UPDATE: 5 Feb 2016...Tunica Times...Media Release

Here we go again...

Front page; 15 Jan 2016 issue; Year in Review: Complex issues impact schools, town, candidates in 2015; reported by Meg Coker.

Third paragraph down; talking about our schools:

"In the months leading up to the state takeover, a citizens' group formed and petitioned State Superintendent Dr. Cary Wright to remove Tunica County Superintendent Steve Chandler.  The group alleged that Chandler was creating a hostile work environment and organized a sick out for teachers, administrators and staff within days of starting the new semester."

This group is the Educational Improvement Committee.  The committee is made up of Tunicans who are willing to stand-up and be counted for our children.  Additionally, we realize that the very first thing a prospective business owner looks at is the local public school system.  Any citizen of Tunica County is welcome to join as long as you are willing to work for the betterment of our public schools.

To say that this group "organized a sick out for teachers, administrators and staff within days of starting the new semester" is false.  

Please print a retraction in your next issue.

A request for a retraction has been sent via email to the Publisher of the Tunica Times: Brooks Taylor.

UPDATE: Evening of 14 Jan 2016

In response to my request for a retraction from the Tunica Times, I received the following article from Meg Coker.  Hmmm, it looks like this isn't the first time the Educational Improvement Committee has been cited for organizing the sick out at our schools.  As you can see, Robert Hall was mentioned in this article.  If some committee member(s) helped with the organization of this event, it was not done with the permission or under agreement of the committee.  I have spoken to more then a few committee members and they were not involved with the sick out event either.  However, most of the members do not take the Tunica Times nor do they make an effort to read the Tunica Times.  

But hey guys, I'm not the Tunica Times Police.  I don't like some of the stuff they print either but I still read it.  Don't count on me to do all of the rebuttals.  Just because I didn't catch this the first time doesn't make it true in the recap.

My response to Meg Coker: 

"Because I did not remember the article from Jan 16, 2015, does not make the statement true then or now.  Please print the retraction."

Here's the article:

Printed in the Jan. 16, 2015 edition

"In the remaining months of a four year term, Superintendent of Education Steve Chandler is fighting battles on several fronts.

In December, the Tunica County Committee for Educational Improvement in Tunica County, MS petitioned the Mississippi Board of Education, State Superintendent Dr. Carey Wright and the Mississippi Department of Education to remove Chandler as Tunica County Superintendent of Education. And last Friday, as the district’s spring semester was just getting underway, an undetermined number of teachers and administrators at Tunica Middle School and Rosa Fort High School staged a “green flu” sickout organized by the same committee.

Spokesperson Robert Hall, a retired public school teacher, said about 40 teachers and administrators from the high school and middle school participated in the sick out, about half of the faculty from each campus, he added.

A media release from the group last Friday states, “The teachers and administrators are sick and fed up with Superintendent Bernard Stephen Chandler,” saying Chandler “cursed and ridiculed” RFHS teachers and administrators during a staff development meeting last Tuesday, January 6.

“The teachers and administrators at both schools have tried to tell the public about the harsh, hostile and toxic education learning environment that Superintendent Chandler has created....

“The teachers and administrators feel threatened by Superintendent Chandler’s unprofessional, unethical and terrorist behavior that is not conducive to the learning environment,” the release continues.

Students and teachers returned to district classrooms last Wednesday, January 7, from the holiday break.

In statements last week to Memphis media, Supt. Chandler said he holds teachers, parents and students accountable and that he is making the school system better. Chandler points to a rising graduation rate and the district’s kindergartners’ recent ranking as #2 in the state in preparedness.

The sick out follows on the heels of a petition drive mounted late last year that asked state education officials to remove Chandler from office and “temporarily appoint a highly qualified, experienced, knowledgeable, educated, compassionate, stable education team building person.”

The group claims to have garnered 1,000 signatures to its petition, which was submitted by committee members Ernest “Gu” Redman, Beat 5 Slate, District #5; Robert Hall, Concerned Citizens for a Better Tunica County, District #1; Barbara R. Tuchel, Tunicans for Transparency in Government, District #2; Dollie Hudson, Beat 5 Slate, District #5; Mildred P. Conley, Tunica Teens in Action, District #4; Mark E. Hudson, NAACP-Tunica County, District #2; Pastor Evelyn Hubbard, community leader, District #1; Ashley N. McKay, Tunica Teens in Action, District #1; Joe Eddie Hawkins, community leader and activist, District #5; Damien Jackson, student president of Rosa Fort High School District #3; Carolyn Steele, Tunica County retired staff, District #2; Bertha Watson, Tunica County business owner, District #4; Yulanda Harris, Tunica County business owner, District #4; and Melvin Young, Concerned Citizens for a Better Tunica County, District #1.

The petition drive was drawn up under Section 37-1-7 of the Mississippi Code, which states, “for continued neglect of duty, drunkenness, incompetency or official misconduct, the state board of education may remove a county superintendent....”

Hall said he was not sure if the latter and petition had been submitted to the state officials yet or the exact number of signatures collected countywide.

The law also states that the officer would have ten days’ notice of the charge and the opportunity to make a defense.

Chandler is expected to seek re-election this fall. He has already drawn two opponents for the post, Dr. Valerie Davis of Tunica and recently ousted high school principal Derrick Dace. At presstime, however, Chandler had not filed paperwork to qualify to run. The deadline to file is Feb. 27."

Meg Coker

Tunica Times Managing Editor

662-363-1511

news@tunicatimes.com

******

UPDATE: 5 FEB 2016

I asked for a copy of the Press Release that was sent to the Tunica Times about the Green Flu.  To me the Press Release is confusing and after having read it, I would have taken the information just as the Tunica Times did.  I have highlighted the first paragraph because it does say the Educational Improvement Committee had just been informed.  I have highlighted the last paragraph because it states that the Spokesperson for the organizers is Robert Hall who is also a member of the Educational Improvement Committee.

In actuality what really happened was that the teachers and administrators organized the Green Flu.  Because they were afraid of being retaliated against by then Superintendent Chandler, they reached out to former teacher Robert Hall to speak for them.  Robert Hall does not have email.  Therefore, he reached out to another member of the Educational Improvement Committee to write a media release.  The Media Release was written on the Educational Improvement Committee's letterhead.  Further, the contact info was stated as the Educational Improvement Committee...again because Robert Hall doesn't have email.

Again, the entire membership of the Tunica County Educational Improvement Committee was not involved in the organization of the Green Flu.  However, I can certainly understand why the Tunica Times thought this was the case.

Here is the Press Release:

Tunica County Committee for Educational Improvement in Tunica County, MS 

Post Office Box 2249 Tunica, MS  38676 

Telephone:  662-363-1228 Fax:  662-357-0412 

Email: tunicaeducationalimprovement@gmail.com   

MEDIA RELEASE  January 9, 2015  RE:  Rosa Fort High School & Tunica Middle School “Green Flu” Sickout 

To All Media Outlets  We were just informed that the Faculty and Administration of Rosa Fort High School and Tunica Middle School, 1100 Rosa Fort Drive, Tunica, MS  38676 are staging a “Green Flu” sickout today, Friday 01/09/2015.   

The  teachers  and  administration  of  the  Rosa  Fort  High  School  and  Tunica  Middle School  are “sick and fed up” with Superintendent Bernard Stephen Chandler for the following reasons: 

1.  Superintendent Chandler’s insane protocols are preventing the teachers from teaching the children in a manner to guarantee high academic performance.  

2.  Superintendent  Chandler  cursed  and  ridiculed  the  Rosa  Fort  High  School  teachers  and administrators at the Tuesday, 01/06/2014, Professional/Staff Development Meeting. 

3.  Superintendent Chandler continues to abuse and berate the teachers at the Rosa Fort High School and Tunica Middle School through many unprofessional acts. 

4.  The  teachers  and  administrators  at  both  schools  have  tried  to  tell  the  public  about  the harsh,  hostile,  and  toxic  education  learning  environment  that  Superintendent  Chandler has created in the Tunica County School District with  a special emphasis  on Rosa Fort High School and Tunica Middle School. 

5.  The  teachers  and  administrators  feel  threatened  by  Superintendent  Chandler’s unprofessional,  unethical,  and  terrorist  behavior  that  is  not  conducive  to  the  learning environment.  

For more information, please contact the spokesperson for the “Green Flu” @ Tunica County Committee for Educational Improvement in Tunica County, MS:  Robert Hall 901-487-5891 or email us back.

About those bonds...

Tunica County's bond rating has been reduced.  I'm not surprised. Are you?

And it is our own fault.  Time and time again we have elected and hired people because they are our friends or family or because they are from Tunica and look where it has gotten us.

What the reduction in our bond rating says is that for way, way too long we have been living above our means.

Let's take a look at our history:

1.  During the early part of this century our elected officials put in place a County Administrator who helped them build all of these building without any feasibility studies.  Not only that, they didn't even wait to see if the first project could sustain itself before they were on to the next.

In 2001, bonds were issued for the arena and the museum. The arena was for $30M and the museum for $3M.

In 2003, a $15M bond was issued for an airport expansion.

In 2004, bonds were issued for the RiverPark and Museum and the golf course and tennis complex.

None of these ventures has ever made money. And yet James Dunn, Cedric Burnett, Paul Battle, III, and Billy Pegram continued to be re-elected.

2. Starting in 2007, we started to see a reduction in our gaming revenue. Our income from this source went from 46.1M in 2007 to 25.9M in 2014.

From 2007 until 2011, Supervisors James Dunn, Cedric Burnett, Paul Battle, III, Bobby Williams and Billy Pegram watched as our income went south.  There was another County Administrator advising the Supervisors but it was not until the election of Phillis Williams, Sonny Nickson and McKinley Daley that this CA advised the BOS that there needed to be millage added to support our debt service.  This 15.77 millage was passed in Sep 2013.

3. In Dec 2013, these three new Supervisors voted to replace the second County Administrator with a highly qualified individual who wasn't born and raised in Tunica County.

Our government became more transparent under the new CA. Progress was being made. In the middle of all of this, a cry continued to be heard. "He doesn't live here". Did you ever stop to think that maybe be need expertise that doesn't exist in Tunica County?

Look at our history.  What made us think that the individuals we elected, continue to elect and hire, had or have the knowledge to run Tunica County?

Our bond rating proves we are our own worst enemy.

UPDATED 7 Jan 2016: Last night....

If I thought I didn't feel well yesterday, what the Board of Supervisors did last night and what they allowed to go on during their meeting has really made me sick.

So, you now have a County Administrator who is less qualified ... I mean really less qualified ... then Michael Thompson.  Here's the rub: He doesn't live here either.  So, what about all of the complaining about Michael not living here?  How about all those principles you were squawking about?

To Phillis, I never would have supported you on this blog had I known you were in favor of making Adrian our County Administrator.  Shame on you.*  If you wanted someone different with the same qualifications as Michael, that might be reasonable.  But not Adrian.  He's not even a CPA and Tunica County is in need of this level of expertise.

UPDATE/CORRECTION: What I have now learned is that Sonny Nickson made the motion and Phillis Williams seconded the motion to replace Michael Thompson with Adrian McKay as our County Administrator.  All Supervisors voted in favor of this move.  Shame on all of you.  Had I known Phillis and Sonny and McKinley were not going to keep the highly educated Michael Thompson as our County Administrator, I would never have supported your re-election on this blog...not that I think my support would have changed the outcome one bit.  Had you come up with an equally qualified alternative, that would be a different story.  But you didn't.  You caved to the unwarranted outcry to replace Thompson because he does not live in Tunica County.  Adrian does not live in Tunica County either.  AND he attempted to vote in our Primary Election last Aug. What is wrong with you?

To the rest of you: Why did you allow Billy Pegram to sit at your table?  Don't you have a voice and a backbone?

It seems to me that Tunica wants to pick and choose what court orders they want to pay attention to. And quit blaming everything on the DEC.  The mixed up voter rolls during the Primary were the fault of the Circuit Clerk.  The falsely certified election for the position of the Beat 5 Supervisor's position is the fault of the Election Commission.

What kind of Kool Aide is being served in Tunica?

BTW, don't think Bob and I are moving because we are giving up on what we believe.  We are moving home because Bob is sick and we need to be with our family and friends.

Anyone want to buy a house...

Bob and I are selling our home at 1268 Hickory Lane in the Town of Tunica.

This house was built in 2000.  It's around 3,000 square feet and sits on 2 and 1/2 lots.  Three bedrooms; 2 baths; formal dining; 2 car garage; large screened in back porch with a fireplace.  Upstairs there is a large craft/sewing room; an unfinished bath that has been plumbed and a library that is under construction.

$250,000 Firm.  Call for an appointment.  662-671-9481.

Please share.  Pictures coming in the next couple of weeks.

Tunica Times AGAIN....Argh....

1 January 2016 issue....Surprise, Meg Coker is signing her name to her Opinion.  Thank you so very much.

I'm not going to go paragraph by paragraph through this opinion.  Here's the deal: Judge Lackey vacated the Primary election on 26 Oct 2015.  This was not made public by the Circuit Clerk until 2 Nov 2015.  Why was that and how many people stayed away from the polls because they were waiting for the Special Election?

Mildred Conley's letter is dated either the 5th or the 7th of Nov.  I can't remember which.  To say that Conley's letter was written "in mid November" is incorrect.  It was not until the 7th of Dec that the Gov's Office sent a response telling the DEC to get clarification from Judge Lackey.  What took the Gov so long?  Look elsewhere on this blog and you will find that I predicted Gov Bryant would not call a Special Election which he did not.

The point is: Judge Lackey vacated the Primary so there could be no General.  Oh, BTW, how about expanding on Judge Lackey's sanction of the DEC for not putting Boykin on the ballot when she won the Primary?  Who gave Judge Lackey this faulty information?  Is it okay with you to have citizens who are attempting to have fair and honest elections be taken to task on false information?  Have you any idea how much money it has cost these citizens to stand up for what is right?  Do you even care?  Do you really believe that Boykin should have been on the Primary ballot?

Meg, IMHO your reporting and your opinions come up with the conclusion you want and you write toward that conclusion instead of the other way around.

And here I will quote from your Opinion: "On Monday, Dec 28, the Tunica County Board of Supervisors met.  Their attorney, Melvin Miller, claimed to have been in contact with the Secretary of State's office and Attorney General's office over the matter of the Beat 5 Supervisor seat.  Miller told officials that he received an email from Phillip Carter in the Attorney General's office providing guidance."

Claimed?  Are you serious?  Are you implying that Melvin was not telling the truth?  Unbelievable!

To put it mildly, the only confusion and frustration is all in the heads of those who choose to be confused and frustrated.  The Primary was vacated.  Therefore, there was no General for the Beat 5 Supervisor position.

BTW, from your newspaper's OPINION article on 19 Dec 2014, you all still owe Michael Thompson an apology; front page above the fold.  

28 Dec 2015 BOS's Meeting

So, Christmas is over.  Back to work.  Sad.

The downstairs Board Room was packed.  I am very happy that this is the last time we will have to put up with the foolishness from the current Beat 2 Supervisor.

1. The BOS are trying to get something done about the tour boat that is docked at the River Park. The tour boat has not been operating for several years.  The County's contract for the dock is between the County and Fitzgerald's.  The Board's attorney suggested that he write a letter to Fitzgerald's to open the conversation as to how to proceed.  The Beat 2 Supervisor objected.  At this point, I believe the Beat 2 Supervisor's only real objection is to try to prove that he is smarter than everyone else.  Did he not see that the audience was snickering at his antics?  The rest of the Board voted to send the letter.

2. Then there was TCUD.  The Beat 4 Supervisor suggested appointing Tomeka Cotton to replace her late husband on this board.  During the conversation we learned that 3 of TCUD's board members were appointed by the current Beat 2 Supervisor.  I should have realized this and written about this before now.  So, this is my take on the TCUD board.  This oversite needs to be corrected as soon as possible.  TCUD is in financial trouble.  Have these board members been taking advise from the Beat 2 Supervisor?

And here is the big story:

3. The Board of Supervisors' Attorney presented guidance from both the Attorney General's office and the MS Secretary of State's office.  It was explained that the Primary Election for the Beat 5 Supervisor position was invalidated by order of Judge Lackey.  Since the Primary was invalidated the General Election for Beat 5 should not have been held.  And Supervisor McKinley Daley will be a holdover Supervisor and will keep his seat until a Special Election is called.  Supervisor Daley was sworn into office right after the BOS's Meeting.

And the Beat 2 Supervisor objected to this too saying that Billy Pegram had already been sworn into office by the Chancery Clerk when he showed up at her office with his grandson Wes Ryals.  You see what I've been saying?  Some people in this County think they can just bully the rest of us.  Why did the Beat 2 Supervisor object to the guidance of the AG and SOS?  IMHO, because he is behind a bunch of the upset in our County.  Think about it.  What difference does it make to him who sits in the Beat 5 Seat?

So, here it is: Billy Pegram, what was your purpose in getting sworn in before the official date?  Wes Ryals, I told you to your face that I would be watching you.  I am disappointed that you would support your grandfather or anyone else in this stunt.  Wes, you haven't even been sworn into office. Why would you taint your reputation by participating in this fake swearing into office?  Gov. Bryant, you have caused a mess in Tunica County by not setting a date for the Special Election.  Why did you do that?

Beat 5, McKinely Daley is your Supervisor; NOT Billy Pegram.

14 Dec 2015 Meeting with MDE

There was a meeting with the Conservator, Dr. Pulley, on 14 Dec 2015 at 5:30p.  Also in attendance was Pat Ross from the MS Department of Education.

There were three items on the agenda for the meeting.  The second item had to do with a report in the Tunica Times on 4 Dec 2015.  The article is entitled "Officials take oaths of office on December 29" and it is reported by Brooks Taylor.

The article states: "Siggers said this week that as of now, Derrick Dace is slated to be sworn in as Superintendent of Education.  The status of that office has been in question since the state of Mississippi took over the Tunica County School District in July, ousting the elected school board and superintendent and appointing a conservator..."

This information is not correct.  Tunica County will not have an elected Superintendent of Education and unless there is a change in the state statute, we will never again have an elected Superintendent of Education.

The above was true when the state took over our schools.  This information was restated by Dr. Pulley when the Educational Improvement Committee met with Dr. Pulley and it is still true today.

Now why were there candidates for superintendent listed on the ballot after MDE took over our schools in Jul 2015? Beats me.

What I do know is what Pat Ross restated to those who attended the meeting:

1. Tunica County will not have an elected Superintendent of Education ever again unless there is a change in the state statute.  

2. No Superintendent of Education will be sworn in on 29 Dec 2015 at 9:30a in the Courthouse.