Anytime
there's a crowd of people attending a School Board meeting,
you know something is up. For the May 22 2023 Board meeting,
upwards of 30 were in the peanut gallery. All five Boardsters
were present but Interim Superintendent Joan Haynie was absent
due to a family medical issue....
Susan Bodkins (L), Dr Michelle Samples (C). Board Chair Phoebe Nichols (R)
Here's our first
eyebrow raiser.
Just before the 6pm start time, Michelle Samples walked into the meeting room at the Pentagon. Instead of her usual perch in the gallery, she placed her things up front where Superintendent Haynie normally sits. When she turned around there was Barry Payton with an outstretched hand. Maybe in jest but from Payton: Congratulations Asst Superintendent.
The local system has not had an asst. superintendent since Ms Haynie was moved to the Superintendent slot after Ole What's His Name was voted off the island in Nov 2022 when his employment contract was tossed to the wind.
Two weeks ago, Phil Dobbins was selected to be the next Superintendent. He takes his new position July 1st of this year. The way it works is, Superintendents select their own Asst and the Board OK's the person for duty. None of that has happened publicly yet.
Either Barry Payton was speaking in jest or he let the cat out of the bag. We don't know but it deserves a great big Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm..
Before the 6pm meeting, the Board held a 4pm gathering where they approved the 2023-2024 School Budget. Boardster Lo Nutter told us, the budget is much smaller for the coming year based on lack of Excess Levy funding and the reduced student population. We hope to post the new budget soon.
Much of the meeting was spent finding warm bodies to fill various employment positions. Like, hired as subs: Heather Sears, Adison Woods, Anita Stephenson,Wanda Walter, and Linda Kay Miller.
Item 13 was the vote to approve continuing elective classes at Clay High. Those intense and challenging classes include: Film Studies, High School 101, Weight Training, and Recreation (ping pong, corn hole and other games come to mind)
All votes were unanimous.
Instead of traveling to each school during the year, during Board meetings, each school is given time for power point presentations to highlight all the great things going on. Knowing our school system ranks at the very bottom of the charts in every area of performance, sometimes those dog and pony shows are hard to stomach. For this meeting, it was Clay Middle School's spotlight to be highlighted.
Presenter Leslie Goes did say she knew the improvements are slight but heading in the right direction. The right direction is important but but but, remember, this year's standardized test results have not been made public. For the last several years, test scores have been kept secret for months, often waiting until well into a new school year to get released. That wait allows leadership to tell taxpayers, Ah Gee, that was last year.. We're doing better now, You just wait and see.
Often parents show up at public meetings to air irate words and express their displeasure with action or inaction within the school system. The out of control adults often start bad mouthing Bubba or Betty Jo. With the old Board and most likely with the new Board, the bad mouthers are stopped and told hold it, we have to go behind closed doors for something like that. While that's not true, that's how it works.
And then came the grand prize winner of this decade.
Before getting to the biggy... When dirty underhanded, bogus tricks happen in Clayberry, word spreads via word of mouth. For this article, many in County Clay already know or at least the rumor goes, a previous administrator changed the rules to give preferential treatment for his Clay High student. That change in policy allowed this one student to come out on top and other contenders not allowed an equal chance at top honors.
Elizabeth Young is a Clay High student. Ms Young came and spoke during the May 22nd meeting. Standing under 5' tall and thin in stature, when she began her speech, the crowd got quiet. Those up front started to squirm. Others held their head in their hands.
Unlike many parent speakers over the years, Ms Young was able to tell her story without naming names or using potty mouth, Her words were strong and accurate. She provided dates and specifics as she went along. In a nutshell and according to Ms Young, CCHS policy was changed her junior year to benefit that one administrator's kid and then changed a second time so no other student would have an equal chance.
We got confused a little readers, but the change had something to do with how many 5.0 classes could be taken during a semester. Also, some of the AP 5.0 courses would no longer b counted as credits
Ms Young realized she was getting screwed so the other student could get high honors. Young, "I was told a lie... This is not right!.. [We need] fair and accurate accounting NOT weighted for just one person"
During her 8 minute spiel,everyone realized, this young lady was bringing out in the open just one of the many dirty little secrets performed by a previous administrator. She was doing it professionally way beyond her years!
Her request was for this corrupt policy to be corrected and to level the playing field albeit the damage had already been done to her.
Hands down, second to none, Elizabeth Young was the strongest speaker EVER to come before the Board and make rotten crap known to the world. She knew how to handle herself, commanded the floor, and get her message out without getting tossed into secret time. Her words were a demand for action. We only wish she had come public a lot earlier.
Ms Young provided a fresh look and feel to what's been going on for years. One big happy face for Elizabeth Young
Just before the 6pm start time, Michelle Samples walked into the meeting room at the Pentagon. Instead of her usual perch in the gallery, she placed her things up front where Superintendent Haynie normally sits. When she turned around there was Barry Payton with an outstretched hand. Maybe in jest but from Payton: Congratulations Asst Superintendent.
The local system has not had an asst. superintendent since Ms Haynie was moved to the Superintendent slot after Ole What's His Name was voted off the island in Nov 2022 when his employment contract was tossed to the wind.
Two weeks ago, Phil Dobbins was selected to be the next Superintendent. He takes his new position July 1st of this year. The way it works is, Superintendents select their own Asst and the Board OK's the person for duty. None of that has happened publicly yet.
Either Barry Payton was speaking in jest or he let the cat out of the bag. We don't know but it deserves a great big Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm..
Before the 6pm meeting, the Board held a 4pm gathering where they approved the 2023-2024 School Budget. Boardster Lo Nutter told us, the budget is much smaller for the coming year based on lack of Excess Levy funding and the reduced student population. We hope to post the new budget soon.
Much of the meeting was spent finding warm bodies to fill various employment positions. Like, hired as subs: Heather Sears, Adison Woods, Anita Stephenson,Wanda Walter, and Linda Kay Miller.
Item 13 was the vote to approve continuing elective classes at Clay High. Those intense and challenging classes include: Film Studies, High School 101, Weight Training, and Recreation (ping pong, corn hole and other games come to mind)
All votes were unanimous.
Instead of traveling to each school during the year, during Board meetings, each school is given time for power point presentations to highlight all the great things going on. Knowing our school system ranks at the very bottom of the charts in every area of performance, sometimes those dog and pony shows are hard to stomach. For this meeting, it was Clay Middle School's spotlight to be highlighted.
Presenter Leslie Goes did say she knew the improvements are slight but heading in the right direction. The right direction is important but but but, remember, this year's standardized test results have not been made public. For the last several years, test scores have been kept secret for months, often waiting until well into a new school year to get released. That wait allows leadership to tell taxpayers, Ah Gee, that was last year.. We're doing better now, You just wait and see.
Often parents show up at public meetings to air irate words and express their displeasure with action or inaction within the school system. The out of control adults often start bad mouthing Bubba or Betty Jo. With the old Board and most likely with the new Board, the bad mouthers are stopped and told hold it, we have to go behind closed doors for something like that. While that's not true, that's how it works.
And then came the grand prize winner of this decade.
Before getting to the biggy... When dirty underhanded, bogus tricks happen in Clayberry, word spreads via word of mouth. For this article, many in County Clay already know or at least the rumor goes, a previous administrator changed the rules to give preferential treatment for his Clay High student. That change in policy allowed this one student to come out on top and other contenders not allowed an equal chance at top honors.
Elizabeth Young is a Clay High student. Ms Young came and spoke during the May 22nd meeting. Standing under 5' tall and thin in stature, when she began her speech, the crowd got quiet. Those up front started to squirm. Others held their head in their hands.
Unlike many parent speakers over the years, Ms Young was able to tell her story without naming names or using potty mouth, Her words were strong and accurate. She provided dates and specifics as she went along. In a nutshell and according to Ms Young, CCHS policy was changed her junior year to benefit that one administrator's kid and then changed a second time so no other student would have an equal chance.
We got confused a little readers, but the change had something to do with how many 5.0 classes could be taken during a semester. Also, some of the AP 5.0 courses would no longer b counted as credits
Ms Young realized she was getting screwed so the other student could get high honors. Young, "I was told a lie... This is not right!.. [We need] fair and accurate accounting NOT weighted for just one person"
During her 8 minute spiel,everyone realized, this young lady was bringing out in the open just one of the many dirty little secrets performed by a previous administrator. She was doing it professionally way beyond her years!
Her request was for this corrupt policy to be corrected and to level the playing field albeit the damage had already been done to her.
Hands down, second to none, Elizabeth Young was the strongest speaker EVER to come before the Board and make rotten crap known to the world. She knew how to handle herself, commanded the floor, and get her message out without getting tossed into secret time. Her words were a demand for action. We only wish she had come public a lot earlier.
Ms Young provided a fresh look and feel to what's been going on for years. One big happy face for Elizabeth Young
Student Achievers
aw