School board to discuss Patrick Henry at 4.30pm
The RPS school board has decided to discuss the Patrick Henry Initiative at its 4.30pm meeting today. Typically the school board reserves the 4.30 meeting to discuss boring legal business that does not concern parents or citizens — its 6.00pm meeting is reserved for the juicy tidbits. You can find the agenda (released on Friday) […]
The RPS school board has decided to discuss the Patrick Henry Initiative at its 4.30pm meeting today.
Typically the school board reserves the 4.30 meeting to discuss boring legal business that does not concern parents or citizens — its 6.00pm meeting is reserved for the juicy tidbits. You can find the agenda (released on Friday) for tonight’s meeting here.
I just spoked to Keith West, the district seven rep, and he confirmed that the board will discuss the charter school recommendation at the 4.30 meeting. He also said that the agenda is George Braxton’s (the chairman and district four’s rep) agenda and that it is “very unusual” to discuss something like this at the earlier meeting.
Update:
From District Three Rep Carol Wolf:
Changing an agenda at the last minute, for whatever reason, is not something that instills trust. There is nothing that can be said by either proponents or opponents to the Patrick Henry Charter Initiative that cannot, or should not, be said to the widest possible audience. We gain nothing as a system or a society when we appear to engage in efforts that will squelch public comment or the right to dissent.
Dissent is as American as the 4th of July. Elected officials who seek to stifle public comment or dissent by scheduling meetings at inconvenient times, harm the fundamental freedoms that this nation is supposed to promote and protect.
I respectfully and firmly disagree with this action. ~ Carol
Update two:
This from Kim Bridges the First district rep:
The 4:30 agenda item is NOT the vote on the charter proposal – it is
the presentation of the updates that the Charter group sent to RPS
late last week.The board will still hear public comments on the charter proposal
during the 6:00 meeting, though. I’ll make that motion if no one else
does first.The vote should take place during the regular school board meeting of
5/19, allowing additional time for the new information and the PHI
group’s work to be factored into the decision-making.
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Ross Catrow
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I’ve called and left a message for George Braxton.
I think “very unusual” could also mean “very convenient.”
Yes, it is a “very convenient” way to keep the citizens of Richmond out of the decision making process…
They’re not going to vote on this today…they want to postpone this as long as possible in hopes we will all go away. I know this from personal experience with this slimy administration. Read my letter to Style Weekly: http://styleweekly.com/article.asp?idarticle=16680. Back in November I wanted to speak to School Board about the bully principal at Cary, Braxton said it was best for us to speak to the Human Resources committee in private. They decided to investigate the principal and to this very day they have not finished the job, nor have they spoken with all the families and teachers that were bullied, intimidated, and chased away over the last three years by that rotten principal. They are hoping we will all go away. This RPS administration is not to be trusted.
Check out the update by Carol Wolf, district three rep.
Thank god for Wolf.
My daughter is all grown up, but now I have a grandson. His mother was fortunate to have the option of “Model Schools” (anyone remember those?) in the city. She is a graduate of RPS and went on to grad school. I want my daughter, son-in-law and grandson to stay close by, not move to the counties.
I have watched young couples move into my neighborhood, have children and move out when it was time for the children to start school. I’m talking about couples of both black and white ethnicity. They are middle income who can’t afford private schools, but can afford to move to the counties.
Enough is enough. We ALL need to become involved in the system, whether we have children or not. We not only need to ASSIST our neighborhood schools, and we need to let the administration, principals and teachers know what we expect as taxpayers.
here, here…
I just got off the phone with George Braxton. He said, first off, that he feels the board is moving to a May 19th vote.
He said the reasoning for moving the discussion to 4.30 is that they have so many people coming in for commendations and recognitions that the place would fill up — “best to have it before the place gets filled up with folks.” He also said that he didn’t believe the 6pm session is “the best time to have essentially a work session.”
He was very polite.
yes, polite
I am just giddy to see all this input and for sticking to your principled right to be involved in the political process. We must stay focused, and the goal must remain to get the vote done ASAP. If it happens on 5/19, I am fine with that. If it drags on much longer, it will begin to negatively impact our ability to open the best possible school come summer 2009, unless of course they vote it down. Voting down is a real possibility, but that will at least make the school board accountable to the state charter process, and to the citizens of Richmond. We will continue to take the high road. Hope to meet you all tonight. I will be there at 4:30.
Unfortunately, I secured a babysitter for the 6:00 meeting and cannot change my schedule to make it at 4:30. I hope an email to all Board members will suffice. One would think that public opinion would help them make a decision on this matter. They certainly are making it difficult for some of us to make our voices heard.
Knowing a big crowd would show up, why didn’t they schedule the meeting at 6pm in the city council chambers on the second floor like they have done many times before? Let’s hope on May 19th they reserve that room.
Kelley, unfortunately there are a few RPS administrators who operate like the Bush administration and completely ignore public opinion. We can guess who they are. But all we need is five votes.
I’m glad Braxton returns someone’s messages. I told a couple of the PH Initiative folks that I was fairly certain the school board would try to railroad them. I’d have happily been wrong on that, but I’m afraid I won’t be.
If you already have a babysitter lined up for 6pm, I say, come on down at 6. Some of us will try to also be there at 4:30. I plan on staying for the 6pm as well.
“Elected officials who seek to stifle public comment or dissent by scheduling meetings at inconvenient times, harm the fundamental freedoms that this nation is supposed to promote and protect.”
Carol Wolf nailed it! What are these folks afraid of? A system that works for all of our children? Without excellent public schools, Richmond will continue to be a second-rate player, one that cannot attract skilled workers or keep families in its neighborhoods. The schools will continue to slow the city’s economic progress. Shockingly, this attempt to derail the charter school proposal is just another example of how local government officials shun dialog and repress initiative.
A community is only as strong as its public school system; education is THE democratic core principle.
Isnt the place supposed to be “filled up with folks”? Does Braxton not want the community to decide what is best for them? It makes no sense. Its like mini- fascism. I bet he secretly calls himself the “decider”.
Make sure you read the second update from Kim Bridges.
how many of the city council are actual residents to the City of Richmond? Is that a requirement of the city? If not it should be – it is many other places. I’m new around here and just don’t know the answer. When I was searching for the “right” neighborhood I checked multi county and city locations. The only thing I can see that the county may have on the city is the school system. I’d say that if the public schools here were in better shape the county wouldn’t be able to “shake a stick” at the city. The city has more and more and more to offer every day the one big thing we are lacking is a good public school system in every district.
Looks like some RPS reps are doing a little damage control after seeing the communtity news…let’s face it the time as of last Friday was set at 6pm to discuss the charter. Damage control is what RPS administration does best. Fine we’ll show up at 4:30 and some at 6 and come May 19th, we’ll all be there.
My car is still in the shop. If you are looking for me tonight, that is why…
I have copious unedited notes from the 4pm meeting that I will post later tonight.
Ross, I look forward to reading your notes…mine are a mess.
Some of the questions from the School Board were a real hoot especially the ones regarding ADA compliance, budget, transportation, admissions/open enrollment, and segregation –the very issues that go unsolved in the RPS system to this day. RPS administration reminds me of the parent that smokes cigarettes and tells her children not to smoke.
Overall though, it is looking good for the charter.
We were unable to make the meeting due to the Board’s “the meeting will be at 6…I mean 4:30…or maybe…6…oh it’s at 4:30” maneuvering over the past 2 business days.
We are anxiously awaiting an update of tonight’s meeting.
AND YOU CAN BET we have COMPLETELY CLEARED our afternoon schedules for the 19th.
well won’t the 19th be an interesting time. everyone should clear their schedules for the 18th 19th and 20th at this rate…just in case there are some “last minute” changes.
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