It Has Begun:
Can you say head-fake?

Relevant Definitions:

Relinquish:
Definition 1. To surrender, release, or let go of; give up
Synonyms forgo, waive, surrender, yield, give away, abdicate, cede, renounce

does not equal

Resign:
Definition 1. To end a period of employment; esp, by formal notification (often followed by 'from')
2. To passively submit (oneself) to something disagreeable or disappointing
Synonyms quit, vacate, leave

does not equal

Terminate:
Definition 1. to end the employment of; release; fire
2. to bring to an end; put a stop to
Synonyms finish, end, conclude, abolish, sever, halt, cease, fire, dismiss, discharge, remove, sack, can

Relevant Quotes:

"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." George Santayana, Professor of Philosophy, Harvard University, American Philosopher, Essayist, Poet & Novelist from The Life of Reason, Vol. 1: Reason in Common Sense

Note to All Concerned:

Be assured that we remember the past.

We remember what was said during meetings in April 2008.
We remember what was said during meetings in May 2008.
We remember what was said during meetings in June 2008.

And

Although it is likely we will be lied to again,

We will not be fooled, be misled, or be quiet again.

We will not quit until ALL CONCERNED understand what
"Do the Right Thing" means.

We will not quit until the "Right Thing" is done.

And

We will hold ALL CONCERNED in this matter
PUBLICLY ACCOUTABLE.

For years it has been, "How does he get away with this?"
For years it has been, "Why don't they do something?"
For years it has been,

"Okay, NOW they'll HAVE to do something."

Months ago, in April, in May, in June,

there may have been a question of
what remedy, what action, what would occur.

That time is gone.

The question before us now is "How many will go?"

The Board Must Act.

T E R M I N A T I O N

New Info:

New Info:

New Info:

Information Relayed to the SVHS LSIC: Friday, October 31, 2008

Announcement by the SVHS Principal made to SVHS Office Staff at 3:40 p.m. with the permission of Gary Adkins, Superintendent of Wayne County Schools:

"I have received a phone call from Mr. Adkins, the Superintendent of Schools. Mr. Adkins says that, and I wrote it down so I would be sure, Mr. Thompson has agreed to relinquish his position at Spring Valley High School because of the compassion he has for the students, staff and the community."

Hmmm. Feels like ..........DEJA VU.

What month is this? Is it April? May?

No termination? No resignation?

Relinquish? Verbally Relinquish?

Right.

Relinquish equals "BAD PENNY" Syndrome. Where will Mr. Todd Thompson turn up 5 months from now? 5 weeks, 5 days from now? Back at Spring Valley? Been there. Done that.

Maybe Wayne Middle. There's a vacancy there - he could use the suspended guy's computer.

How about Tolsia? Let's see. Yes. Looks good. Spring Valley definitely not the only school in Wayne County with teacher troubles. Mr. Thompson could pop up there, sent by the Superintendent, even if he's terminated. Is this the only school in the state of West Virginia where you can terminate a teacher (which revokes his license to teach), then re-hire him as a substitute on the same night, same Board Meeting (Joshua Wellman, English 9 -12, Tolsia High, Recommended Personnel Matters, Board Approved, Date: September 2, 2008, Gary L. Adkins, Superintendent)? Is this legal? Some interesting public documents there.

Is there any doubt that Mr. Todd Thompson will pop up somewhere else? Courtesy of our Superintendent of Schools. And evidently our Board. He was a librarian before his Spring Valley job. Can you imagine him back at a school as the librarian? The Superintendent might decide elementary schools finally get that full-time, paid librarian/sysop they've been asking for every year. Or at least one elementary school might get one special someone.

Extra Info: The Tolsia story actually gets better: The Superintendent of Schools, Mr. Adkins, sent the terminated English teacher right back to the same school he was terminated from. Next day. Personally appointed. Not even sent to a different school. Evidently quite a surprise to those at Tolsia. Everyone knew he had been fired. Someone had already been hired for his old job and was occupying his old classroom, teaching English since the first day of school. No additional English teachers required or needed. Usually that just means they'll create a fake job, then appoint the favored person. Then the Assistant Superintendent, Mr. Rutherford, is available for the on-the-scene cover-ups, as needed or take the ensuing complaints by phone. This particular situation seems to be a work-in-progress. Didn't even create the fake job before they sent him. Getting sloppy. No job specs. No job bid, posted within the required amount of time. But he's still back. Among the students. That he was removed from. Teaching. Or at least there. Getting paid. But definitely with a revoked certificate. Or maybe he's a new "Literacy Coach", paid out of the Title I Slush Fund. That would be better. He wouldn't even have to show up at the school. He could join all those other phantom employees listed at the schools, diluting the teacher-student ratio on all those official reports.

Where-O-Where is the WVDE when you need them? OEPA?

WVBOE? Anybody.

ANYBODY OUT THERE ???

Is it any wonder why students are afraid to speak up about a Wayne County School employee?

Do we not teach our children - TELL, TELL, TELL - no matter what TELL??

Should we change that? Except at school? Except in Wayne County?

Not hardly. It's time to TELL. TELL EVERYTHING.

T E R M I N A T I O N

More than one.

The Board must act.