Editorial by Shari Johnson, Publisher
In a “Jesus Chick” blog this week I wrote of having to read between the lines to understand people that I didn’t personally know. Likely something we all do. But one shouldn’t have to read between the lines to determine the truth in the matter of local government. And yet I feel that’s necessary as well because often times the Community is told what they think we want to hear or what they want us to know.
When the Calhoun County School Superintendent was recently asked, on more than one occasion, if there was money coming in with regard to the Pathways Program also known as the Empowerment Program, the response was emphatically “no!” The question then arises as to where the funding is coming from that will be necessary to run this program? If the school is no longer using the same curriculum from previous years, and this is an entirely new program, it is obviously going to come with expenses. If, as we’ve been told, there is no extra money in the budget, where is the money coming from to pay for the materials needed to run an entirely new program for grades 5th through 8th?
Dr. Kathy D’Antoni, Former Associate State Superintendent began working with technical education in 2010. In a Metro News article in 2020 D’Antoni said regarding the Empowerment Program, “We’re going to pull key people from across department (Department of Education) personnel to look at how we innovate and make education a better process for our students with better outcomes and to have student voice,” D’Antoni told MetroNews.
Sounds wonderful, but if I’m to read between the lines again how much did it cost the State to pull “key people from the Department of Education?” D’Antoni is now a contractor for State Department Ed, who’s paying for that? Possibly a grant, but even though we are often told “this doesn’t cost the State anything,” it cost somebody money, and likely on a federal level, which is still our tax dollars. And perhaps not a grant. I don’t know.
It’s not that I don’t anticipate things like that happening, and there’s certainly nothing wrong with D’Antoni exploring career opportunity outside of retirement. But please, don’t expect me to believe none of this cost anything.
Which leads me back to reading between the lines. Why not just tell the community what this program is costing? And why am I a “troublemaker” because I expect an answer?
My second opportunity to read between the lines was at the June 12th Board meeting, when the student speaking on the Empowerment Program was impressed by the fact that “Their class room didn’t get destroyed by students” during the two week trial implementation of Empowerment. Wait a minute… why was the classroom allowed to be destroyed? And why was there no mention by the Board of Education members to that regard? They just ignored that comment.
There were several other “read between the line” opportunities that I may compile later. But one that greatly concerned me was the end of the board meeting last week. A four hour board meeting ended with the board’s self appraisal and a Superintendent Evaluation. All of which was done in executive session. When they finally came out of executive session for the Board appraisal, they exchanged what I assume was written appraisals of themselves. And then went back into executive session for the Superintendent’s Evaluation. After several minutes of whispers behind closed doors the Board unlocked the door, Kelli Whytsell went into the Board room while I sat obediently in the lobby. The door remained opened and I could hear the Board tell Mrs. Whytsell how wonderful she was and then the meeting was adjourned.
If I am to read between the lines, nobody has any improving to do on the County Board level?
I sat in the Pathway’s/Empowerment Community meeting and heard student after student, parent after parent make complaints about the school. I watched as Kelli Whytsell feverishly took notes. And yet… to my knowledge those matters were never addressed. Perhaps behind the scenes? Perhaps. But why was the community not told those matters were addressed? Were they addressed or ignored? We don’t know. Because we are never told what goes on behind the scenes of Calhoun County Schools.
Prior to the being told how wonderful the Board and Superintendent was, I sat in the lobby with two families of students facing expulsion. Students being held accountable for their behavior. What a novel idea. I heard through the door as one of the students was being railed on. Nobody’s was telling him that everything was wonderful. The student came out pleased that he’d only been expelled for half of the year.
Believe me when I tell you that I didn’t have to read between the lines on how this student was treated. I’ve also witnessed it in my own family when a child facing the Calhoun Board of Education is treated one step above a firing squad mentality. Harsh? Perhaps. But when students are screamed at by professionals, when parents are made to feel like they’re dirt dogs by a school system. Something is drastically wrong. And before anyone says that this is reading between the lines, remember, I experienced it.
So… if I’m to read between the lines… there was for certain room for improvement.
