Millage Increase Denied

The pitch by Richland 2 school district for a milllage increase to the cap was denied by Richland County Council on Tuesday, June 7, 2022.

Remember that four trustees vote FOR it - Holmes, McKie, Manning, Caution-Parker.

Remember that three trustees voted AGAINST it - Agostini, Scott and McFadden.

And a lot of taxpayers spoke up and asked the County Council to deny it. Which the Council did.

Here's the response I received when I inquired today:

"No, County Council did not grant Richland 2's request for a millage increase. Like all of our millage agencies, they received a no mill increase. A no mill increase simply says if the value of the mill increases and additional revenue is generated therefrom, said agencies may receive those funds later in the fiscal year. Further, a no mill increase does not raise taxes at all."

Be sure to thank the Richland Councll Council.

Board Officers for 2022-2023

Should only fully-qualified members of the school board serve as Officers?

Board Officers will be elected at the second regular meeting in June, which will be June 28. 

The fully-qualified board members eligible for nomination are Agostini, Scott, McFadden, Manning, and Caution-Parker.

"So-called" board members not eligible for nomination are Holmes and McKie.

Why not?

Holmes and McKie have never taken the oath-of-office legally. After their election on November 6, 2018, they did take an oath on November 13. However, that was a full three weeks before they first became eligible to take it.

Holmes and McKie became eligible to take the oath-of-office legally on December 4, 2018, when they filed their Statement of Economic Interests Reports with the S.C. Ethics Commission. Neither has ever legally taken the oath-of-office.

At the June 29, 2021, I asked the board during Public Participation to nominate and elect only fully-qualified board members.

What happened?

As soon as nominations opened later n the meeting, Manning immediately nominated Holmes. The Core Four elected her.

Look what the District got. Chaos. Disrespect. Cat fights. 

If you believe that Holmes and McKie should not be nominated as officers for the next school year, email and call board members now.

This year will be especially interesting, because the November 2022 election is very likely to upset the board. If an officer is not re-elected, then the board will have to choose a new officer in November. This year the school board could end up with 2-3-4 new members.

Here's a section of law that the school board has not followed: S.C. Code of Laws Section 59-19-70. This board is really good about not following State laws.

SECTION 59-19-70. Chairman and clerk of board.

The trustees shall, as soon as practicable after the appointment of any new trustee, organize by the election of one of their members as chairman and another as clerk of the board. The chairman shall preside at meetings of the board and perform other duties imposed on him under the law, and the clerk shall keep a record of the proceedings of all meetings in a book provided for that purpose and perform all other duties required of him by law.

After Lashonda McFadden joined the board in November 2020, shouldn't there have been an election of the Chair and the Secretary (clerk)?

Supt. to Australia - confirmed

Yes, taxpayers, it's true. Baron Davis is planning a junket to Melbourne, Australia, and it looks like a second Richland 2 employee, Shawn Suber, will go on the trip, too.

Richland 2 Media Dept. issued a press release today.  You can read it on the Richland 2 website at www.richland2.org

The press release states that "CGE covers travel and accommodation expenses for participants." Are Davis and Shawn Suber incurring any expenses to be paid by Richland 2? Are they going on their own time?

When did the Board of Trustees consider Davis' request for international travel and representing the District on foreign soil?

Did the Board consider whether travel to and attending a conference on SEL and "equitable systems" at this time is proper? The District is facing a lot of heat on the CRT front and the SEL/WEL issues. And replacing equality with equity.

Digital Promise League is the organization that came to taxpayer's attention in 2020, when Davis was headed there after COVID-19 broke out. That travel was covered here at here. If I remember correctly, he ended up not going to Compton, Calif., where he was to be a speaker.

In my opinion, Richland 2 could use less of innovation and more of practical. Let's prepare students to deal with reality, not progressive ideas and programs that make them victims in the future.

Here's the June 7th press release:

Richland Two is one of 10 school districts in the United States selected to participate in the Innovation Study Tour and Working Group on Social Emotional Learning (SEL) and Learning Differences. 

The Center for Global Education (CGE) at Asia Society and Digital Promise launched the innovation study tours in 2019 to give school districts the opportunity to explore different perspectives outside of their typical environments. Participants collaborate through webinars and culminating study tours.

“Being selected to participate in the first and second Innovation Study Tours is quite an honor for our school district,” said Richland Two Superintendent Dr. Baron R. Davis. “Dr. Helen Grant, our Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer, and I gained a deeper understanding of the policies, systems, data and professional development needed to create more equitable school systems in the first study tour to Toronto, Ontario.”

Since 2021, Dr. Davis and Dr. Shawn Suber have represented Richland Two in an online study of the innovative system-wide SEL and Learning Difference strategies implemented by Surrey Schools in British Columbia. Dr. Davis and Dr. Suber, who is the district’s director of multi-tiered systems of support/state and federal programs, will travel to Melbourne, Australia, for an innovation study tour that brings together the work of both studies — equitable systems and SEL/learning differences.

According to Digital Promise and the CGE, “the ultimate aim of this work is to promote greater equity and to ensure all students are well prepared for college, careers and informed, active citizenship in a global era.” CGE covers travel and accommodation expenses for participants.

How Many Teachers are Leaving Richland 2?

How many teachers are leaving Richland 2? 

How many left during the 2021-2022 School Year? How many did not sign contracts that were offered for the 2022-2023 School Year? How many were not offered contracts for the coming year?

What is the make-up of those who have left and those who are leaving?

Administration should provide an exhaustive report to the Board, documenting age, gender, race, employment position, number of years with Richland 2, last school assignment.

The general breakdown should include reporting per-school. Are some schools incurring high turnover? Why?

WHY are they leaving? What are the reasons?

It is my understanding that Richland 2 does not conduct Exit Interviews.

Exit Interviews must be conducted so there are no repercussions, retribution, retaliation against the departing teacher. They must be conducted by an outside, independent, experienced consulting firm that can guarantee anonymity to the respondent. 

Teachers don't want their future employment prospects killed by a poor recommendation. Now it the teacher was a slouch and merits a poor recommendation, it should be given.

If a teacher is leaving over valid concerns for safety, a terrible work environment, unreasonable expectations, an unreasonably-biased supervisor, refusal to support CRT, Administration and the Board need to know.

Teachers, if you want me to publish your reasons for leaving, write it up and email it to gusphilpott@gmail.com  If you wish, write it in such a way that obscures your identity. I shall NOT reveal your name or email address. Guaranteed!

Can you trust my guarantee? I wrote a blog in Illinois for seven years, and many cops and deputies gave me the dirt from theie departments. The sheriff there (McHenry County, Ill.) subpoenaed 27 months' worth of documents from me, including the names of any present or former employees of that sheriff's department. I knew immediately that I would not comply with the subpoena, and I filed a Motion to Quash the subpoena pro se. The Federal Magistrate granted my Motion!!!

Had he not, I was prepared to sit in jail on a Contempt charge, because I had promised confidentiality to the cops and deputies. 

Can/Should Richland 2 Bully a Citizen?

Richland 2 School District rivals the Federal Government with Board Policies and Administrative Rules.

If you have insomnia some night, go to www.Richland2.org   At the top right corner, click on EXPLORE. Then click on School Board. Then click on BOARD POLICIES. 

In the left column, you see Sections A, B, C, D, E, F, G, I, J, K, L and ADDITONAL INFORMATION OF INTEREST.

What you won't see is Section H.

You'd think the Board would follow its Policies; right? And you'd think that Administration would follow Administrative Rules; right?

What happens when the Administration abuses an Administrative Rule? NOTHING!

Consider AR KI-R. That's Administrative Rule KI-R, which is found in Section KI Visitors. In particular, look at the section for "No Trespass" Notices.

Read the wording carefully. It reads, in part, 

"... (Security staff) assigned to work at a school or event may issue a verbal or written "no trespass" notice for the school facility ..."

It states "for the school facility". That's singular. That's for one (1) facility. Is there any interpretation of "the facility" that could mean "more than one" or "all"?

Now how does the School District bully a parent or community member?

The Trespass Notice issued by and signed by the Director of Safety & Security bans the alleged offending party from "ALL [sic] Richland School District Two properties, facilities, campuses and buildings". This includes the Sandhills Library, which leases its space from Richland 2. 

Administrative staff refuse to discuss this abuse of AR KI-R with me. They refuse to explain why they believe they can ban me from ALL properties, not just R2i2.

I have filed a formal complaint with the Board Chair. She refuses to process it, as required in Board Policy KE. Recent emails go unanswered.

It appears my only recourse is to haul Richland 2 into court. 

The Trespass Notice expires on June 30, 2022 at 11:59PM. Should I spend money to fight Richland 2? On principle, I should. However, I would expect the District, in possession of millions of taxpayer dollars, to bury me in legal motions, in order to run up my legal expense which I, not they, pay. They would spend your money to defend a position that cannot be defended.

The Board Chair, the three other board members in the majority, the superintendent, and the director of safety & security blocked me from attending the February 22, 2022 board meeting, when my grievance was heard in executive session and voted on in open session. 

Should Richland 2 get away with bullying me and any other person to whom the Trespass Notice was improperly broadened to apply to ALL properties, not just "the" (one) building?

NoeGenesis Group, LLC - where is it?

On  December 5, 2013 Baron Davis incorporated The NoeGenesis Group, LLC in South Carolina. As late as last fall, there was an internet presence, and it appeared to be Davis' private consulting practice.

Today, Google doesn't find it.

There were variations in spelling even on its business website. So was it NoeGenesis or NeoGenesis?

Noegenesis Group is listed on Davis' 2022 Statement of Economic Interests as filed with the S.C. Ethics Commission for 2021.

It's still on record with the S.C. Secretary of State.

But it seems to be gone from the internet. If you can find it, please let me know the URL. Thanks.

Supt. Davis - Australia-Bound?

Last week I started hearing rumors that Supt. Davis and his wife might be headed for Australia on the District's funds.

At a time when the District is crying "Poor me" to the Richland County Council, is this the right time for him to head "down under"?

And is another employee from the District Office to go along on that trip? And that employee's spouse?

If Davis wants to make a trip on vacation time and at no expense to Richland 2, who cares? I certainly don't. And I don't know anyone who does. 

Is he going through his personal business, The Noe Genesis Group? 

Is some organization in Australia popping for his expenses?

Is this trip a vacation or a resume-builder? 

Maybe he'll buy a one-way ticket. For that, I'd say, "Richland 2, pay for it."

Who can find out about this trip?

Do Holmes, Manning, McKie and Caution-Parker know about it?

Do Agostini, Scott and McFadden know about it?

Baron, how about an explanation?