For Charleston County Schools Superintendent Nancy McGinley, "open meeting" means open to supporters of her administration, not to her critics.
How else to explain the ticketing of Henry Copeland for meekly attending Tuesday night's informational session on budget cutting at Burke High School? Copeland, who sat in the back and said nothing, will appear in court to challenge the right of CCSD to "close" its meeting to someone who is a resident of District 20. He's demanding a jury trial.
Just the presence of a taxpayer who understands more than most what really goes on at 75 Calhoun strikes fear into CCSD's administration. Really, what does it have to hide?
Emerson just stepped out of his league.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
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18 comments:
They simply haven't gotten wind of the revolutionary concept that they work for us - not the other way around.
This is not the whole story. He had previously intimdated other CCSD employees...if it were just Dr. M, fine, but it included several lower level employees as well.
Have to be careful both ways, Babbie. You have to do the same amount of research that we wish the PC would do (and that you call for)
Ticket was a bit excessive, but at least they didn't arrest him at the meeting.
Since 8:23 has the "real" story, what was the intimidation?
Since 8:23 has the "real" story, what was the intimidation?
8:23 - That's what restraining orders are for. You know, you go to court, where you have to actually produce evidence, and a judge decides if it's necessary. You have to do more than whine, "I'm scaaaaared." One possible solution here, since CCSD is trying to cut its budget, is to lay off employees who are too, shall we say, *delicate* to handle dealing with the public. CCSD will save some money, and those employees will be far less likely to encounter Henry Copeland. Win-win.
Actually, Babbie, since you are the journalist, the onus of responsibility is on you to do more than repeat, verbatim, assertions by a reporter you have previously lampooned.
Oh, but Babbie isn't a journalist. She provides social commentary on our media. She's a critic and encourages others to be the same. A democracy depends on a skeptical public and not one that accepts at face value what the "experts" choose to feed us. The failings of our public educational system are tangent to all of these issues. More Q&A, not less!
Except she took what Diette Courege fed at face value.
And as much as her opinion is valued (as any other's opinion should be), she is no more grounded in fact than anyone else, correct?
Isn't anyone who speaks with the conviction she does on all things CCSD trying to "feed us"?
Personally, I trust nothing Nancy McGinley, Diette Courege, Smalley, Emerson and Babbie have to say as fact. Babbie speaks from a very angry perspective, while CCSD officials speak from a perspective of political spin. Somewhere in between there is some semblence of truth.
And I'd like to add that Babbie performs a valuable public service to promote dialogue about a school district we know is bloated, prejudicial in expenditures and wholly ineffective.
Thank you, Babbie.
And Mr. Copeland is not as guilty as Emerson asserts, nor as innocent as he, himself claims.
I partially agree with Anonymous 5:51 PM, but I have to say this really isn't a matter of assigning innocence or guilt. That is a debate for another venue. Some might even hope such a debate will be a distraction from what the rest of us want. The truth about wasted expenditures and academic mismanagement is what most people have been asking of CCSD officials, including the Superintendent.
If you will allow me, I will borrow a few words from the previous post. It would appear the "bloated...prejudicial...and wholly ineffective" school district administration is doing whatever it takes to change the subject.
What about sweetheart contracts, moving capital funds around and hiring new administrators to fill new positions, all without fully informing the board? For the public to ask such questions and be given a series of stone walls in response, I agree, it must be an indication this entire situation is very threatening to at least a few people on the inside. The administrative waste and the failure of so many educational programs within CCSD are an even greater threat to our community’s future.
I partially agree with Anonymous 5:51 PM, but I have to say this really isn't a matter of assigning innocence or guilt. That is a debate for another venue. Some might even hope such a debate will be a distraction from what the rest of us want. The truth about wasted expenditures and academic mismanagement is what most people have been asking of CCSD officials, including the Superintendent.
If you will allow me, I will borrow a few words from the previous post. It would appear the "bloated...prejudicial...and wholly ineffective" school district administration is doing whatever it takes to change the subject.
What about sweetheart contracts, moving capital funds around and hiring new administrators to fill new positions, all without fully informing the board? For the public to ask such questions and be given a series of stone walls in response, I agree, it must be an indication this entire situation is very threatening to at least a few people on the inside. The administrative waste and the failure of so many educational programs within CCSD are an even greater threat to our community’s future.
I partially agree with Anonymous 5:51 PM, but I have to say this really isn't a matter of assigning innocence or guilt. That is a debate for another venue. Some might even hope to use such a debate as a distraction from the real issues.
Instead of making this a trial of personalities, it should be about the truth surrounding wasted expenditures and academic mismanagement throughout. This is what most people have been asking of CCSD officials. The public, including our elected school board members, aren’t getting sufficient answers from top officials, including the Superintendent.
I am borrowing a few words from a previous post. It appears the "bloated...prejudicial...and wholly ineffective" school district administration is doing whatever it takes to change the subject. Now that we are well into Nancy McGinly's 4th year as superintendent (longer for some of her subordinates) we should stay focused on important questions. As was the case with Maria Goodloe in Seattle, the details are very important.
What about CCSD officials regularly signing sweetheart contracts, moving capital funds around at will and hiring new administrators to fill newly created positions, all without fully informing the board? For the public to ask such questions and only be given a series of stone walls in response should at least provoke serious public concern, if not outrage. CCSD officials appear to be determined to keep the answers secret, as if the public knowing what is really going on would be a threat to some one’s job on the inside.
On-going administrative waste and the continued failure of so many educational programs within CCSD should be seen as a much greater threat to our community’s future. That is far more important than protecting the egos of a handful of administrators or keeping secret the truth about their job performance.
Instead of making this a trial of personalities, it should be about the truth surrounding wasted expenditures and academic mismanagement throughout. This is what most people have been asking of CCSD officials. The public, including our elected school board members, aren’t getting sufficient answers from top officials, including the Superintendent.
I am borrowing a few words from a previous post. It appears the "bloated...prejudicial...and wholly ineffective" school district administration is doing whatever it takes to change the subject. Now that we are well into Nancy McGinley's 4th year as superintendent (longer for some of her subordinates) we should stay focused on important questions. As was the case with Maria Goodloe in Seattle, the details are very important.
What about CCSD officials regularly signing sweetheart contracts, moving capital funds around at will and hiring new administrators to fill newly created positions, all without fully informing the board? For the public to ask such questions and only be given a series of stone walls in response should at least provoke serious public concern, if not outrage. CCSD officials appear to be determined to keep the answers secret, as if the public knowing what is really going on would be a threat to some one’s job on the inside.
More sound and fury from the school district. “Emerson [the school district's attorney] believes he would have won.” OK, if he wants to believe that and it makes him happy. The district conceded every point. They folded because they have no case. Noted First Amendment attorney, Jay Bender, and highly successful plaintiff’s attorney, Larry Kobrovsky, both concluded the school district was reaching well beyond its legal limits.
The district actually got what it wanted though as well, writer; he has agreed to not go into schools and district buildings, and harass employees.
I know it's tough for a lot of folks to see the district acting on behalf of its employees (and understandably so), but this time they acted more right than some might believe.
District spin is still at work trying to make a total loss look like a win. The previous post sounds like Elliot Smalley, CCSD director of spin who makes $110,000 a year. Nice try, but no cigar. The letter of the law is the only consession. The District got caught overstepping it by a mile.
Is this true? Charles Benton leaving Burke to become Principal at North Charleston High School next year? Juanita Middleton promoted to position of Principal Specialist for next year! NCHS faculty meeting yesterday to make these announcements? District certainly needs another Principal Specialist coming out of North Charleston. Didn't a guy named Roy Holloway serve as a Principal Specialist there, too? How did that work out?
Yes, it's true. McGinley is shoring up her flanks. It's going to be a long summer.
This song is dedicated to our great leader, "Should I stay or should I go?"
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