Pleading to be treated like "We The People" in 2016

One by one, parents and other members of the of the African American community, took the stand in District Court and pleaded for a seat at the table in the Huntsville desegregation case. 

More than a half century since her grandfather sued to end dual schooling in Huntsville, Catherine Hereford took the witness stand in an attempt to fill his shoes.
"I want to continue the work my grandfather did and see it through to completion," Hereford told U.S. District Judge Madeline Hughes Haikala on Monday in a crowded federal courtroom in downtown Huntsville
At stake is who gets a seat in the negotiations to end the city's long-running desegregation case.

Everybody has a seat at the table except those who are impacted the most   

"Since the filing of the Consent Decree in this case, the DOJ has failed to adequately represent the interests of African-American students in the Huntsville City Schools," reads the motion filed Friday.

Not surprisingly Huntsville City Schools and the DOJ want to keep it that way

"Please don't put us in a position that it's so unwieldy we cannot deal with," said J.R. Brooks, the school board attorney, in his closing appeal to the judge. He said that four new plaintiffs could open the door to even more new plaintiffs.

And the Judge thinks it's "growing pains"? 

The SPLC repeatedly commended the proposed consent order's objectives and efforts but argued it "does not comprehensively address many of the issues with HCS discipline procedures and practices, nor has the court been fully apprised of the issues during this litigation."
The Montgomery-based organization concluded in its 10-page letter that the plan risks being a "temporary fix" or "exacerbating" the situation unless it adds four revisions:
Meaningful judicial oversight;
Robust accountability measures;
Significant due process protections;
An expeditious time frame.
The SPLC criticized the proposed consent order as being written in "vague and overbroad terms that create uncertainty" and make it hard for the court to enforce.
It also seeks language that requires the school district to provide attorneys to students/families brought to disciplinary hearings in they can't afford one; obligations to report ongoing data; and a time frame for implementing reforms.

So here Black Parents and Community leaders go again.  Pleading to be heard.  Pleading for a seat at the table.  Pleading to be treated like human beings.  My question is why do we have to beg? 

I swear to the Lord, I still can't see, why Democracy means, everybody but me. Langston Hughes

Desegregation Judge drops the hammer on black/brown/poor students and taxpayers #HCSvDOJ #hcsboe #SeparateAndUnequal

Huntsville City Schools March 11, 1963 -March 11, 2015  (Huntsville Times file)

EYE am still trying to figure out how Judge Madeline Haikala morphed from Huntsville City Schools can show no evidence they aren't operating a dual school system , to  it's OK for Huntsville City Schools to continue to operate a dual school system, but that's exactly what she did in a memorandum issued late last night.

Her memorandum opinion posted on the court's website called the proposed consent order "an excellent vehicle to help the district advance towards a 'nonracial system of public education' that will eliminate the effects of the former segregated system and allow the district to return to local control."
The proposed consent order was developed jointly by the school district and U.S. Justice Department after Haikala ordered both sides to enter mediation last summer to work out their differences. They presented their plan in unified manner to the judge during a two-day hearing in March.

About that "unified plan".  It's basically the same plan as the original plan. The only difference I can see is former Butler High and Terry Heights students won't be forced to attend the Mega Black school illegally renamed after two black astronauts, located less than half a mile from an active rock quarry. However, that will change when a majority of them are relocated to public housing across University Drive.

If Sage Hill comes to fruition, the developers have agreed to make all 62 units available to public housing families that live in Sparkman Homes on Holmes Avenue, said Lundy.
The housing authority wants to transform Eisenhower-era Sparkman Homes west of downtown into a new mixed-income development; relocating nearly 40 percent of current residents to Sage Hill would make that easier.

The Southern Poverty Law Center and the NAACP Legal Defense Fund asked the judge to reject the plan.

The SPLC criticized the proposed consent order as being written in "vague and overbroad terms that create uncertainty" and make it hard for the court to enforce.
It also seeks language that requires the school district to provide attorneys to students/families brought to disciplinary hearings in they can't afford one; obligations to report ongoing data; and a time frame for implementing reforms.
The NAACP's Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc., said while it is no longer counsel in the case, it weighed in on the desegregation plan because of its "institutional mission and previous involvement in the matter."
It concluded its six-page letter, saying Huntsville failed to present a plan "that promises realistically to work and promised realistically to work now." It also criticized the proposed consent order for being "dangerously vague," "at best, ambiguous" and "difficult to enforce."

Councilman Richard Showers called for a rejection of the plan also.

It seems the District was successful in pleading their case that it was in the best interest of the schools in North Huntsville to remain as they are and continue the same 'feeder' pattern," wrote Showers. "Failing schools feeding into failing schools."

Am EYE disappointed in the Judge's ruling?  You bet EYE am.  This was an opportunity for Huntsville City Schools to be a shining example for others to follow, a beacon of HOPE for the future of our Republic.  it was an opportunity for all children, regardless of race, gender, address, or circumstance to have equal access to a quality public education.  There is no right way to do the wrong thing.  Separate and unequal was wrong then, and it's wrong now.

EYE told y'all the desegregation hearing was much ado about nothing.

 After months of  secret mediation The United States Department of Justice basically approved Wardynski’s rezoning plan that he developed and implemented entirely without public input.
Huntsville City Schools will agree to anything as long as they can legally operate a dual school system.  In an effort to stop expelling black students the district agreed to rewrite the Student Code of Conduct, implement a Restorative Justice Strategies, develop a Positive School Climate Program, and appoint a Desegregation Advisory Committee.  All of this by a superintendent and school board who who view African American students as natural born gang members, and adopts polices that treat them that way.

 Even If We Win We Lose

So after months and possibly years of litigation over the rezoning plan, what have we won?
The district will still be under the control of the DoJ except now the plan that the DoJ believed would best bring us unification has been rejected.
The DoJ still controls our destiny. Does fighting their plan (even assuming we’ve seen their plan) bring us closer to unification?
Nope. It doesn’t.
The Wardynski Plan is a fool’s errand. We did not have to file it. And the public has had zero input into the plan.
So, after potentially years of litigation and expense, we will have accomplished absolutely nothing, even if we win.
Nothing except the following:

1. Wardynski has shored up support for himself in this town because he’s willing to fight the “evil” federal government.
2. Wardynski has improved his name recognition on a national level.
3. Wardynski has spent a ton of the district’s money that he should be spending on improving education at all of our schools. And of course,
4. We’re still a segregated system.

This is, in the Bard’s wise words, much ado about nothing.

BTW, if you want to see the real "winners" just read the comment section on Al.com.

Casey you have to break the mold and prove you're not afraid of minorities, democrats, liberals, aclu (sic) 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!

Mission Accomplished  to the detriment of those who can't flee.

More than 100 people were killed by police in the month of March, but that's OK

Communities of color are not the enemies! #BlackLivesMatter #EricGarner #ICantBreathe https://t.co/wCRlS8nflW pic.twitter.com/6xnnFO4kII

— ACLU National (@ACLU) December 4, 2014

But, but, black on black crime.........

Via Think Progress:

In March alone, 111 people died during police encounters — 36 more than the previous month. As in the past, numerous incidents were spurred by violent threats from suspects, and two officers were shot in Ferguson during a peaceful protest. However, the deaths follow a national pattern: suspects were mostly people of color, mentally ill, or both. 

The victims must have missed the lecture on how to behave if engaged by the police.  Snark

As the young people say, let's flip the script.  However, the deaths follow a national pattern:  suspects were mostly white, mentally ill, or both. Maybe then we would have some real reform.

From the American Civil Liberties Union:

The public needs legitimate data collection practices that promote transparency and accountability when police use unreasonable force. We need something a little more thoughtful than a Google search to give us the stats on the number of police shootings — fatal or nonfatal — in any given period of time.
As the ACLU explained to the task force, data collection and reporting is the easiest single thing any police department can do starting today. And it will offer the best depiction of what policing in the 21st century looks like.
Both the ACLU and the task force recommend data collection on a range of police and citizen encounters — from stops and arrests to nonfatal and fatal police shootings. “Policies on use of force,” the task force writes, “should also require agencies to collect, maintain, and report data to the Federal Government on all officer-involved shootings, whether fatal or nonfatal, as well as any in-custody death.” And data must be inclusive not just of race and gender but disability as well.

 As of April 2, two individuals have been killed by police — one in California and another in New York — according to KilledByPolice. The circumstances surrounding the deaths was not specified.

When are Americans going to stop saying it's OK?  Get involved.  Tell the DOJ: Ban racial profiling by police.

"For more information contact your school board member or Huntsville Council of PTA's" Yeah, right.

I'm back! Before I get into the meat the potatoes of this post I must extend a sincere thank you to Chip for filling in during the void due to someone(s) cutting off the Internet to my home.  I HOPE Chip will continue to post on a daily basis.  We like and encourage diversity here at RedEye's page.  If anyone else interested in being a contributor grab a moniker and send me a writing sample c/o redeyeblog.alabama@yahoo.com.   I would also like to thank all of the readers/lurkers for your continued support. I continue to be amazed and humbled, it is why I blog, and why I am eternally grateful to mooncat and countrycat for encouraging me to blog,  for encouraging me to start my own blog.   ~RedEye

So, I return to find the Huntsville City Schools up to their old tricks in an attempt to keep the school system segregated by race/class, ironically at the same time the University of Alabama Student Government Association votes for integrating the Greek system.

We are constantly being told the NAACP Legal Defense Fund agrees with the Huntsville City Schools rezoning plan,  but clearly that is a lie.

Enabled by the media,  HCS keeps repeating The NAACP Legal Defense Fund did not oppose the Huntsville City Schools rezoning plan meme, counting on the public to infer the NAACP LDF supports the plan.

What they don't count on is the public having enough sense to read the motion for themselves.  The special counsel for the plaintiffs (Norman J. Chachkin) is not opposed to the new school construction plan because of penalties the BOE would incur if they don't start construction of the new Grissom and the new Johnson High Schools by a certain date due to Arbitrage (Page 6-7 and footnotes page 6). The Plaintiffs attorney reserved the right to oppose the rezoning plan and further litigate whatever issues he deems are in the best interest of the class.

 In other words, the LDF has not dismissed this lawsuit.

The motion filed by HCS BOE request the courts approval, and DOJ agreement, to build a new Johnson High School and a new Grissom High School (footnotes page 4). The court did not approve, and the DOJ did not agree to closing Johnson, renaming Johnson, or closing and combining Butler High School with Johnson High School. The closing of Butler is part of the rezoning plan which the LDF reserved the right to oppose.

"For more information contact your school board member or Huntsville Council of PTA's."  Again, the public is supposed to believe their school board member will answer their questions and not know the Huntsville Cluster of PTA's is a racket, I mean,  an arm of the superintendent and the BOA.

Just in case the school board rep will answer questions that aren't written down here are a few:

1. Who is the owner of the Bulk Mail permit?
2. Who generated the distribution list? 
3. Who composed the copy? 
4. Was this approved by the BOE?
5. If it was approved by the BOE when and where was it voted on?

Wonder why the media isn't investigating this?
Strike that.
We know why.

RedEye Roll

The Washington Times tries to blame the NAACP and the DoJ for Huntsville's Failing Schools via The Attack Machine

@TheDaleJackson @Mark_Kellner The NAACP nor the DOJ are responsible for 40+ years & 71-74  failing schools in AL being predominantly black.
— Red Eye (@RedEyesPage) August 16, 2013

Read  the Concern Trolling for the poor African American students who are trapped in "failing schools" because of the mean ole  NAACP and the DOJ  Here:

There will always be arguments over whether and how much the schools have improved. It may indeed be the case that once-failing schools in Huntsville have improved substantially in the past six years. And perhaps the Alabama Accountability Act could stand an overhaul. But the issues of school choice and of putting students first seem to be lost on both the Department of Justice and the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. Seeking to keep their lawyers busy, these two enterprises are more concerned about “balance” in the classrooms than what is actually being learned in those classes.

HCS aren't approving Alabama Accountability Act transfers and blaming it on the court ordered desegregation order.  Can you say Scapegoat?

I guess it depends on what the definition of a "hostile learning environment for students" IS

 Grissom High School JROTC cadets, instructors, and parents showed up in full force to defend their instructor against charges of bullying two female cadet members.

Yesterday I wrote about the legal lynching of  Shirley Taylor, the University Place Elementary School teacher who was fired by the superintendent after she was accused by the former principal, Towana Davis, of mistreating students, thereby creating a hostile learning environment.

Davis accused Taylor of creating a "hostile learning environment for students," in part by telling one boy in November 2011 that "he wasn't going to amount to anything or make anything of himself." The boy's mother wrote a letter to the school to complain after her son came home in tears.
Davis also received a letter from a HEALS health clinic staffer who complained about two incidents with Taylor that she witnessed. In one incident, when students were being dismissed for the day, she allegedly heard Taylor screaming at her students, among other things, that they'd "never amount to anything" and "can't do anything right."
In the second incident, when the HEALS staffer went to pick up a child in Taylor's classroom, Taylor allegedly humiliated the boy in front of his classmates by calling him "sick" and in need of medicine. With "more malice in her voice than I can describe in words," the HEALS staffer wrote, Taylor insulted the boy several times while he sat hunched over at his desk, crying.

When a female, Grissom High School, JROTC cadet complained to school officials after being verbally abused by the male instructor, which is currently under investigation by the Feds, school officials said when teachers verbally abuse students it's not Bullying.

An attorney for the Huntsville City Schools had this to say about a bullying incident at Grissom High School earlier this year:  "While you and I may agree that preaching at school that homosexuality is sinful and against the Bible, is not appropriate, this is not bullying."  Really.  How about when it's a teacher berating a student on the topic to the point that she leaves the room in tears? 

Then there is the case of the 15 year old Butler student who was beaten and striped in the schools bathroom, and who initially was denied an emergency school transfer for her safety.   In this case the superintendent and the school board called the incident horseplay, and placed the blame on the victim and the community.  To my knowledge, neither the principal ,or any teachers have been reprimanded, much less fired.

The student claimed she was beaten in the school bathroom by three female students. She said she had her shirt and bra stripped off and had to walk the hallway topless looking for help.
Superintendent Dr. Casey Wardynski said her transfer being denied was not accurate. He said in order to transfer a student for a safety reason, there must be proof of two things. There must be proof it was a violent crime and that the harassment continued afterwards, which, at the time, he didn't have either.

Finally, there are the public accusations of privatized abuse/torture at the Pinnacle Schools, a private, residential, drug treatment, program contracted by the school board, after they closed and sold the public Fletcher E. Seldon Alternative School.

“The academic programs of The Pinnacle Schools are designed to support students therapeutically by providing a safe learning environment in which their self-esteem is positively impacted by success in school.”

In my opinion, all three of the above incidents are more conducive to creating a hostile, unsafe, learning environment, than a teacher being overheard telling a student they would never amount to anything, or, for telling a sick child they are sick and need medicine.  Sounds like the HCS BOE has a different definition of a hostile learning environment for students for different folks.

Today's Must Reads
Time to End Zip Code Education
NAACP seeks to mount shakeup in U.S. Education
Mississippi school-to-prison pipeline continues to outrage

"It's all about money and race"

The public school system in Huntsville, Alabama used to be known as the best kept secret in Alabama.  As a product of the Huntsville City School system after integration,  I remember the good old days when all schools were considered "good schools".  When all teachers/principal and support personnel were highly qualified. When young minds were encouraged to reach their full potential regardless of of their zip code, parents income, race, gender, or religion.

The city of Huntsville had the perception of being a progressive oasis in the reddest of the red states.  Huntsville's image wasn't marred with bombings, Bull Conner, dogs and fire hoses.  Nope, Huntsville was thought to be immune from the ignorance of racism when public schools and facilities integrated without fanfare (except for the swimming pool).

So what happened between then and now?  Two words....white flight from north Huntsville to south Huntsville, and the creation of neighborhood schools.  You see, the government can't tell you where to live, but the government can tell you where to attend a public school.

As in most cases, people chose to live based on where they can afford to live.  Taxpayers who live in affluent areas have access to the best public schools their tax dollars can buy.  Taxpayers who live in non affluent areas have access to the worst public schools their tax dollars can buy.

There is a provision in the HCS Federal Court Desegregation order that allows students to transfer from schools where they are the majority race, to schools where they are the minority race.  This is supposed to be a two way deal, but what parent in their right (no pun) mind is going to transfer their child from the best public school their tax dollars can buy, to the worst school their tax dollars can buy?  I mean, really?

Why are public schools in the less affluent area considered to be the worst schools you ask?  Some say it's because of the unfairness of life, it's not their fault the majority of the students are black/brown/poor.  Some say the U.S. Department of Justice is making unreasonable demands on the school district.

I'm convinced we have a separate and unequal school district due to the lynching of public education, not only in Huntsville, but the state in general.  You see, Sweet Home Alabama cares more about property values than educating it's poor/black/brown students.

What those in positions of power fail to realize is we are all in the boat together.  If one end of the boat is clean and bright and the other end of the boat is dirty and full of holes, guess what...the whole damn boat is going to sink.

It's all about money and race.  Keeping those two things in mind, everything else makes perfect sense

Alabama Burning

In light of Alabama's harsh immigration law, and elected officials saying they will do anything short of shooting illegals and referring to African American citizens as Aborigines, among other things, the Feds are coming to Alabama.  Yee Haw!

My favorite Righty's say America has a race problem but it is not what you think,  it's them their coloreds that are racist because 94%  of African Americans support Obama over Romney.   

Poor things, they believe 94% of African Americans support President Obama over Mitt Romney is because he's black like them.  I wonder what part of African Americans don't vote for candidates based on the color of their skin but the content of their agenda don't they understand?

The unit will be headed by Robert Posey, a longtime federal prosecutor who worked with Mr. Jones on the church-bombing cases. With a core group of five lawyers in Birmingham and Huntsville, it will handle cases from the northern half of the state.
The Obama administration sued the state to block the law clamping down on illegal immigration after Republican Gov. Robert Bentley signed it last year, and Mr. Posey said the unit already is involved in two cases involving allegations of excessive force by law enforcement officers.
The department’s decision to place a civil rights unit in Alabama shows the state will has problems guaranteeing legal equality years after the civil rights era ended, said Shay Farley, legal director of Alabama Appleseed, a public interest legal office based in Montgomery.
“It highlights the fact that the war isn’t over,” she said.

Welcome to Sweet Home Alabama, the cradle of the Confederacy, the birthplace of the Civil Rights Movement, and political prosecutions of liberal Democrats.

"Fast and Furious" Saturday Open Thread~Updated

H/T Jobsanger

Zimmerman Audio Tapes Bring Into Question Credibility.  Again.

• I hope people know the reason why he's saying Trayvon Martin said those words and the way he said it right? It's because he want to make Trayvon sound like a thug and he know white people will back him(Zimmerman) if Trayvon is labeled as a thug

• No what it does is try to make Trayvon Martin look like a hood or a a hoodlum. Because black people don't say "homey" no more and also when he got shot ain't nobody going to say "all man you got me" but see white people still think black people still talk like that. So now they like its more believable for white people because most of them have that kind of stereotype upon black people

Making a living off of Government Contracts coming to a school district near you!

Race Baiting for Votes goes on and on....

It's tough to stop Voter Fraud when there is none. 

Did we see the republican playbook for  2012?  Steal the November Election?!?!

Report:  Issa Staffer offered to stop Holder Contempt vote in exchange for the resignation of Assistant Attorney General Lanny Beurer. 

During a phone call last week with a senior Justice official, Issa's chief investigative counsel, Stephen Castor, broached a possible settlement. As the conversation began, according to two sources familiar with the conversation, Castor asked the official where things stood on "accountability." By that, Castor meant would any heads roll at Justice. Castor mentioned Lanny Breuer, the head of the department's Criminal Division, whom Republicans had been gunning for because of his knowledge of gun-walking techniques that had been used during the Bush administration. (Their theory was that Breuer should have taken aggressive steps to ensure that such measures were not repeated in future operations.) According to these sources, Castor said that if Breuer resigned, they could head off the looming constitutional clash. 

New Pressures on Corbett's Failure to Prosecute Sandusky When He Had the Chance 

They are not Happy in Happy Valley

Wisconsin is what Democracy looks like!

I
t also highlights the disconnect between the mainstream media (part of the 1%), and the American people (the 99%).  Tune in to mainstream media and all you will hear is the Talking TeeVee Pundit Heads (1%) talking about how Wisconsin is a divided state, polls show a tight race, Scott Walker is out spending the democrats, turnout is the key, should President Obama campaign in Wisconsin, what are the implications for November, blah, blah, blab, blab.

Of course it's easier for them to hypothesize will Scott Walker get a pink slip, orange jumpsuit, or a second chance, than talk about how and why there is a recall in Wisconsin.  It's called holding elected officials accountable for when they lie to the voters to get elected.

If you really want to know what's going on in Wisconsin go to the Professional Left  Blogosphere for the comprehensive review, honest analysis,  unbiased information,  voters need to make informed decisions.

One thing is true, if democrats stay their Donkey's at home, republicans will win.  If republicans win, the American people lose.

ReCall  Scott Walker-Wisconsin can't wait.  

Today's Must Reads

Stand at the Ballot Box

What's the matter with the DOJ you ask?  It's controlled by Bush holdovers who prosecute people not crimes and a republican controlled Supreme Court who enables them.

I wonder if the Cats and Critters at Left in Alabama can hear Alabama State Senator Hank Sanders now?

WARdynski on Public Education

The Problem Black Students Still Live With

Access to a quality public education for black/brown/poor students is under a well funded, well organized, and sustained attack in Huntsville, AL. under the capable command of Colonel Casey WARdynski.

Why is public education under attack?  Well, because it's PUBLIC education.  Meaning, every child has access, regardless of race, gender, income or address, which is the opposite of PRIVATE education.  The only reason some (not to be confused with all) black/brown/poor children have access to a quality public education is because the school district is under a federal court desegregation order.

Board President David Blair says the court order is holding back progress, preventing city schools from experimenting with a system in which students choose a school based on what they want to study instead of where they live.
"I would love to see us challenge the desegregation order," said board member Jennie Robinson, who represents south Huntsville.The Justice Department, which monitors compliance with the court order, recently refused approval for a second southeast high school. At Grissom, the only nearby high school, less than 4 percent of students are black.
The Justice Department's action limits growth near the Tennessee River, Robinson said. Plus, she said the court order ignores that there are more than two races here. Last year, Huntsville had almost 600 Hispanic students and almost 600 Asians. Most Asian students attended Grissom or its feeder schools.
She also said some studies show children learn better from teachers of the same race.
Board member Topper Birney said the city school board could better operate without federal approval for every new building.

The Justice Department told the School Board to not even think about being granted Unitary Status.  My Daddy says if you can't get in through the front door then go around to the back door.  Looks like the School Board has finally found the man with a plan to continue to ignore the United States Department of Justice.  Keeping them there black/brown/poor students in their place, I mean their zones.  Snark

In a three-page explanation to The Times, Wardynski said his sweeping overhaul of system leadership was designed "to promote strong leaders into larger schools and into schools for which their talents are particularly suited."
Two of those principal swaps, the transfer of Lynette Alexander to Westlawn Middle and Dawn Ashley to Dawson Elementary, are designed to help the district "restart" low-performing schools. A "restart" allows the district to replace about 50 percent of the teachers and bring in new school leaders.
Wardynski called Alexander and Ashley "two of our most accomplished leaders" and said he expected immediate improvements.
The move also allows a district to cancel student transfers to other schools and erase a school's test score history in an effort to give it a fresh start.

Looks like Colonel WARdynski is doing at least on of the jobs he was hired to do.

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

Today's Must Read
Just how much of a bonus should Dr. Wardynski receive for his work this year? 

Which brings me to the Pinnacle fiasco.  Stay tuned.

WARdynski's changes are helping to keep "the black schools" black

Through a rather ahem unpleasant exchange on Twitter with Brian LeCompte, the former proprietor of Flashpoint Blog, I learned the prevailing thought in Rightwingdom is  Huntsville City Schools Superintendent Casey WARdynski's spending $2 million on consultants and shuffling teacher/principals around is keeping "the black schools" from "sucking."

Brian LeCompte explains it like this…
Wardynski is making massive staff changes in an effort to stop north Huntsville schools from sucking. Three possible outcomes…
1) Relative (zero sum) changes, bad schools get better while good schools who were raided for talent get worse…
2) Absolute change, preferably with formerly sucky schools improving and the good schools, at a minimum, not getting worse
3) Little to no change
It is a grand experiment whose outcome will speak volumes.
This line surprised me…
The move also allows a district to cancel student transfers to other schools and erase a school’s test score history in an effort to give it a fresh start.

I wonder what part of black schools is illegal don't they understand?  This proves the changes aren't helping the "black schools" it's about keeping the "black schools" black and the "white schools" white.  The HCS board continues to ignore Brown v. Board in favor of Plessey v. Ferguson.

WARdynski doing what he was hired to do

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!

All Trayvon Martin All the Time

For those of you polluting my inbox calling me obsessed with Trayvon Martin, telling me to get over it, because no one is paying any attention to me because I'm a racist, this blog is not for you.  That's the great thing about the Internet, no one forces anyone to read anything they don't want to read.

That said, this is why I Blog, to be a voice for the voiceless.  I am not obsessed with Trayvon Martin, I am passionate about Trayvon Martin.  I am passionate about justice. I am passionate about the future of our country.  There will be no so called "fair and balanced, both sides" reporting here.  It will be just the facts.

Trayvon Martin is every black parent's child.

Trayvon Martin was killed for being young, black, male and suspicious in America in 2012.

Trayvon Martin was hunted down like a caged animal.

All of the witnesses who say George Zimmerman was screaming for help (with a 9 mm in his hand) are white.

I wish I could find comfort in the fact the Department of Justice has decided to investigate.

We who believe in freedom cannot rest.

We who believe in freedom cannot rest until it comes.

Until the killing of Black men, Black mother's sons

Is as important the the killing of White men, White mother's sons~ Ella's Song by Bernice Johnson Reagon

"What if I had looked "suspicious" that night"?

This is the question screaming in the head of  13 year old Austin McClendon, Trayvon  Martin killing's youngest witness.  McClendon's mother says his initial statement to Sanford Police was  twisted to imply George Zimmerman was the one screaming for help.

"They still haven't arrested him yet.".  Says Austin, his chin tucked low. "That's pretty much the thing that's upsetting me.

That's pretty much the thing that's upsetting a lot of people, so as Barney Fife would say, let's nip this differ in interpretations of who was calling for help on the 911 tapes in the bud.


"Interpretations "my Donkey


Why would George Zimmerman be screaming for help?  Trayvon Martin didn't have a 9 mm handgun aimed at George Zimmerman's chest.

Why did the screams for help stop after the shot(s) were fired?

If George Zimmerman was so afraid for his life, why did he disobey orders from dispatch not to pursue Trayvon Williams, much less get out of his car and confront him with a 9 mm handgun?pistol?

How can you claim self defense when you are the aggressor?

Did the Sanford Police collect shell casings, or perform lab test on blood allegedly  found on George Zimmerman to see whose it was?

Why is the case being turned over to the Seminole County Attorney General instead of the United States Attorney General?

The Jena Six were charged,  tried, convicted and jailed for attempted murder of a white classmate  . 

Remember?

Today's Must Read
The Killing of Trayvon Martin is not a "Black Problem".

RedEye's Monday Must Reads

"Trust but Verify"  jumped into my mind after reading Geek Pavaler's post, Wardynski:  Just Trust Me.  HCS Commandant, I mean Superintendent, Casey Wardynski's  Internal Review   found major problems  within the systems business practices under the  leadership of his predecessor.  There's only one problem...his predecessor couldn't do a thing without the approval of the same people who hired him as a replacement. You see, the way things work,  The Superintendent recommends policies, and the School Board adopts the policies, or not.  So, if the school system had major problems under the leadership of his predecessor, blame the majority of the present members of the school board for adopting the recommendations.

You know, the same school board that is adopting YOUR recommendations, Sir.  BTW, the United States Department of Justice found some major problems with the school systems desegregation order and other inequalities.  And, what about the major problems of with the lack of transparency and accountability to we the tax payers?  Why should we just trust you with out verifying what you are telling us is the truth?  I'm just saying....

What do Michelle Rhee and Foster Friess have in common?  In case you are wondering who Michelle Rhee and Foster  Fries are, and  their connections to Alabama and the future of education in this state, click on the hyperlinks.  Then weep for Alabama's poor, black and brown students, and our HOPE for their futures.

Alabama republicans prefile bill to bring back slavery by any other name.  Must see YouTube.

Read On.  Read Often.

Paging Chris Christie!

N.J. Gov. Chris Christie DismiN.J. Gov. Chris Christie Dismisses Criticism of Beach Trip Photossses Criticism of Beach Trip Photos

New Jersey Republican Governor Chris Christie (no, that's not a typo) is calling for the head (literally) of the New Jersey Teachers Union to resign after he tells poor families life's not fair.

WESTFIELD — Gov. Chris Christie on Wednesday called for a top leader of New Jersey’s teacher’s union to resign or be fired over for saying “life’s not always fair” while discussing poor families’ inability to afford private schools and union opposition to vouchers that could help them do so.
New Jersey Education Association executive director Vincent Giordano made the comment in an interview over the weekend on NJTV during a discussion focusing on school vouchers, which would in some cases let students use public money to attend private school.
When pressed on the dilemma faced by parents who can’t afford to remove their children from failing schools, Giordano, whose annual salary in 2009 was more than $326,000 — not including more than $165,000 in deferred compensation — replied: “Life’s not always fair and I’m sorry about that.”
He went on to say: “We should work more closely with administrators and with this administration and we should provide the best possible education within our public schools. Our public schools are among the best in the nation. There are areas, urban areas in particular, that are challenging and that’s where we should be focusing more of our energy and more of our efforts.”

Psst Chris!  How about coming to Sweet Home Alabama and calling for Madison County republican leaders Hugh McInnish head (pun intended), for telling the DOJ 'unfairness of life is the cause for racial disparities in schools'.

HUNTSVILLE, AL -- A leader in the Madison County Republican Party has written a letter to federal officials stating that disparities between white and black students in Huntsville's school system exist because "life is unfair."
"If there is unfairness, it is because life itself is unfair. The unfairness is not manmade," said Hugh McInnish, at-large member of the county's Republican Executive Committee.
McInnish sent his letter to U.S. Department of Justice attorney Allison R. Brown following a Tuesday morning news conference at his home in the Ledges, a gated community in south Huntsville. The letter was in response to a Feb. 16 letter from Brown to school board attorney J.R. Brooks that detailed racial disparities Justice Department investigators found in Huntsville's schools regarding student and teacher assignment, advanced course offerings and discipline.

There is more than a whiff of hypocrisy. Chris Christie isn't concerned about poor families/students any more than Hugh McInnish, but they both use them as pawns in their political games.  

God, please help America.

Today's Must Reads
Entirely Unacceptable: Moral Matters
Say it Ain't So
The right's stupidity spreads, enabled by a too- polite left

The racial politics of the Huntsville City Schools Pinnacle Policy

The motto of Huntsville City Schools  used to be Education is the Hope of the Republic, with the dismantling of the Fletcher Seldon Center and other radical changes, this motto is no longer true for black/brown/poor and special education students because the superintendent,  enabled by the school board, is destroying  any hope for the future of our republic, choosing to fuel the cradle the prison pipeline instead.

One of the many, many, things wrong with the Pinnacle Policy is the denial of students right to equal protection under the  law and due process.  I turn the floor over to The Mertz Center Monitor.

So, kids, the bottom line is this. Don’t fight on school property. If you fight there, you could find yourself living in a teepee for a year — or maybe longer. You won’t have legal counsel (“Ordinarily no attorney will be present in an advisory capacity for the expulsion hearing”), which you are provided in juvenile court. Unless you do someone an obvious serious physical injury, if you fight away from school, and get arrested, and the case isn’t diverted from the courts, and you are found guilty or enter a consent agreement, likely you’ll end up with six months probation. Shipped off without legal counsel to a teepee for “however long it takes” — that, kids, is scary, very scary.

It is very scary indeed, especially for the parents of poor/black and brown students  who are given the choice of expulsion, or sending their child to a private, "Therapeutic" facility  for fighting on school property. A fight we would never have known about if it hadn't be recorded on a cellphone and posted on the WHNT TV website.  For the record, I don't condone fighting by anyone, anytime, any place. My question is, where were the school resource officers/administrators/teachers while this fight was going on? Adult supervision is required so students don't have the opportunity to fight.

It is a documented, historical, fact  Huntsville City Schools are still racially inequitable.

The investigation further found that the city's predominantly black schools reported significantly more discipline issues.
Ed White Middle reported 1,115 disciplinary actions compared to the predominantly white Hampton Cove Middle School's 285, according to the investigation.
Even kindergartners were being suspended as forms of discipline in black elementary schools. At Montview Elementary School three students were suspended, two on multiple occasions, and at University Place Elementary, seven students were suspended a total of nine times.

There are some who say it's the parent's fault, and/or, black students are natural born thugs.  Unfortunately, these are the voices the Superintendent and the majority of the School Board pander to and listen 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!

None dare calls it racism but that is exactly what it IS.

Today's Must Read
The Poor as Politically Expendable

So this is America?

Gestapo

Hitler

Nazi

Censorship

Retaliation

Political Prosecutions for partisan gain

Racial Profiling

High Tech Lynching

Fear of reprisals

Privatization

Segregation

Discrimination

No bid contracts

The word above aren't describing a Communist country or a Dictatorship.  Nope.  They are words citizens, teachers, and support personnel whisper to describe the sad, sorry, state of the Huntsville City School System and education in general in Sweet Home Alabama.   Note I said culture, not person(s).  

The case of Geek Pavaler confirms and validates the whispers.

Geek Pavaler ask the board for answers to important questions regarding Special Education funding cuts

The Board ignores the questions.

Geek continues to press for answers.

The board gives a response of sorts.

Geek attempts to file a  grievance against the board with the Board.

The Board tells him there is no process for filing a grievance against the Board.

Geek Pavaler filed a complaint with the Office for Civil Rights (OCR).

Geek Pavaler was silent and made eye contact with Board during a public meeting

Geek Pavaler was told his inaction Made People Uncomfortable  there would be consequences if he did it again.

Today's Must Read-Freedom:  An Endangered Species in America