Category Archives: LCBOE

School consolidation as disaster capitalism

School consolidation would set up an artificial fiscal disaster that could force the “unified” public school system to turn to private foundations for funding, at the price of control of public education by private entities. This is disaster capitalism, or the shock doctrine, right here in Valdosta and Lowndes County.

What’s the Shock Doctrine? It’s been around for a long time, but Naomi Klein researched it for her book of the same name. It’s

“the rapid-fire corporate reengineering of societies still reeling from shock”
She was writing mostly about wars, terrorist attacks, and natural disasters. Locally here we haven’t had any of those. But we may be about to create a disaster, a shock, at the ballot box in November, if voters fall for the school “unification” snake oil.

What’s the next step after CUEE has accidentally revealed that Continue reading →

If I were Superintendent —Sam Allen

Seen on the FVCS facebook page, dated 6 October 2011. -jsq
If I were Superintendent in the Lowndes County School System on November 9, 2011 and I had 7700 additional students and a potential $10 Million Deficit this would be my starting list:

Winners:

  • Bus Drivers (ALL – NO supervisors, trainers or mechanics)
  • Lunchroom Staff (Until we decide which schools to close)
  • Custodial Staff (Until we decide which schools to close – no supervisor)
  • Media Specialists (Until we decide which schools to close – then I would move you down to the Losers section)
  • 2 Maintenance Workers (Heating/Air – no supervisor)
  • Academic Teachers (with good evaluations) – NOT ALL because I would raise teacher class size to the max and ask for a waiver for an additional child or two 1 Asst. Superintendent
  • 2 Technology support staff (no Supervisors)
  • School Secty (Until we decide which schools to close)
  • 1 Finance staff person (Payroll)
  • Principals (Until we decide which schools to close – except Southeast, will not rebuild)

Losers:

  • Teachers (especially ones that do not have tenure)
  • Assistant Principals (at Elementary Schools that have more than one)
  • Media Specialists (Until we decide which schools to close)
  • 3 Curriculum Directors at Central Office
  • Technology Supervisor
  • Special Education Director
  • 2 Assistant Superintendents
  • Director of ESPLOST Projects
  • Superintendent
  • All Central Office Support Staff
  • Food Service Director and Staff
  • Ticket Manager
  • Community Relations Director
  • 1 Social Worker
  • VECA Staff (ALL)
  • Pinevale Learning Center Staff (ALL)
  • Personnel Director and Staff
  • Title I Director and Staff
  • Director of Testing
  • Mail Courier
  • Vocational Teachers due to change in direction (Not All)
  • Elective Teachers (Some)
  • Parent Involvement Coordinators (Title I $ will be cut)
  • Instructional Supervisors
  • Para Educators (except for Special Education)
  • Valdosta Police Department Dare Officers/SRO’s and Football Games (taken over by the County if funding is available)
  • 1 Band Director at VHS – student fees will increase and school will not furnish as many instruments
  • Performing Arts Center Mgr. – public will be charged a higher costs to use
  • Director of Purchasing and Staff
  • 1 School Psychologist
  • 9 Board of Education Members
  • 2 @ Asst Principals at VMS and JLN
  • 2 Asst Principals at VHS
  • No Swim Team staff
  • IB Teachers would be relocated if positions are available
  • 5 Furlough days for the first year
  • School Board Attorney

School Closing:

  • Southeast
  • Pinevale Learning Center
  • VECA
  • JL Lomax ???
  • Parker Mathis
  • Old Pine Grove
  • Moulton- Branch ????

Sell:

  • Bazemore Hyder Stadium and Central Office to VSU at Fair Market Value – Wildcat Museum would be housed at the Historical Society
  • Southeast School
  • VECA to VSU at Fair Market Value
  • Pinevale Learning Center
Now it took me about 15 minutes to come up with this list and it’s not near what my actually happen during the 2011-12 school year if we don’t get people out to vote against this misguided attempt to dismantle our schools. If I didn’t include you don’t thank for one second that you are safe. Remember I didn’t hire you and I don’t owe you anything, so pay your bills on time and keep your credit ratings high because you may need to rent for a while.

-Samuel Allen, Superintendent Emeritus

Consolidation was about economic development —Fred Wetherington @ LCBOE 4 Oct 2011

Current LCBOE member Fred Wetherington said he was on the Chamber of Commerce Board and is still a member. Remembering how consolidation started at the Chamber:
The whole idea was could it help us with economic development in our community. At the same time could we increase student achievement. And could we save the taxpayers money.

Well, I’m here to tell you tonight that I was one of the board members… that if that theory and those ideas had held up after research and study, I would be supporting this idea.

But he doesn’t. Because that theory and those ideas did not hold up.

He might have settled for something less than that: Continue reading →

We did talk to the consolidators —Philip Poole @ LCBOE 4 Oct 2011

Current Lowndes County Board of Education (LCBOE) member Philip Poole said various members of both school boards have met with consolidation proponents, and had asked them to involve the whole community in any decisions. Since that didn’t happen, there’s been less involvement lately. And the referendum is solely about dissolving the Valdosta School System, which would trigger the Lowndes system having to take over. Which would result in losing federal and state funding due to the resulting school system being larger.

Here’s the video:


Referendum is to dissolve Valdosta School District —Philip Poole @ LCBOE 4 Oct 2011
Why we oppose consolidation,
Community Forum, Lowndes County Board of Education (LCBOE),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 4 October 2011.
Videos by Gretchen Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.

-jsq

Let the Chamber attend cocktail parties —Dan Davis @ LCBOE 4 Oct 2011

Dan Davis suggested letting professional educators deal with education and let the Chamber attend cocktail parties. That got a big round of applause.

First he established his credentials in business and education: 20 year veteran of CPIE and of the Chamber of Commerce; has businesses in many countries, but chooses to live here. Having seen the world and many educational systems, he thinks:

This consolidation is really a bad issue; very very bad.
He thinks consolidation proponents are
very misinformed and very misguided.
He invited CUEE and Chamber members to join him and Jerome Tucker in Community Partners in Education (CPIE).

Here’s Part 1 of 2: Continue reading →

Consolidation: A Financial Puzzle —Dr. Troy Davis @ LCBOE 4 October 2011

Dr. Troy Davis spelled out where we are financially in the school systems, and what consolidation would do to that: it would raise taxes and reduce services.

He took CUEE’s own figures for how much more consolidation would require to be spent per each Valdosta City school student, and demonstrated that not only would that require raising taxes for both Valdosta and Lowndes County residents to near the state-capped maximum of 21 mils, but even then there is no way enough tax revenue would be generated to pay for all the things CUEE proposes to do after consolidation, and probably not even enough taxes to continue employing all the teachers currently employed by the two school systems. Oh, plus consolidation would lose state and federal grant money by increasing the composite school system size, so the local taxpayers would have to make up that slack, too.

Here are his slides.

Here is a playlist.

-jsq

Telling the truth –Supt. Steve Smith @ LCBOE 4 Oct 2011

Lowndes Superintendent Steve Smith explained what the Forum was about:
  1. To support the Valdosta school system, which is fighting for its very existence. If Lowndes School system did not support them, that would be misinterpreted as being against them.
  2. To provide you with the truth about consolidation.

Here are his slides.

Here’s Part 1 of 3:


Telling the truth —Supt. Steve Smith @ LCBOE 4 Oct 2011 Part 1 of 3:
Why we oppose consolidation,
Community Forum, Lowndes County Board of Education (LCBOE),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 4 October 2011.
Videos by Gretchen Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.

He pointed out consolidation would raise taxes, would reduce school services, and would not address the basic issue facing local education, which is poverty.

Here’s Part 2 of 3: Continue reading →

People who look like you or people to do a job? —Jerome Tucker @ LCBOE 4 Oct 2011

Jerome Tucker continued talking about his experience, including at Griffin Industries, and said:
You looking for people who look like you or are you looking for people to do a job?
He elaborated:
If you pay enough, I’ll find you people to work. That’s a lie: you can’t find people to work in a business. That’s a lie.
He talked about his experience with other schools and the local schools. About business development:
I use the school systems.
He concluded:
If you live outside the city limits, call somebody in the city limits, and please, please vote no.
[Applause]

Here’s the video:


People who look like you or people to do a job? —Jerome Tucker @ LCBOE 4 Oct 2011
Why we oppose consolidation,
Community Forum, Lowndes County Board of Education (LCBOE),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 4 October 2011.
Videos by Gretchen Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.

-jsq

How will you know what’s going on in school if you don’t go in? —Jerome Tucker @ LCBOE 4 Oct 2011

Former chair of Community Partners in Education (CPIE) Jerome Tucker continued:
Three weeks ago, at JL Lomax, I had lunch at Southeast Elementary Community Partners in Education. I didn’t see a Chamber […] person there; I didn’t see a CUEE member there. How in the world are you going to know what’s going on in school if you don’t go in?
[Applause]
He pointed out what most children want: Continue reading →

I have never, never, been asked whether I’ve got one system or two —Jerome Tucker

Jerome Tucker has experience in all the major local business organizations and with both the local school systems. He used to be the chair of the Community Partners in Education (CPIE) that a CUEE board member had never heard of. He is the voice of experience, and here’s what he said:
You told me not to cheerlead, but I’ve got the mic in my hand.

I don’t have the right to vote, but I’m encouraging everybody to vote no. I have friends in the city. Call them; tell them to vote no.
[Applause.]
This is too important an issue in our community not to lead a cheer.

Then he established his personal credentials, stated the truth as he knows it, and issue a challenge.

First he bragged on the local school systems:

Somebody’s supposed to be about business thinks we don’t have what it takes to compete; somebody make a statement, and I’m an old country boy. My granny told me things that are said are the truth or a lie. The things I say … this afternoon are what I’ve experienced.
That’s what I call a primary source. He discussed other places that brag on our school systems, then:
I challenge anybody to have been as involved as consistently and as long as I have in business and community development in and around Valdosta and Lowndes County. I’ve served as chairman of the Industrial Authority. I’ve served as chairman of the Tourism Authority. I’ve served as chairman of the Valdosta Technical Board of Education. I’ve been on the superintendent’s council of schools. A member of CPIE since its inception. I challenge anyone….
What’s the challenge? Continue reading →