posted July 19, 2008
The Bradley County Board of Education targeted Greg Cain, a tenured teacher with 35 years of experience. Who is next? The taxpayers of Bradley County need to know the real issues:
1. The policies put in place by The Bradley Board of Education (BOE) were 'not' followed. There were no warnings in writing or otherwise. There is nothing regarding this issue or any other issue found or mentioned in his teacher file.
2. Greg is a tenured teacher with absolute legal rights. This is blatant teacher abuse. All tenured teachers need to be concerned about who could be next. Teachers need to consider joining their local union. As Benjamin Franklin stated during the signing of the Declaration of Independence “We must all hang together, else we shall all hang separately.”
3. The issues that the BOE is trying to force about an Internet policy were unknown to all teachers, and such use will be difficult to verify. The current policy is poorly written and antiquated. But the issue is not about a policy violation, it is really about squashing freedom of speech.
4. The policies and procedures, available online, about due process were 'not' followed. There were no notices; no warnings. Nothing.
5. Greg Cain did 'not' neglect his class; there was an intern in his class during the 2007-2008 school year. An intern is a degreed teacher. Other teachers also had interns.
6. Greg was outspoken in some of his political beliefs, as were many of our forefathers, which “some” in Bradley Count did not like. That is not a reason to terminate someone for exercising free speech. This is an American right. All someone needs to do is look at comments directed about our President, Congress, other candidates and political figures or public policies. Free speech is the cornerstone of our democracy. The website Greg posted his opinion on www.bradleyweekly.com was an approved website or surely the technical personnel at the Bradley County Schools would have blocked it, like they blocked other sites and users. Many citizens enjoy the opportunity to comment privately on the issues of the day.
7. Some of the individuals on the BOE have a personal agenda, and have had a personal agenda for a long time. The timing of the event against Mr. Cain is very suspect. The former director Bob Taylor waited until the end of his term to cause this action. Thus impacting Mr. Cain’s chances to properly defend himself or secure other employment opportunities. The question is, did Mr. Taylor threaten Mr. Cain if he did not resign he would go after his teacher license or if he resigned he would make this go away? Why are Taylor supporters continuing these efforts?
8. Strangely, the new Director of Schools continues to uphold the prior vendetta against Mr. Cain. As principal of Bradley High School, Mr. McDaniel had no knowledge of the events which were supposedly happening in his own school. He appears to not have been even aware of any problems or privy to the information that there was an impending and now reported investigation. Mr. Cain was rehired like every other tenured teacher at the end of May 2008. Then a mere month later while school is not in session Mr. Cain is targeted for termination. The new director barely in our community for a year has demonstrated he neither understands the citizens nor the community. He did understand that as director of schools he could hire his son for a job at Bradley High School, and that is just what he did. When the School Board wants to talk about the “Good Old Boy Network,” it obviously has firsthand knowledge and experience.
The bottom line: This is a total waste of the Bradley County taxpayers' time. money and energy. Who wins here? It certainly is not the children. It is time to let this go and move on. The school board in unison makes reference to underfunding of education, yet seems willing to focus time, money and energy on a helpless teacher using the power of big government.
We are aware that many teachers have to buy their own supplies to provide for children and children themselves have to conduct fundraisers to have money for school needs. Why does a bruised school board member or director of schools ego warrant this much attention? What a disgrace, not enough money to fund our children's basic needs but willing to spend money to target a teacher for expressing an opinion. We are constantly reminded that the director of schools and other high-salaried administrators and self-serving board members supposedly have our children's best interest in mind. This is clearly not happening.
Taxpayers and voters should sit back and look. It is time the BOE addresses real issues and is made to be accountable for this and other erroneous decisions and wasting taxpayer money. Tennessee is behind the education levels of other states and Bradley behind other cities in this state, probably because of similar dealings like this. We are back to small town politics (white chalk politics), complete with personal agendas, overpaid administrators and self-serving school boards. Teachers are not overpaid and if they speak out they are targeted. They should all ask: will I be next?
Our children's education and well being should be the real issue here? It is time we focus on the children rather than personal vendettas. In just a few days, schools will open for another year. Mr. Cain has been suspended without pay after 35 years. He is guilty without a trial. Five school board members who regularly vote together endorsed the last act of the former director of schools. The “agenda item” was a joke. Even board members were told they could not speak and the audience had no opportunity to exercise their free speech. What is the real reason for this whole mess? Somebody spoke out and they are being made an example to keep others from also speaking out. The school board is dysfunctional and only voters can change the direction. Please do not surrender your voice to this out of control government entity. Our founding fathers would not do it, why should we?
Donace Martin
Bradley County
Psalm234Ever@aol.com
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