Category Archives: Education

We did talk to the consolidators —Philip Poole @ LCBOE 4 Oct 2011

Current Lowndes County Board of Education (LCBOE) member Philip Poole said various members of both school boards have met with consolidation proponents, and had asked them to involve the whole community in any decisions. Since that didn’t happen, there’s been less involvement lately. And the referendum is solely about dissolving the Valdosta School System, which would trigger the Lowndes system having to take over. Which would result in losing federal and state funding due to the resulting school system being larger.

Here’s the video:


Referendum is to dissolve Valdosta School District —Philip Poole @ LCBOE 4 Oct 2011
Why we oppose consolidation,
Community Forum, Lowndes County Board of Education (LCBOE),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 4 October 2011.
Videos by Gretchen Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.

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Let the Chamber attend cocktail parties —Dan Davis @ LCBOE 4 Oct 2011

Dan Davis suggested letting professional educators deal with education and let the Chamber attend cocktail parties. That got a big round of applause.

First he established his credentials in business and education: 20 year veteran of CPIE and of the Chamber of Commerce; has businesses in many countries, but chooses to live here. Having seen the world and many educational systems, he thinks:

This consolidation is really a bad issue; very very bad.
He thinks consolidation proponents are
very misinformed and very misguided.
He invited CUEE and Chamber members to join him and Jerome Tucker in Community Partners in Education (CPIE).

Here’s Part 1 of 2: Continue reading →

Consolidation: A Financial Puzzle —Dr. Troy Davis @ LCBOE 4 October 2011

Dr. Troy Davis spelled out where we are financially in the school systems, and what consolidation would do to that: it would raise taxes and reduce services.

He took CUEE’s own figures for how much more consolidation would require to be spent per each Valdosta City school student, and demonstrated that not only would that require raising taxes for both Valdosta and Lowndes County residents to near the state-capped maximum of 21 mils, but even then there is no way enough tax revenue would be generated to pay for all the things CUEE proposes to do after consolidation, and probably not even enough taxes to continue employing all the teachers currently employed by the two school systems. Oh, plus consolidation would lose state and federal grant money by increasing the composite school system size, so the local taxpayers would have to make up that slack, too.

Here are his slides.

Here is a playlist.

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Telling the truth –Supt. Steve Smith @ LCBOE 4 Oct 2011

Lowndes Superintendent Steve Smith explained what the Forum was about:
  1. To support the Valdosta school system, which is fighting for its very existence. If Lowndes School system did not support them, that would be misinterpreted as being against them.
  2. To provide you with the truth about consolidation.

Here are his slides.

Here’s Part 1 of 3:


Telling the truth —Supt. Steve Smith @ LCBOE 4 Oct 2011 Part 1 of 3:
Why we oppose consolidation,
Community Forum, Lowndes County Board of Education (LCBOE),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 4 October 2011.
Videos by Gretchen Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.

He pointed out consolidation would raise taxes, would reduce school services, and would not address the basic issue facing local education, which is poverty.

Here’s Part 2 of 3: Continue reading →

Do you have solar energy yourself? Why yes, yes, I do

Grady Blankenship wrote a LTE in the VDT Wednesday, in which he asked “do you have solar energy yourself?” Why yes, yes, I do. And I have some questions for everyone at the end.

Back in 2009 we installed solar panels on our farm workshop. At the time the closest certified solar installer I could find was in Marietta. Four years ago there were 4 in the state. now there are forty. And that’s in a state that’s trailing North Carolina and even New Jersey in solar installations.

Also, I applied some weeks back for a USDA REAP grant for solar for Okra Paradise Farms. Much to our surprise, last week we Continue reading →

Notes for Mr. Blankenship —Michael Noll

Please note that the following was inspired by a letter (attached as a photograph) that appeared in the Valdosta Daily Times in response to my earlier piece on “Solar: Infinite and Clean”. The Valdosta Daily Times seems to enforce a quota of sorts at this time, so they won’t publish my additional information for Mr. Blankenship and other “skeptics”.

Sources for the Skeptic

I have no idea why anyone would call companies in Mexico or Canada to research the feasibility of local solar energy projects. I also do not know what type of freezer the writer of “Seeking affordable solar energy” has. Either way, I will be happy to share more information, so that anyone interested in solar energy can do more research and educate himself.

At the state level you can contact the “Georgia Solar Energy Association” (www.gasolar.org/) to learn more about the viability of solar power in 2011, which is quite different from the situation in 2001. A larger solar firm our community Continue reading →

People who look like you or people to do a job? —Jerome Tucker @ LCBOE 4 Oct 2011

Jerome Tucker continued talking about his experience, including at Griffin Industries, and said:
You looking for people who look like you or are you looking for people to do a job?
He elaborated:
If you pay enough, I’ll find you people to work. That’s a lie: you can’t find people to work in a business. That’s a lie.
He talked about his experience with other schools and the local schools. About business development:
I use the school systems.
He concluded:
If you live outside the city limits, call somebody in the city limits, and please, please vote no.
[Applause]

Here’s the video:


People who look like you or people to do a job? —Jerome Tucker @ LCBOE 4 Oct 2011
Why we oppose consolidation,
Community Forum, Lowndes County Board of Education (LCBOE),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 4 October 2011.
Videos by Gretchen Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.

-jsq

How will you know what’s going on in school if you don’t go in? —Jerome Tucker @ LCBOE 4 Oct 2011

Former chair of Community Partners in Education (CPIE) Jerome Tucker continued:
Three weeks ago, at JL Lomax, I had lunch at Southeast Elementary Community Partners in Education. I didn’t see a Chamber […] person there; I didn’t see a CUEE member there. How in the world are you going to know what’s going on in school if you don’t go in?
[Applause]
He pointed out what most children want: Continue reading →

I have never, never, been asked whether I’ve got one system or two —Jerome Tucker

Jerome Tucker has experience in all the major local business organizations and with both the local school systems. He used to be the chair of the Community Partners in Education (CPIE) that a CUEE board member had never heard of. He is the voice of experience, and here’s what he said:
You told me not to cheerlead, but I’ve got the mic in my hand.

I don’t have the right to vote, but I’m encouraging everybody to vote no. I have friends in the city. Call them; tell them to vote no.
[Applause.]
This is too important an issue in our community not to lead a cheer.

Then he established his personal credentials, stated the truth as he knows it, and issue a challenge.

First he bragged on the local school systems:

Somebody’s supposed to be about business thinks we don’t have what it takes to compete; somebody make a statement, and I’m an old country boy. My granny told me things that are said are the truth or a lie. The things I say … this afternoon are what I’ve experienced.
That’s what I call a primary source. He discussed other places that brag on our school systems, then:
I challenge anybody to have been as involved as consistently and as long as I have in business and community development in and around Valdosta and Lowndes County. I’ve served as chairman of the Industrial Authority. I’ve served as chairman of the Tourism Authority. I’ve served as chairman of the Valdosta Technical Board of Education. I’ve been on the superintendent’s council of schools. A member of CPIE since its inception. I challenge anyone….
What’s the challenge? Continue reading →

School Consolidation Statement tonight at Valdosta City Council

There are a bunch of changes to the Comprehensive Plan and the Land Development Regulations (LDR) that people ought to pay attention to, scheduled for tonight’s Valdosta City Council (VCC) meeting. But the one many people are going to see is this one:
6.a) Consideration of a Position Statement on School Consolidation.
Some people are confused, because VCC has no formal authority over any school system. They didn’t have any formal authority to decide whether to put the school referendum on the ballot, either. According to the Lowndes County Board of Elections, once Continue reading →