The Saturday P&C's last editorial echoes the previous posting on this blog yet goes one logical step further. [See School Board's Tottering State.]The writer had a very sensible solution for resolving the Charleston County School District's seismic problems:
"Experts have told some parents that other Charleston County Schools are in more danger than the five identified. The board should produce a report, prepared by acknowledged seismic specialists, that ranks all its properties and determines their comparative risks."That would have been a logical approach--if Superintendent McGinley's purpose had been to make all the schools seismically safe, that is.
There is no such list.
Considering the totally illogical cherry-picking of those five peninsula schools for seismic investigation, suspicious parents and taxpayers may easily conclude her true agenda.
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8 comments:
Who's checking these clowns? Their facts are too easily accepted. Too many assertions made by McGinley and her circle have proven to be wrong when put to the test. A second opinion from an objective third party would be required by any other public agency.
The state has no jurisdiction over these schools...unfortunately. No one's pulling the insurance coverage either. To imply the policies might be canceled is a threat the local school wonks are using to pressure the board into going along with the plan to close more downtown schools. The "list" of buildings most at risk is whatever the administration wants it to be. The Post and Courier is right to ask these questions, but I wish the editors wouldn't limit their questions to the editorial page.
If the education reporter can ask the right questions about why so many high school students can't read, why can't the paper ask questions about how and why only six downtown schools were singled out. It's odd the superintendent and Mr. Lewis considered none of the more than 50 other school buildings at similar risk or greater. But of course, these schools were not located downtown.
Once again, Dr. McGinley pats herself on the back during her state of the schools lecture today. Does anyone question her figures? She points to a decline in the number of failing schools in Charleston County since last year. But didn't she close 5 failing schools rather than fix them? How much of a stretch is it to assume she's going to take credit for reducing the failing school list some more simply by closing more downtown schools? It's all propaganda from CCSD. The number of non-failing schools and the number of students who are excelling hasn't increased at all. So what's all the back slapping about, Dr. McGinley?
A more sobering assessment is the recent revelation that at least half of all third graders in Charleston County are rated as reading on the first grade level or worse. It's a poor state our schools are in, no matter what the superintendent wants us to believe.
And then there's that nagging reminder from the Earthquake Channel (oops, I mean Weather Channel's daily earthquake report). Another earthquake struck southern California today near the Mexican border. It scored 5.1 on the Richter Scale. No damage or injuries were reported in the communities near the epicenter.
Now what did they say about the risk of a 5.0 earthquake and the safety of our schools in the next 3-4 years? Like I said, you can't trust anyone in charge of CCSD to tell the truth.
Well Ms. Kandrac.....how nice of you to offer your opinion, why not sign your name?
Nice try Anonymous 9:10 PM. Ms. Kandrac may be an infrequent reader here, but I'm quite sure she's not the author of these comments. Who cares, so long as the comments are valid and on target.
How do you know this is Ms. Kandrac?
Taxpayers and parents would be fortunate if more school board members were as sincere as Elizabeth Kandrac is about doing her homework. They should do more than just attend board meetings and look bewildered. How about reading beyond what the administration has been spoon feeding them?
No, Ms. Kandrac is too busy reading and asking questions to blog. She's been asking questions which CCSD still refuses to answer...like where's the list, Mr. Lewis? Why were only downtown schools targeted for seismic issues, Dr. McGinley? What about the safety of schools in upper North Charleston and in Hollywood where the earthquake fault actually is, Ms. Jordan?
I am thinking none of you have actually interacted with Elizabeth Kandrac.
I am sure the voters who elected her have not as well.
Yep, and Sarah Palin is a true intellectual.
you betcha....wink
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