Goodbye Jerry

Channel 5 reports Jerry leaving CCSD...humm what did he do? Was he tired of the B.S. or did he grow a conscience? Whatever the cause or the reason he was the communications guy, the messenger. Let's see if you can sing Jerry. The CCSD will leave you all alone. Someone has to be the fall guy.

Stupid Things Said by CCSD Board Members

We have all heard and read stupid things that came from the mouths of CCSD board members.

Some of my favorites are the following. I have heard these things from multiple sources and they always make me laugh. I hope they make you laugh too.

Nancy Cook

In a recent City Paper Blog, Nancy commented on closing some more downtown schools.

“If I won’t send my child to that school, then that school should be closed.”

- There are so many things that I could say about this. She would only accept Buist I am sure. If the Office of Civil rights was not convinced already this should top it off. I think that she is starting to plan for her campaign. This comment is like the President saying he would send his child off to war in Iraq.

Greg Meyers

In a Buist Task Force meeting the District 20 Board asked that children who go in on the downtown list maintain downtown residency. Greg's response was this

"People have a constitutional right to travel"

That is right Greg. The Constitution says that Americans have the right to vote, free speech and when lying to get into a pubic school they have the right to travel. I think that Downtown to Sullivans Island is so far that this counts as a vacation. I won't even touch the difference between residency and vacation. I think he should know, since he is a member of the BAR and a civil rights lawyer.

Arther Ravenel-

I heard this through the vine but I have to publish it. To me it hit home. When asked to support a foreign language program at Charleston Progressive because it was the only middle school without one he said

I just can't support it, Charleston Progressive is an ugly school.

I am going to leave that one alone...it speaks for itself. Also I think we should give Cousin Arthur some slack. He comes from another generation that failed to sit next to Ms. Parks on the bus. I like the guy though. Someday he may do some good for the schools.

Toya Green

I was elected by the county not downtown residents. I represent county schools.

Who voted for this freak? Opps I think her kid got into Buist this year. She represents the downtown set. Oh well, according to Nancy, we won't have many schools left anyway. Lets just keep putting kids on the Peninsula down more, because that shows them how much we care.

I know that you all have heard more than this. Send them in and lets keep laughing because things are going to get worse before they get better.

Comic Concerns Aren't Comical

What is wrong with our city? We are more concerned over comics in the Post and Courier than we are about our schools. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate my daily dose of humor just as much as the next guy; but this is ridiculous. Maybe if the District 20 board had listed the false addresses used to enter Buist Academy next to "Shoe", the public may have cared. Better yet, they should have listed them INSTEAD of "Shoe" and then the public would have really been outraged. Dr. Goodloe-Johnson's parting comments to Katie Crawford regarding the situation at Buist Academy were completely misleading and she knew it. Yes, fake addresses are used throughout the nation, but how many neighborhood kids are being kept out of their schools as a result?

Fallen Heros

I wanted to speak with you all about the fallen fire fighters that we all lost yesterday. My heart aches for their families because they risk their lives for all of us everyday and usually we take if for granted.

I hope that everyone learns from this event. Stop and say hi to your neighbor, read another story to your children and do something wonderful for someone even if they don't know that you did anything at all.

Charleston is filled with such wonderful people and their hearts are so large. We can become a great city with no shame we just need to want it and do the right thing.

We are measured by how we have helped and cared for others.
It is these selfless acts that really speak to who we are.

These fire fighters have done so much for us. They have saved our lives, kept us safe and cared for our children.
Please, Please show them that you care. Chief Thomas, Charleston Fire Fighters and their families need our support now. We all can make a difference in someones lives.

Photo copyright AP Photo/Alice Keeney

What happened to the Charleston Charter School?

Channel 5 reported on the protest at the Rivers Building by the NAACP.

They said that there were several dozen protesters and that the NAACP did not want anything done to the building.

First of all, something must be done with the building. There is no point in having the building just sit there and decompose in the sun, wind and rain. Why not oh... make it a school? It always has been a school and should be a school, so while this may be crazy, let's make it a school.

Second, Dot Scott said that she wanted it to be a High Tech High and wanted it predominately African American. Hmmm... that sounds like Greg Meyers and Nancy Cook of the CCSD school board. But then Dot Scott always chooses to speak in support of the school board and Goodloe. Where were they when the Rivers Building was closed down in the first place? All of those teachers were fired---mostly African American and impressionable young kids were put at Burke. I know where they were, they were supporting Goodloe's resume. Now where has she gone? She used the NAACP and she ran as fast as she could. Do you think they were maybe trying to make a good impression on the new superintendent?

Third, just how does Dot Scott think that High Tech High will happen without community support? The Charleston Chamber says that they will support it from the CCSD. Of course they are going to say that; the CCSD is one of the chambers largest customers. The first rule in business is the client is always right. How could they say anything but yes?

The BIG question is where is the Charleston Charter School for Math and Science or is that District 20 Families? I thought that they were the same thing. Aren't they? I realize that District 20 Families was started when all that Buist stuff happened a year ago then came the Charleston Charter School for Math and Science. So isn't that the same group?

Anyway, where are they? The NAACP was attacking the charter school so why did they not defend themselves. Now I think there is a lot of miscommunication about the charter school but there are strict rules with public money. Thus if the law says that the racial makeup of the school must reflect that of the community I think that that will happen. The school needs public funds to operate and are held to a tighter scrutiny then the CCSD. Take a look at other charter schools around that have operated for a little while.

Even the mayor of N. Charleston wants North Charleston High School to become a charter school because the CCSD refuses or cannot bring it up to a good, safe standard. I hope that you succeed Mayor Summey. That may be their only hope.

Where was the charter school to defend themselves, or educate these members of the NAACP who do not have all the facts? What about the old business saying: "All publicity is good publicity?" Why weren't they there to get the coverage? Come on, that is free advertising.

I wonder who will stand up against the NAACP. Someone needs to because they have their information wrong and exactly who do they represent? Unfortunately it seems like the Rosa Parks of this world are long gone. This town continues to operate like it has for a longtime. Everyone just sits by and doesn't stir up the water. What is going to happen to our community if no one does anything? I'll tell you what we will happen if we just sit by....we'll get pushed out of our town. As a community we need to realize that the CCSD will never change if we don't make them. We have to make them care about us or we will continue to get the short end of the stick.

It's a Numbers Game

As reported in the Post and Courier this morning, CCSD will pay the company who runs Murray Hill Academy $3.2 million dollars this year. The school's enrollment will also drop from 432 to 324 next year. The new building where Murray Hill Academy is located has cost the district $9.1 million dollars. Do the math. Are you angry yet? Well, if not, how about this fact? They have teachers who DON'T have state certifications and for most of the year have had NO mental health counseling. What are they doing over there? I've heard parents and students from our city say it's nothing better than a jail. Why are we treating our children like inmates? How many of our Charleston kids have been shuffled to this joke of a program without due process and without receiving the promised counseling they so desperately need?
It's a numbers game for CCSD. All this program has done is use our children to make Goodloe-Johnson's resume appear as if CCSD has lowered its expulsion rate. Will Dr. McGinley fess up and call it like it is?

Goodloe Admits it

As I was going to sleep watching the evening news I saw the reports where Dr. Goodloe-Johnson admits that Charleston has a racial problem. I have heard it all.



The following link is the link to Katie Crawford's interview with Dr. Goodloe-Johnson http://www.wcsc.com/home/video/7949587.html.



Please review it yourself and see if you can catch her from her other interviews. Dr. Goodloe has stated a number of times that there are very little race related issues with the Charleston County School District. Privately though she has told white parents just to send their kids to school as a solution to these parents not having an excellent rated school to send their kids to. So you are telling me that in the last 4 years she has chosen not to address the issue of race in the school district that she has been officer and chief of? That is a failure of the worst kind. Instead she has helped to keep these schools segregated.



Lets take a look at Burke High School. Two of the best programs that the district has came out of Burke-Academic Magnet and Military Magnet. Burke has always been a predominately African American school and it has been great. Now you are telling me that it took Goodloe and the CCSD 4 years to realize that there was a racial problem in Charleston pubic schools? The ironic thing is the kids in these schools aren't the ones with the racial problem; they know that there is a divide but work to fix it. Have you ever seen kids of different races playing together? Have you seen adults of different races play together?



Look at the so called leaders of the African American community. Dot Scott and Rev. Darby keep speaking for what they call the entire African American community. Have you gone out and spoken with us? If you had you would find that we want what is best for our children. We are educated and want our children to have all the same programs and resources that every other child in our city has. We know that these schools are separate. All anyone has to do is look at the schools that are in the worst academic shape and see that these schools are predominately black. These schools also lack the same programs that are offered in other schools. Did you all know that Charleston Progressive is the only middle school that does not offer a foreign language? Did you also know that it is a magnet school? Some magnet school, it lacks enough books and microscopes.



For years we have been told that we could not transfer our kids becuase there was a lack of room at other diverse schools. These other schools are not really diverse. Take a look, a hard look, how diverse are all the schools in our area? How diverse are Mt. Pleasant elementary schools? Now where are the majority of the great programs?



I am tired of the CCSD and people like Goodloe continuing to do irreparable damage to our community (by our I mean all races in our community) just to improve their resume or give their friends huge contracts while we all know they recieve some benefit.



As a community we all need to stand up to these people. It is our world that we can change. We just have to start working together.

Charleston County Friends for Buist

Did you all know that there was a Charleston County Friends for Buist?
Neither did I. I did know there was a group of parents who started after District 20 Families in order to combat the attention that Buist received after all the false addresses. Apparently this is the same group. Evidently, it is led by attorney Mark Brandenburg who also is head of the Buist Foundation, a private non-profit according to him. I was unaware that there was such a thing as a private non-profit whose address with the federal government is a public school.

Any who there was an e-mail floating around after the article in the Post and Courier comparing the inadequacies between Charleston Progressive and Buist Academy. For those of you who have not read it, you should, it gives much insight to the racial discrimination from the Charleston County School district.

The email below....no I did not give you email addresses. The email below is from a parent of this fine organization and their views on the article. The key here is the name of the address list for members. Some of these are false addresses, some are legit. Isn't it wonderful when cheaters ban together to protect their not so secret fibs?

Note not all of these members have cheated, only some.
members:
Sarah Hoefer; Donna Lee Rose; Richard Gowe; Frank Dirks; John Hiers; Peter Demetre; W Keith Kirkland; Libby Russler; Becky Fenno; Eric LangJam; Ellie Langsom; David Richards; Robben Richards; Chris Whitacre; Kellie Thomas; Jeff Thomas; Susan Cale; Yvette Dede; Laura Stefanelli; Bobby Frye; Trap Puckette; Chris Cullum; Sallie Thomas; Ellison Berlin; Tommy Dew; Teri Hiers; Laurie Ann Hart; Leigh Brandenburg; Cindy Linhart; Sue Groff; Sallie Ballard; Ken Chavin; Robyn Bradley; Tina Rastogi; Jeri Lawing; Amy Manucy; Christy Sanford; Chip Legerton; Lennie WoodsSubject:
Interesting e-mail
To all:

I assume you all read the article in the P & C on Sunday. Should there be a response from Charleston County Friends for Buist? I would write a letter to the editor, but I am not up to speed on all of the facts.

I guess there are some simple rebuttals to the one-sided article:

1. The article starts with the assertion: “In almost any comparison of resources, Buist beats Charleston Progressive Academy.” Those are the comparisons selected by the writer. Are there any financial comparisons where Buist does not beat CPA? I don't know the answer, but if there are, they should be noted.

2. The Second paragraph states that the inequities are so serious that the Office of Civil Rights is investigating. I don't think the office of Civil Rights just happened on this case. Is this not the result of the lawsuit that has been filed? Should the instigator of the lawsuit be called out and provide a background for the litigation?

3. What were the original plans for Buist (as referred to in the article) and CPA? Is there a logical reason why the disparity exists? The writer does not investigate that angle at all.

4. Buist has, according to the article 397 students and CPA has 315 students. Buist has 26% more students than CPA. Does the difference in the number of students account for the fact that there are full time teachers for music and a full time nurse at Buist among other resources? It would seem logical to me that once you hit a threshold, you need full time staff to handle functions that are handled by a part time employee in a school with fewer students.

5. How do other schools compare? Are all schools in the district treated equally? How do the Buist and CPA budgets compare with other schools? Why are there disparities?

6. Finally, the most glaring error in the story is the math. According to the statistics in the story, Buist receives General Operating Funds of $2,439,685 for 397 students or $6,145.30 per student. CPA, according to the statistics, receives $2,059,809 for 315 students or $6,539.08 per student. Somehow the writer comes up with $7,086 per student at Buist and $6,061 per student at CPA. I assume there are other funds that are taken into consideration when calculating the per student funds. Does anyone know what the additional funds are? Or is the math simply wrong? Or is there some type of Typo?

Obviously, this article was once again, slanted negatively against Buist.
Is there any way we could get an editorial size letter published in the P & C stating accurate facts? Again, I am not fully up on the statistics, but would be happy to assist drafting the letter.

Jeff Thomas

The Failure of No Child Left Behind...

The failure of No Child left Behind....
The failure of NCLB is a crime in itself. Many people thought that it was the answer to all of the problems of the educational system and lower social economic class, such as the poor African American community. It is not the solution to the problem and now we are forced to ask ourselves why.The first problem is obvious. There are no consequences for those who violate the law of NCLB. There is no punishment. What is the federal government going to do...take away federal funding? Yes, they should.

Some of you may or may not know that each school that is rated a charter or a magnet school receives federal grants more than a regular school. There is a condition these school are supposed to make special exceptions for those social economic groups that are at a disadvantage. A magnet school like Buist with a waiting list is supposed to put the disadvantaged child's name in the lottery twice for each time they put in the name of a child with little or no disadvantage.The main goal of NCLB was to integrate the kids who were disadvantaged with advantaged kids so they had the opportunity to go to a better school and have a chance at achieving a higher education.There are open spots in the middle school classes of Buist Academy. These are spots that the principal herself says she has a hard time filling. Today, I learned of a child that was denied a NCLB transfer to Buist as well as a regular middle school in Mount Pleasant... a child that would be in one of these hard to fill spots. This is a child who is being denied her right under NCLB to transfer to another school. The district states the parent did not complete her request within the alotted 2 week deadline.

Last year, these parents had until mid July to complete these NCLB transfer requests. This parent is African American and of a lower social economic class. You can draw your own conclusions, but I am going to tell you mine. The letters that the Charleston County School district sends out are hard for me to understand, nonetheless, a parent who has only a mid high school education. There is no question this parent is African American.

I think The district is not allowing this child to move to a school that was a NCLB transfer option in Mount Pleasant because she is African American. I know other parents who have transfered their children in the June and July months to other schools without a problem....wait they were white. I wish someone could prove me wrong...but I know you won't be able to. The cards in Charleston County School district are stacked against the poor African American.

Next lets talk about the numbers game.

To learn more about nclb visit http://www.ed.gov/nclb/landing.jhtml