Friday, July 24, 2009
Chance Meeting With I-SS Board Member
As I was walking in Wal-Mart today, Mr. John Rogers, Jr. stopped me and we talked for a while. I have to admit that I did not recognize him at first. I thanked him for taking a part in selecting Brady Johnson for the interim superintendent position. Mr. Rogers said that we should start seeing some changes once Brady officially takes on the duties of the interim superintendent. Mr. Rogers also said that if any one has any suggestions for the School Board to please pass those suggestions on to them. I asked Mr. Rogers if the public was going to have some input into the selection of the new superintendent. He said that there would be a public forum and that it would probably be held in Mac Gray Auditorium at Statesville High School. So it does look like there will be some positive changes made. I know that there are many people looking forward to August 5th.
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Thanks for writing about this chance meeting. It sounds like it was a cordial conversation and there seems to be hope that our BOE is awake and aware. I hope everyone takes the time to write, email, call any BOE member (regardless of your district) to discuss the issues. And regardless of your feeling, I hope that everyone will treat the board members with respect. I believe they have a great opportunity to correct some past mistakes.
ReplyDeleteAgree with above poster..this time of transition provides a wonderful opportunity for the BoE to 'start over' concerning the relationship between the public and the public school system..PUBLIC is the key word here. For close a decade the public has not been considered the owner of the school system; our input has not been valued to the degree it should have been. One person does NOT have ALL the answers. It sounds as if the BoE is going to take advantage of the opportunity and try to make some badly needed repairs to our damaged school system.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing this information, Paul.
*close to a decade
ReplyDeleteThe conversation with the Board Member does sound promising. I wanted to encourage everyone to contact the BOE with their input. here is a copy of an email sent to all members this morning:
ReplyDeleteTo all Iredell Statesville School Board members,
We are in the first stages of choosing a replacement for Holliday. I have followed public comments on both the Record and Landmark online and on The ISS Report. ALL were in favor of Brady Johnson being named as that replacement. All of my dealings with Brady have been excellent. Brady is hardworking, sincere and appears to have no hidden agenda.
Holiday on the other hand has used ISS as a stepping stone. It takes a politician to go from band director to head of state education in the timeframe that defines his career. As with most politicians, the results he has produced are poor. Our teacher morale is very low. Students are being bombarded with tests and assessments and many people have been treated to Holiday's "slammed door policy" when they tried to address concerns. The Holliday choice was the last choice that the ISS BOE made and it was a poor choice.
If Brady Johnson would be willing to take the superintendant position, you as a group should be honored to have the chance to vote him in.
It has been suggested that the teachers be polled as to their opinion about the current methods used by ISS. I agree wholeheartedly. The teachers are the people doing the work and seeing firsthand what is effective and what is not. Now is a good time for change, but it has already been made clear that we will remain on the same course.
"Parents, teachers, and taxpayers should expect Mr. Johnson and other top administrators to continue on the course set by Dr. Holliday until the board advises otherwise." I'm not sure of the origin of that statement, but it demonstrates an open resistance to public opinion. I can't think of any other reason for such specific and defensive wording. Apparently it is obvious to the board that "parents, teachers, and taxpayers" are ready for change.
We are all struggling in a failing economy. Our current condition has shaken many from their slumber of apathy and the general public has finally begun to voice their opinion loud enough to be heard. I would hope that you as a board would listen to those voices and take to heart the wants of the people that elected you to represent them.
Larry Coover
Statesville, NC
Mr Coover's letter is both both eloquent and powerful. I only hope the BoE heeds its wise advice.
ReplyDeleteBOE contact info:
ReplyDeleteMr. Bill Brater (District 5)
529 Catspaw Lane
Statesville, NC 28677
704-528-3531
billbrater@bellsouth.net Dr. David Cash (District 2)
149 Foxglove Drive
Statesville, NC 28625
704-873-3269
davidcash@iss.k12.nc.us
Mr. Charles Kelly (District 6)
132 Blueberry Hill Drive
Statesville, NC 28625
704-873-7578
cskllll@bellsouth.net
Mr. John B. Rogers, Jr. (District 3)
851 Wesley Drive
Statesville, NC 28677
704-873-7777
johnrgrsjb@aol.com
Mrs. Karen Watson (District 7)
PO Box 4533
Mooresville, NC 28117
704-660-8018
ktwatson@iss.k12.nc.us
Mr. Keith Williams (District 4)
1724 Jones Street
Statesville, NC 28625
704-878-6559
keith.williams@iredellmemorial.org
Dr. Kenneth Wilson (District 1)
293 Rash Road
Olin, NC 28660
704-876-4515
kenwilolin@yahoo.com
Your letter speaks volumes. Our elected officials are the voices of the people not theirselves. That is why they were elected.
ReplyDeleteBrenda Clark has already shared with staff that everything will continue as it has. There will not be any changes. Also, the talk is Mrs. Holliday will be staying with ISS beyond Aug. 5.
ReplyDelete7-2 9:15 - An interesting contradiction to Mr. Klaene's post (conversation with John Rogers) the same also being posted on the previous topic
ReplyDeleteAgain who is the boss, the Central office or the BOE? Will Mr. Johnson stand up for what is right?
ReplyDeleteWho was the boss, Dr. Holliday or his wife? We are all beginning to wonder.
ReplyDeleteTell her it is time for her to go. Get out with your husband. Go now. He will be sure that you have a position.
ReplyDeleteWhen Holliday leaves, his band of flying monkeys needs to either conform to the change we need or fly along behind him to Kentuacky.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't care to ever hear Brenda Clark's name again. Don't forget that Holliday hired her as a consultant for $18,500 for 10 days and then $20,500 for another ten days. That was before hiring her at (I believe) $129,000 a year with a four year contract.
I find it very possible that she "has already shared with staff that everything will continue as it has. There will not be any changes." If our school system goes back to common sense practices and allows the teachers to do what is effective for them, Clark's input will not be needed. She is probably about to fly into a panic with Holliday leaving.
"Be careful of the toes you step on today because they might be attached to the behind you have to kiss tomorrow."
Amen, Amen! God of eternity, we have faith and we have prayed and we will continue to pray to open eyes and help our students and teachers to be who they can be without any more manipululation.
ReplyDeleteWhile it is probably satisfying to most local educators that Brady Johnson has been selected as the interim superintendent,afterall he is a person of good and moral character, we must keep several (and I am certain more) questions in mind during the transition from dictator to (well we really don't know, do we?). We must consider that Brady is probably eligible for retirement. What are his intentions regarding retirement? We should consider Brenda Clarke (you know, Holliday's prize catch hire). How long is her contract? (Or some may say, how long are we stuck with Clarke and other specific Holliday hires?) What are the true intentions of the BOE for the future of Iredell Statesville Schools? We see what the editorial of the SR&L has suggested. Remember, the SR&L has been pro-Holliday and limited the citizens in their search for truth. I would like to see people of this forum report back that they have communicated with their board members. That would involve that they have sent written or verbal inquiries to board members and have actually received a response (wrtten or verbal). We must remember that the purpose of this site should not fade during the transition. The purpose of this site should continue to grow and involve the citizens of the process of being allowed in the selection of a new superintendent of Iredell Statesville Schools.
ReplyDeleteI posted a copy of my letter to the BOE members yesterday. Last night I received a reply from John Rogers. The entire response was very open and positive. Part of the letter read...
ReplyDelete"The board is planning an evening so the public can come and express ideas and concerns as to what type of person we need to lead ISS. However, I would suggest that people begin to offer suggestions even before a public meeting is held so that board members can get an idea of the concerns of the communiity. You may contact us by letter, e-mail, or phone to talk to each of us about the selection process."
Another excerpt is as follows:
"This is probably the one major decision that most of us on the current board will make during our time of service, and after teaching 35 years, I fully understand the impact of a superintendent in a school system.
I just want to get it right."
I was very impressed by the last line "I just want to get it right."
I have never met John, but he has got my backing from what I have seen. He seems very sincere and eager to work with the people he represents to make a well thought out decision regarding the quality of our children's education. He needs to be in the "save" pile when we toss out the other BOE members that have proven to be worthless in representing public opinion.
Also again, I want to point out that it is very critical to have board members that are willing to listen to our teachers. Our teachers need to feel that they can voice concerns without fear of retaliation.
I personally offer myself to address any public official who berates a teacher for sharing a valid concern. Unlike some who are demanding change, political correctness is not one of my priorities. Right is right, wrong is wrong. Political correctness only makes it improper to state the truth. When making important decisions regarding our children, I only care about the truth.
Wow, Holliday is blogging on the kentucky website:
ReplyDeleteTerry Holliday said...
Richard
Great job with keeping readers up to date on multitude of topics. You provided great access to Justin Bathon's video and the eval of KERA with Debra Dawahare and Bill Hoyt report. I agree with commentary that we do not need to throw out what is working with KERA. This weekend I have carefully reviewed Senate Bill 1 again alongside Race to Top guidelines. Given history of KERA, we should be in great shape to apply for funding to keep what has worked with KERA and move to new components as addressed in Senate Bill 1. Thanks for great blog site.
That's interesting he would write on their blog and not here.
As inappropriate and unprofessional as it was for Mr. Rogers to speak about such a controversial topic in such and informal location... I find it ironic and almost humorous that this proposed public forum may be held in the new Mac Gray Auditorium, which was revamped thanks to a bond referendum that Dr. Holliday and his "cronies" managed to pass a few years ago. So now the mistaken self-informed citizens of Iredell County can stick their noses into ISS's business... in "the house that Doc built."
ReplyDeleteHow fitting...
Hey Anonymous... Mr. Rogers spoke to a citizen about a public matter. That is the kind of openess we need in public officials. He is also the only one of the board members that took time to respond to my email. (Posted above).
ReplyDeleteAnd by all means, explain to me what location matters. You must define formal as an official meeting complete with suits and ties. Official meetings and suits and ties are screwing up the world.
And ISS business? Our kids are our business. You are obviously of the mind set of those who need to be removed. Post with your name next time so I can work on addressing that.
Hey Larry Coover... Mr Rodgers, and apparently you as well, need to understand that those kind of things are to be addressed during the board meetings, not in Wal-Mart for crying out loud.
ReplyDeleteOfficial meetings with suits and ties, Mr. Coover, maybe against your ideal location of retail stores but it is in fact how the world is run. What's "screwing up the world" is ignorance, something you're all too familiar with.
ISS is a business, largest employer in the county actually, and their product is educated people. All though most people on this forum and others seem to fabricate contradictory information, educated people is exactly what ISS is producing. And those facts and results have been improving steadily for the last 7 years, so sorry if you disagree.
Larry, I'm assuming you wish to remove me from the school system, which would be quite difficult for you to do since I don't work for ISS. That being said I think I'll continue to withold my name. But since I have yours maybe I'll work on removing you from future board meetings or any "public forums."
Hey Paul, I thought we were supposed to respect other's opinions? Now we're resulting to internet intimidation? HAHA, I love this website.
As I mentioned in my post, this was a chance meeting at Wal-mart. I applaud Mr. Rogers for taking the time to talk to me. There was nothing inappropriate or unprofessional about it. The Board members represent the citizens of Iredell County and should communicate with those citizens both formally and informally. Mr. Rogers told me there would be changes once Mr. Johnson officially becomes interim superintendent but did not say what those changes would be. I assume that those changes will be for the better but that is my assumption. And, certainly we should all be glad that at least one Board member wants input from the community. As for the use of Mac Gray Auditorium, Dr. Holliday did not pass any bond referendum, the citizens of Iredell County are the ones who pass bond referendums and they should be able to utilize any facilities funded with their tax dollars.
ReplyDeleteGood effort at twisting my words around about Mac Gray Paul, but I'm absolutely sure everyone knows what was meant by it.
ReplyDeleteI think anyone who reads this blog can understand what employees in the I-SS system deal with from the types of comments above. I emailed my district representative concerning an individual meeting. He returned the email and wrote that he was to busy to meet due to his work schedule. But he also stated he would be glad to get my ideas and comments by e-mail. He stated that he is wanting to replace Dr. Holliday hopefully from someone within our (which is of great concern to me) but is open to other suggestions (this is what I like the best). We have gone outside our system many times. And now our system is comprised of mostly outsiders. Maybe we should continue the trend, but be more careful. Or, maybe we should bring someone who was formerly in the system that was trustworthy. I would recommend the current Asst. Superintendent of Kannapolis City Schools (Dr. Debra Morris).
ReplyDeleteThose comments above? Well-trained Orwellian double-speak!!! Very ugly! Yes, this is what ISS employees have had to deal with. Please may it come to an end.
ReplyDeletePS: Did that "anonymous" poster actually say "for crying out loud?" Must surely be a female! Citizens of Iredell County should NOT "stick their noses into ISS' business?" You really do need to keep tuning in to this web site!! Thanks!!
ReplyDeletethere is no opportunity to have a conversation with BoE members during the meetings. Citizens have exactly 3 minutes to say anything without a response by the board other than think you for your comments. There certainly does need to be a time and place where parents, grandparents, and citizens have the chance to voice their wishes.
ReplyDeleteTo the anonymously ignorant- the information given to Paul from the board member was so far from confidential that you must be used to the closed-door policy that is run by the ISS Central Office. Transparency in government is important and something that was touted by the Music Man himself; we should know what elected officials are thinking, and it is their job to tell us exactly that. Furthermore, the information given was that of a possible town-hall style meeting where the board will gather input. Whoa-that's like him telling us that their minds are already made up, righ? Get Also, mentioning that there may be changes because there was a change in superintendent, yikes. That's a shocker! As far as the auditorium, good on Holliday. I'm glad to know that in some areas he did the job that he was paid a lot of money to do.
ReplyDeleteDear Anonymous... Internet intimidation, I think not. There is a need for change and that involves identifying problems and removing them. You apparently are one of those who think that parents shouldn't have any say. We see what our kids struggle with and we talk to the teachers who trustingly share their frustrations.
ReplyDeleteUs parents, students and teachers represent the greatest portion of the school system. We are also the most affected by the decisions made by the BOE and the Superintendant.
As someone who appears to think that a handful should make decisions for all, you have identified yourself as a small part of a larger problem.
Also, Since you chose to attack Mr Rogers anonomously on a public forum, I assumed that you were part of the ISS system. I didn't want to assume the worse which was that it was only because you didn't have the courage to take responsibility for your words.
As for internet intimidation you are the one anonomously threatening to "work on removing (me) from future board meetings or any public forums." Whatever floats your boat boss. You do what you think best.
And yes I am familiar with ignorance. Everytime a well meaning bunch of people have the guts to step up and try to improve things, the ignorant come out of the shadows and start their attack. I haven't seen one intelligent dissagreement on your part, only antagonistic attacks.
I do enjoy those who post anonomously on here and respectfully dissagree. Considering different viewpoints gives a more rounded understanding of the workings of the system. Those of you who respectfully dissagree please continue. We're all in this together.
There is always someone who has no respect for others because it has to their way or no way. Rudeness is rudeness. Who does he or she think our schools belong to? Dr. Holliday. I do thank him for our new schools, but we all worked hard for this bond or there would have been no new schools.
ReplyDeleteI do not thank him for the know-it-all employees that think the rest of us( citizens) should have no input at all about the next superintendent. Talking about not being able to change. Then all I can say is "Get over it" and you are the one who needs to grow up, not us. It is our right to dissent and yours , too.
You just happen to have that "IF" mentality. I guess you should be pitied, because brainwashed people have a hard time changing and ever thinking for themselves. Poor thing.
Someone does not want certain things to come to light or they would not be so closed minded. Someone contradicts everything that he or she says. That person can't change, can't grow, and can't be open about a new vision for ISS.
ReplyDeleteTalk about being stagnant. He or she definitely is. Those things done behind closed doors and in secret seem to get out slowly, but eventually everyone finds out. It is just a matter of time.