The recent behavior of Hamilton County School Supt. Dr. Jim Scales was pretty predictable. Many people were very uncomfortable with his background and the fact that he came out of the scandal-ridden Dallas school system. Are the recent problems at Tyner and Hixson High the type management we can expect for the next two years?

Dr. Scales was appointed by a hand-picked, “blue-ribbon committee” of Public Education Foundation members as a finalist for the superintendent position in 2006. At that time Dr. Scales’s position at the Dallas school system had been eliminated. The same Dallas school system was under the cloud of an FBI investigation with several indictments.

This should have eliminated him from consideration, but not in good old Hamilton County. We are like the Island of Misfit Toys in the Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer story. We get all the rejects. He was just Register with a personality.

When this hire was made, I wondered in print why anyone would think that Dr. Scales would be any different than Jesse Register when the same people picked both guys. Only a fool would think that the result would be any different. In one of my letters on 6/23/2006 to the Chattanoogan entitled, We Should Take Back Our Schools I said, “So, let's sum up. The lame duck school board used a PEF-dominated selection committee which ignored a popular, local candidate to finally pick an out of towner which they had not negotiated salary or checked out thoroughly. He was then portrayed as a "change" and subsequently stated to the school board and the Rotary Club that he will continue the programs that Register started, who was at a school system that is under FBI investigation, at a salary cost increase of around 40%. This will cost the taxpayer around $1 million over four years. Have I left anything out?”

Now we have reaped the whirlwind. As usual with anything done in Hamilton County, it is now worse than with Register. Even he didn’t hire an $80,000 a year mouthpiece, or public relations person, from California. We have discipline problems by African American teachers and students that are being ignored, while majority teachers and students have a different standard. We have constant requests for increased funding and taxes, riots at magnet schools, guns at school, fights, and teachers assaulting police officers.

All of this with a superintendent who doesn’t think the parents, media, or school board needs to know about these “small” problems.

It is evident Dr. Scales has handled these problems in an incompetent manner. He has also hidden this information from his bosses, the school board, which is gross insubordination. Both of these things are reasons specified in his contract that could lead to Dr. Scales’s removal. It is time the school board stood up and took back our schools.

Tim Price
jat-55@msn.com

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I do not agree with Mr. Price's assessment of Dr. Scales. Dr. Scales has made more progress in Hamilton County for education in a year than has been accomplished in 30 years. Not only has he established a strategic plan for the HCDE (as opposed to flying by the seat of its pants in caustic relationships with commissioners and board members), but, he has saved money by restructuring the 'home office' to actually save money. He has also hired Tommy Kranz as CFO in order to run the system more efficiently as a business, as opposed to an unaccountable charity case.

As a graduate of the public school system in Hamilton County, I find it refreshing that Dr. Scales is about 'community schools' and empowering our principals to be responsible for their own schools. That hasn't happened in a long time. Leadership has been an absent commodity within the Hamilton School System and Jim Scales is working hard to make it a priority. We are finally not just concentrating on our 'failing' schools, but also challenging our top students. By raising the bar and setting expectations, all of our children are being challenged to perform better. It shouldn't be about what school you are zoned for, but improving the leadership, expectations and teaching standards in all schools. What is deplorable is that our facilities are in such disrepair due to lack of funding statewide and locally. I am glad that we live in a city where private foundations are willing to help bridge the gap.

As with any change, you are going to see more negative publicity due to upheaval. Just as hiring more police officers increases arrests, it doesn't necessarily mean there is more crime. Hamilton County has been in need to rid itself of the 'good ole boy' politics for a long time. From Mr. Price letter, I would deduce that he would be happy with that arrangement as long as it was HIS "good ole boys."

I also despise his racist tone as though only "African-American teachers" are causing problems. Despite slanderous rumors, the HCDE is underfunded and will experience a $10 million shortfall in the next year, despite BEP. This isn't due to mismanagement. It is a response to the increasing needs of the economy and elevating standards to educate children well. I am glad that some people were educated in 1960 (with the three R's?) for mere pennies, but in today's society, that would be a failure to our children and detrimental to our society. Dr. Scales is doing a wonderful job bringing our schools into the 21st century, and after all, it has only been a year. Remember: You get what you pay for. Jim Scales is definitely worth the investment.

Lisa Crowder

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Once again, we have been treated to Tim Prices' well reasoned, well researched, and well stated compositions. Tim always manages to cover a subject in a readable manner, and backs up his assertions with easily verifiable facts.

Unfortunately, the powers that be will ignore and minimize Dr. Scales’ actions, or failure to act, as they always do.

Keep up to good work Tim, even if you're just "hollering down the rain barrel", it's good to let the elitists know that they are not unobserved, even though they really don't care.

Don Hill
Walden, Tn.

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Ms. Lisa Crowder response was unspecific and rambling. It did not address the issues that Mr. Price covered in his excellent letter.

Of course there are racial overtones associated with the issue of the Hixson Teacher and the Tyner riot that were not reported by the administration. The problem is that Ms. Crowder avoided both issues and basically tried to call Mr. Price a racist. In other words, shoot the messenger. This is standard procedure when minorities are caught using the same tactics that they say were historically used against them.

I think that the school system has a boiler plate letter to address any issue that is seen as even light criticism. It is also very interesting that Ms. Crowder revealed that the school system is going to ask for another $10 million next year. This means another tax increase.

Dr. Scales has some explaining to do about this double standard and calling people names is not going to change that fact.

L. Thompson
Sale Creek

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In Tim Prices letter he stated "We have discipline problems by African American teachers and students that are being ignored, while majority teachers and students have a different standard. We have constant requests for increased funding and taxes, riots at magnet schools, guns at school, fights, and teachers assaulting police officers."

Ms. Crowder and Mr. Hill, what Mr. Price is referring to is the two separate incidents that happened regarding teachers at both Hixson High and Tyner High Schools. The teacher at Hixson was white and what he is reported to have done was all over the news and the incident at Tyner involved a riot, involving a nephew of one of the teachers. Both are African-American and the teacher reportedly tried to come between the officer and her nephew. This incident was covered up by Dr. Scales until Rhonda Thurman made it known.

Also at Tyner High (magnet school) a former student came to the school with a gun on a different day. These incidents should have been made known to the public just as the incident involving the Hixson teacher. Anytime an incident takes place at one of our schools, regardless of it being private, public or magnet and most certainly regardless of race we as a public have the right to know what is taking place in our schools in order to better protect our children.

In this matter Dr. Scales made an error in judgment but overall he has done a fine job so far. And Mr. Price is wrong in comparing Dr. Scales to Jesse Register. Thank God Dr. Scales is not another Jesse Register.

M. Smith