Roy Exum
The Hamilton County School Board, unquestionably stooping to the lowest point in its entire existence, elected Acting Superintendent Kirk Kelly as its interim leader in a special-called meeting Thursday night. The vote sent a clear signal to thousands of teachers, parents and community leaders who were begging for change in the fractured and badly-maligned school district -- any change will likely amount to no more than perhaps a light bulb at Brown Middle School.
What’s more, the contentious vote, coming after four months of total turmoil in what is regarded as the worst metro school district in Tennessee, virtually assured an indignant public that the “Good Ole Boy” network is still in charge of an ever-failing system where five schools have been declared as disasters by the state and a good 11 more are teetering at the very edge. Believe me, the cousins ‘principle’ and ‘integrity’ never took a worse beating than yesterday afternoon in front of a solemn and very quiet crowd.
Kelly, you see, has been an integral part of now-ousted Superintendent Rick Smith’s hapless inner circle, which in the last four years has tumbled the Hamilton County Department of Education to unprecedented state-wide lows. Teacher morale is now horrible, school buildings are in disrepair, student behavior goes unchecked, and 65 percent of those who graduate and attend Chattanooga State must take remedial classes.
And just when you thought it couldn’t get worse, the school board itself commits the absolute unthinkable.
A surprisingly late candidate for the interim job, Kelly has – in fact – been a fixture in the questionable HCDE administration for nearly 20 years. He was the guilty party when a disgraceful $125,000 settlement was levied at the school system due to Kelly’s bullying and abuse of a teacher who refused to be part of a cover-up that Kelly, principal at Alton Park at the time, had ordered. Instead of being summarily fired, he was “kicked upstairs” to administration to presumably assure he would have no contact with any more teachers.
And while there might have been one or two singing the song of redemption Thursday night, I can guarantee there was no musical score because the G.O.B. network masterminded a coup that overwhelmed two other finalists -- a retired Marine Corps Colonel with impeccable credentials and the most dazzling and dynamic principal in the entire HCDE system.
Each finalist was allowed 30-minute interviews with the school board members. As any in the standing-room-only room will admit, Shaun Sadler and Jill Levine absolutely “schooled” the stumbling Kelly, who in truth is a genuinely nice man. Kelly won the vote, 5-2-2.
Equally true, it is Kelly who just might present the worst scenario for moving forward that both the Tennessee Department of Education – now watching Hamilton County in disbelief -- and the leaders of the innovative Chattanooga 2.0 initiative – now gulping more anti-acid than Chattem can provide—both keenly fear.
Candidly, I believe the die was cast long before the first person arrived at the school board meeting (incidentally, it was Col. Sadler). The GOB has ruled the school system for years. There are so many relatives involved it is almost incestuous. Much like the Mafia, it involves longtime and retired educators and is so openly known the disgusting GOB – by name -- was included in one prepared question with words like favoritism, black-ball, retaliation, vendetta and such being tossed around.
The three known GOBs on the school board are all former educators – David Testerman, Coach Joe Galloway and Reverend Steve Highlander – who brazenly display their stripe at every turn. It became apparent in the selection of finalists that the GOB didn’t have a dog in the hunt and with certain … shall we say, “enterprises” at risk in the system, Kirk Kelly – considered to be ‘toothless’ by the GOB – was quickly ordered into service.
The plan was that it was believed the $125K settlement was so long ago it wouldn’t be noticed (came up on second page of “google”) so one week after he threw his name in the hat, the glad-handing Kelly was the only unanimous finalist by all nine school board members. Imagine that? What gets any better? Just this – five voters who have an agenda that outweighs their principles.
Kelly is black. Most people no longer care if he is purple or green but school board member George Ricks, also black, has shown repeatedly he is colorblind – to any other color. George swore a week ago he’d ride Kelly in any horse race. The other black on the school board, is a bright social worker named Karitsa Mosley, and, when she got on a jag during questioning the candidates demanding “equality” of each, it was obvious the ill-gotten deal had been brokered long before.
Years from now, when another generation studies what happened Thursday night at the Hamilton County School Board, the earnest students will reread every version of what transpired, shaking their heads, and asking the great teacher, “This can’t be … no, a civilized society isn’t like this…”
But, oh yes, take the GOB, which allegedly ignored our poor inner-city schools to the point that literally millions of dollars were just lost, and combine it with two self-oppressed blacks who touted “equality,” – Lord help us -- and you have got the mixings of the worst kettle of soup you could ever offer 42,000 children and their parents.
Want some more? What is horrifying is this: Let’s say the finalists for the “permanent superintendent” are Pope Francis, Billy Graham, either George Bush, Joe Biden, Angela Jolie, Peyton Manning, Dr. Ben Carson, Hank Aaron and Celine Dion. Add any other three names you want.
Then let me remind you those who will actually make the decision are three GOBs and two others, one espousing “equality” and the other “love.” You darn tootin’ you’ll get a guy who harassed a teacher so badly now-Mayor Andy Berke won $125K for her in a courtroom and $20K more in back pay.
As school board chairman Jonathan Welch warned his fellow members last night, “People are starting to look for alternatives to our school system.” Ya’ think?
It’s like the man said, “The best thing to ever happen to private schools in Chattanooga is the Hamilton Country School Board and its product.”
I can guarantee you they are laughing. The rest of us are crying.
royexum@aol.com
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Roy you are off in the deep end this time by pointing your finger at our two black school board members.
Just because you have a personal beef with Dr. Kelly, you expect everyone else to follow your narrow thinking.
Dr. Kelly is a fine person with a great reputation and has served our school system well for many years.
I applaud our board of education for selecting the most qualified candidate for the position and want to especially thank Ms. Mosley and Mr. Ricks for their outstanding leadership .
I see you didn't attempt to smear the good names of the three other board members who voted for Dr. Kelly.
Gerald Mason