Valid points, but....?

I had quite a few critics on my last post make some valid points. Unfortunately, I couldn't help but wonder, were they Buist parents who had trouble sleeping for a change? Sorry folks, but I've lived this life too long. So long, I don't even appreciate true criticism when it comes my way. I apologize to those true critics who have nothing to do with Buist. But a mother's past has little relevance to what a positive future she is trying to make for her children. How many of you have the nerve to have your life story blasted in the Post and Courier? I certainly don't.

No one owes Ms. Capers more of an apology than our Superintendent. Our superintendent made quite an ass of herself in Wednesday's paper. Yeah, I said it. Sorry, I'm not here to please. I'm here to vent and hopefully make a change in the right direction. She said, "My heart broke when I read...about a Charleston mother..." Sniffle, sniffle...Yeah, yeah...according to my sources, you knew ALL about this Charleston mother and her children's story BUT you didn't give a rat's ass until that story wound up in the front page of the Post and Courier. Then you have the tackiness to "invite" Candace Capers back "into our schools." Dr. Mac, she didn't leave "our schools." She just went East of the Cooper, where so many of our white parents went long ago. They were just lucky 'cause they could afford to MOVE there, unlike so many others. Yeah, we also know how you shuffle the black kids to James Island under NCLB. My sources tell me there is NO bus that transports downtown kids to Mt. Pleasant. Why is that?
I also say, "Blah, blah, blah", on your administrators and their lack of resumes, too. Four out of those six Principals you praised in your commentary are first timers, Dr. Mac. I'm not knocking them. I'm just saying you have some nerve praising them. There's no resume, yet somehow you made it sound like there was one. These are all changes you've made in the last few months, yet you act as if these people attributed to your projected improvement rating. And please don't put our CDA "on the West side" under your leadership. We're tired of has-beens like Mr. Benton and we're certainly tired of guinea pigs, Dr. McGinley. Give us some credit and admit these schools need some serious help. We'll pray you made the right decisions with your "superstar" administrators. But in the meantime, will you please give Ms. Capers a damn bus so she can get her kids to a better school? You know? Like you do those Buist kids.

There's a Hero Among Us

Candace Capers is the parent CCSD wants us to be...or not? She is an active parent. According to the Post and Courier, she's so active she chose to take her children out of our district's failing schools and get them East of the Cooper...where the real schools are. You know? The schools rating Excellent on their report cards, making AYP EVERY year (not just every other year or worse). Moultrie Middle is a middle school which actually offers foreign language, something her 6th grader would not be receiving if she kept her at Sanders-Clyde or worse, Burke Middle. Those Mt. Pleasant schools actually require their children to read AND paraphrase.
God bless her. She's a hero. Thank you, Ms. Capers, for speaking the truth too many of us are afraid to utter. And good luck to your children who are truly receiving an education we cannot provide them on the peninsula.
And shame on you CCSD for not providing them transportation!

KJ is Mayor!

For those critics who claim I never have anything positive to say, this one is for you. Here's some good news! Kevin Johnson will be the first African-American mayor of Sacramento, California. Mr. Johnson has made a difference, refusing to accept mediocrity in our public schools. He believes in charter schools and as a result has started his own schools. He believes all children can learn no matter what their zip code.
These are happy times! Go KJ!

Thoughts on the new School Board candidates?

I'm not really sure what to think. Clearly, I believed Marvin Stewart was a much stronger voice for District 20 than Ms. Green. Why Ms. Green decided to run again is beyond me.
Losing David Engelman on our board is huge. He truly believed in holding CCSD accountable for the money they spend...which is clearly NOT going into the classroom.
Chris Collins? God help us all. He seems like a nice guy, but I'm not sure he knows up from down. He's a perfect "Mayor Riley pick", if you ask me.
I look forward to hearing your thoughts.

Sanders Clyde hits the New York Times

I have to admit, I don't read the New York Times. But as word spread that Sanders-Clyde was on the front page of yesterday's paper, I had to pick up a copy. Personally, I think the writer's depiction of our "city of race and class divisions as old as the time-mellowed neighborhoods in this Old South shrine" was right on target.
What shocked me was our very own Dr. Rose so blatantly admitting something was amiss with the test scores at Sanders-Clyde. When did she realize this? Did she notify Dr. Goodloe from the beginning? When Dr. Goodloe stated she wanted Mishawna to duplicate her "success" at Fraser, did she mean what I now think she meant?
CCSD knew something was going on. So did the State Department. It's not rocket science. Whether Dr. Rose was upfront from the beginning...we may never know. Yet she certainly "saved face" with the New York Times, didn't she?
At least there's a few school board members and parents who don't mind speaking the truth, no matter how hard CCSD tries to hide it.