Wimpy statement at RVHS

This statement was copied from WISTV.com today about the stabbing at Ridge View High School.

Principal Mack’s letter read, in part, “Remind them that Ridge View is full of caring adults ready to help them resolve disagreements. Bringing weapons onto school property is never the answer. However, if your child makes the choice to do so, they will be recommended for expulsion and charged. We must all work together to keep Ridge View High a safe place for all of our students, employees and visitors.”

That is why violence will continue at RVHS and why students and parents will continue to be fearful. That message smacks of consideration and "consequences" and mealy-mouthed kumbaya. Tell those miscreants to straighten up or get out before they are thrown out.

Similar "nice" words were uttered toward the end of last night's school board meeting.

I'll tell you what's needed. We need one of those Florida sheriffs up here who will lay out exactly what will happen, when weapons are found or used on campus.

Lay it out straight and hard. 

"YOU WILL BE EXPELLED. YOU WILL BE CHARGED. YOU WILL BE IN JAIL. YOU WILL WRECK YOUR LIFE BY DUMB ACTIONS."

Unfortunately, there is no one on the board who can speak with such force. If you can't, get someone else to speak for you.

Marq Claxton, R2's Director of Safety & Security, is a retired NYPD detective. The District should turn him loose to lay down the law. However, if you listened to him trying to be politically-correct at last week's Safety Committee meeting, you'll chalk him off.

The District should take the handcuffs off of Claxton and turn him loose.

The article included this: "Gregory wants the district to move forward with a plan for the implementation of metal detectors."

Well, she is the Interim Superintendent. She's in charge of safety and security. Maybe instead of blowing $1,000,000 on that Alert system, the District should have acquired more metal detectors.

Whose idea was it, anyway, to spend (waste) that money on that Alert system? 

RVHS Stabbing

So what really went on at Ridge View High School yesterday (4/25/2023), when a 17-year-old student stabbed two students and took off.

Local media carried very general reports. WISTV.com identified the student as Tony Abrams and reported that he is being charged as an adult and with attempted murder.

WIS seemed to have the most-complete coverage. It has not published a photo of Abrams or updated its story since yesterday at 11:16AM. However, it must have updated its story (but not its time of publication), because it reveals that deputies took Abrams into custody about 12:30PM.

The altercation is reported to have taken place in a hallway in the school. Is there a hallway video that shows the stabbing? Were any administrators or hall monitors in the hallway at the time? Who and how many?

What is the proper role of an administrator, hall monitor, teacher or other staff member who witnesses such an event? The natural tendency would be to intervene. But what employee wants to subject himself to be injured (or worse)? 

We don't pay school employees to expose themselves to injury or death. Should they just call for help and stand back? Should they grab a wooden chair and bash the head of the student with the knife? Will they get sued for doing so?

Did they have their new Alert badges? Did anyone remember to press the button three times (not eight)?

Is the RVHS principal capable of carrying out a warning threat to violent students that they are going to see the door swing one way, one time?

Are we going to tolerate violent behavior and actions in our schools? I say, NO. 

Home-schooling Mother gets it right

Check out this 3-minute remark by home-schooling mother of five, Katie Gage. (I hope I understood her name correctly.

Mrs. Page addressed the Richland 2 school board last night and hit the nail on the head. I wonder what impression she made on the board members.

Her remarks were directed at the celebration of LGBT in Richland 2 schools this week.

Go to www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVIviUyEisw and fast-forward to 38:13.

I agree whole-heartedly with her that this nonsense does not belong in public schools.

Thank you, Mrs. Gage!

Board Meetings: SEVEN hours 25 minutes

START 3:00PM

END 10:25PM

Whew!

The Richland 2 school board met in Executive Session for the first 2½ hours.

Then the Regular Session began at about 5:30PM and quickly entered Executive Session 1. That one recessed at 6:30PM, and the Regular Meeting re-convened at 6:40PM.

Executive Session 2 began late in the evening and ended at 10:08PM.

When the Chair called for a Motion on the Parent Grievance that had been heard during Executive Session 2, NO ONE spoke up. SIX trustees remained silent.  Finally the Chair made the motion, and the vote was 7-0.

What was up with that? Were the other six trustees exhausted and unable to think or speak? 

The meeting adjourned at 10:25PM.

Total time for last night's meeting? From 3:00-10:25PM = SEVEN (7) hours 25 minutes.

Unbelievable!!!

Today's fight at Ridge View H.S.

Media are reporting a fight today at Ridge View High School (RVHS) that including stabbing of two students. The suspect, a 17-year-old high school student, fled and was later apprehended by RCSD.

Congratulations to the deputies for locating him quickly and grabbing him.

What's it going to take to put a stop to this nonsense? Does the Principal at RVHS have control?

Does she have a long list of students who are trouble-makers and who are likely to get in fights? Or who are bullies? Or who are using or selling drugs? Or is such a list against the DEI baloney so prevalent in Richland 2?

When she says, "Jump!", do the students ask "How high?" Or do they flip her off and keep doing what they are doing?

Do the administrators or teachers have any control?

Are the inmates running the asylum?

It is the mind-set that has to change. Then metal detectors won't be needed. SROs won't be needed.

Media reports indicate the kid will be charged as an adult. Then we should see his name and photo in the news.

Safety Committee Meeting - 4/17/23 - Maddening

I shall never get through the recording of that meeting!

I watched a few minutes of the meeting on April 17; and I have tried to watch more of it 2-3 times.

The Safety Committee is meddling in the arena that the Office of the Superintendent controls. Why?

Because they haven't learned to distinguish oversight from management. There are three trustees on the Committee and some others. As trustees of the board, their role is making decisions.

Not nit-picking the badge operation of the new Million-Dollar alert system.

Not trying to micro-manage the deployment of metal detectors. 

Not going to schools in other districts to learn how they use metal detectors and solve the manpower problem.

I made it to the 50-minute mark, and I'm done with it. I've never know what happened in the final 40 minutes.

How pervasive is DEI?

Read this article about Larry Arnn's talk at the Heritage Foundation’s 50th Anniversary Leadership Summit last Friday. Arnn is the president of Hillsdale College.

Arnn considers DEI programs as "massively destructive".

Now, what was announced by Richland 2 last Friday? 

"The Richland School District Two Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is inviting the public to attend a Community Conversation on the Importance of Inclusion in Schools and the Community. The event is taking place Wednesday, May 3 at 6 p.m. in the auditorium of the Richland Library Sandhills location at 763 Fashion Drive in Columbia."

Panelists will be Dr. Doyle Stevick, Executive Director of the University of South Carolina’s Anne Frank Center and professor in the College of Education; Katherine Webster, Blythewood High School student and member of the No Place For Hate Initiative; Ms. Maddie Coffman, teacher, Richland School District Two; and Mrs. Katinia Davis, Chief Special Education Officer, Richland School District Two. 

Will this be a "community conversation" or is the panel going to tell you what you must believe?

As parents, teachers, staff, and community members, are you interested in learning about the "importance" of Inclusion? In order to fight your (DEI) enemy effectively, you have to know the enemy. Here's one chance to do that.