Separate but Equal?

"Montgomery Public Schools officials will host another public hearing on Wednesday, June 15,2011 to gather community input about potential changes in the alternative education program in the area.

According to the Montgomery Advertiser, the public hearing will center around the discussion of moving the two secondary education programs into the old Hayneville elementary building. The school closed down in May as part of a system-wide plan to close and consolidate several area schools.

The second issue to be discussed is the proposal to divide the Fews elementary secondary education program in three different hubs within the city, says the report.(Friday, June 10, 2011, 2:21 PM Updated: Friday,June 0, 2011,2:22 PMKneidinger, al.com" width="40" height="40"> By Christine Kneidinger, al.com)."

This Public hearing will center around the discussion of moving the alternative school-PACE into the old Hayneville Road Elementary Building. Again another waste of time and ridiculous recommendation from our Superintendent and Board Members. This is a waste of time because why now is Hayneville Road Elementary "fit" "cost effective" "a conducive learning environment" for Alternative Education and couldn't stay open for the children who live in the community? How much savings will this be for the system? If they are going to bring the Alternative School Program over why not just keep this school opened for those who live in the community and use the space that is not being used for the Alternative Program. How students many are in the Alternative Program at PACE and at any given time the numbers change because some of the students placed in the program do not have yearly punishments usually called expulsion. According to the DeJong Report pg. 40 Hayneville Road Elementary is under capacity by 236 students. Pg.41 of the report says "Hayneville Road Elementary and MacMillan International Academy are in need of major renovation and replacement. Approximate cost to replace = $4.9 million. Therefore it is again my opinion that if Hayneville Road Elementary is in need of major renovation so much so that the school was voted in a 6-1 decision to close how much of that $4.9 million dollar major renovation will be completed by Monday, August 22,2011 THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL?! There are so many questions that are not answered and while the Superintendent figures out and plays with her different notions it is ultimately putting the children of Montgomery County further and further behind.

al.com

When I saw the Weiner confession I said,"Hot Dog" he's lying. He couldn't even 'link' his story together. I used to love watching him rant and rave and his antics in the House however, this is just embarrassing to his wife and family. I apologize to them on behalf of all deli meats and jerks all over the world. Watching him at this press conference reminded me of an episode of the Simpson where he was impersonating Mr. Burns. Seriously, when will our elected officials understand that they cannot use their title for sex or sex acts? They threw Charlie Wrangle under the bus and censured him for ethics violation. I hope that Weiner resigns, which is the only appropriate thing to do. I must admit, I was a fan not on Twitter or Facebook only on CSPAN and other news media however, he orchestrated a scapegoat story that could have had some innocent person to blame. Out politicians must start completing ethics courses with supplemental readings: Tweeting for Dummies, Facebook for Dummies.

No Klass excuse me Showing No Class!

I was very disappointed to see the picture of G.W. Carver students attached to the Montgomery Advertiser's article, "Online hits: Why do so many people watch violent videos?" written by Kym Klass on Thursday, May 26, 2011. This article in my opinion was published and posted on G.W. Carver High School's Graduation Day which was classless for a Class Act group of individuals. Carver had 96% of its students to graduate. Family, Friends and Out of town guests who arrived in Montgomery on Thursday to witness their loved one graduating and who read and saw this article on the graduation day probably were shocked to see Carver students on the front page as if they are a group of Klassless (pun intended) individuals. I think that this article is an insult to what was supposed to be a momentous day to the G.W. Carver's Class of 2011, Faculty, Staff and Alumni(as I am). Pictures speak volumes and if I didn't know this Class of 2011, if I wasn't involved in Carver's PTSA and if I wasn't an Carver Alumni I would think that this was a wild bunch of individuals. I would like for Kym Klass to go to G.W. Carver High School and interview our principal, Mr. Gary Hall, to find out some statistics on this Class of 2011. I would like it to be printed on the front page with a picture of the 2011 Graduating Class. We should NOT have our family,friends and out of town guests leave this city without seeing and knowing that the G.W. Carver Wolverines Class of 2011 are a real Class Act.

A word of advice to Kym Klass is to think before you write as well as for the Editor of the newspaper. It is fundamentally important to understand that although these young adults who are 18 years of age are still children in our eyes. Once you take what I consider a low blow to a child or a child's success you have crossed the line and should do whatever it takes to right the wrong. I am not asking for a Correction Blurb on page 4A but on the FRONT PAGE there should be a picture of the Class of 2011 and an article of accomplishments and a formal apology to the parents, faculty, staff and alumni for this very inappropriately written article on a day that was supposed to be filled with joy and happiness.

WALKING FOR AN EDUCATION? WHY?

Elementary school children walking two miles to school unsupervised, in all types of weather, and expected to perform at their maximum? Today, unbelievable, especially in metropolitan Montgomery, AL, the pace-setting capital city! This unbelievable stress on elementary school children walking this fall two or more miles to school, in the 36105 zip code of west Montgomery, was revealed in a walk on last Saturday, April 09, 2011, by parents, their children, and concerned community leaders and workers. They learned that the strain and imposition on the children, who are expected to take this walk twice a day—morning and afternoon, is overwhelming. The adults, with longer legs and a greater understanding of purpose, found themselves exhausted from the turnaround walk from the Chevron gas station, on the corner of Court Street and South Boulevard, to Davis Elementary School on Rosa Parks Street. This overwhelming taxation on these targeted and victimized children is cruel, heartless, and simply inhuman. To expect these children to walk past a familiar neighborhood school, i.e., Harrison Elementary School, to attend Davis Elementary School, where they are unfamiliar with most, if not all, the teachers, administrators, and staff, is abusive and brutal. How are they to rationalize and understand that they are having to suffer, because responsible adults refuse to procure the funds needed to keep them in a more accessible and comfortable school setting? Further, these elementary school children will not be able to function academically at their maximum, given the circumstance of an unreasonable condition and an unanswered question of “Why?” Since the standards of education are much higher today, nation-wide, than they were in the twentieth century, what kind of atmosphere is this condition creating for the education of the west Montgomery elementary school children? Back in the day (pre-‘70’s), when walking to school—even a great distance—was the norm, the children grouped themselves with older children—their siblings and relatives, as guides and supervisors, and they walked the distance. This was when gangs were not ruling the community and many of the high schools included the other grades. Today, buses that used to pick up school children, who lived over two miles from the neighborhood school, will no longer be accessible to these children. Rather, we are told either money is not available to fund the cost of picking them up, or the buses are accessible to students living in a different section of Montgomery, versus west Montgomery. If this is true, does this identify a race or class of people who are the less cared for and most vulnerable to being disfranchised, manipulated, and used? If so, is this the America we are striving to keep sovereign and concerned about the masses? This letter is an appeal to concerned MPS and city elected officials to “wake up and smell the stench” being created by this over imposing, irrational, and overwhelming task upon school children to walk past a familiar school to an unfamiliar school where they cannot justify or rationalize the change. Ultimately, we are saying that this change from neighborhood and familiar school is programming the children to fail educationally and to become a liability to the community and state, and, maybe, the nation, if they are not dead before they reach their teen years. Two choices we offer to remedy this unfair and unintelligible condition to our west Montgomery elementary school children are: (1) First, reinstate the school that is already accessible to these children, and with whom they have identity with through their parents and other relatives, who are alumni(ae) of the school; and (2) Find the money to restore the bus pick-up of the children for transporting them to and from the school. William Larkin Montgomery Educational Improvement Association

A Predators Path

Elementary school children fresh “prey” to predators! In a narrow section of west Montgomery, AL, alone, according to the Alabama Department of Public Safety Community Info Center’s website, there are 48 registered sex offenders (plus several hundred arrested, but not registered) in zip code 36105. The location of these sex offenders is either on the route or within a dangerous range of the planned new walking route of these elementary school children each school day, the 2011-12 school year, from their communities to Davis Elementary School. The Montgomery Public School System (MPS) is not providing school buses along this route, which, if done, would countermand or nullify the “sex predator” condition and provide a non-stressful condition for the children who will need to be mentally prepared to study when they reach the school. In essence, what would ordinarily be a 6 minute ride for our children, now shall become a 45 minute nightmare for them. The playground for these predators in this section of west Montgomery consists of a plenty of clandestine and concealed cover provided by poorly police surveillance, insufficiently lighted streets, abandoned houses, unpaved streets for safe walking against moving vehicles, and streets aligned with shrubbery and overgrown bushes and ditches. Even for “street smart” elementary school aged children, this is an untenable, indefensible condition in which to subject them. Obviously, the parents are not doing this; rather, the higher educational officials of MPS are doing this by taking the children out of their familiar community school environment and transferring them to a foreign environmental school. In this situation, they will, undoubtedly, have mixed-emotions, rendering them uncomfortable and uneasy, which will not condition nor prepare their minds to be focused on the task at hand. This is what is commonly known as “built-in failure.” Building on to the built-in-failure concept, what about children with a variety of disabilities, physically and mentally? These are conditions aside from the ordinary predator issue raised above; rather, these students constitute a significant number of elementary school enrollees. Yes, these are human beings with special needs. Have they been forgotten in this process of change? What are at least two alternatives to this faulty, illogical, and unreasonable condition to which the school children in this narrow section of west Montgomery are being set-up for? First, money should be, and can be, found to keep the neighborhood schools open. Second, where this cannot be done, for bona fide and justifiable reasons---with the parents and community’s buy in, walking partners, for security, and school patrol guards, for safety, will be needed. Is there anyone out there, as a change agent, to hear this clarion call for help? Our children need educating, not dissipation.

Karen Jones Montgomery, AL

Councilman files discrimination suit against BOE WTH?

Ok Councilman David Burkette has filed a discrimination lawsuit against the Montgomery County Board of Education. Oh let me mention that he works for the Montgomery County Board of Education as a Teacher. This right here .... OMG what is this man thinking this is his 4th time filing lawsuits against his employer yet he is still employed. Mind you he has been teaching for over 20 years and is also getting supplemental income from the City of Montgomery as Councilman. In my opinion I think that this is a selfish senseless act of stupidity on Burkette's side because so many individuals are out of work. If you have been discriminated against so much why are you still working there? Why have you only contacted EEOC only on one case? Everyone should have been contacted Southern Poverty Law Center, AEA, US Commission on Civil Rights, etc if it were me. This seems like a woman scorn type of deal. You have an individual who states that he has been overlooked for many positions because of his age and color. "Montgomery City Council­man David Burkette, who is also a public school teacher, has filed a race-and-age discrimination lawsuit against the school sys­tem -- the fifth lawsuit (and the fourth against the school sys­tem) that he has filed in federal court since 1993. Burkette, who represents District 4 on the City Council, has filed a lawsuit in federal court claiming "employment discrimination," saying the sys­tem's hiring practices violated his civil rights. The lawsuit notes that Burkette, who is 53 years old and black, is in a "pro­tected class" because of his race and age.
The lawsuit, filed on Oct. 29, is the fourth lawsuit claiming discrimination that Burkette has filed against the Montgom­ery County Board of Education. He was hired in 1990 and has held some coaching positions during that tenure but has been turned down for several other coaching and administrative jobs for which he has applied.
Burkette contends in the lawsuit that he has been over­looked for promotions despite his winning coaching record and his educational back­ ground, which includes a bachelor's de­ gree, a mas­ ter's degree and an educa­ tional special­ ist degree in educational leadership.
"It's too po­litical. It's a good ol' boy net­work where you're not able to advance," Burkette said."

Burkette says that this is "too political" its a "good ol' boy network " well oh my. I wonder if he feels like this about his additional position as a Councilman which is really a "good ol' boy network". Just view the voting records all in favor before the clerk counts ayes vs nays hands up. How many times have I gone to the meetings and this good ol' boy network vote in favor of their pet projects and unconstitutional demolitions of property? How many times do you ask them a question and they look like a deer caught in the path of headlights on high beam?

Burkette needs to be ashamed of himself because to me this is a conflict of interest at best. Let's see you have a City Councilman who will have the option to vote on giving the Montgomery County Board of Education $25million Bond to construct a new school in a few weeks and now he's suing them. He works for the Montgomery County Board of Education!?@$! This is the type of lunacy we citizens have to contend with trying to sort out the reality of their foolishness. Get to work on policy items that are going to push Montgomery in a positive equal environment for all.

If he is not qualified for a position based on their job description he should not want to sue for compensatory damages, legal fees etc. If he is boss enough to file a complaint he should pay for his own attorney fees. It may just be a case where he was not what the Principal or Administrator wanted at his or her school. If he give the ego thing a rest he may see that he was not hired or promoted because he was not QUALIFIED. It could also be that the hiring official may not have felt that his SECONDARY JOB AS CITY COUNCILOR may cause a conflict in his Primary Employers position.
The race card does not need to be pulled when not needed. It is such an unfortunate incident that our City Councilor feels over and under looked when he probably was looked directly at and given consideration of his additional job which may conflict with the Primary Job. This is why our children are failing because the idiosyncracies of the adults.



Reference
http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/article/20101117/NEWS01/11170381/Councilman-files-discrimination-suit-against-MPS

Welcome to the City of Montgomery County Board of Education

Welcome to the CITY of Montgomery COUNTY Board of Education. Who does the Board of Education belong to, the City or County? Before I start I must say that I am a proponent of Education and Educating our Children for if it were not so I would not be a member of the PTSA or attend Board of Education meetings on a regular basis having no children. I digress...let me get back to the Montgomery City Council Meeting October 5th, 2010. I was on the agenda to speak in reference to NEW BUSINESS ITEM #2 which reads: "2. Resolution urging the Montgomery County Board of Education to proceed with the construction process to build an east side high school. (Sponsored by Councillor Pruitt)."

This comes directly from the Agenda, however, Pruitt asked that this item be pushed back until the first meeting in December. I got up to speak at the podium and in regards to this item. I started off by giving, "Why I oppose the Resolution urging the Montgomery County Board of Education to proceed with the construction process to build an eas side high school. The reasons are as follows:

• It’s not a fiscally responsible resolution
• Once the BOE has the money to construct a new school who will fund the salaries of the Teachers and so forth
• The Mtg BOE is in need of a Line of Credit is the City of Montgomery going to do that also to keep them out of the red
• So IF the City is going to fund a new school and provide a line of credit can the city get adequate number of School Buses for the children to ride to school 2 to a seat instead of riding while sitting in each others laps ask for more School Patrols?
• If the City is going to fund this new school can we give money to the BOE to recruit those teachers back who were pink slipped for them not having enough money to keep them?
• Which fund will this money come from and is it enough to leave extra money for the capital improvement fund to at least get some grass cut on the areas that need it particular West Montgomery Exits off of major Interstates as well as the Southern Blvd,graffiti clean up task force, street sweepers, ditch on Braeburn repaired behind residents houses that was supposed to be fixed prior to Mr. Cook’s death, lawn bags provided to residents of the City to help the Sanitation Dpt because it takes them too long to put the leaves in the back of the truck when it would be cost efficient to have the residents bag their own leaves put them on sidewalk and charge for extra bags? That extra money could help you decrease giving the Sanitation Dpt. $15000 for Postage in the 2012 Fiscal Year
  
• What Bank will the City be using for this line of credit and Bond issue?
• Who is responsible for tracking each districts spending and is this a matter for Public Record?

Well Mr. Larkin began speaking and told me in essence that it is our duties as citizens to take up this matter. Then he goes on to ask me about prorations and if I knew what that meant. I told him not to insult my intelligence. To make a long story short this is not about prorations, this is not about an east side school this is about being Fiscally Responsible and to use $25 Million dollars to fund the Board of Education is NOT. If our Councilmembers would keep it real with the citizens they know that they would not have any support. So they try to circumvent around the issue at hand, the City of Montgomery wasting money for a school that would not have teachers or staff to be placed there because according to the Montgomery Board of Education a (County entity) is looking for a line of credit to keep its budget in the black. After the meeting in an ongoing debate with Pruitt who I think is OK but not looking at this through the eyes of repayment. Pruitt says that there needs to be a school on the east side because there has not been one past Vaughn Road in years. He also stated that the Board of Education has money. OK if they do let them use it to build not take out a bond issue which has to be repaid by Me and other Citizens of the City of Montgomery. I was at the Board of Education Meeting when the Elton Dean and the Todd Strange (yes, I said the Elton and the Todd) were there presenting a joint effort of answering the Superintendent's letter and call for help in building another school on the East Side. Rev. Nettles applauded the effort. I however did not because as I looked at the perplexed Board Members who audibly were unaware of the written request for assistance from the Mayor and Commish from the Superintendent led me to believe that only those three amigos knew what this particular Board of Education meeting was about. So the Super, Mayor and Commish along with the Board Members adjourned to the backroom to discuss what had happened before our very eyes. So I again say, if backdoor deals were going on then why should the City involve itself in it? The Montgomery Board of Education spent roughly $300000 on a DeJong study that they admitted did not follow the recommendations regarding the repairs listed from the study but they again are paying over $100k for another study from DeJong to perform another study. So I say why, why do we citizens have to keep paying for studies when we know what is going on, money is being wasted on studies. Teachers have been pink slipped and buses are overcrowded. Students ride 3-4 to a seat and they want to build another school? Why? We need to repair the schools that are in ill repair first and let it all be handled through the Board of Education. Pruitt said that the County Commissioners are working on building a school in Ramer because I asked why not let the County handle it. It would behoove Mr. Larkin to attend Board of Education meetings before trying to insult the intelligence of those who do. It would be lovely for the City Council to do their duty of performing the legislative aspects of the council and stop intermingling governmental agencies when the City is becoming more top heavy creating unnecessary positions. I hope that this is not forgotten and I implore individuals of the City of Montgomery to not urge anyone to do anything. Why is the City of Montgomery urging the Board of Education to take this money? Something is not right about it and I'm gonna keep fighting for the City to handle the City's business unless they want to invite the Superintendent and County Commissioner in a roundtable discussion to let the citizens know the urgency of a new school.