May 12 2024
Superintendent Phil Dobbins
With 11 months
under his belt since being selected head of the local school
system, Phil Dobbins may have come along at the wrong time.
Some are calling him the fall guy. There is little doubt he
would make a good parent, neighbor, or a passing motorist when
you have a flat tire. His job is not like that. To improve the
school system, he's got to be the butt hole at the top and
pull workers into change.
His work task is to clean up a colossal mess left behind by the previous administration. While he has been on clean-up duty since coming into office last July, the Herculean task was just getting started right when State Capitol Suits want him to grub up additional local tax dollars... AKA a School Excess Levy.
Two years ago during that Primary Election, County Clay voters tossed out a three long time School Boardsters. Voters had had enough and wanted change. Back then the slogan was, remove the other two Boardsters out this Primary Election. On the chopping block, up for public approval in 2024 are David Pierson and Susan Bodkins.
His work task is to clean up a colossal mess left behind by the previous administration. While he has been on clean-up duty since coming into office last July, the Herculean task was just getting started right when State Capitol Suits want him to grub up additional local tax dollars... AKA a School Excess Levy.
Two years ago during that Primary Election, County Clay voters tossed out a three long time School Boardsters. Voters had had enough and wanted change. Back then the slogan was, remove the other two Boardsters out this Primary Election. On the chopping block, up for public approval in 2024 are David Pierson and Susan Bodkins.
Dave and Susan
Voters know stuff. COVID dollars made it super easy for the last administration. Especially easy when the millions were used on non approved items like paying salaries. Those dollars are almost all gone.
The clean up is just getting known around the county.
In Jan 2024, word came (via Dobbins), upper level students were NOT getting any meaningful education. Instead of our system landing somewhere in the middle of state standings, we were near the dead last slot. As for math and students having a working grasp in that field, they don't. Dead last with around 6% able to hand math problems on grade level.
Just two months back, Kennie Bass reporting made public what voters have known for years, teachers and service personnel do not go to work. Got a hang nail? Take sick leave! Oh, I just don't want to put on my shoes today? Solution, take a sick leave. Oh but wait, you have already used up all your sick leave time off... doesn't matter in County Clay, they take days off without pay. Truth is, many, maybe most, employees don't give a hoot about reporting to work and earning pay.
The standards were established during the previous administration.
During the previous years, many no bid contracts were awarded to a select few, the buddies, the boys' club as we call em.
The Herculean push to straighten up the mess has fallen to Phil Dobbins and the newly reformatted Board of Edumacation lead by Bd Prez Phoebe Nichols.
It's tough to pass an "excess" tax increase after closing two rural schools, laying off nearly 30 employees and cutting back days worked by Pentagon staff. That tends to pee off workers, their families, neighbors, and friends. Those folks are regular voters!
That's what Dobbins is working against.
It's not often that the Govt asks before increasing taxes. This May 14th is one of the few times the ask is being made.
Get out and vote.
The
Pentagon has erected gobs of campaign placards around the
county. High and low, along every byway, nice looking plastic
signs have sprung up. Then came the podcasts and mailings. Got
to hand it to Mr Dobbins, he's trying with all his might to
get something passed
Why not vote for the excess spending? Many feel, we will wait until those low test scores come up and teachers actually earn whet they're making now. Maybe biggest of all for voters.... The Levy supports lots of crap that do not improve education. The Excess $$$ do everything else from athletic facilities, new band instruments, the Clay pool, astro turf, and after school trips, but as for improving test scores, increasing class offerings, not so much.
Why not vote for the excess spending? Many feel, we will wait until those low test scores come up and teachers actually earn whet they're making now. Maybe biggest of all for voters.... The Levy supports lots of crap that do not improve education. The Excess $$$ do everything else from athletic facilities, new band instruments, the Clay pool, astro turf, and after school trips, but as for improving test scores, increasing class offerings, not so much.
Here's an
example of COVID dollars that were earmarked to improve
internet connectivity so students could get thru the pandemic
using "virtual" lessons. Above is a pic of a small hot spot
box which allow users to have DSL service in their
homes. After Dobbins came into power, he found the crate of
high dollar hotspots which had never been taken out of the
crate, never distributed, never used. The last time we talked
to Dobbins, Charleston investigators found out about the waste
of COVID dollars and wanted their $$$ back.
