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

I sure do miss the good old days when the media kept public officials from lying to us instead of enabling them to lie to us

The Huntsville school board meets in the board room of the Annie C. Merts Center on Tuesday. (Crystal Bonvillian/cbonvillian@al.com)

Sigh.......  We weren't allowed to say we hate anyone or anything when we were growing up.  Our parents taught us if you hate you are just like the haters.  We were allowed to say we strongly disliked actions, but we always had to have an explanation.  That said,  I strongly dislike the media we have, or this case, don't have, because instead of telling us what we need to know in order to make informed decisions, they tell us what they want us to know. And in most cases that's not much.  

It's not as if some of us didn't see this coming when 100's of journalist got pink slips back  in 2012 because their ain't no sunshine anymore, and the public is left in the dark.  For example, the public probably isn't aware the #hsvboe (Huntsville Board of Eduction) adjourns the public board meeting, which is televised, prior to the citizens comments, which are not televised, meaning we have to depend on the media to tell us, or in most cases, not tell us, what comments were made, and God forbid they ask follow up questions.  Oh, and the#hsvboe does not have to answer citizens questions, and there is not a darn thing John or Susie Public can do about it. Sometimes I feel like I'm living in the Twilight Zone (cue in music).

Let's look at tonight's live stenography, I mean,  updates from the #hsvboe meeting courtesy of AL.com.  Exhibit A:

8 p.m.: Citizen comments began with T.C. Johnson, pastor of St. Luke Missionary Baptist Church, who asked that the "renaming" of Johnson High School be rescinded. Johnson claimed that board policy was violated in the decision to rename Johnson as Jemison High School and that the public did not have adequate input in the decision.
Johnson is not the first to complain about the loss of the Johnson High name. School board members have said, however, that Johnson is not being renamed, but closed.
Butler High School is also closing and its students being diverted to Jemison with the Johnson students.
T.C. Johnson was the only citizen who signed up to speak at the meeting. The board adjourned for the evening when he was done.

I guess it would have been to much like, you know, real  journalism to find out why Johnson claimed that board policy was violated.  I mean, we can't have the public thinking Johnson is telling the truth even if he is.  Let's just ignore his allegations, out of sight out of mind.

Last night the Huntsville City School Board of Education violated their own policy on the Selection of School, Facility, and/or Property Name (Policy 2.9, presented September 5, 2013) by concluding the process and voting on the new names approximately three weeks before they were allowed to do so.
On September 5, 2013, the board met and discussed during their work session a new policy entitled, “Selection of School, Facility, and/or Property Name” (Policy 2.9). This policy was necessary to ensure that the process of receiving new names for schools would be as open to the public as possible. Laurie McCaulley, who was at that time serving as the School Board President, assured the public present that evening that the public would have every opportunity to “have input on these changes.”

 Moving on to Exhibit B:

7:36 p.m.: The work session has ended, and the board has moved into action items. The Jemison site package contract, along with several smaller renovation contracts and bid renewals, was approved. Click here to see all of the approved items.
7:20 p.m.: Jeff Wilson, director of operations for the district, gave the board an update on the construction of the new Jemison High School/McNair Middle campus. A $1.8 million contract expected to be approved later in the meeting will go toward preparing the site for construction of the school buildings.

Let's forget about the fact parents and citizens are concerned about the safety and well being of students/faculty/staff due to the site being prepared for construction is less than half a mile from an active rock quarry.  Never mind parents and citizens requested $250,000 for a health risk assessment to be conducted before they spend $1.8 million preparing the site for construction of the school buildings that may or may not be safe for student/faculty/staff to occupy.  Let's ignore them too, they aren't anybody, just tax payers without representation.

Last but not least, Exhibit C:
In an attempt to discredit Madison County Commissioner, and fellow black elected official, Robert "Bob" Harrison, #hsvboe mis-representative Laurie McCaulley discredited herself, and the indefensible actions of the Superintendent she was trying to defend.  We must laugh to keep from crying....

McCaulley also objected to Harrison suggesting Superintendent Casey Wardynski had misled the court while under oath. One of the issues Harrison raised involved testimony about wifi in public housing, an issue because Huntsville had touted its laptop program as equalizing educational opportunities across the city.
Harrison wrote about a recent agreement between Huntsville schools and Comcast, and argued Wardynski testified "as if this agreement was in existence and had been for some time." Harrison told the judge that for two years children in public housing could not complete their homework on the laptops.
McCaulley said the board had been led to understand the service was available."It was our assumption it had been done," said McCaulley.

Psst!  If you are an elected official and you don't know when you've been *cough cough* misled,  it might be time for you to go someplace and sit all the way down.  And if you are a journalist/ reporter, you might want to start interviewing people who don't tow the party line, and please stop faking the funk when the facts don't fit the narrative.

"You are not the voice of the people that's my board member.  Laurie McCaulley was elected, David Blair were elected, they are the voice of the people. You're just a company.  Who elected you?" 

It's the media.  They think we are stupid.