We're seeing a lot of support for Mr. Rick Smith and his cronies the past few days. Personally, I could care less either way as long as he's doing the job he, and they, are paid to perform. I'm nothing more than a CapitalistPig small business owner who wants so many highly educated, trained, and skilled workers of a technogeekgoobguy(or gal) persuasion that I can take my pick, and because of a glut they'll work for lower wages than an illegal alien. I also heartily agree with W.C. Fields' statement that anyone who hates kids and dogs can't be all bad, just so there's no illusion of concern on my part for the well-being of someone else's children. It's all about the jing, and value received for cash paid through our tax dollars.
Those who're defending Mr. Smith and his compadres seem to shell out a lot of feelings and statements about their desire to do what's best for Hamilton County, some even questioning the motivations of others as well as citing failed journalistic integrity. News flash: a commentator and contributor on an opinion page is presenting exactly that, opinion. It is not journalism, nor is it intended to be.
Now just the facts, Ma'am...
When we have government officials, unelected bureaucrats, operating with impunity, often barely functioning at acceptable levels, on the surface, being paid high salaries, who, when complaints are registered concerning their performance, merely hire additional bureaucrats as underlings to cover their mess, what's the result?
Robert N. Dull, Jr., former executive director Chattanooga Housing Authority, was allowed to “resign” after audited reports showing (M)illions of tax dollars being wasted and misappropriated. He paid humongous bonuses to his homies while punishing those subordinates who objected to improper use of tax dollars. Paul Page, former director of Chattanooga General Services and former Mayor Littlefield's buddy, former Mayor Littlefield of Ron's Excellent Adventure fame, was allowed to “retire” from the city after being busted for sexual harassment of subordinates… this even after being suspended, sent to sensitivity training, and being charged with both sexual harassment and retaliation against subordinates by the federal EEOC, all for separate incidents. There are more, many more, and not just in Hamilton County, Tennessee.
The HCDE has its own challenges. Jesse Register was a total failure not just in Hamilton County, but back in North Carolina as well. I'll never forget those phone calls and e-mails from friends bragging that they tied up one of their problems and made it look neat, sort of reminded me of an old song, and sent it to Tennessee. His failures are well documented so there's no reason to re-hash them here, except that expenditures increased and school performance remained the same or decreased, as did teacher morale, on his watch. Then there was that dapper dude, Jim Scales, hired from Dallas, a system both the state of Texas and the Feds, the FBI and the FCC, were investigating for improprieties. Oh, and he'd been terminated there… okay, so his job had been eliminated. Canned, by any other name, is still canned. We again had lower performance and higher expenditures, never did he operate within his budget even though it's the largest line item of the Hamilton County budget. Both came to Tennessee for cushy, high paying jobs, had their contracts extended before completing their first term, then split before the end of the extension and were “bought out” of the remainder of their contracts. Register went on to Davidson County, where they began experiencing problems similar to what had occurred in Hamilton County during his tenure. It appears Scales hasn't been able to find gainful employment, even with his old school system in Dallas, which speaks volumes in and of itself. Knox County had a similar situation, except theirs just had his contract extended this past November, 2015... but he's quitting, and requesting they buy out his contract.
Now comes Rick Smith who, contrary to the claims of some, didn't need a waiver of the Tennessee State requirements to serve as Director of Schools in Hamilton County. State law only required a baccalaureate degree to serve as Director of Schools. Hamilton County rules required a doctorate, and an EdD most certainly is not a PhD.
Some have recently accused Smith of failing our children and grandchildren. He, and his cronies, most certainly have failed, in a number of ways. For their failures, both overt and covert, each and every one of these bureaucrats should be terminated.
With cause.
Hamilton County has the highest per student expenditures of any system in Tennessee, save Memphis, and some of the lowest performance scores. The systemic failures of the HCDE are well documented elsewhere so there's no need to cite them here, but what do we receive for the enormous expenditure of our money, our tax dollars?
There's a need in the local workforce for welders, plumbers, electricians, machinists, instrument mechanics, truck drivers, machine operators, robot repairmen, utility linemen, and any number of other skilled tradesmen. Are our schools capable of providing these without remedial classwork in what should be taught in public schools? If so, why do we have to import foreigners from Maryland, Florida, Texas, basically the four corners of this nation, the greatest nation ever to grace the face of Planet Terra, these United States of America?
I've always been told to write technical manuals for a ninth grade reading level. How many of our high school graduates can meet that, or any of the other ninth grade requirements? The list of grade level requirements is on TN.gov. Grab 10 recent high school graduates and give each a page from Marcus Aurelius' Meditations, and another from Silas Marner. How many can read, and more importantly comprehend, those two pages?
How many actual, convicted criminals attend school with our children and grandchildren? How many known drug dealers, violent criminals, and others, are thrown in with decent kids?
Now we have the situation at Ooltewah High School. It's indisputable something occurred that put one boy, 15 years old, in the hospital and three others were assaulted. It's indisputable that a culture of violence has developed in part of that school. It's indisputable one of the coaches was not certified to teach in that school, and those who should have ensured he was (OHS athletic director Jesse Nayadley, principal James Jarvis, and everyone up the chain of command to, and including, superintendent Rick Smith) failed to do so, as is their responsibility.
Each of us is human. By definition, human beings are imperfect creatures and we all make mistakes. When those mistakes cause harm, significant and life-changing harm, to others there is no excuse, when the situation could so easily have been prevented.
It goes to that “Attaboy and Aw-whatever” dealie, doesn't it.
For several years the quality of education in Hamilton County has been on a downward spiral. Taxpayers give ever more money to a system that provides ever lower results, with demands for ever more funding. The administration adds ever more layers of bureaucracy under the guise of “specialization,” providing greater resources for teachers and studii, while claiming to be shuffling more funds directly to the front lines… the classroom.
Horse puckey.
There's ample reason to terminate several upper level bureaucrats with cause. Whether or not charges are filed, they haven't performed to expectation. Of the rest, just as with any rabbit farm, the herd needs to be culled. If there's no legitimate reason for a position, being someone's bud or budette is no legitimate reason, it needs to be Muntzified, eliminated.
Of those terminated for cause?
They don't need to be allowed to “retire.” They don't need to be extended glowing letters of recommendation, blaming a system out of control and beyond the limits of their authority to correct for their failures. Each and every one of these bureaucrats has had it within his or her power to bring problems to light. But did not. Mr. Smith, in fact, has attempted to influence the Hamilton County Commission to increase taxes for greater school funding… increased taxes for the system funding schools at a rate second only to Memphis here in Tennessee, and without showing improvement using what they have. Didn't they just spend $4+ (M)illion tax dollars for textbooks they knew didn't meet minimum requirements?
They don't need to have contract buy-outs at taxpayer expense. Taxpayers don't need to fund their cushy retirement plans. Taxpayers don't need to pay another dollar for their incompetence. They failed in the performance of their duties. Failure must beget consequences. Mere failure to perform is but one issue.
Mr. Smith and Company's failures have had life-altering consequences for several children and families, almost life ending for at least one. Conscious decisions were made to allow situations to develop, and then to continue without consequences. They chose to allow harm to come to those who have every right to expect a safe environment.
Choices have consequences.
It's 7 degrees, Fahrenheit, here on the banks of beautiful Moccasin Creek. The wind chill is -4 degrees. I think I'll light up a cig and contemplate how really, really cold it could be if not for global warming.
Royce Burrage, Jr.
Royce@Officially Chapped.org