I called the Lowndes County School Board number just now at (229) 245-2250
and asked if there was a school board meeting today.
They said yes, at 11:30. (That’s different from the rumored
time of 1PM.)
It’s a called meeting for the purpose of discussing school system consolidation.
The woman who provided this information said:
Not sure there’s a resolution.
They may say their stands.
They meet at 1592 Norman Drive in Valdosta.
There is at this writing nothing on their web page and no notice in the newspaper that I can find.
Of course by state law all they have to do for a called meeting is
to post a notice at their meeting location and send a notice to the newspaper of record; the newspaper doesn’t have to publish it.
A motion and a second were heard on
the statement just read by Vanassa Flucas.
Jeana Beeland spoke up, talking about how proud she was of the
school system and how it has grown; she went to VHS; her children
are in the system, and “I know it’s serving them well”.
And my greatest fear is that I will come to you so biased
because I know that the school systems not consolidating
for the next few years is what’s best for my child….
Why I’m going to vote against the motion —Jeana Beeland @ VBOE 29 August 2011
education, referendum, consolidation, statement,
Work Session, Valdosta Board of Education (VBOE),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 29 August 2011.
Videos by John S. Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.
But there are so many people involved in this issue….
And I
Chairman Lee asked Vanassa Flucas to read
the statement
the board was about to vote on regarding school system consolidation:
The Valdosta City School Board
opposes consolidating the Valdosta City and Lowndes County
school systems at this time.
The board feels that a decision to merge the two systems
should be a collaboratively planned effort between the two school boards,
the citizens of both the city and the county,
along with those who have the best interest in educating
all the children of our area.
Valdosta School Board statement against school consolidation
education, referendum, consolidation, statement,
Work Session, Valdosta Board of Education (VBOE),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 29 August 2011.
Videos by John S. Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.
The Valdosta City School Board
is proud of our school system.
We have an organization that
The Valdosta Board of Education voted tonight 8 to 1 for a statement
opposing school system consolidation.
Here are some still pictures.
Update 10AM 30 August 2011:
Video to come of the board statements and vote is now available (see below).
Chairman Lee asked Vanassa Flucas to read the statement.
The Valdosta City School Board opposes consolidating the Valdosta City
and Lowndes County school systems at this time. This Board feels that
a decision to merge the two systems should be a collaboratively planned
effort between the two school boards and citizens of both the city and
county, along with those who have the best interest in educating all
the children of our area.
17. A. Consolidation/board position – Mr. Lee – action required
Also this item:
18. B. Public forums on consolidation will be held Sept 8 (VHS PAC), Sept 20 (VMS) and Oct 25 (JLL) from 7-8:30 p.m.
I wonder will these be real forums, or the sort of fake forums VLCIA and
CUEE have foisted on the community?
CUEE’s
Kick-Off meeting
had no opponents speak, took questions only in writing,
and conveniently didn’t get to Rev. Rose’s question of what
would consolidation do to improve education.
LAKE
has published videos of the whole thing.
After forty years of the war on drugs, America continues to have laws
that stratify society based on race and class and continues to ignore
Dr. King’s lessons on justice, compassion and love.
My favorite quote from Dr. King speaks to the heart of the problem with
America’s criminal justice system. “Power without love is reckless
and abusive, and love without power is sentimental and anemic. Power
at its best is love implementing the demands of justice, and justice at
its best is power correcting everything that stands against love.”
America’s criminal justice system is reckless and discriminate. America
has five percent of the world’s population but 25 percent of the
world’s prisoners. Blacks are incarcerated at four to five times the
rate of whites for drug crimes, even though the majority of those who
use and sell drugs are white. The majority of those incarcerated are
people who have a history with mental health and substance abuse.
Not only does incarceration impact individuals but it undermines families,
“First off, you have to know what your job is.”
—Charles Judge
He was one of the
several employees I supervised as Sporting Goods Department Manger at
Wal-Mart Store #2615 in Valdosta, Georgia. On March 20, 2008, I was
wrongfully terminated for “INABILITY TO PERFORM JOB” without
training.
Video by George Boston Rhynes.
It has been 3 1/2 years since my wrongful termination and I have
written Wal-Mart Stores Inc. thirty letters, thirteen videos, 34 pages
of documented proof that I was never trained; nor entered into Wal-Mart
Stores Inc. four week mandatory training program as other employees.
Moreover, it should be a shame and disgrace that several former and
current President Mike Duke has all ignored me as if I was a worker in
the Republic of China or in some other third world nation!
Even more un-American is that Chairman David Glass along with his
entire Wal-Mart Board of Directors has followed the local Wal-Mart
Store Manager at Store #2615 in what is definitely unprofessional
behavior along the lines of respecting workers rights. Wal-Mart
Executives seem to believe that the American People (customers) have
made Wal-Mart Stores Inc. a god beside God and answers to no one.
More videos will follow from real workers and former assistant managers
until you are as sure as I am that Americans need workers Rights in
this NATION for all employees.
As elected officials (government officials) I do hope that you begin to
look at workers rights and my wrongful termination without any recourse
because I am in an “At Will to Work State”, Georgia. This means
any worker can be fired for GOOD cause, BAD cause, or for no cause at
all and like Wal-Mart. They are not required to provide a reason for
you, your spouse, child or neighbor for why they wrongfully terminated
you!
http://walmartstore2615.blogspot.com
We are 100% sure that there is nothing Wal-Mart Executives or Board of
Directors will or can do in my case or cases like mine. Therefore,
as a Retired Military of the United Armed Forces that followed
our “Code of Conduct” in the military need a code of conduct for
(ALL) American Workers.
My wrongful termination has forced me to follow the same “CODE OF
CONDUCT” that all United States Military Veterans had to
follow. Therefore, if I could place my life on the line and face
death for foreigners on foreign battlefields then surely I can stand
up for my own family members and love ones.
Yes, I intend to fight as hard for myself, my own family and fellow
American Workers here in the Home Land! God Bless both the righteous
and the not so righteous. Peace, love and overstanding. We are not
who we claim to be; but who we prove ourselves to be over a given
period of time and after three and one-half years Wal-Mart EXECUTIVES
has proven who they are to the American people and the world.
GEORGE BOSTON RHYNES
Retired United States Armed Forces Military Vietnam
A concerned citizens and brother of all humanity
Valdosta City Council began a protracted debate about a school consolidation
referendum, starting with Mayor Fretti, Attorney Talley, and Council Sonny Vickers.
School consolidation ordinance introduction @ VCC 25 August 2011 Part 1 of 2:
Regular Session, Valdosta City Council (LCC),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 25 August 2011.
Videos by Gretchen Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.
5.a) Consideration of an Ordinance for a referendum to allow citizens of
the City of Valdosta to vote on whether to annul and repeal the special
independent school system so that the City of Valdosta public school
system shall become part of the Lowndes County public school system.
This appears to be a pro-forma vote to put the referendum on the ballot.
But you never know what might happen, especially in council comments
or Citizens to Be Heard.
Maybe FVCS will show up.
Jack Kingston told Gretchen
last week in Tifton
that he was heading to Atlanta the next day to try to retain
Moody Air Force Base in his district.
Looks like he may get that, by chopping just the Moody area out of Lowndes
County, and splitting the Pine Grove precinct.
The House redistricting committee voted along party lines Wednesday to
approve a revised congressional map with multiple changes from the one
made public Monday.
The changes restore Valdosta’s Moody Air Force Base to Republican Jack
Kingston’s district and about 16,000 people in Effingham County to
Democrat John Barrow’s to keep the two equal in population.
Yeah, they restore it all right.
Here’s before and after:
Hard to see?
Look at the detail map on the right here.
This latest proposed gerrymander gives Kingston Clinch and Echols
Counties just so Jack can send a green tongue out from Echols
to lap up Moody with as little of the rest of Lowndes as possible.
