Time For A Change To Kathy Lennon

  • Friday, July 22, 2016

Although Roy Exum has accurately identified many of the failings of the Hamilton County Education Department and the school board’s culpability in the mess in recent months, he does not support the majority of Hamilton County’s citizens’ opinion that none of the current members of the school board should be re-elected, but insists that one, Jonathan Welch, should be returned to office. These are the reasons he gives (and my observations):

 

1) because Dr.

Welch “emotionally apologized “(for the failures he presided over).

 

2) because, according to Mr. Exum, Dr. Welch “steadied the…ship” (that foundered under his direction),  after it foundered.

 

3) because he “understands the resentment and frustration” among the citizenry caused by the failures (that occurred on his watch), and believes he can “straighten this out.”

 

4) because he is concerned with “who” and not “when” a new superintendent is hired.

 

5) because Dr. Welch, and, according to him, his fellow board members, (all of whom thought the old schools administration was doing a good job), thinks the interim team is “doing a good job.”

 

6) because he has kids in the system. (This one is actually a plus for me.)

 

7) He is liked by “many” of the principals and their staffs, (some, or many, of whom may well be part of the problem.)

 

8) because both sides of the Times/FP endorsed him. (no comment necessary)

 

9) because he agrees that “there is enough blame for everybody (including him) to take their share. (This is a reason to re-elect him?)

 

Mr. Exum continues with paeans to Dr. Welch’s dislike of campaigning, his dedication to the pursuit of excellence, and his personal goal of “making it better.” I can suggest a remedy for the first and wonder if he thinks either of the latter were realized, at the HCDE, during his tenure.

 

Roy, Dr. Welch, I will leave it to those who read this item to decide whether these are adequate reasons to re-elect someone who was party to a total melt down of our education department, but, I personally do not, and I believe that the more honorable course for Dr. Welch would have been to not seek re-election at all.

 

I do not personally know either of the candidates, but I do have three grandchildren in the Hamilton County Schools and I think I know when it’s time for a change. I will vote for Kathy Lennon.

 

Harry M. Hays

Signal Mountain
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