In this time of transition for incoming Kentucky Education Commissioner Terry Holliday some of his old North Carolina adversaries are getting in their last licks. Comments from Iredell-Statesville folks here at KSN&C have cautioned us to watch our pocketbooks, get ready for the Baldridge leadership approach and some have even gone so far as to suggest Holliday is lacking in the character department relative to his family.
It is this last group I need to address because I have chosen to kill a few of their comments.
A commenter claiming to be a friend of Holliday's first wife made a few unsubstantiated allegations that we have not published. She would like us to know that his first wife doesn't think too highly of him and she'd like to tell us why. I have not looked into this matter but suppose those who are interested might be able to find such comments at the ISS Report.
Comments related to Holliday's leadership, educational philosophies and activities as commissioner will continue to be welcome. Complaints related to decisions he may make and discussions of the pros and cons of those issues are the very stuff of this blog - so have at it.
But I'm just not sure KSN&C needs to get into the character assassination business.
The folks in the Iredell-Statesville Schools have a new interim superintendent and their board of education will chart the course going forward. Word is, Paul Klaene and the folks at ISS will be looking next to replace some of their board members next. So be it. Holliday will soon be old news in ISS.
But I don't see how it benefits the children of Kentucky to try to cripple the state board of education's selection right out of the gate. That effort might say more about us than it does him.
7 comments:
Just so the facts are straight, the first comment about the forgotten family came from Holliday's home state of South Carolina--not from Iredell County, which is in North Carolina.
He is not from North Carolina. The two very different states are often lumped together. We'll let SC take credit for your new state official, and for the original post about his two older children and grandchildren.
Just wanted to correct the record on where the original ex-family came from.
Yes. I stand corrected. Thanks.
I have prayed for Dr. Holliday to leave. I hope that he does help your schools and his family prospers. We are just tired of all the bickering, and it is time for ISS employees ,families, and students to let go. All I want is for the ones in ISS that totally support Baldridge to go with him ,so ISS can start anew.
God Bless.
Richard, I applaud your diplomacy in the handling of the comments regarding Dr. Holliday. We know that will have to "wait and see" for yourself before you can make any conclusion regarding his "talents". But as you mentioned in your piece regarding semi-journalists, blogs do serve a purpose. You mention that your blog was born out of the necessity to get both sides of a story since your local paper was not giving its readers equal information. I am sure that is why the ISS blog was created as well. We also have a local paper that refuses to print both sides. Good luck to you and we will all be checking in to see what you have to say once Kentucky becomes acclimated with the Hollidays.
I will adopt a wait-and-see attitude regarding Dr. Holliday, but let's face it. We are getting someone who was an educator in the Gaffney, South Carolina schools. What does that tell you? Have any of our readers been to that community? It's a glorified theocracy doew there in peach country!
And if Richard Day is correct, we may be just getting someone who adopts the model of Stu Silberman. Is that really what we want?
Pride comes before the fall.
As we close the day, we have hosted a farewell to Dr. Holliday this afternoon. How piognant, have a party as the state of North Carolina continues on day 34 without a balanced budget and no answer on funding for education, teachers who do not know where or if they will be teaching and parents lingering on the sidelines as to whether their children will be taken care of next year. That's right party on! Good luck Kentucky, I understand you make some very good whiskey there!
Well it has been announced that Denise Holliday will stay at ISS until their house is sold. We are sad that her husband was not able to secure her a job right away and will leave her back to take care of all the work and stress.
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