Update: If the The South Huntsville Civic (sic) Association is turning against you..#SpyGate

Copied and pasted verbatim from the  South Huntsville Civic Association Facebook Page

Nearly three weeks ago, citizens were informed by local media that the Huntsville City School System has operated a secret program for the past 18 months, designed to monitor student’s online activity. It was reported that this program began as a result of a tip from the NSA. After it became reasonably clear that the NSA did not contact the Huntsville City Schools security officer, Dr. Wardynski resorted to asking, “What does it matter who the call was from?” It does matter. It seems that the public was misinformed with a statement that would have shaped public opinion if it had been blindly accepted. There are several similar statements pertaining to this program, but no documentation is being provided.

Why does this matter? According to Superintendent Casey Wardynski, it shouldn’t. Our only concern should be for the safety of students. While this argument, launched after most citizens took umbrage to the program, is an effective diversion, (who would disagree that student safety is important?), it is also a means by which the conversation has been halted. We still have not heard straight answers regarding the parameters of the program, the source and amount of funding, the reason for its inception, or what elected official, responsible to citizens, knows the answers to these questions.
SHCA has spoken with the reporter who broke the story, who maintains that he reported what he was told by HCS administration. Follow-up interviews included details which differed from the information first provided.

While it was reported that students social media accounts were being monitored, later statements indicated that accounts are only looked at if school officials are alerted by a tip. The specialist hired to run this program works for T&W Operations, Inc. Upon learning about the program, we checked and found that T&W Operations, Inc had “liked” the facebook page of SHCA and was therefore receiving notifications of our activity. At last check, no member of the SHCA Board of Directors either is enrolled in or would have been reported as a threat to any school. Were we being monitored, or is this a coincidence?

Dr. Wardynski - "When we look on You Tube you'll see something go on there that some kid put up there some beat down somewhere on school property, that’s our job to make sure that doesn’t happen. We see that then we go looking for the kid. So it’s a matter of using the resources we have, looking in public places which is social media. If we get a tip that a kid is going to do something, we'll go look at their facebook page."
School board member, Topper Birney also spoke with one of our board members. He emphatically states that he was not aware that a program of this nature was in place. When asked by the media whether he knew about the program, the name, SAFe, was not mentioned. The activity was described and he maintains that he was never made aware of its existence.
Dr. Wardynski "They didn't know the acronym, but they knew about the program because we brief them on some of the specific cases rarely and more generally on the trends."
David Blair - " I have known about that for a while as well as my fellow board members. . . “
In an attempt to get answers regarding the program’s parameters, Senator Paul Sanford sent the following request to all Huntsville City School Board Members –
Senator Paul Sanford would like to request a detailed explanation for all
expulsions related to the SAFe program. No personal information is
requested, just the facts surrounding each reported threat and subsequent
facts that lead to expulsion or disciplinary measures.
He received the following reply from Board President, David Blair –
“I am uncomfortable with this request due to the sensitive nature of the
expulsions. There is a process in place to deal with discipline issues in the schools
which we will be glad to share if so desired.”

Senator Sanford sent the following response and has not received another reply.
“Mr. Blair,
I see no reason why the board cannot provide information regarding the expulsions or disciplinary measures taken in relation to the SAFe Program. I do not need any personal information about the incidents, but I feel info regarding the tips received, the action taken, and the situations that necessitated the board taking action are an appropriate and reasonable request.
Again I ask that the board provide the previously requested information surrounding the incidents relating to the SAFe Program and the details leading to corrective action by the board.“
While opinions may differ regarding the appropriateness of this type of program, we have a more immediate issue. Our local school board is withholding information from the public. Are you willing to accept being denied information by those you elect and pay? If so, please let us know that we should close our eyes and pretend that our local government is not being run by fiat.

Note from RedEye: Are the rattlesnakes beginning to turn on the Mighty Casey Wardynski........

I attended this Republican cheer leading event at Grissom last evening. It was sickening. I’ve never seen so many Republicans in my life. There were 7 elected Repugs on the stage. Could well have been the Republican convention. They used these “civic” meetings to win the election for Mo Brooks, and it is absolutely the bailiwick of school board member, president, head honcho, Jennie Robinson. I have asked the school attorney how they could use a public building for political meetings, and he said "anybody could use it if they paid for it".

Time will tell the truth.... 

"Folks here are keenly interested in property value," Wardynski told the crowd. "I am also keenly interested in value."
Wardynski said that focusing too much on price could cause the system to lose many programs of value. He reiterated that he intends to take schools' success into account when deciding which schools to close.
He added that he does not like using the words "school closures."

Yet he closed schools.....

This non-responsiveness to public comments and opinions is becoming a pattern. As public interest increases, their willingness to allow public participation in the process has decreased. But that’s a posting for another day.

To be continued.....

60 years after 'Brown v. Board of Education' it looks as if 'Brown v. Board of Education" never happened

In Tuscaloosa today, nearly one in three black students attends a school that looks as if Brown v. Board of Education never happened.

According to a new report just released by the Civil Rights Project called "Brown at 60," "Black and Latino students tend to be in schools with a substantial majority of poor children, but white and Asian students are typically in middle-class schools."
This double segregation doesn't just condemn these precious children to an often inferior education, it also strips them of their humanity and their dignity. Race and poverty shouldn't matter more than shared humanity.

 Today, however, the very states whose segregated schools, poll taxes, and Jim Crow laws necessitated federal intervention in Brown are once again limiting the educational opportunities for people of color. Rather than explicitly refusing to admit students of color into school, these states have found new, more clandestine ways to marginalize people of color. In this new segregated system, states disadvantage students of color by providing fewer resources to schools serving the highest concentrations of students who need them the most. By perpetuating this inequitable system and rejecting powerful and effective education reforms such as the Common Core State Standards, these states effectively reclaim their legacy of systematic racial discrimination.

 This residential isolation of the most disadvantaged children – a product of migration patterns and economic trends that have occurred since Brown -- points to one set of strategies that’s been given little attention over the last 60 years. What if we made a more concerted effort to integrate schools by integrating neighborhoods? What if we tried to improve the educational prospects of low-income minority students by breaking down barriers to affordable housing in the communities where good schools exist? What if we wielded zoning laws and housing vouchers as levers of education policy?

A new secessionist movement, anchored in the South, provides yet another reminder that “separate” still means “unequal” when it comes to the racial dynamics of the nation’s public schools.
The small middle-class town of Gardendale, Alabama, outside Birmingham, voted on November 12 to secede from the Jefferson County school district and then to raise taxes on themselves to finance the solo venture. Then, in March, Gardendale’s 14,000 residents finally got their own Board of Education. Soon after his appointment, one new board member, Clayton “Dick” Lee III, a banker and father of two, said he aspires to build a “best in class” school system “which exceeds the capabilities of the system which we are exiting.”

 Freed from court oversight, Tuscaloosa’s schools have seemed to move backwards in time. The citywide integrated high school is gone, replaced by three smaller schools. Central retains the name of the old powerhouse, but nothing more. A struggling school serving the city’s poorest part of town, it is 99 percent black. D’Leisha, an honors student since middle school, has only marginal college prospects. Predominantly white neighborhoods adjacent to Central have been gerrymandered into the attendance zones of other, whiter schools.

 “We know that today in America, too many folks are still stopped on the street because of the color of their skin, or they’re made to feel unwelcome because of where they’re from, or they’re bullied because of who they love,” she said. “So graduates, the truth is that Brown vs. Board of Education isn’t just about our history, it’s about our future.”

We Shall Overcome One Day.

"Rarely is the question asked: Is the children learning?"

 

What have we learned?"  asked Speakin' Out News columnist Jerry Mitchell in the April 23 2013 editionin the aftermath of the showdown between black clergy and the Board of Education/City of Huntsville.  I would say we the peeps  learned the BOE and the City are determined to continue to ignore the United States Supreme Court by maintaining a dual school system.

I agree with  Mitchell, these are a few of the lessons they (see picture above) should have learned (links inserted for emphasis mine):

Predominately white organizations (See the Committee of 100 and Huntsville Chamber) can't hold rallies to announce their intentions and desires for "unitary status" for our schools, without discussions and expect the Black community to just go along for the ride.  Particularly when those same groups have passively watched the schools in the north struggle for years.  If anything the leaders of those organizations should be aware of the stigma and symbolism (especially when race is involved-and yes we can be in denial but yes it is) of rallying in the doors of an educational institution a'la George Wallace.

"This city belongs to us, the people. It doesn’t belong to the Huntsville Times. It doesn’t belong to the Huntsville Board of Education. It doesn’t belong to Dr. Wardynski. It belongs to us."  ~Geek Pavaler

What a difference a lone African American school board member makes

Huntsville City School Board President, Laurie McCaulley

Current school board President Laurie McCaulley was elected in 2008 to fill the seat of the late Dr. James I. Dawson, representing District 1 Schools. McCaulley has the distinction of being the first African-American female elected to the HCS board of education, and the lone African American member.  McCaulley's term expires this year, and she is running for re-election against Pat King, who she narrowly defeated in 2008.

Dr. Dawson was known as a fighter for justice and equality.  He boasted of being "Unbought and Unbossed" by special interest.  Unfortunately for the students and parents in District 1, I can't say the same about his successor, who goes along to get along, often at the expense of the people she was elected to represent.

Dr. Dawson would never have allowed non-certified Teach for America teachers to replace certified teachers  in Title 1 ( predominately African American) Schools, in order to circumvent the Alabama Education Association, with a 1.9 million dollar no bid contract.

Dr. Dawson would never have allowed the students (black) in his district be mandated to wear uniforms while other students (white) were not.

Dr. Dawson would never have allowed the  board to close the Fletcher Seldon Alternative school and outsource the program to a heavy-handed, private, drug and behavioral treatment center, with no accountability,  or oversight, where parents don't even know about the program until it's too late to protest.  Nor, are they aware their students get no legal representation.

Dr. Dawson never would have allowed Teachers, Administrators, and most importantly, the public, to be harassed  and  intimidated at public board meetings, then hide behind the letter of the law.  When it's convenient that is.

Dr. Dawson would never have allowed the board to replace textbooks with laptop computers without making sure all students had access to the Internet, their online safety protected,  and without weighing the possible negative effects, because saving money is more important all of a sudden.

The School Board named an old school with 300 black students after Dr. Dawson, but they should have renamed the new Lee High School  after him.  But no, they would rather keep the name of  the Confederate General who fought against everything Dr. Dawson stood for.

RIP Dr. Dawson, you are missed more than you will ever  know.

Today's Must Reads
A Ripple in the Water

Who Defines "the Civil Rights Issue of Our Time?

Po Mo vs an Average Joe

Congress Critter Mo Brooks (r.hypocrite) and his media enabler(The Huntsville Times) didn't count on an Average Joe attending his Town Hall Meeting asking some pesky questions. No Siree, he thought he was going to have his usual South Huntsville Civic (sic) Association gang of adoring fans. Note the tone of The Times reporting.

Brooks had a mostly friendly audience among the 300-plus people who attended the event sponsored by the South Huntsville Civic Association. However, not everyone agreed with the representative's conservative view points.
About a dozen people in the newly formed and loosely organized Occupy Huntsville group hammered Brooks on issues ranging from tax loopholes for corporations to the 2010 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that allows companies to donate to political campaigns just as citizens can.

It turns out Average Joe is not a member of Occupy Huntsville, so all the whining about negative press and co-opting the movement in an unsigned email from occupyhuntsville@gmail.com is moot.

We have gotten negative press from the media concerning the Mo Brooks meeting that took place yesterday. Some of the media statements that were made are: Some of the audience members booed the "Occupy" sympathizers, with one protester having his microphone yanked by security after he repeatedly interrupted Brooks and refused to let him speak." and "The small but vocal minority dominated most of the time devoted for questions." It is unfortunate that the media associated this disruptive occurrence with "Occupy" in any way, but we have no control over that.

Those of us who come together have varying political views and we do not try to influence one political view over another. We must be careful to prevent those who have political agendas from co-opting the movement. Many will attempt to use the name of OccupyHuntsville as a platform for promoting their own political agenda. Let's continue to stand in solidarity with OccupyWallst and its cause.

Memo to the Huntsville Media,I repeat, Average Joe is not a member of Occupy Huntsville, although I wish he would join.

A confrontation believed to be one of the first in the nation between a member of Congress and Occupy Wall Street affiliates continues to garner headlines and attention.

U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks (R) spoke to WHNT News 19 on Tuesday about the heated exchange that broke out at a town hall meeting the previous night. An Occupy Wall Street sympathizer ended up having his microphone removed by event coordinators after repeatedly ignoring requests to not interrupt Congressman Brooks during an exchange on campaign finance reporting.

Yep, Mo will do anything including having a citizens microphone removed by event coordinators to keep from answering questions from the Average Joe and Jane. I wonder if he would have yanked Joe the Plumbers" microphone? Naaaah.

Mostly I just you to know that I'm an independent moderate voter, not an official member of Occupy Huntsville. I'm an average lower middle class person, like most voters in my district. But I will say that I'm part of the "99%" as I'm not wealthy. And like the Occupy Wall Street people I'm sick of the political BS and do nothing Congress. Most Americans think there is way too much money in politics. Too many lobbyist. Too many ties between our elected officials and big corporations. I'm glad people are finally standing up. I've had enough so I decided attend that town hall. I didn't mean for my question to turn into "Average Joe" vs Mo, but I'm fed up with untrustworthy politicians like Mo Brooks

.

I wonder what part of 99% of the American people are FED UP with untrustworthy politicians like Mo Brooks don't they understand?

When will the media stop trying to smear the Occupy Wall Street movement? And yes, it is a movement. A movement of Average Joe's and Average Jane's of all races, religion and sexual orientation. Occupy Wall Street is a Profoundly Moral-not Political Movement.

Genuine Democracy is a time-consuming process. But that's exactly what the participants want it to be, so everyone can genuinely participate on an equal basis.

It's not wise for our elected officials to remove the microphone when taxpayers are trying to question them. That sounds like something an evil dictator would do in a dictatorship.

I'm just saying....

Mo Better Blues~A Tale of Two Town Halls

Congress Critter Mo Brooks (r.) South Huntsville Civic (sic) Association Town Hall meeting was occupied by members of Occupy Huntsville participants and other skeptics of Mo's brand supply side economic "conservatism."h/t mooncat.

This from the Huntsville Times account of the tense meeting, emphasis mine;

After Brooks finished the Power point presentation he gives at every town hall, Jones and others immediately got in line to ask often challenging questions.
The first woman in line asked why the government does not close corporate tax loopholes, allowing Brooks to make his oft-repeated point that increasing taxes on businesses and the wealthy hurts jobs.

When the woman began to press her point, the crowd grew noisy, with some shouting "Next!" to get her to step away from the microphone. That scene repeated itself several times throughout the evening as some in line challenged Brooks on his answers.

One of the more confrontational moments came when a man asked about the Gula Graham Group's fund-raising efforts on Brooks' behalf. While Brooks said the group had previously worked for him to raise money for the National Republican Committee and other efforts, he is now shopping for another fundraiser.

The man continued to ask Brooks about the organization and the money it raised for him, waving papers while the audience began to loudly object. Brooks at one point asked if there was any way to turn off the man's microphone so he could finish his response.

While some interaction between Brooks and those asking questions grew argumentative, Brooks encouraged the crowd to take the debate in stride.

Then I received this account in an email to a List serve of which I am a member from occupyhuntsville@gmail.com, emphasis mine.

OccupyHuntsville consists of any persons who choose to show solidarity with OccupyWallst in a peaceful manner. OccupyWallst is " fighting back against the corrosive power of major banks and multinational corporations over the democratic process, and the role of Wall Street in creating an economic collapse that has caused the greatest recession in generations." The movement..."aims to expose how the richest 1% of people are writing the rules of an unfair global economy that is foreclosing on our future."1 This is the reason that brought people together. We all agree on this. OccupyWallst. is a "protest against bank bailouts, corporate greed, and the unchecked power of Wall Street in Washington ."1 OccupyHuntsville did not come together for political reasons but over our outrage of how the 1% has negatively influenced our economic well-being. This we can all agree on.

We must remember why we have come together and ask ourselves, "Does this action that I am about to take show solidarity with the aims of OccupyWallst in a peaceful manner?" OccupyHuntsville has been associated with a person who became disruptive at the Mo Brooks meeting by not allowing the Congressman to answer questions and having to have the microphone yanked from him somehow became associated with the OccupyHuntsville movement. We know that he did not represent OccupyHuntsville, We are a peaceful movement, and we must be careful not to cause disruption in the meetings of others as we do not wish others to cause disruption in our general assembly meetings nor push their political agendas.

We have gotten negative press from the media concerning the Mo Brooks meeting that took place yesterday. Some of the media statements that were made are: Some of the audience members booed the "Occupy" sympathizers, with one protester having his microphone yanked by security after he repeatedly interrupted Brooks and refused to let him speak." and "The small but vocal minority dominated most of the time devoted for questions." It is unfortunate that the media associated this disruptive occurrence with "Occupy" in any way, but we have no control over that.

Those of us who come together have varying political views and we do not try to influence one political view over another. We must be careful to prevent those who have political agendas from co-opting the movement. Many will attempt to use the name of OccupyHuntsville as a platform for promoting their own political agenda. Let's continue to stand in solidarity with OccupyWallst and its cause.

The email was unsigned, and included links to 1. www. occupywllst.org, " Occupations Spread to Over 100 US Cities", Posted Oct. 17, 2011, 8:20 a.m. EST by OccupyWallSt, but not a link to OccupyHuntsville.org which leads me to believe the email was not sent by the group, but a defender of Mo Brooks trying to discredit the movement and intimidate participants.

I agree with everything in this response to the email from a List serve member who attended the meeting, emphasis mine;

I was at the meeting last night. It was Mo Brooks who kept interrupting and not allowing “the person” to finish his questions. Mo Brooks loves to talk and talk and talk. It was he who took up all the time, not “the person.”

His questions were legitimate, and he had a right to ask them. Perhaps it is because of Brooks’ shaky answers that the media, egged on by Brooks, I’m sure, is treating “the person” as though he is a criminal of some kind. The Huntsville Times uncovered that he was the ghost writer of letters-to-the-editor in 1992 praising himself as a county prosecutor. Dirty tricks is not new thing with the Congressman.

I hope “the person” returns. FYI, there were several people who asked similar questions. Thank God for those people. The first person to speak was a young lady and she sure held his feet to the fire. Mo was clearly startled by her questions. She even mentioned the occurrence of voter fraud in Madison County. Brooks said that was the first he’d heard about it and told her who to see. She replied that she’d seen every person he mentioned but that no changes had been made ......

These were probably the first clearly educated, informed people, to confront him at a “town hall” meeting. I hope he gets more of the same.

And would you believe he (Brooks) brought up Nancy Pelosi’s name? Will he ever lay off that lady? Remember Parker Griffith did the same thing. I think those two like the way her name rolls off their tongues. Griffith talked about her ALL the time. (By the way, I hear Parker may run for Mayor.) As someone who is supposed to be representing ALL the people, how can Brooks talk about Obama and Pelosi like they’re dogs when if he had any sense, he’d know there were Democrats in the audience?

Brooks told the audience three times that he hoped they kept sending him back to Congress. He’s a career politician. I don’t believe he has ever held down a regular job. I was rebuffed by the long line of questioners, but I was going to ask him as someone who has enjoyed government health care all of his life, he so fervently wants to “bring down” Obama care & prevent others from having the same health care he has.

Occupy Huntsville has a foot-hold now. I hope they don’t turn wimpy and become afraid to stand up to a career politician who believes wholeheartedly in the 1% and doesn’t seem to give a damn about the rest.

Occupy!

Monday Morning Talking Points

Congress Critter Mo Brooks (r.) is having a Town Hall Meeting in conjunction with the South Huntsville Civic (sic) Association tonight at the Grissom High School Auditorium, 7901 Bailey Cove Rd. Be there or be square. Since Mo is holding the meeting in south Huntsville he probably won't answer questions from the "low I.Q. north Huntsville residents or from the "project" dwellers", so I would suggest making some wearable signs that ask "Where are the jobs", or, "Why did you vote for the let women die act?", or, "Hey Mo! Can we bring back slavery now that you've done everything short of shooting illegals"? or, "When our elected officials don't listen to the will of the people isn't that treason"?

Instructions for making a wearable sign, get an 8x10 piece of paper, write or print your message, punch a hole at the top of each end, insert a string/ribbon in the holes and tie it around your neck like a necklace. It's perfectly legal.

The Talking TeeVee Pundit Heads really need to do a better job of vetting the republican pResidential candidates before they hype them up as the front runner. Did they not know Herman Cain got his 666 I mean 999 economic plan sounds like it came straight out of Sim City?

WASHINGTON -- In Herman Cain's America, the tax code would be very, very simple: The corporate income tax rate would be 9 percent, the personal income tax rate would be 9 percent and the national sales tax rate would be 9 percent.

But there's already a 999 plan out there, in a land called SimCity.

Long before Cain was running for president and getting attention for his 999 plan, the residents of SimCity 4 -- which was released in 2003 -- were living under a system where the default tax rate was 9 percent for commercial taxes, 9 percent for industrial taxes and 9 percent for residential taxes. (That is, of course, if you didn't use the cheat codes to get unlimited money and avoid taxes altogether.)

Do they not know about Cain's ties to the Koch brother?

Cain's campaign manager and a number of aides have worked for Americans for Prosperity, or AFP, the advocacy group founded with support from billionaire brothers Charles and David Koch, which lobbies for lower taxes and less government regulation and spending. Cain credits a businessman who served on an AFP advisory board with helping devise his "9-9-9" plan to rewrite the nation's tax code. And his years of speaking at AFP events have given the businessman and radio host a network of loyal grassroots fans.

I said it in 2000 and I say it again in 2011, the 2012 Presidential election is about the courts, I won't say stupid, because we the people aren't stupid, but the media thinks we are stupid. That's why they are talking about fences, and cults and other weapons of mass distortions.

The Democrats have been falling over each other in recent weeks, desperate to come up with reasons why the American people should send President Obama back to the White house next year. Incredibly, they have ignored the most blatantly obvious one. It's time we have a serious discussion regarding the ramifications of a Republican victory in 2012 - and what it would mean for the future of this Republic if even one more right wing extremist is appointed to sit on that court.

I'll tell you what it would mean, it would mean more Americans could be killed despite there being reasonable doubt about their guilt.

"We can have democracy in this country, or we can have great wealth concentrated in the hands of a few, but we can't have both."Louis Brandeis

Enough said.

Update~Just how much of a bonus should Dr. Wardynski receive for his work this year?

According Geek Palaver this was the hot topic at last nights Huntsville City School Board meeting. For those who don't know Wardynski is the new Judge, Jury and Executioner hired by the south Huntsville City School Civic (sic) Association to;
Casey you have to break the mold and prove you're not afraid of minorities, democrats, liberals, aclu types and the entire entitlement crowd! Do that, and you'll be doing the job you were hired to do! Oh yeah, not to mention striking down all racial transfers. And that includes allowing not allowing whites to racially transfer either. If you don't like where your child goes to school, move to where they can be zoned into a school of your preference, that's what I had to do!

Now this is how the School Board *cough cough* dressed it up. h/t Geek Pavaler

In case you missed it, tonight the board had yet another discussion about how to evaluate Dr. Wardynski. The board has proposed five goals by which Dr. Wardynski will be evaluated. These are:
Accelerate Learning at All Levels
Increase Flexibility in the General Fund Budget While Preserving Educational Programs
Build Bench Strength Though Strategic Staffing
Improve Capital Infrastructure
Meet Department of Justice Requirements to Deserve Unitary Status

Board VP David Blair opened the bidding at$10,000 which was supported by his south Huntsville Civic (sic) Association sidekick Dr. Jennie Robinson, who believes that he deserves a bonus because he’s refusing to hire teachers, aides, and other support personnel. Ain't that a dip?

In any event the discussion of a bonus is *ahem* moot IMHO because Dr. Wardnynski isn't going to meet the goals set forth by the south Huntsville Civic (sic) Association via the School Board. I guess they've forgotten, the certified instructional leader is sitting at home drawing a salary.

What is his plan to accelerate learning for all levels and how in the world is he going to accomplish this without certified teachers and support personnel? And the United States Department of Justice has already told the Huntsville City School System not to even think about being granted unitary status.

The District’s 2007-2008 overall student enrollment was 43.1% black and 48.7% white. However, the majority of the District’s 47 schools were racially identifiable black or white due to the composition of their respective student bodies.

The only goal I see him accomplishing is Building Bench Strength Though Strategic Staffing, translation hire more high paid consultants from out of state while firing local teachers and administrators and balancing the budget on the backs of students.

The Board was so busy trying to figure out how much of our tax dollars to give Wardynski they didn't have time to answer any irritating unanswered questions.

Why is the superintendent, with 11 months experience, making $55,000 above the minimum posted salary?

Why is the deputy superintendent making $7,000 above the maximum posted salary?

Why is the new CSFO making $130,000 a year (or $16,000 more than the previous CSFO)?

Why have all three of the senior members of the central office all come from Aurora, Colorado?

Why has the board unanimously approved 142 of 147 recommendations, most without discussion? (Only 5 have received any dissenting votes. All 147 recommendations from January through August have been approved.)

Why is the board discussing bonuses for the Superintendent and senior staff when they have frozen everyone else’s salaries?

Why are there different policies for hiring administrative staff and teachers where administrators get to name their own salaries, while teachers cannot be hired for more than the state-minimum?

Why is the special education budget being cut from FY2011 to FY2012 by $7 million making up 61% of the total savings projected in the budget from FY2011 to FY2012?

Why have 25 special education coordinators/therapists been moved out of the central office?

Why is the only standard for success used by the board that, “we’re not being sued?”

Why was the FY2012 budget approved before responding to public questions?

Why does the superintendent need so many aides?

If you care about the future of the Huntsville public school system you will get involved.

If you want the best school system possible for all of our kids, including yours, you will get involved.

If we all work together we can win this war just like they did in Wake County (Raleigh) North Carolina.

In a beautiful reversal of fortunes from the 2009 Wake County, NC School Board elections, the people of Raleigh / Cary and greater Wake County turned out and elected 4 new Democratic School Board members. Not only that, but they also took down long time conservative board chairman Ron Margiotta! The dismantling of the Nationally recognized and applauded Wake County diversity plan will now slow and begin some reversal as well.

More on how voters fought the corporate take over of the school district in North Carolina.

Voters in Wake County, N.C. headed to the polls yesterday in high numbers to reject a slate of conservative Republican Board of Education candidates who opposed a longstanding diversity policy aimed at avoiding high-poverty and racially-isolated schools.

The big win for Democrats and desegregation represents a big loss for conservative benefactor Art Pope, who served as the architect of the 2009 school board election that saw an anti-diversity Republican majority win control of the officially nonpartisan body, and who along with his political network backed yesterday's losing candidates. Pope is one of the most influential money men in North Carolina politics and is a close national ally of the billionaire Koch brothers through his role as a national director of the conservative advocacy group Americans for Prosperity, which backs school privatization and whose North Carolina chapter helped Republicans in the 2009 school board race.

Education is the HOPE of the republic.

Tuesday "Mean as a Snake" Talking Points

Former President Bill Clinton, aka the Big Dog, said he would use the 14th amendment and tell the republicans to go Dick Cheney themselves (my words not his). Psst President Obama! This is the kind of President I thought we we had.

Former President Bill Clinton would invoke the 14th Amendment - “without hesitation, and force the courts to stop me,” he says - to raise the debt ceiling if he were in President Barack Obama’s shoes, with the deadline to raise the limit just two weeks away.

Democrats with gonads and who are fighting back. How refreshing. Psst ADP Chair Mark Kennedy! This is the kind of fight we need. Strike that. This is the kind of fight we want.

There is a class war being fought in Washington, DC right now, but it's extremely one-sided and so the outcome is obvious. By contrast, in Wisconsin the class war is being fully engaged from both sides, and the outcome there is balanced on the edge of a knife. That shouldn't come as a surprise, since there is no way to win a class war unless you fight one.

This is how real progressives fight back!

There is no doubt about our country being in trouble, and blame must be shared by both Democrats and Republicans. But we are not going to solve our problems with more tax breaks for the wealthy or the corporations. Nor are we going to solve the problems when your soul mission is to make the President look bad. Frankly, you and your Republican cohorts have done more damage to America than Osama bin Laden could have ever imagined or hoped for.

The only way out of this mess, which you helped create, is to stimulate the economy and get people back to work, and that won’t happen with further tax cuts. You can start by:

• raising the debt ceiling,
• ending all of the tax-based subsidies to the oil/gas, Ethanol, and tobacco cartels,
• repealing the Bush tax cuts, and
• then bring the troops home from Afghanistan and Iraq.

On another note, what is it with Florida people when it comes to the rule of law? I mean, really?

Incoming-How did the South Huntsville Civic Association take over the Huntsville City School system?

Update-The South Huntsville Civic (sic) Association has taken over the Huntsville City School System

Let's recap for those who haven't been following the continuing saga of the sad, sorry state of the Huntsville City School system. Public Education is under attack in Huntsville, Alabama led by well funded group known as the South Huntsville Civic Association.

The South Huntsville Civic Association hosted a town hall meeting for the recently appointed Huntsville City Schools Superintendent. I am sharing an email I received from someone who attended the meeting with their permission and updated links inserted for clarity.

I attended this Republican cheer leading event at Grissom last evening. It was sickening. I’ve never seen so many Republicans in my life. There were 7 elected Repugs on the stage. Could well have been the Republican convention. They used these “civic” meetings to win the election for Mo Brooks, and it is absolutely the bailiwick of school board member, president, head honcho, Jennie Robinson. I have asked the school attorney how they could use a public building for political meetings, and he said "anybody could use it if they paid for it".

There’s a subtle movement to privatize/corporatize school systems across the country. That’s why this incompetent board - not including Morrison & McCauley - even though they’ve gotten us into a 20 million hole of which they’re getting off scott free, insisted on a nation-wide search for a new superintendent (never mind Huntsville’s history of engineers & rocket scientists). They came up with a man from Colorado, Casey Wardynski who has never even been near school children. He was the chief financial officer in Aurora, Colorado for 10 months – which he left IN a $25M DEBT.

Wardynski is a retired army colonel said he got a Masters at Harvard, then got a “PhD” at Rand Institute (a PhD mill) where he was accepted into the Broad Superintendents’ Academy. Here’s where it gets interesting: Broad doesn’t want people with experience, loves army types , but wants to train them fresh to take over school systems and start from scratch, get rid of the old, bring in new. They trained not to like teachers, won’t accept tenure. He’s already bringing in from Colorado a finance chief, and looking at a friend of his from Mississippi as assistant superintendent. ( Robinson is from Pennsylvania and is of the same philosophy, bad mouthed AEA throughout her campaign, said AEA wanted to raid school finances to give themselves a raise. Big business, including Committee of 100, Home builders Association, Chamber of Commerce gave her over $60,000 for her campaign; her Democratic opponent had only $12,000 but because of my help and that of others, she won by only 101 votes out of 5600 cast. Democracy almost worked.)

He believes in constant testing, which means that little to no subjective teaching/thinking can occur. If a goof-off kid refuses to behave and learn, then the teacher is out the door. On 6-10-11, HTimes said that “Leadership Huntsville/Madison County, an executive training program released Sarah Savage to support Wardynesky during his first 90 days. They’re doing it for free.

Look for strange goings on in the Huntsville School System.

Stay tuned for some of those "strange goings on".

The Hopeless Huntsville City School System redux

The South Huntsville Civic Association hosted a town hall meeting, for new Huntsville City School Superintendent Colonel Casey Wardynski   where he fielded questions from state legislators.  Note these legislators have the power to *cough* improve education *cough*.

Based on the questions and answers posed to and by the state legislators and  gop honchos, there is no HOPE for the Huntsville City Schools, and here's why.

Sen. Clay Scofield fielded questions about Alabama's strict new immigration law, which has been touted as the toughest in the nation. Scofield, R-Arab, said he is proud of the new law.

"The key word in this, ladies and gentlemen, is illegal," Scofield said. "We're not taking away anyone's right to be here."

Scofield said there are still many ways in which immigrants can come to Alabama.

"We want them to do so, and we welcome them to come here," he said. "But we expect it to be done legally."

*Uh, when did Arab, AL become part of the Huntsville City School system?

Not to be left out of the act Representative Mike Ball doesn't believe public school teachers should have job security.

Rep. Mike Ball, R-Madison, was questioned about tenure reform. The Legislature earlier this year passed the Students First Act, which made several changes to how local school districts can fire employees.

"The fact is, for the sake of the teaching profession, it really needed to be addressed," Ball said.

He pointed to "horror stories" across the state in which teachers who were accused of crimes were put on administrative leave with pay until their cases went through the courts. The new tenure law puts time limits on the pay a fired teacher can receive while appealing the termination.

"Contrary to what you may have heard, it was not a horrible, punitive bill that was passed," Ball said. "Due process is still included. It just streamlined the process."

*Note Representative Ball is a republican from Madison, AL.

Representative Howard Sanderford (R) was on hand to attack the Alabama Education Association bragging about their subpoena power and funding for the *ahem* ethics commission. They are going to destroy the AEA by stopping payroll deduction and banning PAC to PAC transfers.

Senator Paul Sanford (R barbecue boy) was questioned about the Constitutionality of recent immigration laws and like a true business owner he voted against the immigration bill even though he agreed with 95% of the bill. Huh?

No South Huntsville Civic Association Meeting would be complete without gop head honcho Hugh Mcginnis spewing his “There is no correlation between money and achievement” spill. If there is no correlation between money and achievement we would still have the segregated schools. Oh wait...

This is exactly why Brown v. Board was enacted, and why when someone yacks about "states rights", it becomes clear some states won't act right. Alabama is one of those states, full of closeted bigots who thinks a "Kardashian" is a country in Africa.

So, is HCS Superintendent Dr. Casey Wardynski going to be the Superintendent for South Huntsville, or is he going to be the Superintendent for ALL of Huntsville?

Time will tell the truth?

"A Ball of confusion, that's what the world is today"

And the band played on.

The 3 Wings of the Republican Party: The Crazies, the Corporatists ... and Democrats
Democrats must endorse progressive principles again and hammer home the distinction between the party that cares about everyday Americans, not just the wealthy.

If Congress didn't impeach Bush and Dick for sending our troops to war based on DEAD WRONG Intelligence then they shouldn't be talking about impeaching President Obama for Libya. Just cut the funding for Libya, Afghanistan and Iraq and bring our troops and our tax dollars HOME.

Maybe they did kill the dream. Decades after King's assassination Memphis reignites labor struggle.

The plight of Memphis sanitation workers is still an emotional issue four decades after the strike, which was sparked by the death of two workers due to a faulty trash compactor. The strike developed into a rallying point for the African-American community in their struggle against the city's white establishment.

Racial overtones surfaced again in the privatization fight, which appeared suddenly last month. One councilman dismissed the 1968 struggle as belonging to another era. Another said privatization represented the next step of "change" for which King -- and President Obama -- fought, a suggestion that horrified civil-rights veterans.

The city faces a $60 million budget shortfall and council members are selling the privatization proposal with claims it could save about $18 million a year. Local media support the bid uncritically.

At the council meeting, a Firefighters official called for the city to restore a property tax worth $20 million a year, which was eliminated three years ago. He accused white council members of looking out for their gated communities and not the city as a whole.

Texas Gov. Rick Perry (r. secessionist) is polishing off his Bats#it crazy credentials so he can join the rest of the Bats#it crazies.

White privilege and arrogance on full display. Watch Andrew Breitbart get confronted after he crashes Netroots Nation. H/T to the Beer Party for the video.

Keep an eye on this debate. The South Huntsville righty's are trying to convince themselves HUD (Housing and Urban Development) are a bunch of Thugs who are trying to *snicker* intimidate them because they exercised their first amendment and criticized the government. This is rich coming from a gang that bans speech they don't like. Oh well, you know what they say...it takes one to know one.

People moving out
People moving in
Why? Because of the color of their skin
Run, run, run, but you sure can't hide!

The Feds are Fed Up with the city of Huntsville

A Tale of two Hoods, separate and unequal.

Whats that you say? The city of Huntsville is facing a full scale fair housing investigation and it wasn't chosen at random? I'm shocked! Shocked I tell you!
Not.

Huntsville has stumbled into the cross hairs of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Mayor Tommy Battle said HUD's Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity Program Center in Atlanta recently notified the city that it will conduct an exhaustive civil rights compliance review of local affordable housing programs.
The probe will look for any evidence of discrimination in the city community development office's use of HUD dollars from 2008 to 2010.

The spin is in!

Battle said he strongly believes that office, led by Michelle Jordan, follows civil rights guidelines in administering HOME, Community Development Block Grant and Neighborhood Stabilization Program money.
The city gets about $1.8 million a year from HUD for affordable housing activities.

For those who don't know Michelle Jordan just happens to be an African American, so they are already playing blame it on the black woman game because in addition to claims of racial discrimination the Feds are focusing on the actions of the previous director of Community Development.

Michelle Jordan, the city's community development director, said two auditors from HUD's Atlanta regional office were in Huntsville from Feb. 7 until late May looking into Mirabeau's finances.
Jordan's predecessor, Jerry Galloway, began lending large chunks of the city's HOME dollars to Reynolds in March 2002 to stabilize what had become a crime-ridden apartment complex.
While the money was primarily used for construction work, part of it went to pay Reynolds' developer fees and to hire lawyers and marketing experts.
Reynolds used the largest of the low-interest loans, $932,831 in November 2004, to refinance old debt at Mirabeau, according to a timeline provided by the city.

Now the righty's, bless their hearts, just can't understand why Huntsville is being reviewed because of negative public comments about fair housing in The Times and local blogs.

Psst! Here's a clue.

Battle said HUD officials have been watching closely since the housing authority’s 2009 purchase of Stone Manor Luxury Apartments ignited a public outcry.

On April 6, 2009, about 1,000 south Huntsville residents jammed into the Chaffee Elementary School lunchroom to protest the relocation of public housing residents from downtown to Stone Manor.

From the stage, Mo Brooks, now in Congress, advocated ending public housing and giving tax credits to low-income families instead.In the weeks that followed, two civic groups sprang up to monitor housing authority activities. Republican state lawmakers floated bills to strip the authority’s eminent domain power and require it to notify adjacent homeowners before buying property.

Oh, and this might have helped put Huntsville in the *ahem* cross hairs.

the Senate haWhile no one should minimize the many positive things accomplished during the just-concluded state legislative session, it is nevertheless bitterly disappointing to many in this area to learn that, despite having overwhelming Republican majorities in both houses, the legislature could not manage to pass the public housing reform bills.

There were two bills under consideration, both introduced by Rep. Mike Ball. The first would have required public notification before a public housing authority could purchase property. That bill was later amended so that it only applied to Huntsville. The second bill would have stripped the state’s public housing authorities of the power of eminent domain.

Rep. Ball did yeoman’s work shepherding these bills through the committee votes and getting them passed in mid-April by the full House. The bills then went to the Senate, where they were approved at the committee level during the first week in May. At that point, d a full month to bring the bills up for a vote, but it never happened.

But then again, it was probably blog post like this

Dear SHCA Members,

The included link will take you to a story on flashpoint blog. With the exception of Dr. Moores involvement, SHCA leadership has worked with the author in confirming the details reported. The initial incident reports provided to the media by the Huntsville Police Department were so highly sanitized, that they gave no details which cought the attention of the media. We have been told that this sanitation is due to laws which protect minors. Unfortunately, these laws encouraged the continued endangerment of the child who was assulted (sic) in the second attack.

SHCA will continue looking into this matter. We would like to know whether the perpetrator was transferred to another south Huntsville school. If you have any first hand knowledge of this situation which has not been reported, please reply to this message. The identity of members who wish to help will be kept confidential

.

But then again, it might have been comments like this

"Poor kids deserve exposure to a more normalized atomosphere(sic) if they are ever going to have a chance to integrate."

I agree! My kids (and, of course, myself and my wife) deserve to be relocated to The Ledges immediately! How are we supposed to integrate socially if we are forced to live in the area that we can actually afford? It's discriminatory and outrageous that we should be turned away and forced to live in a "bad" area.

Oh, wait. I don't live in a bad area. I live in an area consistent with my economic means, but instead of whining about it I keep going to work and paying my bills. I don't sit at home smoking crack and complaining about how I'm being kept down by The Man. I don't break into my neighbor's house when he's at work. I make sure my kids are in school and not running around with gang-bangers. I mow my yard and keep the house up so as not to bring down the value of my property or the properties around me. I don't pick-up truck with no wheels sitting on cinder blocks in my front yard.

In other words, I behave and live in a manner consistent with the neighborhood I wish to live in.

What revbob said!

I just love the reaction of white conservatives in the comments. "We aren't racists. It's all you damn Americans who are racists!"

If you want to learn exerything that's important about white conservative power in Alabama, just read those comments.

The feds read about it in blogs (let's all take a bow). They didn't read about it in the papers.

The South Huntsville White People's Times completely dropped the ball on the story on Huntsville's continued segregation and their Massive Resistance to integration.

Segregation: it's as conservative as Ku Klux Pie.

The Poverty Tour, by the grace of God go I~A Good Friday Crosspost

This was posted on Left in Alabama before I was booted, I thought It appropriate to re post on Good Friday as a reminder to my Christian and non Christin brothers and sisters that we are all in this together.~RedEye

My family relocated from the big city of Huntsville to a small, rural Alabama town when I was eight years old because my Daddy was appointed the principal of a segregated K-12 school. We weren't rich, but we were better of than a whole lot of our new classmates and neighbors. My Daddy didn't want us to think we were better than anyone else because of who we were or how we lived, so one cold winter evening he and my mother bundled us up, loaded up the VW bus with brown paper bags of "government cheese, butter, powdered milk, rice, flour and cornmeal and set off on what my Dad called the Poverty Tour.

We were exposed to real, unfiltered poverty. We saw some of the worse living conditions imaginable. But we also saw the real people who lived under those conditions.

After we returned to our nice, warm comfortable home my siblings and I asked lots of questions. We wanted to know why there were no bathrooms inside the house? We wanted to know how so many people could fit into two rooms? Where did they all sleep? We wanted to know why they were burning wood and coal in the stove? We wanted to know why air was coming through the floor boards? We wanted to know why the chickens, dogs and cats were inside the house? We wanted to know why they didn't have a telephone or a television set? We wanted to know why the house smelled the way it did? We wanted to know why they offered us food when we were taking them food? We wanted to know why they were so happy to get some cheese and butter? We wanted to know why their clothes were ragged?

After answering our questions, my Daddy looked at us and said "By the grace of God go I". He explained the circumstances we witnessed could be either one of us, or someone in our family. He cautioned us never to look down on our fellow human beings, but to have compassion for them. To never think we were better than anyone else because their circumstances could be our circumstances. To always put yourself in another person's position, to walk a mile in their shoes because one day you could be in their shoes. The Poverty Tour taught us gratitude, humility, empathy and compassion.

Last nights annual board meeting of the Huntsville Housing Authority reminded me of the Poverty Tour. Young, old, black, white, Hispanic, men, women and children, residents of "public housing", shared heart wrenching stories of brain tumors, lost jobs, living in cars, calling DHR to come take the children because they had no place to go, divorce etc. They shared triumphant stories of honor roll students, college graduations and good jobs. They appealed to south Huntsville residents to not judge them, but to accept them as worthy and worth while beings. It was heart breaking to watch them recount their pain, and humbling to listen to their impassioned pleas to be accepted as human beings.

While the "public housing" resident's spoke of brain tumors, living in cars etc., with the exception of two women who welcomed the public housing residents, the majority of south Huntsville residents spoke of property values. Specifically, declining property values if "those people" were "allowed" to move into "their" neighborhoods. South Huntsville residents at the meeting talked about the prospect of increased crime if "those people" were "allowed" to move to "their" neighborhood. South Huntsville residents at the meeting spoke of lowering test scores if "those kids" were "allowed" to attend "their" neighborhood schools. South Huntsville residents at the meeting spoke of the government using tax dollars to devalue "their" property in "their" neighborhood. South Huntsville residents at the meeting don't want "their" neighborhood to become a "HUD" neighborhood. South Huntsville residents at the meeting talked about "their" investments and how comfortable they were.

None of the south Huntsville residents who spoke out against public housing thought about the fact they were just one Tornado away from losing everything and possibly needing public (government) assistance themselves. None of the south Huntsville residents who spoke out against public housing residents thought about the fact they were just one catastrophic illness, or one divorce, or one lost job away from needing public (government) housing. None of the south Huntsville residents who spoke out against public housing realized that , but for the grace of God, go they.

None dared call it racism.

It is racism to believe you own a particular neighborhood or a section of town and you can keep poor/black/brown people from moving and living there.
It is racism if believe all poor/black/brown people are natural born criminals.

It is racism if you believe poor/black/brown children are not as intelligent as white children.

It is racism if you believe one side of town is for poor/black/brown people and the other side is for white people.

It is racism you believe your property values will decrease if poor/black/brown people move into your neighborhood.

It just is.

The work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives and the dreams shall never die.~Senator Edward M. Kennedy (D. MA)

PAC Hypocrisy Edition

What's that you say? Republicans are a bunch of two faced, hypocrites? I'm shocked. Shocked I tell you! Not.

Republicans use PACs. And they run them, too.
Here in Alabama, Republican officeholders even run PACs while holding very high public office:
Governor Bob Riley chairs GOV PAC
House Minority Leader Mike Hubbard is Treasurer of Network Political Action PAC, which his wife chairs
Up until 3 weeks ago Senate candidate Gerald Dial (R) chaired the TIF (Trust Integrity and Fairness) PAC
J.T. Waggoner (I believe that would be Senate Minority Leader "Jabo" Waggoner) chairs the New Alabama Leadership PAC.

Right wing republicans don't have a plan so they create Weapons of Mass Distractions like labeling PAC to PAC transfers as the root of all evil, claiming corrupt democrats are responsible and benefiting from legal bribery/money laundering. Well, real, unashamed, brave, bold, big D Democrat Representative Randy Hinshaw called their bluff and told them to PTFU or STFU. Now that's what I'm talking about!

The Governor needs to call a special session Monday to take up one bill: Jeff Mclaughlins bill to ban PAC to PAC transfers. Will he GOP?

Hell NO Governor Riley will not call a special session Monday to take up the bill to ban PAC to PAC transfers. I wonder why? *Snark*

Of course the righty's response is to attack Randy Hinshaw and demand he return all his PAC donations. Now why would he do something stupid like that? The logic, for lack of a better word, of the right wing defies me.

I've said before, and I will say it again. I don't have a problem with PACs or PAC to PAC transfers. Political Action Committees is the name commonly given to a private group, regardless of size, organized to elect political candidates or to advance the outcome of a political issue or legislation.[1] Legally, what constitutes a "PAC" for purposes of regulation is a matter of state and federal law. Under the Federal Election Campaign Act, an organization becomes a "political committee" by receiving contributions or making expenditures in excess of $1,000 for the purpose of influencing a federal election.District 5 Democratic Congressional nominee Steve Raby said it best, Political Actions Committees are a reality of politics.

I'm a member of several PAC's. I am not a large corporation with millions of dollars to contribute or to hire lobbyist, being a member of a PAC which pools resources is the only way I can compete with the big guys and gals. Without Political Action Committees the little guys and gals wouldn't have a voice. For example,the Confederate Heritage PAC transfers some money to the South Huntsville Civic Association PAC to give to the Mo Brooks/Paul Sanford Campaign.

Everyone knows that PAC-to-PAC money launderers do what are are told.

According to the righty's there are good PACs (gop) and bad PACs (Democratic). fundmaker at leaning LiA compiled a list of PACs primarily servicing Democrats vs. Republicans and identified the sources who contribute to those PACs. It's very e very enlightening. And they say there is no transparency? *Snicker*

Now what everyone needs to focus on is The Chamber is spending 75 million dollars to try to help the Republicans retake Congress The Chamber of Commerce/foreign money disease in America is not limited to or enabled by any one party. They all do it. We all need it to stop.

Obama's attempt to ACORN the Chamber of Commerce is a breach of etiquette for the New Dems and Blue Dogs, some of whom have actually won the Chamber's endorsement. Most of these fools were going to lose their seats anyway, mainly because they watered down the president's agenda which made his policies less popular. And then they failed to defend the unpopular policies that they helped to make unpopular. On top of that, in an election cycle where conservatives are highly motivated, these corporate Dems eschewed the one thing that could save them: criticizing the Republicans' plutocratic agenda by taking on the Big Banks, Big Oil Spillers, Big Insurers, and the Fat Cats asking for tax relief.
They're not too different from Rep. Joe Barton (R-TX) who famously told us to stop being mean to BP during the catastrophe in the Gulf.

Taking on the Chamber is a no-brainer, unless you plan on doing their bidding and winning their support.

There is more than a whiff of hypocrisy.