Last week, someone told me about some things going on at the Lumberton Line Consolidated School District and it was rather unsettling. I was aprehensive about this topic because the first person that shared this information with me wanted me to know that they didn't read the blog, but they wanted others to know what was going on. Since more people have given me bits and pieces of what's taking place, I decided to blog about the nepotism that is seemingly taking place right before our eyes. The information contained in this blog is based on several conversations; therefore, I can't not confirm that every statement within this post is accurate. A few weeks ago, there was an uproar about the termination of Coaches Pittman and Brown. Everyone seemed bewildered about this decision. Just the other week, it was revealed that a former coach has been re-hired. Now on the surface, it didn't seem like a big deal, but as you peel back the layers, it seems that there's more to the core of this story. The coach that was re-hired allegedly left the district due to some improprities involving a teacher. I don't know the full details of the matter, but if anyone knows what happened, please inbox me that information. But that's not the issue at hand. The coach that was re-hired is the son of a LLCSD employee that apparently has a lot of influence over Superintendent Walker because just a short while ago, this woman's daughter was hired as the Superintendent's Assistant/Business Manager or whatever the title of the job may be. It seems that, for the sake of this post I will refer to her as MoJo. It seems that MoJo has put a mojo (pun intended) on Walker and in the process, establishing a Nepotism Dynasty, right here in Lumberton. For the record, I want the readers to know that I didn't apply for the job in the superintendent's office, but I spoke with two of the applicats and they said that the new assistant was hired prior to the board meeting. This seems to be a process that occurs on the city level as well. Although the assistant wasn't offically hired until the board meeting, but the other applicants said their applications/resumes allegedly were never presented to the board members. Now that sounds familiar to my situation at city hall.
Now, this brings me to the other issue at hand, the Jurassic School Board. It seems that positions are never posted and the aged members of the school board are not equipped to represent the educational needs of this district. Everyone on Lumberton's school board attened school pre-Brown vs. Board of Education. The members of this board are so antiquated that the books we consider classics were probalby new releases when they were students. Now that's an hyperbole (exaggeration) but I think you get my point. When they were students, teachers were focused on the three R's. Today, there's an alphabet soup of educational terminology/techniques used in schools across the nation. In addition to differntiated instruction, collaborative lesson plans, and Gardner's Multiple Intelligence, teachers must deal with NCLB (No Child Left Behind), PEP (Personalized Education Plan), IEP (Individualized Education Program), NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress), IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act), and SIP (School Improvement Plan). Schools today are a lot different from days when education was education was separate and unequal, and the LLCSD needs to adapt to the changing times and put an end to the practice of nepotism.
Jurassic School Board is perfect. I have often wondered how people with no children, and probably no grand-children, in the school system can really have a vested interest in our children's education? And how can you REALLY know what is going on down there if you only come on campus for an afer-hours meeting a few times a year and don't have children coming home and at least sharing some of the CRAZY things that go on down there. Are these people elected? Appointed? We need people with children in the school system RIGHT NOW to sit this Board. There are some smart, educated, hard-working parents out there that could have much to offer this school system if given the chance. A Board of retired folks absolutely DOES NOT WORK for any entity.
ReplyDeleteI agree that we need a new school board. These members grandchildren have probaly finished school. What made me upset with the firing of the coaches was that they didn't vote on it. Aren't they the ones that hired them? We need people that will stand up for our children and what is in the best interest for them. We also need a new superintendent. Walker, in my eyes, has never been right.
ReplyDeleteOn the contrary, if you have children in the school system you try to become a board member because you have an AGENDA. In your mind, your little darling was probably "mistreated" by a teacher and your AGENDA becomes one of vengence. A board member with no children or relatives in the school system can be much more objective and can make better, unbiased and educated decisions. As far as the Jurassic comment, 40 or so years of life experience brings wisdom.
ReplyDeleteWhere are these "smart, educated, hardworking parents" hiding? Get on the ballot instead of casting stones.
I was warned of Ford and walker and have found all if that info to be true. That school will never excel until those two are gone.
ReplyDeleteThere are alot of things in the Lumberton School system that needs to be changed. I do not have a child in school but I know alot of people that do. My children use to go to school, but that was years ago. But it is clear to see that, here in Lumberton school it is all about who your Daddy is or momma is. Children being able to keep and use their phones, when others have theirs taken away from them. Children being able to wonder the halls instead of being in class. So it is at all levels of the school. not just the head office. Mainly in the High school.
ReplyDeletemojo's son was not the one that left for inappropriate behavior... that was a different coach that left at the same time...
ReplyDeletewhat i want to know is how he can be superintendent of education and not live in the district...
ReplyDeleteMojos son did lick a teacher and made her uncomfortable and she reported it but ironically his file is wiped clean.
ReplyDeletewell i heard he wasnt coming to lumberton. i was told he told his church he took a job and was going to move away.
ReplyDeleteBoard members recuse themselves from votes all the time, so if someone's child was part of something that got all the way up the level of school Board it would be easy to handle that. But most day to day stuff that goes on at the level of the kids are not handled at the school board level. So it would be pretty hard to implement an agenda that would benefit only the child of a school board member. School boards handle the big picture, and have to understand the state of education today, which is very complicated and being allowed to disentigrate into a sad sad state. American children are getting the short end of the stick all over the country, not just Lumberton. And as tax-payers we could do more to change things if we just stepped up. But people are afraid to speak up for losing their jobs or making their child's life harder because of potential retaliation. Don't kid yourselves, it happens. We need ACTIVE people who still have a finger on the pulse of what is going on to lead our city and our school.
ReplyDelete