Lex Rich 5 superintendent BullS$&? Resignation
- Thread starter Rhizzlebop
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Yes. Voters got exactly what they voted for. He is happy because he has a license to steal. The other voters, not so much. And now businesses are packing up and leaving.
Like I say, vote wisely. You get what you vote for.
17 year educator here. I don’t work for any parents. I work with them to help educate their child. I never have a problem with a parent asking questions or giving input about their particular kid (behavior, learning styles, medical info, etc…). They don’t call the shots in my room….ever.
When it comes to my classroom if I didn’t do anything illegal or immoral, then playing the “I’m your boss” card doesn’t fly well with me.
Perfect example. I gave a kid some practice tests for her end of course exam. Parent complained her grade was getting lower because practice tests were counting as test grades. She was free to her opinion and express her displeasure, but I didn’t change it. I let the parent know she should complain to the state legislature that was giving a test that would count much more than my practice test just 24 hours after her email. I also let the parent know this is a clear indicator her daughter should study for the EOC exam. Ironically, this kid never showed up for the exam and was given a zero for 10% of her average and she had no problem with that (or never expressed it to me).
You don’t have a problem telling teachers that don’t fall in line to find another career. How about let’s turn this around. If stay at home moms and armchair QB dads want to run a classroom, school or district, then go back to school and get certified to do so.
false. Teachers are public employees. That literally means that they are employees of the public.
no one in this thread has questioned whether teachers have the right to give pop quizzes, practice tests, discipline, or anything else to do with actual EDUCATION. The question is whether a superintendent has the right to mandate their personal opinion (ie, the wearing of face masks) that has nothing to do with their actual profession, education, or field of expertise, even when it is against the directives of the elected officials who hired them and who represent their employers- who ARE the parents/taxpayers.
They do have a responsibility for student and staff safety. However they need to base it on the proper guidance and authority, such as the Board of Education and the governor.
I pay taxes and some of that tax money goes to the military. I don’t show up in a war zone and start telling troops what to do since I pay taxes.
The example was given just to demonstrate that there are plenty of parents that do question the things inside the classroom.
Whether you want to admit it or not, this superintendent was in a difficult situation with the mask mandate. Yeah it’s easy to pound the points you are about kids and Covid spread, but over 100,000 kids got Covid in Georgia. I don’t know the SC numbers bc our governor has done a phenomenal job of changing the DHEC metrics to basically make it impossible to know.
So you think wearing masks is an opinion but not wearing them is not?
A lot of the "rich parents" in Richland District One simply pulled their kids out of school. It's heartbreaking to see how many bright kids went to private school, and they ain't coming back anytime soon. (I know one private school that increased it's student-to-teacher ratio by 25% DURING the pandemic). Meanwhile, the "poorest," disadvantaged, and intellectually challenged kids who are most in need of in-person, 5 days a week instruction were saddled with "at home learning" (a joke). The "brain drain" in Richland 1 is a real thing and will eventually show up in test scores.
Let's keep it real: the teachers were looking out for themselves, not the students. I don't blame them. I also don't blame "rich parents" for looking out for the best interest of their children. So here we are.
I'd love to sit down with you for some political discourse, but I'm afraid you are so off the rails with your politics, that common sense and good judgement may not be your strong point. People like you have done nothing but complain about the President for every facet of your life with which you disagree.
It's variable, but I've never heard of a county where schools don't get the majority of county tax revenue.
Virtual learning has a place. Even our own university offers online degrees. It may be a “joke” to you but I have news for you…..there are some brick and mortar classes that are a “joke” and they’re not hard to find.
This pandemic shined a light on just how bad parenting is in this country. Kids failed every year, but in 2020-2021 plenty of parents let their kids fail with no intervention at any point. A parent can make excuses about work, the teacher, the school or anything else. In the end, a supportive parent (not a helicopter one) is still one of the most important factors in a child succeeding in school. Another is the amount of motivation that child has.
I had an administrator call me last week to change grades. Luckily I’m changing schools and had the ability to tell them to shove it. The grades will get changed anyway. Those kids did nothing all year and an administrator wanted me to pass them so it didn’t look suspicious.
You can blame teachers if you want, but a lot of times it’s other people pulling strings above their pay grade. Those kids deserved Fs and did nothing, but I have no doubt they will “pass”
the efficacy of facemasks in doing anything whatsoever to slow the spread of the deadliest pandemic in 100 years is absolutely opinion. Now, if one side says everyone should wear a facemask and one side says no one should be forced to wear one, then to me the obvious answer is “least restrictive restricts”, meaning that you don’t restrict someone’s personal choice unless you have some hard evidence that the masks even work. If this superintendent says, “well I’ve decided that all students must wear facemasks just to be on the safe side”, I’d ask her to define “the safe side”, her evidence that wearing the masks keeps students “on the safe side”, and what her experience and expertise is to come to that conclusion. If she can’t answer those things, she should be told to piss off, which is apparently what this school board told her
No wonder the most advanced country in the world ranks so low in public education
Well her “opinion” was the guidance by the state which the L5 school board found out they couldn’t override. Of course in the end for not just bowing to the demands of the few we are where we are now.
School districts in SC were following the SCDHEC guidelines concerning COVID protocols. The superintendents weren't making up their own rules. This particular board flipped in November and they have been after her since then. I live in the district and what they did is beyond shameful. However, I think they have been exposed by the board member that just resigned which will be beneficial for the district in the long run. Dr. Melton is well respected throughout the state and will have no problem getting another position. Unfortunately for our district, it is a huge loss.
It was the opinion of SCDHEC which gave the school districts guidance on the protocols. The D5 board made it a political issue by deciding that they knew more than anyone else which caused the problem. Some of the parents fed the frenzy but many did not. It is politics pure and simple.
Again, didn't the GOVERNOR settle the mask mandate in schools issue a month ago?
Was she trying to override the governor?
Was she trying to override the governor?
The governor issued an executive order after 5:00 that lifted the mask requirements in schools effectively immediately. He threw the entire system into chaos with little time for schools to react. Also, his EO put the school districts in direct conflict with the COVID safe harbor immunity bill that he signed into law later that night. The D5 Board has tried to lift the requirement the week before but it was reversed on the advice of the school board’s attorney.
She wasn’t mandating her personal opinion.
There was no reaction time needed. Just tell the students they can take their masks off if they want.
Teachers have had plenty of time to get the vaccine. This shouldn't even be an issue anymore for several reasons.
No. With less than 3 weeks to go in the school year he issued an order for DHEC to work with school districts to develop a waiver process for the masks. As usual he took as little stance as humanly possible and left people scrambling to try to figure out what the waiver was supposed to entail, how to collect and track those and what to do with students who bring a waiver versus those that don’t. That is why many districts just threw up their hands at the ridiculousness of it and said wear the mask for three more weeks.
Our education system is still the best in the world. In the end those kids that got the free pass will still be filling up prisons, digging ditches or serving fries. It’s not like I didn’t give society a heads up.
But let me tell you the vast majority that do come to take advantage of it do great things. I just choose not to let the idiots bring me down and help who I can really help.
There are 2 sides to the mask issue and many parents wanted the students to still wear the masks. It isn’t as easy as you make it sound. Also, it opened the districts to COVID related lawsuits because you had to follow SCDHEC guidelines in order to be granted immunity. The same gov signed the immunity bill into law hours after he issued an executive order. Basically, his move was purely political snd had nothing to do with science or health.
We got the waiver the day after it was announced, and the very next day. (edit: i can't find any communcation saying it wasn't necessary. might be wrong about that)
I don't see anything about a waiver being required in the text of the executive order. Sounds to me that some schools were trying to come up with some convoluted process to slow walk the no-mask order.
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I would suggest a reread of the order then because the development and use of a waiver is laid out in it.
It’s also not as simple as just drafting a piece of paper as the schools would have to make a decision on whether you commingle the students or keep them separated which could involve changing classrooms and teachers. Again with three weeks left to go in the school year and no advanced warning it was a completely ridiculous decision.
It most certainly is in the executive order. It is in section 2; letter i.
I must have missed it.
Still, it was that simple our schools. They sent the waiver the very next day. Not sure why other schools couldn't have done the same.
And there was no need to separate kids anyway.
Still, it was that simple our schools. They sent the waiver the very next day. Not sure why other schools couldn't have done the same.
And there was no need to separate kids anyway.
USCBatgirl21
Well-Known Member
When he removed the mandate there were legal questions as to whether his Order could override another State official, such as Superintendent Spearman. Initially LR5 followed the Governor and removed their mask mandate, then rescinded that after counsel told them they may not have legal authority to do so. Finally Superintendent Spearman lifted her regulations regarding masks in schools to avoid all the confusion and a legal fight between the Dept of Education and the Governor's office. At that point school districts around the state lifted their mandates.
However, from my memory of everything over the last school year, Dr. Melton was, for the most part, following CDC, State, and local guidelines/regulations, as were the other school districts in SC, with regard to regulations of masks in schools.
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The Governor issued the order on the 11th. Spearman rescinded the policy on the 12th. the very next day. The night of the 12th, we got the DHEC waiver in email.
I don't see any reason for a delay other than trying to slow walk it to run out the school year because they didn't want to do it.
USCBatgirl21
Well-Known Member
Yes, that is what I said.
There was no "delay". Once Spearman lifted her mandate, as I said, school districts followed suit. We had our waiver for Smalls in Beaufort county that same night.
When you say someone "finally" did something, you imply that it didn't happen immediately.
USCBatgirl21
Well-Known Member
Since you're parsing words, it didn't happen immediately, since it was about 24 hours later. But anyway...
Are people even sure that mask policies are the reason she was forced to resign? Or is that just a theory?
It is probably part of it with more behind the scenes. All people in education I know loved dr Melton. I think the board had issues with her and it all came out. It was difference of personalities as the ultimate issue.
i do find it interesting though that the lexrich5 website still has her picture with winning state superintendent as you go on there. Why still celebrate the person you felt the need to force to resign?
Well by the “parents are the boss” logic posted earlier in the thread, there were plenty of parents that didn’t want their kids beside someone not wearing a mask.
McMaster did this intentionally as a distraction around EOCs so that it would cause yet another distraction during a difficult year and they can stand up and claim “learning loss” when they twist the data which should be some time in July or August of this year. Some kids opted out of testing when the mandate was lifted.
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