Tag Archives: Gretchen Quarterman

Integration did not solve all problems —Leigh Touchton

The appended came in last night as a comment on Audience interaction about CUEE @ LCDP 2 May 2011. Leigh Touchton is President of the Valdosta-Lowndes NAACP and was present at the LCDP meeting, as was NAACP First Vice President Phyllis Stallworth. -jsq
In response to the person exclaiming about the situation in the sixties: What many of our members recall vividly from that period of time is how black teachers and black principals were fired or demoted, some even went to work as custodians. Our members and their families all experienced this to some degree. Right now, Valdosta City Schools probably has fewer black administrators that at any time since integration. We have taken complaints whereby black professionals were passed over for promotion or demoted or denied a position which was given to white candidates with less experience, fewer credentials, and even in one instance, an incomplete employment application. These stories are profound and leave lasting impressions which cannot be ignored. It is very impolite for the majority to tell the minority how to feel about this. Integration, as Dr. George has clearly explained, did not solve all problems.

Our members have valid reasons for feeling the way we do, we feel that the rights of all children to achieve are also interwoven with the rights of all education professionals to be treated with equality and fairness. Since we are having to fight so hard for equality and representation in Valdosta City Schools, where we have several Board members who represent minority districts, and a black Chairman, it is impossible for us to believe that becoming even more of a minority in a consolidated system will be beneficial. The struggles have been lengthy, expensive, and emotional, and they continue today.

-Leigh Touchton

Out of the patterns —Rev. Leroy Butler on CUEE @ LCDP 2 May 2011

Rev. Leroy Butler, chair of CUEE, talked about patterns visible even in how people sit, often grouped together by race, even in church.

(Interestingly, at the LCDP meeting, people were not so segregated. There were a couple of tables of CUEE people, though.)

He talked about how it is useful economically to learn about other people. He talked about a controlling group as a problem.

Here’s the video:


Out of the patterns —Rev. Leroy Butler on CUEE @ LCDP 2 May 2011
Debate between proponents of school system unification (CUEE) and opponents,
at Lowndes County Democratic Party (LCDP), Gretchen Quarterman chair,
Videos by George Rhynes, Jim Parker, John S. Quarterman, and Gretchen Quarterman
for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange, Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 2 May 2011.

-jsq

I don’t see a separation —Alex Rowell about CUEE @ LCDP 2 May 2011

Alex Rowell, Lowndes High School student, said he’s been volunteering at S.L. Mason, and:
I’ve been told, “you work better with black students because you’re black”. These kids are working with each other, playing with each other. … Especially in these lower students, I don’t see a separation. I want to know if CUEE…

When I saw your graph… You have Lowndes predominately white, Valdosta predominately black. Is one of your goals to integrate that? Is the goal to have a more integrated racial system, or what exactly do you propose to do?

I think the graph was this one supplied by Dr. George. The question remains.

Here’s the video: Continue reading →

Where was the Chamber and CUEE? —George Rhynes on CUEE @ LCDP 2 May 2011

George Boston Rhynes wants to know where was the Chamber of Commerce and CUEE when a judge was locking up people? George provided text for much of what he said in his previous post.

Here’s the video:


Where was the Chamber and CUEE? —George Rhynes on CUEE @ LCDP 2 May 2011
Debate between proponents of school system unification (CUEE) and opponents,
at Lowndes County Democratic Party (LCDP), Gretchen Quarterman chair,
Videos by George Rhynes, Jim Parker, John S. Quarterman, and Gretchen Quarterman
for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange, Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 2 May 2011.

-jsq

The most segregated times —Rev. Leroy Butler about CUEE @ LCDP 2 May 2011

Rev. Leroy Butler, the only CUEE board member from the county outside of Valdosta, talked about his experiences at Pinevale High School and VSU. He agreed with Rev. Rose that there is more camaraderie in homogeneous groups such as Sunday morning, the most segregated times. He said it’s time for a change.
We need to come up with some strategies whereby we get more parental involvement.
He made several other suggestions for improving education, and then he said:
It takes money to do that. And that’s why I’m looking at CUEE.
It seems pretty clear from what several of the speakers said that CUEE’s unification proposal is about getting financial resources from the county. Money’s still no use unless there’s a plan for improving education.

Here’s the video: Continue reading →

Rev. Floyd Rose quizzes Mrs. Ruth Council @ LCDP 2 May 2011

Rev. Floyd Rose quizzed Mrs. Ruth Council whether black students got a better education in black schools. She said she has taught in all sorts of schools, black and white. He clarified:
…we were told about the world, where we came from, how we got here.
She answers:
I think we did receive a better education.
Maybe this is part of what Dr. George was referring to when he remarked minority experiences of education might not be what the majority imagines.

Here’s Part 1 of 2: Continue reading →

Come to the meeting —Mrs. Ruth Council about CUEE @ LCDP 2 May 2011

Mrs. Ruth Council said CUEE needs “parents, administrators, business people, everybody, city and county”.
Whether we unify or not, we need to improve our educational offerings for our boys and girls. … Will you please come to the meeting on the seventh and provide information that you think will benefit.
The meeting is actually 7-10 PM 5 May 2011 at the Valdosta City Hall Annex.

Here’s Part 1 of 2: Continue reading →

Audience interaction about CUEE @ LCDP 2 May 2011

Speakers pro and con school unification assembled up front to talk about procedures, and a listener took exception to that. Dr. Lee Allen said the important thing was “the simple idea of what we want to do” and then talked about the 1960s and what he didn’t want to hear about that. He never did say what he wanted to do now.

Here’s Part 1 of 3: Continue reading →

Camera 2: Dr. Mark George about CUEE @ LCDP 2 May 2011

We have complaints that some people couldn’t understand what Dr. Mark George was saying in the previous post of his remarks at Monday’s Lowndes County Democratic Party meeting, so here’s another version from a different camera. Feedback, please.

He said the Chamber of Commerce said schools were not its issue. Dr. George pointed out that it was the Chamber and the real estate industry that largely produced the current situation by funelling people to the county schools.

He said the unification project started with a request from the Industrial Authority, who said it didn’t look good when potential industry saw there was a black school system and a white school system. (The timing of this is interesting, because it comes after Brad Lofton was hired as VLCIA Executive Director, and other people formerly associated with VLCIA say they were never asked by any potential industry how many school systems we have.)

Dr. George discussed many other interesting points, such as CUEE’s terminology drift from consolidation to integration to unification.

Here’s Part 1 of 2:


Camera 2: Dr. Mark George about CUEE @ LCDP 2 May 2011 Part 1 of 2:
Debate between proponents of school system unification (CUEE) and opponents,
at Lowndes County Democratic Party (LCDP), Gretchen Quarterman chair,
Videos by George Rhynes, Jim Parker, John S. Quarterman, and Gretchen Quarterman
for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange, Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 2 May 2011.

In this second video from camera 2, Dr. George noted that the Valdosta school system is internally segregated.

He said both he and Rev. Rose asked to have somebody put on the CUEE council, and that that didn’t happen.

There’s more; you can watch it for yourself. Here’s Part 2 of 2:


Camera 2: Dr. Mark George about CUEE @ LCDP 2 May 2011 Part 2 of 2:
Debate between proponents of school system unification (CUEE) and opponents,
at Lowndes County Democratic Party (LCDP), Gretchen Quarterman chair,
Videos by George Rhynes, Jim Parker, John S. Quarterman, and Gretchen Quarterman
for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange, Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 2 May 2011.

-jsq

Dr. Mark George speaks against CUEE @ LCDP 2 May 2011

Update: See other post for videos from another camera with better sound.

Dr. Mark George pointed out that school consolidation didn’t solve some problems last time:

In 2011 our schools were more segregated racially than they were in 1968.
He questioned why people should believe that consolidation, even if called unification, would solve those same problems this time.

Continuing the debate between proponents and opponents of unification of the Valdosta and Lowndes County School Systems, organized by Gretchen Quarterman, chair of the The Lowndes County Democratic Party (LCDP). Here, speaking against, is Dr. Mark George.

Here’s Part 1 of 3: Continue reading →