere in online District materials. As I recall, there are three levels of discipline.

Where do brass knuckles and theft fall in the grand scheme of "discipline"?

RVHS Information to Teachers, staff, all

What information has been given to Ridge View High School teachers, staff, students, other employees, parents, and community members about the criminal act (stabbing) that occurred on Tuesday at RVHS?

Anything? Nothing?

Does the astonishing silence mean they will just sweep it under the rug? 

Will the District and the School try to hide behind privacy? Confidentiality? 

Do those in-charge just hope the furor will die (ok, poor choice of wording) down?

What is the discussion on campus and in the District? What is the discussion at other schools? Westwood? Richland Northeast? Spring Valley? Blythewood High? 

Which is the worst school, according to crime statistics? What kinds of crimes are happening at the different Richland Two schools? 

Where will the next violent crime occur?

Do any of the school have a list of "likely suspects" for the next crimes?

Maybe Richland Two schools should invite Curtis Sliwa to come to Columbia and explain how the Guardian Angels keep people safe.

Accused Stabber not in court or jail records

As of this morning, accused RVHS stabber, Tony Abrams' name cannot be found in the Richland County 5th Judicial Circuit Public Index or in the online inmate search for the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center. 

WIS-TV has reported that 17-year-old Abrams will be charged as an adult with Attempted Murder.

Is his name just not in the Public Index "yet"?

Why aren't his name and photo in the Jail record? Is he still in jail or did he bond out?

Media reporting is really shoddy. No mention of a bond hearing for him. No update today. No update on the two injured students.

And nothing on the Richland 2 website.

In a few days we'll wonder, "Did it really happen?"