Pett is way off the mark here. Has he been following the events at FCPS at all? Or was this his attempt to make his bosses and the business community happy? Amanda Ferguson and Doug Barnett are to be commended for standing up for employees and students during this whole budget issue and overall disaster that is Tom Shelton. Since when does asking questions and saying no make one a trouble-maker? One can only hope both Ferguson and Barnett win BIG in their elections.....and that the auditors report exposes FCPS' "leaders" as the incompetent mouth pieces that they really are.
Unreal. So I guess Natasha Murray gets an endorsement from the newspaper? Guess I can save my $1 that morning.
Joel Pett has done some pretty outrageous work over the years, but this one was very uncalled for. Why publish this cartoon at this point? Most of what he is complaining about happened from February/March to June. I don't see what this does for anybody. It also makes me wonder if the editorial board actually reads Valarie Spears's articles. I also wonder why he picked solely on Mrs. Ferguson. While he didn't walk out of a meeting or pass memos from employees to the Herald-Leader, Mr. Barnett has also been a pain in Dr. Shelton's side for quite a while as well. Maybe calling out Mike Scanlon got him brownie points or something?
I found Mrs. Bacon's demeanor, attitude and eye-rolling to the public and other board members to be more egregious than anything Mrs. Ferguson has done. Don't see Pett's cartoon on that.
What is Pett's cartoon going to look like when the audit comes to light?
Unbelievable. I remember when the Herald-Leader valued people who were willing to ask hard questions and occasionally rock the boat. Sure, Ferguson can be "out there" at times, and maybe her antics can rise to the level of showboating. But if not for her, we wouldn't know lots of things we need to know. And by the way, there is a LOT more that has not come out -- yet. I'd rather have at least one Ferguson on the board than five Bacons.
I guess Tom's meeting with Rufus and the editorial board was worthwhile. The people/voters know the truth. Pett and Merlene make a mockery of true journalism and get paid to do so...not a bad gig. Let's just hope Valerie Honeycutt Spears and Richard Day continue to do the real reporting. Doug and Amanda have suffered much at the hands of this administration and their fellow board members. I commend their willingness to seek re-election. We will be in good hands with them on the Board. As for Bacon, she's nothing more than Tom's lapdog. What an embarrassment it must be to her husband to watch her chasing Tom around like a lovelorn girl all the time. She's pathetic and her constituents should be equally embarrassed to have her representing them. Bring on the auditor's report and on to the OEA. This is far from over.
I suspect Joel was just expressing one point of view…which is his job. I like him better when his work afflicts the comfortable and comforts the afflicted, but so be it. I just thought it appropriate to turn his implied argument on its head.
The unanswered question here is: What is a board member to do, if in their judgment, something is amiss in the district?
Most folks would probably say that they should work all of that out in private and hold the fort in public. But what if the superintendent doesn’t cooperate? Ferguson has argued on several occasions that she was denied information upon which to make a decision. So she went public on Silberman, and now on Shelton. Is it really in the best interest of children for a board member to be aware of problems but keep them covered up?
What should our public officials do?
What if the FCPS Audit turns out bad? Should Price, Bacon and Love be vilified for having failed in their fiduciary responsibilities as board members? Will Joel’s next cartoon show them with bags over their heads? I dunno.
Theoretically the news division (Honeycutt-Spears) and the opinion folks (Pett & Davis) are separate. They seem to be, and should be.
Pett is wrong. The H-L refuses to print the truth about Silberman and Shelton. Amanda has asked hard questions and has been maligned for doing so.
Amanda, you have my vote. There is too much waste at Central Office.
I apologize that I cannot print my name, but I'm scared of Tom Shelton, Vince, and Lu. I hate working for a school district that doesn't value truth and transparency.
SHAME ON JOEL PETT. A WOMAN SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO ASK HARD QUESTIONS.
Why does it feel as if all the comments on the FCPS threads are written by the same person?
I will offer different a perspective.
I don't feel as if anyone thinks Amanda Ferguson should not represent her constituents completely by asking the tough questions. On the contrary. She is to be commended for that, and if that was all that was happening, she would handily be re-elected (she probably will be anyway).
Problem is, the end does not justify the mean (emphasis on MEAN).
She has gone to great lengths to discredit district employees, fellow board members, members of the business community ... and if the rumor mill has right - even their children, all in the name of "asking the tough questions."
What responsibility does an elected official have to be a team player? Some would argue none at all.
Some feel that working intimately in a small group setting week after week requires some sort of team loyalty. Not so where Ferguson is concerned. The members of her team mean nothing to her, and she regularly/seemingly contacts the media or this site to crack a story which has not gone her way or which she feels will paint the district in a poor light. This, with no regard to outcomes for students or the climate at IAKSS (which can affect outcomes for students).
Doug Barnett seems different. He views things on a case by case basis, and does not seem determined to take down district officials at all costs.
They both are in full grandstand, win-this-election mode.
Silberman was run off and they're working on Shelton and Lu Young. These three have been at the top of all administrator lists in KY in recent years...who does that leave us?
Ferguson is obviously has a very sharp mind. I'd love to see her redirect her efforts to positive change for students, as opposed to vendettas against people she just doesn't like. That list seems long.
We need all of our officials to work as a team and not sabotage one another at the expense of the organization and the children it represents.
It intrigues me that we preface everything ---- and I mean everything ---in our district with "It's about kids." Be that as it may, as a veteran teacher, I have seen how this sentence has been used and abused by FCPS officials to stop discussion, to halt debate, on matters that ultimately affect children.
We were told to stop talking about Melody Parker's DUI, Kathy Dykes' antics in Las Vegas, the costly attempt by the school district to defame Roaslind Hurley Richards, the high salaries for Vince Mattox and Lu Young. And, now, any discussion about Amanda Ferguson is deemed counterproductive because somehow we are "sabotaging" the school system and the children.
I don't see it that way. I think Amanda Ferguson has been done wrong. In the interest of transparency, I do teach in the district and I HAVE NO RESPECT FOR OUR LEADERSHIP, but Amanda's hard questions are not, in my opinion, part of a grandstanding attempt on her part, but a serious attempt to expose the misdeeds in Central Office. Twisting HER EFFORTS AND IMPLYING THAT SHE IS HURTING OUR "CHILDREN," is plain wrong. The truth will prevail, and I think it will prevail quite soon. Amanda, I wish I could give you my name, but you have the support of many teachers who feel that Central Office is run strictlt for Tom Shelton, Ly Young, Melody Parker, Vince Mattox and Kathy Dykes
I would like to agree completely with the observation made by the previous contributor in regards to what has not become some sort of trite slogan to justify whatever is the current expectation - "Its all about kids."
As an educator, having others, especially non educators, invoke this phrase in tandem with their current policy or practice of the moment has practically become a slap in the face. So those of us who have spent their entire education preparation and day after day of serving children need to have someone tell us "its all about kids"? Really? Really?
Sad part is the way we have bombarded the classroom with over regulation, burdensome teacher accountability checks, assessment gone amuck and political agendas of those who lead us - it is no wonder that folks might feel the need to remind themselves about why we each chose this profession. Just a hollow catch phrase now in many districts that seem more focused on KPREP, CIITS, PGES, RTTT, CC and PD360 than they do about JOHNNY and SUZY.
I have to agree in part and disagree in part with August 30 @ 11:21 A.M. I agree with him about Doug Barnett viewing issues on a case by case basis. I thought he was dead-on with the whole Kathy Dykes-Special Education fiasco, I thought he was correct with respect to getting nurses back in the schools and I thought he did the right thing on not supporting any budget until band and special education funding was restored. He may well be in "grandstand" mode right now, but who could blame him? From what I remember, he was one of the biggest supporters of creating Carter G. Woodson and promoting equity in the district, yet Vince Mattox, Darryl Thompson and others get Roger Cleveland to run against him? What a way to show appreciation. Barnett's doing the smart thing by always mentioning the word "consultant" next to Cleveland's name. His reference--which I have heard and read--to "Dr. Cash and Carry" is priceless. Given the budget disaster as influenced by DMC and Gates, I think Cleveland is opening himself up to a nightmare, especially if his private consulting company has taken thousands of dollars from public school districts during a period of SEEK cuts, layoffs, etc., statewide.
I disagree with his assessment of Amanda Ferguson. She may appear abrasive at times, but I think her motives are pure. She appears to be the type of person that loses trust in you forever if she catches you being dishonest with her. I don't think that is a bad quality to have for a public servant. When did "It's About Kids" become equated with "It's Always About the Superintendent?"
If Edelen's audit comes back negative for Shelton and his crew, Barnett and Ferguson will win handily. If the violations are minor, I think Barnett might have some issues, but Ferguson wins handily. I think if Edelen says the whole thing was a witch hunt, then both incumbents are in some serious trouble. A positive audit for Shelton's crew is the only way I could possibly see Ferguson losing in November.
I wonder at what point does Barnett and Ferguson call for Shelton to be replaced when his contract expires next year? That would sent the election to a totally different level.
Fear is not a good thing. However, teachers--- Be careful. The school system can make your life dificult if you speak up. This situation is very volatile, and the only people who are safe are those who have retained council with Brenda Allen.
12 comments:
Pett is way off the mark here. Has he been following the events at FCPS at all? Or was this his attempt to make his bosses and the business community happy? Amanda Ferguson and Doug Barnett are to be commended for standing up for employees and students during this whole budget issue and overall disaster that is Tom Shelton. Since when does asking questions and saying no make one a trouble-maker? One can only hope both Ferguson and Barnett win BIG in their elections.....and that the auditors report exposes FCPS' "leaders" as the incompetent mouth pieces that they really are.
Unreal. So I guess Natasha Murray gets an endorsement from the newspaper? Guess I can save my $1 that morning.
Joel Pett has done some pretty outrageous work over the years, but this one was very uncalled for. Why publish this cartoon at this point? Most of what he is complaining about happened from February/March to June. I don't see what this does for anybody. It also makes me wonder if the editorial board actually reads Valarie Spears's articles. I also wonder why he picked solely on Mrs. Ferguson. While he didn't walk out of a meeting or pass memos from employees to the Herald-Leader, Mr. Barnett has also been a pain in Dr. Shelton's side for quite a while as well. Maybe calling out Mike Scanlon got him brownie points or something?
I found Mrs. Bacon's demeanor, attitude and eye-rolling to the public and other board members to be more egregious than anything Mrs. Ferguson has done. Don't see Pett's cartoon on that.
What is Pett's cartoon going to look like when the audit comes to light?
Unbelievable. I remember when the Herald-Leader valued people who were willing to ask hard questions and occasionally rock the boat. Sure, Ferguson can be "out there" at times, and maybe her antics can rise to the level of showboating. But if not for her, we wouldn't know lots of things we need to know. And by the way, there is a LOT more that has not come out -- yet. I'd rather have at least one Ferguson on the board than five Bacons.
I guess Tom's meeting with Rufus and the editorial board was worthwhile. The people/voters know the truth. Pett and Merlene make a mockery of true journalism and get paid to do so...not a bad gig. Let's just hope Valerie Honeycutt Spears and Richard Day continue to do the real reporting. Doug and Amanda have suffered much at the hands of this administration and their fellow board members. I commend their willingness to seek re-election. We will be in good hands with them on the Board. As for Bacon, she's nothing more than Tom's lapdog. What an embarrassment it must be to her husband to watch her chasing Tom around like a lovelorn girl all the time. She's pathetic and her constituents should be equally embarrassed to have her representing them. Bring on the auditor's report and on to the OEA. This is far from over.
I suspect Joel was just expressing one point of view…which is his job. I like him better when his work afflicts the comfortable and comforts the afflicted, but so be it. I just thought it appropriate to turn his implied argument on its head.
The unanswered question here is: What is a board member to do, if in their judgment, something is amiss in the district?
Most folks would probably say that they should work all of that out in private and hold the fort in public. But what if the superintendent doesn’t cooperate? Ferguson has argued on several occasions that she was denied information upon which to make a decision. So she went public on Silberman, and now on Shelton. Is it really in the best interest of children for a board member to be aware of problems but keep them covered up?
What should our public officials do?
What if the FCPS Audit turns out bad? Should Price, Bacon and Love be vilified for having failed in their fiduciary responsibilities as board members? Will Joel’s next cartoon show them with bags over their heads? I dunno.
Theoretically the news division (Honeycutt-Spears) and the opinion folks (Pett & Davis) are separate. They seem to be, and should be.
Pett is wrong. The H-L refuses to print the truth about Silberman and Shelton. Amanda has asked hard questions and has been maligned for doing so.
Amanda, you have my vote. There is too much waste at Central Office.
I apologize that I cannot print my name, but I'm scared of Tom Shelton, Vince, and Lu. I hate working for a school district that doesn't value truth and transparency.
SHAME ON JOEL PETT. A WOMAN SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO ASK HARD QUESTIONS.
Why does it feel as if all the comments on the FCPS threads are written by the same person?
I will offer different a perspective.
I don't feel as if anyone thinks Amanda Ferguson should not represent her constituents completely by asking the tough questions. On the contrary. She is to be commended for that, and if that was all that was happening, she would handily be re-elected (she probably will be anyway).
Problem is, the end does not justify the mean (emphasis on MEAN).
She has gone to great lengths to discredit district employees, fellow board members, members of the business community ... and if the rumor mill has right - even their children, all in the name of "asking the tough questions."
What responsibility does an elected official have to be a team player? Some would argue none at all.
Some feel that working intimately in a small group setting week after week requires some sort of team loyalty. Not so where Ferguson is concerned. The members of her team mean nothing to her, and she regularly/seemingly contacts the media or this site to crack a story which has not gone her way or which she feels will paint the district in a poor light. This, with no regard to outcomes for students or the climate at IAKSS (which can affect outcomes for students).
Doug Barnett seems different. He views things on a case by case basis, and does not seem determined to take down district officials at all costs.
They both are in full grandstand, win-this-election mode.
Silberman was run off and they're working on Shelton and Lu Young. These three have been at the top of all administrator lists in KY in recent years...who does that leave us?
Ferguson is obviously has a very sharp mind. I'd love to see her redirect her efforts to positive change for students, as opposed to vendettas against people she just doesn't like. That list seems long.
We need all of our officials to work as a team and not sabotage one another at the expense of the organization and the children it represents.
It intrigues me that we preface everything ---- and I mean everything ---in our district with "It's about kids." Be that as it may, as a veteran teacher, I have seen how this sentence has been used and abused by FCPS officials to stop discussion, to halt debate, on matters that ultimately affect children.
We were told to stop talking about Melody Parker's DUI, Kathy Dykes' antics in Las Vegas, the costly attempt by the school district to defame Roaslind Hurley Richards, the high salaries for Vince Mattox and Lu Young. And, now, any discussion about Amanda Ferguson is deemed counterproductive because somehow we are "sabotaging" the school system and the children.
I don't see it that way. I think Amanda Ferguson has been done wrong. In the interest of transparency, I do teach in the district and I HAVE NO RESPECT FOR OUR LEADERSHIP, but Amanda's hard questions are not, in my opinion, part of a grandstanding attempt on her part, but a serious attempt to expose the misdeeds in Central Office. Twisting HER EFFORTS AND IMPLYING THAT SHE IS HURTING OUR "CHILDREN," is plain wrong. The truth will prevail, and I think it will prevail quite soon. Amanda, I wish I could give you my name, but you have the support of many teachers who feel that Central Office is run strictlt for Tom Shelton, Ly Young, Melody Parker, Vince Mattox and Kathy Dykes
I would like to agree completely with the observation made by the previous contributor in regards to what has not become some sort of trite slogan to justify whatever is the current expectation - "Its all about kids."
As an educator, having others, especially non educators, invoke this phrase in tandem with their current policy or practice of the moment has practically become a slap in the face. So those of us who have spent their entire education preparation and day after day of serving children need to have someone tell us "its all about kids"? Really? Really?
Sad part is the way we have bombarded the classroom with over regulation, burdensome teacher accountability checks, assessment gone amuck and political agendas of those who lead us - it is no wonder that folks might feel the need to remind themselves about why we each chose this profession. Just a hollow catch phrase now in many districts that seem more focused on KPREP, CIITS, PGES, RTTT, CC and PD360 than they do about JOHNNY and SUZY.
I have to agree in part and disagree in part with August 30 @ 11:21 A.M. I agree with him about Doug Barnett viewing issues on a case by case basis. I thought he was dead-on with the whole Kathy Dykes-Special Education fiasco, I thought he was correct with respect to getting nurses back in the schools and I thought he did the right thing on not supporting any budget until band and special education funding was restored. He may well be in "grandstand" mode right now, but who could blame him? From what I remember, he was one of the biggest supporters of creating Carter G. Woodson and promoting equity in the district, yet Vince Mattox, Darryl Thompson and others get Roger Cleveland to run against him? What a way to show appreciation. Barnett's doing the smart thing by always mentioning the word "consultant" next to Cleveland's name. His reference--which I have heard and read--to "Dr. Cash and Carry" is priceless. Given the budget disaster as influenced by DMC and Gates, I think Cleveland is opening himself up to a nightmare, especially if his private consulting company has taken thousands of dollars from public school districts during a period of SEEK cuts, layoffs, etc., statewide.
I disagree with his assessment of Amanda Ferguson. She may appear abrasive at times, but I think her motives are pure. She appears to be the type of person that loses trust in you forever if she catches you being dishonest with her. I don't think that is a bad quality to have for a public servant. When did "It's About Kids" become equated with "It's Always About the Superintendent?"
If Edelen's audit comes back negative for Shelton and his crew, Barnett and Ferguson will win handily. If the violations are minor, I think Barnett might have some issues, but Ferguson wins handily. I think if Edelen says the whole thing was a witch hunt, then both incumbents are in some serious trouble. A positive audit for Shelton's crew is the only way I could possibly see Ferguson losing in November.
I wonder at what point does Barnett and Ferguson call for Shelton to be replaced when his contract expires next year? That would sent the election to a totally different level.
bEumony Middle Teachers Support Amanda! Sorry, KATE....
Fear is not a good thing. However, teachers--- Be careful. The school system can make your life dificult if you speak up. This situation is very volatile, and the only people who are safe are those who have retained council with Brenda Allen.
Our school system is on a vey sorry state,
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