Wardynski uses fear, intimation, and HPD to control the narrative #HCSBOE.

#StraightOuttaHuntsvilleCitySchools

Under the capable command and control of Colonel Wardynski (aka Huntsville City Schools Instructional Leader), and his Cabinet (aka the Board of Education), Huntsville City Schools is now a Militarized Zone.  It's Wardynski's way or the highway.

Fresh off of dedicating the new state of the art Sonnie Hereford III Elementary School, and presenting the final draft of the much anticipated Behavioral Learning Guide, the BOE successfully bullied, threatened, intimidated, and harassed a citizen to prevent them from speaking.

A Pattern of Behavior

At last night's Huntsville school board meeting, Eddgra Fallin was removed by school officials and police after she began live streaming the meeting on Facebook with her phone.
The video has since been viewed nearly 5,000 times on Facebook.
"As I indicated last night, I was not violating any written rules, nor did I violate any law," said Fallin this morning. "The board room was practically empty. Prior to me being kicked out, aisles were full of people taking pictures and video of the college academy presentation and they were invited and encouraged to do so."
The citizen comments portion of the public meeting had just started and three citizens, including Fallin, were scheduled to speak, she said.

HCS  and Colonel Wardynski have a documented history of intimidating the  citizens of Huntsville, and  stifling dissent.

There were no less that six district security personnel at the board meeting tonight. And even more disconcerting than that, there were at least five marked Huntsville Police Department cars and one unmarked police car present at the meeting tonight.
During the citizen comments, which I think were nearly cancelled tonight as they were left off the agenda, there were approximately 10 security personnel in the board room.
And that was after all the general public entered the building through a metal detector again.
The only time this level of security was present was during the removal of the Lee High name from the new high school. Then I think there may have been three district personnel and perhaps two or three armed police officers.

 This is what the Consent Decree was designed to address.

One might argue that security was being used to intimidate members of the public for undertaking state statute protected activities. One might argue that the superintendent was attempting to influence the board and the public by using emotionally charged, racially charged images. One might argue that the superintendent was the one attempting to intimidate others the last time that citizen comments were broadcast in his comments to a teacher who stood up for what she believes in.
(I’m sure it’s just a coincidence that the citizen’s comments to the board weren’t broadcast during the board meeting immediately following the superintendent’s“cautioning” of a teacher. You know, the meeting where the citizen’s comments worked against him.)

This is what it's all about.

The Citizen Comments section of the board agenda provides an opportunity for public comment on any item concerning public education and provides for any resident up to three minutes to fully present his or her position on a particular issue. It also provides us an opportunity to appear to care about the little people as we pack up to go home. Speakers are required to include their name and address before speaking. A speaker must show the expected reverence due to the board of education when approaching the board. A speaker cannot delegate his or her time to another person. A speaker should approach the board slowly and quietly as the board members are easily threatened. We suggest that speakers keep their heads down at all times as eye contact with your superiors is inappropriate. Speakers will not be limited unless they become repetitive and no new information is provided or unless we’re just sick of hearing from you. The time clock is displayed in the front board station. God help you if you make any disparaging remarks, comments or statements pertaining to the good name and character of any individual. Finally, please do not expect any board action or response on a request or a comment made under this section unless you have sued us. This will allow the board the opportunity to pretend to responsibly study, research all expressed concerns, issues or requests and quietly dismiss them without embarrassment to us or harming our reelection campaigns.

The Devil, EYE mean, details are in the al.com comment section 
EYE always say if you want to see who those in positions of power and influence pander to, and how they really feel, hold your nose and sort through the anonymous commentators. You might accidentally trip over the truth.

"Board President Laurie McCaulley had stepped out of the room to take care of personal business just before the citizen comments began, so she missed the commotion." 

It's election season. Mrs. McCaulley stepped out of the room intentionally to keep her hands clean. She determines the order of the speakers for citizen comments. She knew Mrs. Fallin would be filming. It was planned to give Mrs. Fallin a hard time. Did you see the smug look on David Driscoll's face? It is time for new leadership on our school board!! The shenanigans and drama are completely unnecessary if the current board truly focused on kids and not on controlling and punishing the adults that step out of line.
None of the folks standing up to film and photograph earlier in the meeting were asked to sit down.

NOTICE: Due to Huntsville City School Superintendent Casey Warydynski's Executive Orders, the school district may have read your social media accounts without warning, warrant, or notice. You have no recourse nor protection but to call for the resignation of the Superintendent and the Board of Education who enabled him.

A "Pattern of Behavior at #HCSBOE Meetings" Replay #TeachForAmerica #CapAndGown

Eleven Johnson High School students participated in the Cap and Gown Project's Northeast college tour and returned from their two-week trip on June 7. (Contributed by Huntsville City Schools)

You know the pattern.

EYE figured WARdynski and his "Cabinet" were going to be on the war path after the NAACP held an update on the Huntsville City Schools, which was attended by citizens from all over the city, in north Huntsville of all places.  The DOCS (Director of Community Spying) didn't come inside, but it was reported he was in the parking lot taking pictures.  But EYE digress.

Tuesday, a local NAACP-led meeting addressed community concerns about things like testing, teacher retention, financial transparency, and disapproval of Wardynski himself. They invited blogger and parent Russell Winn as guest speaker.

Although the DOCS didn't attend the meeting, word must have gotten back to WARdynski the Teach for America program was one of the topics of discussion because he rolled out a tax payer funded, media enabled, PR offensive (pun intended) that was condescending at best, exploitation of a student's circumstances at worst, to justify the program.

Dr. Wardynski often claims that our children only get one shot at their education. If he really believes this, why is he so willing to take a $1.7 million dollar chance on unqualified teachers? At best, TFA represents a huge investment for minimal gains in math. At worst, it represents a huge investment for significant losses in student achievement.
It represents a corporate experiment where TFA’ers learn to teach on other people’s kids.

If Wardynski wished to “prove” that TFAers are better, he could release the data from every TFAer across the district. But he refuses.

Former Johnson High School TFAer,  Christopher Scribner implemented  Cap and Gown, a TFA program designed to take students on college tours and ACT prep.  He is planning to expand the program to all Title 1 (predominately black/brown/poor) schools with the help of Wall Street.  In his presentation Scribner claimed  in 2013 8/110 grads from Johnson reported they were going to attend college.  That's strange, because according to ALSDE in 2012-2013 Johnson had 98 12th graders and 78% graduation rate or about 77 grads.

EYE don't have a problem with the Cap and Gown Program, EYE do have a problem with the exploitation of a tenth grade, Johnson High School , African American male's personal circumstances to promote a media driven positive image of WARdynski as the great White Savior, and,  a false negative image of North Huntsville as a community that needs WARdynski to take care of them.   Both of which are totally false.  EYE have to question if this young mans' parents gave permission for their personal circumstances to be put out there for the world to see/hear in such a manner?  

Yes, our tax dollars were at work on us big time last night.  The media was there to spread the compelling story of this young man's personal and painful family dynamics, the only thing missing was The World is a Ghetto playing in the background as he read eloquently  from a prepared script.

This is what a #hcsboe meeting looks like.  Every time ordinary citizens have a complaint, a well organized, pre planned, media enabled, defense is rolled out, complete with talking points, metal detectors, or worse.

You know the pattern,  EYE mean, drill.

Attend the school board meeting to address the board about a concern/complaint.

Sit patiently through unlimited presentations, resolutions, agenda items, etc.

The Superintendent and board goes into Executive Session to discuss agenda items.

The board comes out of Executive Session and votes on whatever they discussed behind closed doors. or not.

Citizens comments~ 3 minutes and not a second more.

The board is not required to answer questions or address concerns in public, the Superintendent threatens to quit rather than answer questions.

You leave feeling like you've been beaten, wondering why you wasted your time and gas in the first place.

Please Casey Wardynski, let my people go.

#hcsboe Using our tax dollars to baffle us with BullPoop with our tax dollars, one news story at a time

HsvCatfish: Al.Com just can't get enough coverage.  Will somebody help hold McCaulley up?  Looks like she is about to topple over.   Also looks like the David Driscoll Group Christmas Card Photo. Keep smiling, at least the special investigator will have a group photo to go by.  

EYE see our taxpayer funded Political Strategist is hard at work with a full, scale, media , offensive, trying to convince the public a pile of Poop is really a Rose. Sniff Sniff   EYE can't believe they have the nerve to use the Civil Rights struggle to justify this mess.  Strike that, yes EYE can.  The only thing missing is hearing from the "other side",  but EYE guess that would be too much like right.   Pun intended.

 So here's the deal, The Chamber's Board of Directors, Warynski, and the BOE wants Unitary Status in theory but not in practice.  They want to be able to say they don't have a dual school system while they maintain and operate a dual school system.  I wonder what part of Unitary don't they understand?

Hey!  Look at that bright and shiny object over there....
RedEye

"So why was The Driscoll Group paid $68,165 over the past year" With OUR tax dollars?

H/T Geek Pavaler

EYE  just wanted to drop you a quick note to let you know postings will be light this week due to real life circumstances, but I am keeping my big RedEye on the Huntsville City Schools Board of mis- Education and the recent developments in  the court ordered mediation regarding the Federal Desegregation Case.  Needless to say, there is some Shady Stuff going on, and we can't depend on the mainstream media to tell us what we need to know because they are busy telling us what they want us to know, which is nothing.

In the meantime please read Why has HCS Hired a Political Strategist?

From October 2013 through at least November 2014 (the most currently available HCS check register), Huntsville City Schools has paid a total of $68,165.00 to The Driscoll Group a local firm specializing in “Advertising, Public Relations, and Political Strategies.”According to the entries on the check registers this total was paid for “OTHER PROF SERVICES.”So far, HCS has written David Driscoll of The Driscoll Group eleven checks over that period for the following amounts:

1. 10/24/2013 – $3,600.00

1. 11/7/2013 – $3,600.00

1. 1/23/2014 – $8,200.00

1. 2/14/2014 – $5,715.00

1. 3/6/2014 – $4,425.00

1. 4/2014 – $6,725.00 (Beginning in April, the district stopped publishing the exact date of the written check.)

1. 5/2014 – $8,800.00

1. 6/2014 – $4,575.00

1. 7/2014 – $4,375.00

1. 9/2014 – $9,050.00

1. 11/2014 – $9,100.00

Then read a Guest Editorial by the Composer

Amidst a completed prelude of rolling thunder and pouring showers, a scene of calmness covered the atmosphere of 200 White Street, as the central office for Huntsville City Schools served as host for a press conference organized and administered by the North Huntsville Community United for Action (NHCUA).

This group consists of local ministers, elected officials, community leaders and concerned citizens of the Huntsville community. The press conference was called to bring awareness to the  issues that continue to plague the local school system, particularly in north Huntsville where the population is majority African-American.

About 30 individuals, not including representatives of HCS: Rena Anderson (Director of Community Engagement) , David Driscoll (Director of Community Spying?), and local media were in attendance.

Then read #hsvboe gives north Huntsville students, principals, teachers, elected officials, clergy, community leaders, and taxpayers the middle finger....again

About that Director of Community Spying.....

In a previous post, The Composer made a  tongue in cheek referral to David Driscoll as the Director of Community Spying, but when you look a little closer you find the characterization has a ring of truth.

Let's recap:

Who is David Driscoll?  According to his LinkedIn profile he is a former radio personality/sales director and President of the The Driscoll Group  consulting/business services. According to AL.com his firm does consulting work for Huntsville City Schools.

McGinnis, Wilder and Ferrell on Thursday issued a statement through the Driscoll Group, which does consulting work for Huntsville City Schools, in support of extending Wardynski's contract.  "We believe extending Dr. Wardynski's contract an extra year is the right thing to do for the school system," the statement read. "With the ongoing court case, the construction of multiple schools and rapid changes being made to better educate our children, we feel that keeping the same team together is critical.

The Driscoll Group Facebook invites readers to check out the website they designed for soon to be former school board member/President, and failed State Senate candidate, David Blair. 
The counter protest in support of Casey Wardynski was organized and led by James Lomax,  whose LinkedIn profile says he was previously employed by the Driscoll Group.

Lomax, a young politically-active Huntsville resident who, until August, worked for the Driscoll Group, said he organized the rally because he worries that all of the negativity toward the superintendent will "scare him away." "Casey Wardynski coming here has really changed the landscape of the school system," Lomax said. He said Wardynski has done an excellent job since becoming superintendent.  "You don't fire someone doing a good job," Lomax said.

Back to the Director of Community Spying....remember when Casey Wardynski was invited to attend a town hall meeting in north Huntsville organized by Councilman Richard Showers, which he refused to attend, but said he knew everything that was said because "we had folks there"?  Don't know about people, but I know one person that was there, and at all other community meetings..... David Driscoll.

EYE don't know about you, but it sounds like the Huntsville City School Board of Education is a piggy bank for adults.

What say you Commissioner Bob Harrison?

EYE shall return...

Guest Editorial by The Composer: "Earned distrust" a call for change

Welcome to RedEye's front page The Composer!  I look forward to your continued informed, intelligent, involvement in the debate/discussion.  This post is submitted as a guest commentary, with links and graphics inserted for emphasis and clarity.  Future post will be under The Composer's byline.~RedEye

 

Amidst a completed prelude of rolling thunder and pouring showers, a scene of calmness covered the atmosphere of 200 White Street, as the central office for Huntsville City Schools served as host for a press conference organized and administered by the North Huntsville Community United for Action (NHCUA).

This group consists of local ministers, elected officials, community leaders and concerned citizens of the Huntsville community. The press conference was called to bring awareness to the  issues that continue to plague the local school system, particularly in north Huntsville where the population is majority African-American.

About 30 individuals, not including representatives of HCS: Rena Anderson (Director of Community Engagement) , David Driscoll (Director of Community Spying?), and local media were in attendance.

The initial gathering was typical as people reconnected with one another and discussed the various issues relative to the community, including newly elected school board members, the SAFe initiative, the untimely and tragic death of Julian Jones, and the fact the group was not allowed to assemble on the steps of the central office.  What happened to the right to assemble on public property?  Our tax dollars fund the Annie Merts Building, right? Help me out here if I am wrong! If we were standing in any of the front yards of private residences near central office, then maybe I would entertain the request, but I digress.

The demeanor was serious as a focused listened to a prepared statement delivered by Rev. Montgomery, pastor of Union Hill PB Church after opening remarks by Rev. T.C. Johnson, pastor of St.Luke Christian Center.  Rev. Montgomery highlighted factual data showing African American students are 41% of the student population, slightly over 70% of out of school suspensions, and more than 60% of school expulsions.  This indeed is alarming, and leads to the conclusion that racial profiling is at an all-time high in Huntsville, AL. This gave notion to the most recent scandal which Rev. Montgomery referred to as a "scheme".

It’s sad that we have to resort to the Internet and to the press to air our issues instead of sitting down at the table of fellowship and work out our problems/grievances like civilized adults. District 1 school board member Laurie McCaulley was not present, as she probably saw no purpose in dealing with her former allies of NHCUA,  or maybe she was enjoying fall break.  The question then becomes, what incident will garnish the magnitude of revelation that will force all parties to compromise and embrace one another as children of God?

Overall, the press conference called for the resignation of Superintendent Wardynski. If not obliged, his termination at the hands of the BOE was also requested. It is my personal opinion Casey Wardynski is regarded as he is, simply because he is of his military background. Think about it, the military is designed by ranks; therefore you have a certain rank to be addressed by those in command. The Superintendent probably believes that his board members will serve with the best interest of their respective communities in mind. This means that he would be able to trust those that represent the various districts to provide the necessary information that will lead to his ongoing decision making. He probably would pose the notion that if the board member says the district wants it like that then I can move forward with my proposal. But when the board member is not transparent and is working behind the backs of the constituency you can expect inaccuracy will be at the forefront of all parliamentary procedure. Inaccuracy in curriculum implementation, funding, and general planning has been the Achilles heel of HCS. We now face probably the biggest divide since the Hereford prime days!

Some of the following questions were asked by members of the media: What is your next move? Do you believe that the situation is unfair for Black kids? What specific actions have you done to improve the community?  What do black students in north Huntsville want.   Al.com reporter Mark McCarter asked “Have you met with Wardysnski face to face?” to which the audience responded by laughing  hysterically.

Transparency and communication are not now, nor have they ever been, one of this Superintendents strong suits. When asked if all board members had been contacted. Rev. Scruggs, pastor of First Missionary Baptist church, and immediate past President of the National Baptist Convention, reminded them of the Prayer Vigil held earlier this year, at which Mayor Battle, Superintendent Wardynski, and all school board members were in attendance.

If you missed the press conference, you missed a special moment! Surely some people will attempt to label this as a race card movement, but facts don’t lie. We live in a dual society, and we have a dual school system. I challenge members of the community to visit all schools and learn the educational arena that trains our students for the real world.  I also encourage all citizens to participate in the political system, as your eyes will be opened up to new discoveries and certainly new ideas.

To the brave men and women who continue to fight for justice, thank you for your persistence and perseverance. Keep fighting. I encourage you to go even further beyond your consistent efforts as the urgency of now is like never before.

-          The Composer