President Leigh Touchton (NAACP)
Addresses Valdosta City School Board of Education
Monday, May 17, 2010
DATE: March 10, 2010, 7:00 pm, Audience 117 people participating but only thirty-two seats were available!
Hi, everybody, Leigh Touchton, President NAACP Lowndes Valdosta Branch. Do you need my address? NO!
I am here tonight and I wish I had had the conversation three days ago that I had here in the chambers tonight. Ah, I would have written a much stronger letter. Ah, but I wrote this letter Ah, not knowing as much as I know tonight. Ah, basically I am distrubed and distressed by the number of Black teachers and administrators that have been hired, fired and demoted in the last week and a half. Ah, I thank that the fact that 4 Black School Board Members voted against these recommendations from the Superintendent while five White School Board Members voted for it. I believe that sends a clear message to the community that the Black Members of your School Board believe that your recommendation were inherently unfair.
Ah, I know from years of experience that Valdosta City Schools is under court order to diversity the staff (1971). I can speak from experience that my daughter will be starting her 4th year at S.L. Mason and she has never had a Black teacher. Even though 70 to 80 percent of every class that she has ever been in has been populated with Black students. I am rather tired that my daughter has never had a Black teacher and we are in a school that is over 70 Percent Black and you are serving a clientele which is over 70 percent Black and you are under court order to diversify the staff.
I spent three and a half hours at Pineville Lomax Learning Center in the last week and a half. Touring the facility got a great deal of questions answered and I saw a staff at (PLC) Pineville Learning Center that was almost 80% Black. When we’ve come before you; not just myself but when SCLC, and other people have come before you and asked what is the problem with hiring more Black teachers you always tell us that you cannot find qualified Black teachers. Well my suggestion to you is respectfully is that you consult with Principal Dunn at PLC. Because he has done a phenomenal, phenomenal job of diversifying his staff.
Ah, if he can do it there is no reason why now the Valdosta City School System cannot do it. It is simply not fair, and the court has said that it is unfair of what is going on here and I am at least one WHITE Parent who is tired of her daughter not having any Black teachers. Ah, I could go on and on about the lack of male Black teachers, the lack of male Black Administrators but Ah, that’s something that has been covered at length numerous times before so I will just mention it. Ah, this letter is basically outlining my complaints regarding the lack of diversity and the fact that over 50 percent in fact almost two out of three 56 percent of the people who were fired in the last ½ weeks are Black people. Out of the 8 new people that were hired only one is a Black person according to the Open Record Request that I filed a week ago and received the information from you.
Now maybe there have been new hires since then. This Open Records Request that I have given you tonight Ah, basically outlines what I found out and asking you to provide more information about the new hires and also there applications for employment. Because some of the things that we are hearing is that Black applicants are held to a higher standards and we can give you names in private of specific cases whereby Black applicants were denied employment where as White applicants with fewer credentials less experienced with in fact incomplete employment applications were in fact hired by the City Schools.
Ah, at this point you terminated 56% on your RIF List are Black people that is almost two out of three on your rehire right here, new hire list 1 out of 8 is Black. That’s 12.5 percent I think those numbers speak for themselves. What I have not ascertained yet, but I will be in tomorrow with another Open Records Request is the number of people who have been demoted and erased of those people who have been demoted because based on the conversations that I have had out in the council chambers. It looks like several people Ah; several Black people were retaliated against or ah, simply demoted so that IMS could save money. But in my opinion if you are going to demote people you need to be doing it in a racially fair manner and not targeting Black people. Thank you!
This is a transcribed edition of what transpired during Valdosta City School Board Monthly Meeting. However local newspaper and television stations failed to publish this to the general public. This has been a routine practice for several decades in our community leaving citizens deaf, dumb and blind to the times and unable to make intelligent decisions based on facts from public meetings in the State of Georgia. (Yet elected officials from both city and county branches of government appear on mostly conservative radio stations and provide information to some but not to ALL citizens. I provided this information (HERE) because I believe ALL citizens have a right to know what takes place at public meetings in Valdosta-Lowndes County Georgia. Just keeping certain citizens deaf, dumb, and blind has existed for too long and must be stopped immediately. Therefore local citizens must ask if our local governments are still following the Old Valdosta City Charter of 1860 to control and suppress citizen.
GEORGE BOSTON RHYNES
Retired United States Armed Forces Veteran
A concerned citizen and brother of humanity
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Dr. Marilyn McCluskey
Addresses Valdosta City School Board of Education
DATE: March 10, 2010, 7:00 pm, Audience 117 people participating but only thirty-two seats were available!
I met most of you guys and what I want to talk to you tonight about is teacher morale. I have a Power Point presentation to share with you guys. And ah, basically what ah, Ms Touchton was just talking about; the source of what I have to talk about tonight and that is why teacher’s morale is low. And I know my moral is low right now and lot of people that look like me their morale is low as well. So could you start it now please (Power Point Presentation). I want to come before the Board and I plan to come before every Board Meeting until I leave in October and give you guys some professional development classes from me. Ah as far as we see what the needs are in the system are.
Ok! Teacher Morale and you can really go through that pretty quickly. Morale is the extent to which a person’s needs are met. It is also the extent to which the person feels SATISFACTION in his/her job. That is what morale is. It is important because students learn and teaching retention can all be tied to the level of teacher moral. Our students are not performing like they should and a lot of it I believe is because teachers are not satisfied with their job.
Next Board Meeting I will talk about effective leadership which is a major problem. Ah, things that happens when morale is low, you have confusion, insecurity, frustration, lack of confidence, fear of supervision and lot of people are not coming before you guys because they fear being retaliated against. And I know this happened. I am Teacher of The Year and I am no longer I my classroom. I am in ISS “In School Suspension” and no loner in my classroom so for that reason so that lets us know that…they are not coming.
Low morale….ultimately leads to HIGH ABSNTEEISM and HIGH TEACHER TURNOVER which ends up costing the system (US) million of dollars. OK, how can you all increase teacher morale? OK, this was in the Valdosta Daily Times and the RIF Policy we just had is definitely a morale killer. If someone is not affected directly. Everyone in the school system is indirectly affected. RIF (Reduction In force) Policy was not in itself, a “Morale Killer.” Morale was killed when the policy was thrust upon teachers with no Rhyme or reason. And I got some points that I will go through fairly quickly.
Dr. Cason said he wanted to make sure that he was not being unfair to anybody. Was it fair? This is how we perceived RIF to be killing morale.
(1) Principals at each school first provided input, Dr. Cason said. Did principals take the opportunity to rid themselves of teachers that they did not particularly like?
(2) Then he looked at what best suited the needs of the “KIDS,” Dr. Cason said. Then children in the Valdosta City School System need effective teachers and smaller class sizes; we can not afford to have larger class sizes. Has anyone examined the discipline records lately? RIF out a lot of effective teachers discipline reports if you pull them you will see that the kid’s clientele we serve cannot be best served in classes that are large. You will have more opportunity for increase discipline.
(3) The Third thing, I was totally confused to this so he may can clarify this later? Ah, are these (RIF) Positions going to be fill later on with hew hires? I kind of wanted to that but really, really hurt me morale is the fact that it said that the district office personnel spent hours upon hours working with the list before it was presented to the Board. Hours doing what?
OK! No areas was spared I looked at the budget; talked with Mr. Rush and had a good conversation. I felt really good about Mr. Rush. I could tell you he is confident in his job. He really helped to see that some of the things I suggested were not going to work. Because I like Mr. Rush now; very good. He is a good man. (Laugh and applause)
Ok! Those who will be affected by the policies at all levels of the system from teachers. This is what really hurt me. Was some of the cuts really necessary? Why would we RIF people for instance an assistant principal with 32 years experience, a doctorate degree from a credited university, certification in all areas of special education, special education Director Certificate,. In stead of promoting this individual to Special Education Director. We gave it to a new hire which is a coaches wife. I know we love foot ball. But education needs to come first in Valdosta City Schools. (Applause from Audience)
OK, now I talked to Mr. Rush about this and he clarified it for me. I said Mr. Rush you remember you was telling me about that fund that Yawl grew up to 6 million dollars? He said I got to have money in the bank to pay the bills. I said that’s OK Mr. Rush, I understood so we can just skip that one (Loud Applause)
OK: Now Dr. Cason said that this fiscal year the budget is not approved yet. I think this is great news because this means you guys an opportunity to repeal the RIF. If you do RIF, you got some people that’s going to lose lots of things. If they lose things? If they loose things can they pay taxes? Can you guys get money if they cannot pay their taxes? We had a good conversation a few minutes ago. I did not realize it until he told me that a principal talked with me a few minutes ago that principals have 230 days. Right? Can we cut some days? Can we cut them from 230 to 215?
He is really telling me that there are 50 principals having 200 days. Can we cut a few days there? And we are willing on our end if yawl had asked us? We are willing to furlough. We are willing to cut our supplement. You could have sent out a Survey saying what yawl want to do? To make sure that your colleagues still have their jobs? Like we said; we are a family and we stick together like a family. Like if you knew that that had been your sister, your mother, your daughter or somebody in your family you would have been very, very upset.
I am leaving, I leaving Valdosta a City Schools System in October. I want to be here, and it hurts me to my heart to see the people that I work with lose their jobs. Husband and wives losing their jobs. People crying because they lost their jobs. People who have given this system 32 years and I know how hard it is. Because this year I gave this system everything my class room was featured in the Valdosta Daily times “two page spread.”
All of you; most of you have been in my class room. You know how hard I worked on my class. So imagine it you got other people that have worked that hard in this class room. To us; this is a slap in the face. What is the message I feel you guys are sending is? That we are the majority so why worry about the minority? That’s the message that coming across!
When I looked at the bowl. I got to agree a little bite with Ms Toutchton. I was kind of a little surprised because I know some of yawl are teachers. It kind of shocked me a little bit. I though we would have a little sympathy there. But I admit that it is kind of hurt me a little bit. But I really would like for you guys to think about this, talk about this; see if we can cut. Now if you make a hundred and fifty dollars; two or three days it won’t kill you. If it will save somebody’s job. It won’t kill you. So basically you have the rest of the slide. The only other thing I want you guys to do tonight is to think. Please, please those are my ideas.
Mr. Rush went through them with me. I am going to let him go through those and then I am going to come back and present those to you. But I gave you some ultimatums, and the best ones I came up tonight sitting here talking to him was lets cut two 30 days. Let’s cut some days.
But I thank you guys so much for your time. I hate that the rest of you did not get the opportunity to come to my room because I don’t have a class room anymore. (Loud and Long Applause)
This is a transcribed edition of what transpired during Valdosta City School Board Monthly Meeting. However local newspaper and television stations failed to publish this to the general public. This has been a routine practice for several decades in our community leaving citizens deaf, dumb and blind to the times and unable to make intelligent decisions based on facts from public meetings in the State of Georgia. (Yet elected officials from both city and county branches of government appear on mostly conservative radio stations and provide information to some but not to ALL citizens. I provided this information (HERE) because I believe ALL citizens have a right to know what takes place at public meetings in Valdosta-Lowndes County Georgia. Just keeping certain citizens deaf, dumb, and blind has existed for too long and must be stopped immediately. Therefore local citizens must ask if our local governments are still following the Old Valdosta City Charter of 1860 to control and suppress citizen.
GEORGE BOSTON RHYNES
Retired United States Armed Forces Veteran
A concerned citizen and brother of humanity
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sister Madison
Addresses Valdosta City School Board of Education
DATE: March 10, 2010, 7:00 pm, Audience 117 people participating but only thirty-two seats were available!
Good Evening my name is Ms Madison; I am a substitute Teacher with the Valdosta City School System. But I am also the Legal Redress Chairman for the NAACP/Valdosta Lowndes County Chapter. I was going to yield my time to Dr. Maclusky but she talks fast. Ah, but I too am concerned about the moral of the teachers. I still have grandchildren still in the system. I have brothers and sisters and other family member’s children in the system and it hurt my heart to see the way things were done. I know that there is a better way. I know that we can do a better job than what we did with that RIF. I know that there is money somewhere and you all just need to take your time to do it. Forget about who is Black who is White and work together as a Board and solve this problem.
You are tearing this city apart with this stupid stuff---that you are doing. It makes no sense. We have had enough racial tension in this town. Let’s work together folks and get it done. You work for me. I voted you in, I can vote you out. Think about it (Loud Applause)
This is a transcribed edition of what transpired during Valdosta City School Board Monthly Meeting. However local newspaper and television stations failed to publish this to the general public. This has been a routine practice for several decades in our community leaving citizens deaf, dumb and blind to the times and unable to make intelligent decisions based on facts from public meetings in the State of Georgia. (Yet elected officials from both city and county branches of government appear on mostly conservative radio stations and provide information to some but not to ALL citizens. I provided this information (HERE) because I believe ALL citizens have a right to know what takes place at public meetings in Valdosta-Lowndes County Georgia. Just keeping certain citizens deaf, dumb, and blind has existed for too long and must be stopped immediately. Therefore local citizens must ask if our local governments are still following the Old Valdosta City Charter of 1860 to control and suppress citizen.
GEORGE BOSTON RHYNES (Scripted for the General Public)
Retired United States Armed Forces Veteran
A concerned citizen and brother of humanity
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Minister John Robinson
Addresses Valdosta City School Board of Education
DATE: March 10, 2010, 7:00 pm, Audience 117 people participating but only thirty-two seats were available!
Made by: Mr. John Robinson: “Good Evening everybody; everybody doing alright, good, my name is John Robinson, I live at …….Lake Park Georgia: I got 19 Grand Children two of my sons went through your school system and my grand kids are there now. I got one being pushed through the system. I am going to introduce myself from another angle. I have been diagnosed with esophageal malignant cancer, terminal and I am facing some issues with the county and the city, along these racist lines. And, I also was the lead plaintiff for 12 long years, Miami Florida with Man well Noriega; Noriega was in the basement during my trial.
My judge was the United State Federal Judge William Hoeveler out of Miami Florida. My attorney was the richest attorney in the State of Florida, John (Jack) Scarola the owner of the famous Islands of Malta, Denny Secrecy and Bernardt. The famous Marvin Dunn was our philologists. I know how these (terminated teachers) people feel. I was stripped of all my dignity and my pride. I felt as if someone just reached inside of me and jerked my heart out. You see, you done painted a picture of this county and this city----of a pattern and practice of something by an all Super White Structure in this city; and it is NOT disputable because it is factual. It’s time out for talk, time out for practicing and playing now. It is time to get it right.
I faced a federal judge, Google him, his name is Moses Baker. He is now a federal judge. We talks about everyday about this city, school board, and system. You done been condemned by the United States Justice Department as far as your zoning herding people into one direction to another trying to set a certain standard for certain qualities of life. Our little school over there where the Wildcats play looks like all they needed is barb wire around the top and it looks like a prison. It seems like something that would set the tone back from the Baroque Age, the Renaissance, and the Reform Time.
I am just here to say this. It is a shame it is a down right disgrace for people to be in a place. Done been in a place for so long facing what we are facing here today. We can not get on one accord on anything. The line is drawn in the sand. Yawl made the decisions. Don’t get it right and you going to pay a price. Somebody is going so deep into your pocket. It is going to tear this city apart. These guys that I have been talking with. This is not a joke, and I have been talking over the history of this place all the way from 1918. From the charter that hanged on the wall in our court house.
Now I am going to yield my time and get out from here but this is something everybody needs to be under consideration. Because this talk is done, and all these people I have informed to talk to others in this city. And we are looking at Mr. Copeland and those firms. We have been talking with them. So we can have some matching dollars to match whatever it takes to do what needs to be done.
This is my home; I have been gone for forty-years. I drank water from the Black Water Cooler down town on Ashley Street when there was a 10 cents store and Jimmy Mitchell and all those old places were there. And I come back here 40 years later and I found this. My worst cancer I had and my disease is malignant, and it is terminal-----was racism. Yawl, Thank yawl! Prepare yourselves; I am fixing to go Rhynes (Applause from Audience), I don’t want to hear no more of this, and I an’t joking, I an’t joking! END of Robinson Address.
This is a transcribed edition of what transpired during Valdosta City School Board Monthly Meeting. However local newspaper and television stations failed to publish this to the general public. This has been a routine practice for several decades in our community leaving citizens deaf, dumb and blind to the times and unable to make intelligent decisions based on facts from public meetings in the State of Georgia. (Yet elected officials from both city and county branches of government appear on mostly conservative radio stations and provide information to some but not to ALL citizens. I provided this information (HERE) because I believe ALL citizens have a right to know what takes place at public meetings in Valdosta-Lowndes County Georgia. Just keeping certain citizens deaf, dumb, and blind has existed for too long and must be stopped immediately. Therefore local citizens must ask if our local governments are still following the Old Valdosta City Charter of 1860 to control and suppress citizen.
GEORGE BOSTON RHYNES (Scripted For the General Public)
Retired United States Armed Forces Veteran
A concerned citizen and brother of humanity
SPECIAL NOTE: Board Meeting Whiteout! No News Paper or Television Coverage, (120 CITIZENS ATTENDING) iS Valdosta 1860 City Charter Mentality Still In Force? (To Control, Supress, Abate, and Keep citizens dumb)
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