Policy Changes Designed With The Incumbent In Mind

What do you do when you are an elected member of the school board  faced with losing your job to not one, but three challengers?   Do you run on your record and conduct a clean campaign, or, do  adopt a policy that threatens the career of the spouse of your strongest opponent ?

Thanks to Russell at  Geek Pavaler  who downloaded and read,  the new Huntsville City Schools Policy Manual , we know it's the later.

Russell describes this attempt to subvert the democratic process and control who runs for school board, but I believe it's more insidious than that.  I believe it's an attempt by the status quo to control who represents the interest of  black/brown/poor people on the school board.

Civil Action filed in 1988 by former State Representative George Grayson, etc.  forced the move from an appointed school board to an elected school board, and the creation of  minority districts, ensuring at least one African American served as a member of  the  City School Board, City Council,  The County Commission, and in the State Legislature.

Prior to McCaulley's election in 2008, the lone African-American seat on the school board was held by the late Dr. James I. Dawson.  When Dawson's health declined, his wife Gloria was appointed to fill his term until it expired. 

The facts are clear, the superintendent recommended a policy, adopted by the board, of which Ms. McCaulley is a member, that directly benefits her.  I submit this was done to ensure she will continue to represent the interest of black/brown/poor people on the school board. 

I say let the voters who live in District 1 decide who represents them in a fair and free election, where the candidate with the most votes wins.  If this new policy is legal and ethical, which I doubt, it should be rescinded immediately.  

Today's Must Reads
Nepotism, Favoritism, and Intimidation to Control Schools 

The Man Takes Yet Another Look at Casey Wardynski and the State of Public Schools

Does the Public Have the Right to Know about Broad Academy?

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?

All Politics is Local

What if the Security Officer forces parent to stop recording Huntsville board meeting issue is being used as a media enabled weapon of mass distraction from the fact HCS superintendent Casey Wardynski used a photo of a young man wearing a hoodie to justify  building a $600,000  fence around, and installing a guard shack, I mean welcome center, at the new prison, I mean  Lee High School?

The four students from Lee High School who filmed a fight in a school bathroom and posted the video to YouTube did so as a gang initiation, Huntsville's superintendent said.
Dr. Casey Wardynski said the fight, which came to light Jan. 20 after the video went viral, wasn't an ordinary skirmish between students.

"It was a gang initiation; these students went to lunch together afterward," Wardynski said.

Not so, says the certified gang expert

"We have gangs in our schools," McDuffie said Monday. "That's not a hidden fact. It's here, and we know it's here."
McDuffie declined to call the incident at Lee "gang-related," though.
"It has all the earmarks of a gang-related incident, but we can't say for sure," he said. "The reason we can't pinpoint it is that there's no concrete evidence."

What if the reason parents were met with metal detectors at the last school board meeting is because they got wind the Concerned Parents of North Huntsville (i.e. black) were being encouraged to to attend to the school board meeting to protest black students being forced to wear orange jump suites, I mean uniforms to schools?
 
Huntsville/Madison County NAACP Branch

May 3.There is an important school board meeting for the Huntsville City Schools on Thursday, May 3rd at 5:30 p.m. The main issues are the building of the fence and guard shack at the new Lee High School and other impending changes for next school year including changes that MAY result in a proposed stoppage of transfers to other schools in the district as well as why schools in the North side of town... will wear uniforms while the south will not. Your presence and voices are needed. Our children need strong, intelligent cheerleaders. . Your attendance will be greatly appreciated. The meeting will be held at 200 White Street Huntsville, AL 35801.  This information is via Concerned Citizens Of North Huntsville organization.

What if Al Langford is the fall guy?

When asked if he agreed with Lankford's decision to stop Winn from recording the meeting, Blair declined to discuss it.
"I'm not going to Monday morning quarterback the actions," Blair said. "We're there to do the business of the board, to move the school system forward. I'm not going to second-guess Al's decisions."

Does David Blair think tax payers are stupid enough to believe Al Langford has decision making authority and the power of the purse?  Does David Blair think the tax payers haven't noticed longtime, African American teachers/principals/administrators employed by the Huntsville City Schools are being fired/demoted and being replaced by friends with no training or experience?

In the army we call that whining.

In the civilian world we call that Intitimidation.

Today's Must Read

Principal  Signs Contract, Then Looks at Map