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Fire Down Below.
Read Yesterday's Post.
Also:
Response to Herald-Dispatch reporter's questions by Karen Rucker, parent of a SVHS student:
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Thu, Oct 30, 2008 at 3:09 PM
Subject: Re: the Todd Thompson situation
Bill,
To answer your specific question -
Everyone's top concern is the safety of the students at Spring Valley. Period. There's also the very real issue of the safety of the administrators, faculty & staff there. Unfortunately, that's not the only concern. There are so many.
As regards the numerous, more or less continuous, infractions over a long period of time, any one of which Mr. Thompson could have and should have been terminated for - the infractions that involve students and photos of students, actively seeking both positive and negative interaction with students which is certainly not appropriate to his job, and frequent unstable, angry, threatening behavior and the appearance of being under the influence while on campus are certainly intense issues, too.
I think everyone fears the obvious - an attack on or at the school by a mentally unstable person. My deepest fear though is what might happen if a parent or even a student feels provoked or threatened enough to take matters into their own hands. No matter how justified, think of the tragedy that would fall upon that person or that family. The community. They would never be the same, their lives would be ruined, changed forever.
And essentially, because a bunch of big-feeling suits sitting on a hill chose over and over not to act. And I do mean over and over. The situation with Spring Valley is small potatoes to them, the tip of an iceberg when you look at the bigger picture of the current situation at the Central Office and with the Wayne County Board of Education.
This community, and every community in our entire County, are so used to things being wrong. You become numb to it. People fear for their jobs. Grievance procedures become irrelevant if everyone is afraid to use them. The entire system is flawed, fatally in my opinion. Some things are just wrong, freestanding, and should be remedied, independent of an individual having to push an issue. This extends far past the issues at Spring Valley.
Perhaps the Central Office has always been a "way of life", an odd highly-entitled mentality/mind-set, a little prone to perks & graft & favors & retaliations rather than the best, brightest, hardest working people getting moved into the most crucial positions, not to say there aren't good people working at Wayne.
Everyone knows someone or has family or friends who work for the Board of Education. It is a family thing. And that can be a great thing. Our schools are kept running by people who have known three or four generations, front and back. So many good people. Good at their jobs. Working hard every day. But I have had person after person, some retiring sooner than they would have, from all over the county, people I've known a long time, say this is the worst they have ever seen in their 30, 35, 40 years in the system, incredibly flagrant, arrogant, heavyhanded abuse of power, hiring, trips, spending, spending, spending, cover-ups, countywide.
I think it is very simple. No one in the county wants that much. They simply want the people they have elected and especially the people whose salaries they pay with their tax dollars, to do the right thing. And if there's any question, I think the people of Wayne County would be glad to let them know exactly what the right thing is, any given day.
To answer your specific question -
Everyone's top concern is the safety of the students at Spring Valley. Period. There's also the very real issue of the safety of the administrators, faculty & staff there. Unfortunately, that's not the only concern. There are so many.
As regards the numerous, more or less continuous, infractions over a long period of time, any one of which Mr. Thompson could have and should have been terminated for - the infractions that involve students and photos of students, actively seeking both positive and negative interaction with students which is certainly not appropriate to his job, and frequent unstable, angry, threatening behavior and the appearance of being under the influence while on campus are certainly intense issues, too.
I think everyone fears the obvious - an attack on or at the school by a mentally unstable person. My deepest fear though is what might happen if a parent or even a student feels provoked or threatened enough to take matters into their own hands. No matter how justified, think of the tragedy that would fall upon that person or that family. The community. They would never be the same, their lives would be ruined, changed forever.
And essentially, because a bunch of big-feeling suits sitting on a hill chose over and over not to act. And I do mean over and over. The situation with Spring Valley is small potatoes to them, the tip of an iceberg when you look at the bigger picture of the current situation at the Central Office and with the Wayne County Board of Education.
This community, and every community in our entire County, are so used to things being wrong. You become numb to it. People fear for their jobs. Grievance procedures become irrelevant if everyone is afraid to use them. The entire system is flawed, fatally in my opinion. Some things are just wrong, freestanding, and should be remedied, independent of an individual having to push an issue. This extends far past the issues at Spring Valley.
Perhaps the Central Office has always been a "way of life", an odd highly-entitled mentality/mind-set, a little prone to perks & graft & favors & retaliations rather than the best, brightest, hardest working people getting moved into the most crucial positions, not to say there aren't good people working at Wayne.
Everyone knows someone or has family or friends who work for the Board of Education. It is a family thing. And that can be a great thing. Our schools are kept running by people who have known three or four generations, front and back. So many good people. Good at their jobs. Working hard every day. But I have had person after person, some retiring sooner than they would have, from all over the county, people I've known a long time, say this is the worst they have ever seen in their 30, 35, 40 years in the system, incredibly flagrant, arrogant, heavyhanded abuse of power, hiring, trips, spending, spending, spending, cover-ups, countywide.
I think it is very simple. No one in the county wants that much. They simply want the people they have elected and especially the people whose salaries they pay with their tax dollars, to do the right thing. And if there's any question, I think the people of Wayne County would be glad to let them know exactly what the right thing is, any given day.
Thanks,
Karen Rucker
14 comments:
Question, what questions did the Herald Dispatch have? I work at SVHS and I am afraid. I am afraid that Noah or Todd will do something dangerous. We are all AFRAID. I shouldn't feel this way at my place of employment. I blame Gary Adkins for this because he has allowed the situation to get this far. If Todd goes over the edge it is because Mr. Adkins did NOTHING!!!!! I am not kidding when I say just because Todd has relinquished his job doesn't mean that he won't be back to SVHS or God forbid another school in Wayne. The man is going to snap and SVHS is going to be the place he does it. He has access to the school and the school itself has to many exits to monitor at once. The door to the employee parking lot is left ajar too often by employees who come and go for various reason. Even if that wasn't the case Noah his brother has access to the building. I work at SVHS but I wouldn't send my child to the school right now. It is too dangerous for staff much less students. I hope you have relayed this to the newspaper and newschannels. I am tired of being afraid. I am tired of doing my job and other not doing theirs making it more difficult for me to do mine. I am also tired of worring about my students and if they said the wrong thing or in some way caught the attention of Todd. They are my students but I worry about them as if they are my own children. I am proud to be Timberwolf but I am ashamed of the WCBOE. Especially that of Mr. Adkins. Mr. Adkins if you are reading this, which I am sure your are, do yourself a favor step down. Otherwise we will remove you. It is time for a change in Wayne County.
It is time for Mr. Adkins to give it up - for too long he has put his cronies before the students of Wayne County. It is all about who you are if you are sitting on the hill with Gary or going out to lunch with Gary - long extended lunches with the right person will get you alot. Don't think that people don't see these things. We are tired of it and we are taking back our schools. Do the county a favor, Mr. Adkins, and step down.
To 1st Comment - My email was responding to the Herald-Dispatch question(s) "What exactly are you concerned about? His alleged threats or the taking of the pictures?" from Bill Rosenberger - the H-D Education Reporter (526-2854, brosenberger@herald-dispatch.com)
Several of us have given all this information and this website's address to all the newspaper/TV stations around and more.
You have written exactly what everyone feels.
This is a danger every day thing. No drama. Just fear. Justified, on your guard every minute, waiting for first shot, stop this nightmare, fear.
Teachers trying their best to keep their kids off his radar. Not letting the kids go in the library because he happened to be there that day. Trying to calm or divert the kids when they wanted to speak back to him, maybe provoke him.
If the parents haven't said it yet, we say thank you now. Who knows what might have happened, what you have prevented. You all would not shut up. Your principal would not shut up. Even though you were afraid of him. And his family. And Central Office.
We have the signed statements - Him coming in classrooms, unannounced when teachers are instructing. Him coming in teacher's rooms when they are in there alone, with their doors locked, using his passkey. And more and more and more.
Todd and brother Noah, keys to everything, untouchable, having the run of SVHS and every where else in the county - before,during,after hours.
We asked back in April for all the exterior locks to be changed and I asked again in this latest letter - the one dated October 21.
Lot of blame to go around here. Starting with Gary Adkins, but definitely not stopping there.
We are talking about people who willfully, with intent, with knowledge, not only engaged in a long-standing, ongoing, multi-year cover-up -- they actively placed danger in more than one school, left danger in more than one school, and put danger back in more than one school, among the very people, students AND employees, whose best interests they are supposed to have at heart and they certainly are expected to keep safe.
To 2nd Comment - Not just cronies, EVERYTHING before kids. Period. If it actually looks like they're footing the bill for something for the kids or putting kids first, there's got to be some angle or backstory we don't know about, it's benefitting somebody, somewhere.
Heard about the lunches. And more. Flagrant.
It's about time the public knows about what has been and is still going on in Wayne County. As a parent of a student at SVHS, I am angry at the arrogance of Gary Adkins and the Board in general for refusing to put a stop to the Thompson nightmare! Mr. Adkins, should a tragedy occur at my son's school, you will be held directly responsible for it as you know what is going on and you have refused to put an end to it. Do all of Wayne County schools a favor and step down NOW!
Although you may have legitimate concerns and complaints they are severely being under minded by the language and color commentary you’ve insisted on using over and over again when describing the Central Office Administration and Board of Education.
Your words are highly inflammatory and deceptive! You vilify Mr. Adkins, Mr. Rutherford, and The Board of Education members with malicious and abusive statements. Behaving in this manner reduces the validity of your argument and detracts from resolving the issues at hand. Furthermore, it works against the legitimate concerns and complaints of the people you claim to represent!
You are continually adding to the emotional instability surrounding this situation and the unstable learning environment for all concerned at SVHS. The only way this situation can be resolved to anyone’s satisfaction is legally, not in an extreme state of emotion or hysteria (“a state of extreme or exaggerated emotion such as excitement or panic, especially among large numbers of people”, “media hysteria about the latest scandals”).
The Administration and Board of Education have been working diligently on this issue. However, the Administration, Board Attorney, and Board of Education cannot act upon inflammatory statements, requests, or notifications may by you or any other individuals. They must act upon hard evidence, they must rely upon the law and the law enforcement agencies to investigate and take action!
With these highly defamatory statements and half-truths concerning the Wayne County Board of Education your motives are now in question. Are you using this blog and the issues, mainly the issue at SVHS as a retaliatory weapon, to slam the Central Office Administration and The Board of Education?
Your ethical obligations include accurately informing the public and treating subjects of your blogs fairly. Just state the facts, you do not have the right to use this blog and hide behind the freedom of speech to say anything you want in any manner.
What you are doing now can be looked at under the microscope to see if you are violating another individual’s rights with these posts! How do you let others know about problems you’ve encountered when blogging? The answer: with accuracy, restraint, patience, and great care. Bottom line: If you’re seeing red, be very careful about what you post in black and white.
To 3rd comment (from anonymous) - This parent is with you on the Mr. Adkins should step down now part. Mr. Rutherford too. The both bear the most responsibility in this mess. The Central Office has been top-heavy for years. Time for the Board to set their house in order. Many could go. The schools would not suffer one day at their exit, never know they're gone. Now is the time, during these uncertain financial times, for fiscal responsibility.
The Board must act now.
The Board must listen.
The Board must vote to terminate Todd Thompson.
Sorry on that last comment. Didn't mean to go over the top. Just don't want to lose sight of the fact that this guy at the school needs to be terminated. first. period.
Dear "JD"
I moved your comment and my response to it out on the main page. We certainly want everything to be honest, above-board, and out in the open, don't we?
Yours truly,
Karen Rucker
What goes on at SVHS is your business, but I think it is reckless and very judgmental to drag Tolsia through the mud when you don't even know the circumstances of the situation. For some reason people think they are entitled to talk about THS as if it were beneath them. You are however, entitled to talk about YOUR school and YOUR teachers in any way you please, but do not think that posting information in which you have any involvement nor any of the information which led to a certain employees rehiring is in any fashion appropriate. The purpose of your blog was to publicize your concerns about a teacher or teachers at SVHS and the board's handling of those matters, not to be a reporter of ALL events in the county schools in which you have no relationship nor information furthermore it is quite frankly NONE of your business. You worry about your school and we will worry about ours. Thanks.
I want to respond to your comments but first I want to apologize for offending you about Tolsia. I did not mean to drag them through the mud or give you the impression I think Tolsia is beneath me. Nothing could be further from the truth. If it wasn't clear that I viewed them as a victim, sort of in a similar position to Spring Valley, then I did not present myself very well. I am sorry.
As far as what went on at SVHS being our business, I wish that were true. If it wasn't safe to have somebody in our school, then it's not safe to dump him in yours. Or anybody else's. Right is Right. We tried to make our school safe in a quiet way, minding our business, not involving anybody else. Others had tried long before I ever came on the scene. It did not work.
We're not in the middle of this because anybody here wants to be.
As far as the MYOB and don't worry about my school kind of stuff, I think that's part of what got this County to where they are. Everybody either has chips on their shoulder about past things or they got this and we didn't or looks at the other schools as competition, test scores or sports or what end of the county or whatever. Everybody wrapped up in their own thing. I don't think that has served anyone well.
And if nothing else, it boils down to I have friends and family all around. So even if my kids don't go to your school, theirs do. And both my sisters taught in the Crum and Ft Gay schools, one for many years at Ft. Gay Elementary. I have spent some time in a lot of our schools. I tried to help where I could. So maybe I do look at things a little wider. I do worry about things that happen at Tolsia. And Wayne. And the rest of them. But I don't think that's a bad thing.
Anyway I got 2 phone calls, an email, and one face to face on your termination thing down there. And just so you know, it was illegal. So evidently there are a few people who are concerned besides me. And I think that's a good thing.
To the last anonymous if you think that what effects SVHS won't effect you then you are living in denial. Where do you think they will try to send Todd next? If this doesn't bother you then I question how concerned you are for THS. This is about what is best for all students of Wayne county not just a one school issue.
Also, if the "Teacher" was fired then he shouldn't have been rehired. It is quite simple. The fact that the board did such a thing makes me think that they (BOE) thinks that Tolsia students, staff and parents aren't very smart.
To Anonymous:
I think you should let the board determine what they think of THS. You can make your judgements as you have proven but obviously you don't the circumstances. For example I'm sure you didn't know that this person's mother just died over the summer. I'm sure you didn't know that this person has severe diabetes and has been hospitalized many times due to the fact. And perhaps the board considered these FACTS when deciding to move him to a substitute position. I am defending this person from the harassment and embarrassment that you seem to feel entitled to publicize. And for the record, the students, parents, and staff are not stupid. They are smart, caring, and compassionate people which is more than I can say for you.
I know you are responding to someone else's anonymous comment, but I would like to respond.
Both of your comments are very eloquent, beautifully written, obviously written with great compassion for the young teacher who was terminated down there. You mention the teacher having diabetes and having endured the loss of his mother. These are indeed terrible things to endure.
You will find that many of us in the community, and indeed a great many of our teachers and service employees have been touched in some way by diabetes. Indeed many have endured terrible illness and injury, some very incapacitating. Many know what it is to suffer the loss of a parent, many of us - both parents, or a spouse. A few have had to deal with the loss or serious illness of a child. Many of our current school employees are primary caregivers for elderly parents or grandchildren.
Many of these people go about their day, with no drama, doing their job, with no special treatment, knowing no matter how bad it is for them, there are others who are worse off. Most of these people also endure the great financial hardship that seems to go hand and hand with everything else. With no special treatment from anyone.
Now the difficult part.
The teacher in question was not forced to give up his coaching position or terminated from his teaching position because he had diabetes or had suffered a recent loss in his life. Many from your community and in the school system have communicated that there are long-standing issues surrounding this teacher that do involve safety of students.
Beyond that, the mechanics of termination involve loss of a teaching certificate. Our county has publicly patted themselves on the back as regards their efforts to move toward highly-certified teachers, and also have at least stated they have moved away from the use of non-certified substitute teachers (RESA subs).
Not only have they acted counter to their own policies, but I suspect RESA would not validate the statement made by the superintendent that the teacher in question was indeed a RESA sub on September 2, 2008.
Further, to employ a sub at a school, there must be a job opening. There was none. How were the children that were shuffled from existing classes to this terminated teacher chosen? Were their parents consulted?
As I said before, you speak with great compassion for this young teacher. I think we need to remember here that our focus, our first priority must be the children which have been entrusted to the school system. They deserve to be safe and they deserve a good education. And for us parents, that safe part is especially important.
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