Thursday, June 18, 2009

The Continuing Saga......School District Gone Wild

And the lies just keep on coming! After all the denials from the concrete palace it now appears that DPS and the Queen were indeed contacted by the homeless shelter administrators about the move. This is drastically different from the story they told when the proverbial poop hit the fan. What can be believed from that office? Are they totally incapable of telling the truth? Does the school board even have a clue?

It is amazing that all surrounding school districts have been able to handle the budget reductions without layoffs (after attrition). But Danville? All they can do is say that laid off people were offered other positions. Again, the Pinnochio effect. I have received confirmation from at least three laid off workers that they were never offered alternative employment. Another was offered a job so far out of their job field that it was ridiculous.

Now a new scandal has reared its head. As many already know the district is experiencing severe declining enrollment. As a businessman I would assume it would be time to evaluate facilities and see where some consolidation could take place. No, not in DPS. They not only don’t consolidate any schools but decide to spend thousands upgrading one! The Woodrow Wilson Elementary school was closed in the late 1990’s due to “deteriorating facilities, land locked design, insufficient parking, and lack of accessibility….” (per school board report). After it was revived as a magnet school thousands of dollars were spent upgrading the HVAC system and the decadent magnet program poured more money into it creating media learning centers, dance studios, art studios, and other touchy feely designs. After that failed experiment and a lack of any future thinking the school reverted back to just another elementary school with a little over 100 students. (The school in its former life was a middle school with over 400 students.) A no brainer would have been to close this facility due to its age and condition and rezone the students to other under utilized schools. Makes sense doesn’t it? Not in the Danville playbook.

DPS has now decided to expend thousands of dollars to remodel the building and add two elevators! In addition they are replacing all windows, REPLACING ALL THE MAGNET INSTALLATIONS, and renovating the lobby area that is in such bad shape due to age. Again, expending money on an outdated, landlocked facility that has NO parking, insufficient athletic facilities, mold problems, and crumbling walls makes no sense.. Does this defy common sense? Yes, but remember this is DPS!

The elections for school board take place in May of 2010. I would surely hope that there will be a slate of candidates who will replace at least half of this moronic group. As has been stated before has anyone looked into the issue that in the last 4-5 years under the present administration more experienced principals, central office personnel, and quality teachers have left then the previous 15 years combined? Doesn’t that send a massage?

Wake up Danville, the Concrete Palace needs to be overthrown. Put Alice in Wonderland back into the rabbit hole. Only then will DPS be able to start its long hard journey back to the shining example it used to be.

Monday, June 1, 2009

A Fairy Tale for the City of Danville

If anyone had watched the performance before the city council by the superintendent last month then you would know that the Emmys will pass up this debacle. While at times it appeared like a perverted version of Grimm’s Fairy Tales it was interesting from a psychological point of view. It appears that pathological liars are alive and well in Danville. While watching the Concrete Queen squirm a little did bring a smile to many a face in the district the council let up to soon. Like a wounded animal she clawed and lied her way as the council members peppered her with questions. There she was ready for the final blow and what happens? As always the city council backs off and shirks its duty to the people of Danville. Does the council ever check what she says? Obviously not or they would learn that the truth is bent so far it is in danger of snapping into a million pieces.

I observed the answers given during the presentation and had an opportunity to check them against the facts. Phew! The only thing she got right was her name. I am amazed at how little she knows about how a school system operates. Her answers on figures and funding were amazingly wrong and bordered on incompetence! How did this person get through the district for so many years and no one notice that she doesn’t have a clue about what she is talking about?

Now I do not know this athletic director at GW but from a business point of view the elimination of the position makes absolutely no sense. I checked with the state education department and they directed me to the state athletic league for information. From what I can gather Danville’s GWHS will be the only school of its size in Virginia that does not have an athletic director. I know I am getting old but I distinctly heard the superintendent say that the job would be taken over by three other administrators. As if by magic the next day the paper reports she claimed she never said that. Hmmm ever heard of “video recording”? Go the city web site and view it for yourself.

Further more later on in the presentation when asked about the GW track she deftly throws it to her elusive sidekick who mumbles something about getting quotes or researching the problem. Hmmmm so again I went to check the facts. After several calls I finally located a company who claims they gave the school district a quote for repairing and upgrading the tract in 2004! Now let me see if I understand this correctly. You have known since 2004 that the track needed repair but you wait until 2008 to “look into the issue”? And on top of that you turn over $900,000 of capital improvement money back to the city? Can you spell i-n-c-o-m-p-e-t-e-n-c-e ? If this individual worked for my company she would be fired. No if, ands, or buts. Jeez…………….

Council members, wake up, you are being hoodwinked. It is no wonder that the people in Danville have such little faith in their government. A public employee lies to you not once but several times and you never hold their feet to the fire. I put this on your head since I have long given up on the Seven Dwarfs that make up the school board. They are so clueless its almost criminal.

If the superintendent was Pinocchio we could use her nose for the new Robertson Bridge….