G$ getting outcoached

[formerblazer]

16 minutes ago, WaCoJaCo said:

How about just stop making up stories Really. About half of what is being posted here about the whole ordeal is totally fabricated. Say what you want about GS but if I were one of you "supporters" of the Washington Co. school system I'd be to embarrassed to open my mouth. After all what this all started over is completely true.

I really don't know exactly what it started over.

Taking away the suspension and such, his issues were 1.  Building a brand new Boones Creek School next to the Ridges 2.  Jonesborough getting a 5 million upgrade and 20 million new building 3.  Jonesborough didn't have walls in the circle.  4.  System is rigged toward the city 5.  Commission votes toward the city 6. No money for athletic improvements.

 

You are right, everything he said is correct.  Suggestions on the fix are the problem.  1 and 2 he really muddled up.  Both are essentially getting new schools, it takes time.  I drive by the Boones Creek site everyday and they are essentially finished leveling it out.  3 has been a problem for years, but I attended one of the round schools and I never remember it being an issue.  out of control kids... ok point taken.  Both buildings are old, but the Jonesborough and Boones Creek elementary schools both have newer wings that are about 25 years old, so they wanted to keep reusing those somehow.  Boone's Creek Elem is becoming a CTE school.  Still, there are upgrades needed, he isn't wrong, but he originally posted information that was incorrect from the get go.  Jonesborough already went through their fight to get their new school.  They are getting a new school.  That new middle school is going to cost 30 million for Boones Creek and Jonesborough is getting 25, it's going to happen, but he made it seem like it wasn't at all.  Sullivan County is in the same boat right now as well.  Bristol and Kingsport have extra funds, they don't.  Too many schools, too much distance, two communities are upset over the high school and middle school changes.  

4 and 5 aren't going to change because there are more county commissioners in JC than the rest of the county, so voting will always go toward the city.  Eldridge doesn't want a part of the debate anymore, so he's out on supporting more money for the county.  There could be a change if the county mayor is vocal for the school system, but when has the mayor ever done that.  I don't even know what they actually do.

There is no outside source of money besides the local community for extra athletic funds.  Education and upgrades in the county are going to go towards technology, teachers, materials... not athletics.  Is he right that athletics fund a lot of stuff and don't get as much as a return investment?  Absolutely.  

GS has spoken about a few things where I think he is in the right, but it's been drowned out but him not communicating it in a way that would really have exposed the county.  I wish he would have done it in a way where the county looked bad and he looked great, but day 1 he has had a chip on his shoulder and it's rubbed coworkers, administrators, and other people in the county the wrong way. He is coming off as just being loud right now.  I thought his post about the commission and voting last week was one of the best things he ever posted about the situation.  

If we could reorder how things went, and he was vocal that way and looked more like an advocate for everyone in the county, I would be more apt to take his side.  Right now, it looks like it was his way or the highway ,he was daring administrators to fire him, and he ticked off people in his building.  You can't do that if you want to stay in a system.  I know he has zero worries about money, and that's fine, but everyone else actually wants to keep a job.

Too long story short, I think he could have set things up to where he would have a lot more support, but he just seems loud.

If someone else came out right now and was vocal, put out everything in black in white, and exposed things, you would see this making more noise.  Right now, it is going to die down, a couple of people will be fired, and that will be the end of it.  I think at the worst right now you may see a vote in the spring to buy out the contract for the director of schools, but then that is going to cost the county 300k immediately, and they would rather not spend that money at an instant.