One parent called me a “Liar” during Thursday’s Facilities meeting. Others from CSLA have been a bit more creative saying that I spread “misinformation”, “falsehoods” and “spread inaccurate statements”. Then there were more descriptive terms- “arrogant”, “uninformed”, “unprofessional”- if these CSLA parents don’t stop, they are going to hurt my feelings. In this letter, I will attempt to shed a little light on my comments about magnet schools.
The school board has the responsibility of providing facilities for the students of Hamilton County.
The Board takes many things into consideration when deciding what schools to build, what additions need to be made and what major maintenance projects need to be done. To make a Priority List, the Board has to consider growth patterns and future developments. This priority list is not etched in stone. Things change, priorities change so, therefore, the list must change. Did HCDE foresee VW coming to Chattanooga and bring with it all of the growth in the north end of the county when the “priority list” was made in 1999? No, it did not. So, when Mrs. Scarbrough says CSLA has been “overlooked”, that is simply not true. CSLA was reprioritized as were many other projects.
To understand the full scope of the situation with CSLA, taxpayers need to understand that CSLA does not want a K-8 replacement school. They want to expand to a brand-new K-12 school. Adding a high school will require a much larger building with all of the athletic facilities (Ted Jameson was correct. Initially magnets were not to have athletic teams or transportation). Not only is the price tag for the school building over $64 million, adding a high school would mean hiring a complete new staff of teachers and support staff as well as transportation. Each of these things would add a considerable amount to the HCDE budget every year from now on.
The Board continues to hear from CSLA parents that a new K-12 school would allow 1,600 students to attend there. (Their enrollment now is a little over 400). Even if the school held 1,600 students, it would draw them in from all over the county (that is why it is called a magnet school - a few students from this zone and a few from another zone) and it would still not address our most pressing need right now which is growth and overcrowding in the Ooltewah area. To me, it would be a great injustice to the taxpayers of Hamilton County to spend $64 million and not address our most pressing issue.
A $64 million school would also soak up every penny of money the school system could possibly get from the Commission. It would mean no new $35 million school for 80-year-old Harrison Elementary. It would mean no $7 million addition to Snow Hill Elementary which is needed to make room for the students from Birchwood who now ride a bus over an hour to Ooltewah Elementary. It would mean no $7 million addition to Spring Creek Elementary to free up classroom space at Ooltewah Elementary for the families moving into the over 700 houses and hundreds of apartments slated to be built in that area. It would mean no $6 million to renovate part of Howard High School to make Howard Middle School.
Now that I have given my reason for not seeing CSLA as a priority of mine, I will address the comment that prompted a parent to call me a liar. I said that the only way that CSLA should ever even be considered for a new school is if it were a zoned school. That way CSLA would take in students from the East Brainerd area and schools could be rezoned all the way to Ooltewah. Then I made the statement that magnet schools “hate zones” because they cannot hand pick (not cherry pick) their students, and I stand by that statement. Magnet schools do not like living by the same rules as all the other “regular” schools. I saw Normal Park Lower and Upper gerrymander their zones so the students who live in Hill City could not attend the school where their families had attended for generations. Hill City families were told they would have to be bused all the way to Red Bank because if they were included in the Normal Park school zone, the school would be over-crowded. While Hill City families were being told there was no room for them, classroom space was being provided for Pre-K classes that parents were charged $5,000 to attend. Some parents were putting their children on the Pre-K at Normal Park list when they were infants. These Pre-K students were then moved on up to kindergarten then guaranteed a taxpayer-funded private education for eight years. Not bad for a $5,000 investment. I went to the state about this and was told this could not happen because you could not charge tuition to a public school. So, Normal Park can no longer guarantee entrance into kindergarten for those who pay (I think now $6,000) for their Pre-K admission. Are students still moving from Pre-K to kindergarten without going through the lottery process? Who knows, because they guard their student directory like classified documents from Fort Knox.
I made the statement that if all the doctors, surgeons, elected officials, administrators, principals teachers, CEOs, professors, radio and TV personalities’ children and grandchildren did not take up so much space in some of the magnet schools, there would be a lot more room for those on the waiting lists. I was called a liar for this. I know first-hand I am right. I am sure many can remember years ago when I, as a school board member, asked for a list of student’s addresses who were attending some of the magnet schools. I did not want names, just addresses. I was denied this list three times by my fellow school board members. So, I went to the state and was told I had every right to that list. I did not wait for the HCDE to give me the list, parents from each school gave me student directories. I plotted the addresses on a map and I will tell you, if all of these students got into CSAS, CSLA and Normal Park by random lottery, their parents need to go to Las Vegas. Magnet schools should not be used as a private school for certain people.
For requesting a list of some magnet schools student’s addresses, some magnet school parents were so paranoid that one of them filed a false police report on me saying I was driving a black Lexus (that I have never owned) and was sitting at the end of someone’s driveway (that I did not know) writing down license numbers of cars in their driveway (I had no idea where the house was) on a Friday in the middle of the day when I was at work all day. So, the hysteria of some magnet parents when you want to expose the truth is nothing new to me. Being called a “liar” by someone who does not have a clue does not bother me at all.
The thing I hate about the “liar” comment is that it overshadowed some things discussed at the Facilities Meeting that should have made the news. Like the fact that students who live around Hamilton Place are being bussed past Tyner all the way to Ooltewah. For generations, these areas were zoned to Tyner until Dr. Register made Tyner Middle and High magnet schools and substantially decreased their zones. (This is yet another way magnet schools destroy neighborhood schools.) At one time Tyner High had 1200 students. It now has less than 600. Tyner has very nice school buildings and athletic facilities and it is one of the few schools left with an auditorium. The Board must look at utilizing the buildings we already have.
I also brought up the fact that many of our schools are providing space for pre-k classes. The pre-k classes provided by the state are supposed to be for under-privileged children. I would love to see how many teachers and administrator’s children and grandchildren are taking up seats in those classes. I have discussed this with the TFP and state legislators. I guess we will see if either of them care about seeing if taxpayer dollars are being spent on those for which it was intended.
Another thing lost in the news last week was the fact that HCDE provides classroom space for daycare for teacher’s children. (Do not confuse this with before and after school care for Hamilton County students). These daycare programs are run by Chambliss Children’s Home and are being housed in some of our school buildings. Teachers pay for this service, but the school system provides the classroom space. Some of the schools where this service is provided are crowded. I feel these daycare programs need to be moved to nearby churches and let the school have the space for much-needed classrooms. I will be requesting a list of all Pre-K classes and teacher daycares at each school. I want to know how many classrooms are being occupied by these programs at each school. I also want to know if students are being housed in portables at these schools while classrooms are being taken up by programs that are not a HCDE responsibility.
Finally, I will be talking with our attorney about the board’s liability if someone is hurt or becomes ill due to the conditions at CSLA. Now that the Board has been made fully aware of the magnitude of the rodent problem and possible harm this could bring to children, the Board has a fiduciary responsibility to do something about it. If the current efforts by maintenance to combat these problems are not satisfactory and students are still in harm’s way, I will be inquiring what the Board’s next step should be. One parent, Grayson Ballard, said, “if CSLA was a restaurant, its doors would be closed. If it were a residence, it would be declared unfit. If it were an apartment complex, it wouldn’t pass insurance inspections.” Maybe it is time for an inspection from our insurance company to see exactly where the Board stands legally.
If the shovel went in the ground tomorrow to start a new school, (which is not going to happen), it would be a minimum of 18-20 months for a school to be built. If CSLA is found to be unfit for students, what happens then? The school board cannot continue to send students into harm’s way. The only remedy I see if the CSLA building is condemned is for students to go to their zoned school. I was told by a CSLA teacher that it was unprofessional for me to tell students they would have to go to their zoned school. Guess they want me to be a liar.
I am sorry if my comments offend anyone, but I was elected to tell the truth and do the best thing for all students in Hamilton County. Because you do not want to hear the truth does not make it a lie.
Rhonda Thurman
District 1 School Board
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I read with interest Mrs. Thurman's letter regarding magnet schools and the budget. I believe most if it was well thought out, though I didn't agree with all that was said. There were fiscal and logistical considerations that were pertinent.
But the last few paragraphs laid the rest to waste. It sounds punitive to suggest that the remedy for rodents at this one school is to disband and scatter the student body to the figurative winds. That resembles something petty.
I think it's beneath anyone who wants the best for students in our school system, and I think Mrs. Thurman and the rest of the board do want that. I hope everyone can find a way to work together for all of the children of our city and our county. We owe them that.
Darlene Kilgore
Chattanooga
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How about that? Rhonda can respond to items of importance. I find it terribly ironic that she is willing to provide such a long statement regarding the current state of CSLA, when she cannot respond to two emails that I sent her regarding the Woodmore tragedy. It seems that since she is responding to her critics regarding CSLA she would have been as vehement regarding inquiries about Woodmore.
Rhonda, you were elected to be a professional representative of the HCDE. I found your following statement: "One parent called me a “Liar” during Thursday’s Facilities meeting. Others from CSLA have been a bit more creative saying that I spread “misinformation”, “falsehoods” and “spread inaccurate statements”. Then there were more descriptive terms- “arrogant”, “uninformed”, “unprofessional”- if these CSLA parents don’t stop, they are going to hurt my feelings.” Do you consider the last part of your statement about “hurting your feelings” as professional? What I gather from that statement is that you truly don’t respect what they have to say. I could be wrong…won’t be the first time, nor do I suspect the last.
What I do know for certain is that you are an elected official. Elected officials are expected to conduct themselves in a manner that builds up the reputation of the HCDE and its efforts to provide the best facilities and/or education for its children. I also know that statements like this most present one, as well as those in the past and those I feel certain will be forthcoming, are often reflected at the voting polls. Let us not forget the major change in the board membership in the last election.
Speaking as someone who has dealt with issues of tact in the past, I suggest a less aggressive or sarcastic response from you in the future will prove most valuable. Your comment, "If the shovel went in the ground tomorrow to start a new school, (which is not going to happen), it would be a minimum of 18-20 months for a school to be built.” is an example of unwarranted sarcasm and delusions of grandeur on your part. You are not the only member of the HCDE board of education, nor do I think other board members start their day by bowing at your feet.
I think it all boils down to this one fact. People, no matter who they are or what their issue may be, want to be heard. They need to feel that what they are saying is important.
Rusty Munger