Category Archives: LCBOE 2011-08-30

School consolidation as disaster capitalism

School consolidation would set up an artificial fiscal disaster that
could force the “unified” public school system to turn to private foundations
for funding, at the price of control of public education by private entities.
This is disaster capitalism, or the shock doctrine, right here in
Valdosta and Lowndes County.

What’s the Shock Doctrine?
It’s been around for a long time, but Naomi Klein researched it for

her book of the same name. It’s

“the rapid-fire corporate reengineering of societies still reeling from shock”

She was writing mostly about wars, terrorist attacks, and natural disasters.
Locally here we haven’t had any of those.
But we may be about to create a disaster, a shock,
at the ballot box in November,
if voters fall for the school “unification” snake oil.

What’s the next step after CUEE has accidentally revealed that

Continue reading →

Videos of entire Lowndes County Board of Education meeting of 30 August 2011

Here’s

a playlist of the entire 30 August 2011 Lowndes County


Board of Education meeting of 30 August 2011.
As you can see, it really was almost all about approving

a resolution against school consolidation.
We’ve already posted that resolution and the unanimous vote.

The actual resolution is a model of such things:
simple and easy to read, yet complete enough to cover the territory,
and leaving no doubts as to the board’s position.
Congratulations to LCBOE on that resolution!




Playlist, called meeting, Lowndes County Board of Education (LCBOE),

Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 30 August 2011.

Videos by Gretchen Quarterman and John S. Quarterman

for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.

Let me also take a moment to thank some LCBOE staff.

Continue reading →

Where was CUEE at the school board meetings?

If “unification” is about education, where was CUEE at the
last two days’ school board meetings?

Maybe we’ll see CUEE at some of

the three forums VBOE is organizing.
Maybe they’ll address issues such as
consolidation producing no improvement in academic achievement,
consolidation causing increased taxpayer expense,
and the need for any consolidation proposal to come from
educators and parents, and to be voted on by all the citizens
in the affected school districts;
you know, the issues

LCBOE just called them on.

-jsq

Celebrate the leadership that the BOEs have shown. —Karen Noll

Received yesterday on

Unanimous: LCBOE votes to oppose school consolidation. -jsq



This is truly a time for educators, and the families of students in our
communities’ schools to celebrate the leadership that the BOEs have shown.

That said, I would like to commend the LCBOE on the strength of
their resolution.
They not only state clearly that consolidating the schools
would not increase in academic achievement, but a large tax increase
would be expected. Another point that LCBOE included in their resolution
is that such a referendum should only be brought by citizens, families,
or educators.



Jame Wright also made this point in

his statement to city council last week.
Without the support of the educators involved, and
the families impacted, such a referendum question is just a big buck
political agenda on the ballot.

This town is still small enough to call this spade – money trying to
drive the education bus into the ditch.

Let me just say this-

NOT WITH MY KIDS’ EDUCATION, YOU DON’T!!!

The school systems don’t want to consolidate —WALB

Jade Bulecza wrote for WALB today,

School systems oppose consolidation



Two south Georgia School systems don’t want to consolidate.

Hm, they noticed

yesterday’s VBOE meeting
with its
statement
and

today’s LCBOE meeting
with its

resolution.



Almost as interesting is what they don’t mention.
CUEE is not named; it’s just “a citizen group”.
And there’s no mention that both meetings were full of FVCS people
opposing consolidation, and not one single CUEE member willing to
speak up for it.
Less than two months ago, both WALB and WCTV named both groups
and

used words like “Talks Heat Up” (WALB) and “Showdown” (WCTV).
What’s changed, TV media?

-jsq

LCBOE resolution against school consolidation, read by Supt. Smith

Here is the text of the resolution against school consolidation



adopted today by the Lowndes County Board of Education.
It does not seem to be on their web pages yet.
First a video of Superintendent Steve Smith reading the resolution,
followed by the text of the resolution.

Here’s

the video:




LCBOE resolution against school consolidation, read by Supt. Smith

education, referendum, consolidation, statement,

called meeting, Lowndes County Board of Education (LCBOE),

Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 30 August 2011.

Videos by John S. Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.

This text is my transcription of what was read.
I have added a few links.

-jsq

RESOLUTION

WHEREAS the Lowndes County Board of Education, Valdosta, Georgia,
met on August the 30th 2011,
to discuss positions regarding the consolidation of the
Valdosta City School System and the Lowndes County School System.

WHEREAS
the Valdosta City School System met in session on Monday

Continue reading →

Video of LCBOE adopting resolution against school consolidation



It took the Lowndes County Board of Education less than two minutes

at today’s 1PM called board meeting
to adopt a resolution against school consolidation.

Here are a few excerpts, followed by the video:



Superintendent Steve Smith: As y’all are well aware,
we have had numerous requests from our constituents that we adopt a stance
regarding consolidation.
So I think this resolution pretty much describes our position
regarding consolidation.

Nobody had any comments or discussion.



So they moved and seconded.
Philip Poole made the motion.
I didn’t catch who seconded.



Chair Fred Davis asked for a vote indicated “by raising your hand individually
and reciting your name, please.”

Continue reading →

8 to 0 Unanimous: LCBOE votes to oppose school consolidation

Update 5:30PM 30 August 2011:

Text of the resolution and
video of the board adopting it are posted.

Update 7:12PM 30 August 2011: a recent LHS graduate points out it was 7 to 0, since there are 7 board members. Let’s call it unanimous.

Karen Noll of FVCS illustrates the result of

today’s Lowndes County Board of Education meeting:
eight to zero unanimous for

a statement opposing school consolidation.
More videos of the meeting will follow.


-jsq

1PM (confirmed) today LCBOE to vote on school consolidation



The Lowndes County Board of Education has put up

an agenda
for today’s called meeting at 1PM,
which includes these items:

VI. a. Resolution Regarding Consolidation

VII. a. Resolution Adoption

Hm, another school board that puts its agendas online in web-readable form.
Maybe the municipal elected and appointed bodies could adopt this format.

On the other hand, would you want to merge with a school board that doesn’t
know when its own meetings are?


I went to the Lowndes County Board of Education at 11:30, and the woman (Terri) who

previously told me
that was the time of today’s called meeting now says it is 1PM.
She apologizes for the confusion. She says it was previously 11:30,
but they changed it to 1PM.

Here’s

the video:




1PM (confirmed) today LCBOE to vote on school consolidation

education, referendum, consolidation, statement,

Work Session, Lowndes County Board of Education (LCBOE),

Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 30 August 2011.

Videos by John S. Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.

-jsq