First Jon Baliles of RIVER CITY RAPIDS called for the defeat of George Braxton as Chair of the Richmond City School Board. Don Harrison of SAVE RICHMOND piggy-backed on Baliles' effort. Neither blog allows comment. That is interesting since Harrison was critical of the School Board; because, the public could not speak at the meeting.
Paul Hammond of THE LOST ART OF THE CITY poked fun at Baliles and Harrison, and I took a shot at both Mr. Baliles and Mr. Harrison on Hammond's blog. Harrison replied to me on his blog, but I cannot respond to him on his blog.
BUT THAT IS THE MAIN REASON I GOT A BLOG!
I called Baliles and Harrison apologists for Mayor L. Douglas Wilder. Harrison says that is "absolute horse hockey," and he cited several blogs in which he criticized/opposed Wilder. My main gripe with Baliles' "bill of particulars" against Braxton--which Harrison embraced--was the one that read "the perpetual stalling and playing chicken with the moving of the RPS [Richmond Public Schools] offices."
The insistence that the RPS offices be moved was an unfunded mandate by a person who had no authority to issue that decree. The School Board should be applauded for "out Wildering" Wilder on that matter. On this issue criticizing the Board constitutes being a Wilder apologist.
Mr. Harrison, you may respond on my blog. Will I ever be able to on yours?
Preston M. Yancy
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9 comments:
Unfortunately, lost in all of this back and forth, whether it be Wilder, School Board, City Council, or you, Harrison, and Baililes, is the most pressing priority, Richmond Public Schools' students.
Would it be possible for all the warring parties to drop the one upmanship ego fest long enough to agree that ADA renovations for the school buildings need to be addressed NOW?
Actually, I can respect their choice to not allow comments. Their blogs are their own soapboxes. If you wish to respond to their opinions, well, now you have your own blog to create the conversation on. Too often a real debate is lost in so many comments that do nothing to add to a conversation. By starting a dialog that then makes the "front page" of blogs, an issue can truly get attention it deserves.
Btw: welcome to the world of blogging. Hope you find it engaging and awesome.
Here, here! My sentiments exactly. They won't even post an email address let alone publish a comment. If you are going to criticize someone directly or indirectly, they should be entitled to respond. That's if anybody else's opinion matters to you.
Paul:
At Save Richmond there's a "contact us" link at the top of the page. At River City Rapids, click on Jon's name and there's a link for his e-mail in his blogger profile. Both gentlemen are pretty easy to find and very accessible.
And if you want to respond you can do so on your own blog. There is nothing prohibiting you from stating your opinion and they have absolutely no obligation to provide you a soapbox at their site.
Most of the students in the RPS have problems that can't be addressed in school. Do something about teenage pregnency, street violence, entrenched welfare and a general antipathy towards education in the gangta/hip hop culture and you'll see wonders in the RPS. The average kid dedicated to his education will be accused of acting "white". New schools and ADA compliance will do nothing to increase the graduation rate.
I stand corrected on the email contacts and rest assured my opinion is already expressed on my blog as are Don Harrison's comments.
The Lost Art of the City
Mr. Yancy,
I sympathize with your responses to those who called for West over Braxton. The posts you referenced s do impart a note of deja vu when you consider the reactionary mass movement to install Wilder as Mayor. Nonetheless, I think that many officials, rather than just one, should feel the heat of accountability with regard to the school system. Not one of them has met an excuse they didn't like (more on this in a recent post on my blog). As for the comments feature... I allow them myself. However, some posters do give me second thoughts. And, when it comes to someone on their soapbox, maybe it's best to go with the old addage about not aguing with a fool because onlookers won't be able to tell the difference.
"New schools and ADA compliance will do nothing to increase the graduation rate."
Actually, studies prove otherwise.
But this is really about a lot more than graduation rates. This is about following the law. This is about equal access to education.
There is a moral crisis that Richmond can no longer afford to equivocate.
http://www.oregonhill.net/2007/12/17/pantele-and-the-schools/
Actually, studies prove otherwise.
My experience says that it doesn't. Kansas City, MO schools were taken over by a federal judge who instituted a massive building program, language immersion schools and state of the art buildings. 150 million dollars and 20 years later the school system was taken over by the state as a failed district.
I agree about the moral crisis. We are throwing away generation after generation of kids. If that's not a moral crisis, I don't know what is.
IMHO the ADA and the No Child Left Behind Act are the two worst pieces of legislation in the past 20 years and brought to us by Republicans.
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