The fact that Spartanburg (S.C.) School District 7 has spent $275,000 in taxpayer funds over the last year on a PR firm isn’t surprising.
It’s sad, but it isn’t surprising.
After all, South Carolina’s education monopolists would much rather spend money glossing over failure than trying to correct it.
What was very surprising, however, was when District Superintendent Thomas White and his school board approved a $200,000 expense for a new putting green at a private country club – where White and three of his school board members happen to be members.
Yeah, they actually did that …
Anyway, you had to know it was only a matter of time before our buds over at The Voice teed this one up and knocked it clear down the middle of the fairway … using nothing other that White’s own talk of “responsibility” and the public outcry over his utter failure to demonstrate it.
In a word?
Brilliant.
White and his cronies have since “deferred indefinitely” the $200,000 expense, but only because of the public relations debacle it created.
Who knows? Maybe they’ll spend that $200,000 on additional PR …
By lou February 14, 2009 at 10:10 am
Rest assured it will be spent.
By StupidShouldHurtMore (SSHM) February 14, 2009 at 10:16 am
While I agree that the money spent is outrageous, the key detail you left out, is that the local high school’s (Spartanburg High School) golf team uses said golf course.
The story was outrageous enough without the over-dramatization of leaving that key detail out. Tell the whole story or don’t bother.
- SSHM
By fitsnews February 14, 2009 at 10:25 am
We have told the whole story … twice.
http://www.fitsnews.com/2009/01/29/for-the-children/
http://www.fitsnews.com/2009/01/28/public-funds-for-private-golf-courses/
By TERRIBLE ADMIN February 14, 2009 at 11:57 am
Thomas White had previously wreaked HAVOC in my hometown, Union County. Among his autrocities, he made teachers cry by yelling at them, got family friends hired over career long in district people, threatened teachers about talking to ANYONE about anything happening within the district, corrupting the school board into hanging on his every word, and completely blotched the local school consolidation plan at the cost of lying to local politicians such as Jim Ritchie and dividing our small community in a way that it will never be reunited. We threw parties when he finally got the heck out of Union. We honestly weren’t sure if he would ever leave but what a relief. Sorry to see he took his sad excuse for an administrator to another district.
PS: Sad to say that the School Board has yet to recover. They are now tools of the administration.
As much as I love and believe in public schooling Sic, these kinds of people make me believe there may be something valuable in your personal quest for school choice.
By BIN News Editorial Staff February 14, 2009 at 12:13 pm
And sic(k) willie,
Tell the Club for Scam Growth, Voice for School Scams, SC for Responsible Scams and the SC Council for Policy Scams that vouchers are dead in SC.
One phone call should be all it takes.
BIN
By James the Foot Soldier February 14, 2009 at 3:00 pm
Those cross-eyed knuckle-dragger bits were meant to be tongue in cheek….
By Silence the Noise February 14, 2009 at 6:08 pm
BIN…..vouchers will pass either this year or next…..
Without you and Jake Knotts getting in their way.
You’re an assclown…..just like the idiots running South Carolina’s minimally adequate public education.
By BIN News Editorial Staff February 14, 2009 at 9:25 pm
Dear “Silence” – the Voucher Clown,
Is “assclown” an insult? The voucher scam is a big enough insult.
You sound like sic(k) willie after too many rounds in the Vista with Howie’s voucher scam money.
Vouchers are an insult because they would leave those who need help the most even further behind. And you know that.
Vouchers are an insult because they do nothing to fix the shameful “minimally adequate” standard our Legislature has allowed to fester.
Vouchers are an insult because they do nothing to address the poverty, latent racism and the host of related social ills that hold children back.
Vouchers are an insult to children and voters.
Fix the real problems facing public education.
Then we may discuss Howie’s voucher scam.
Until then, Howie’s voucher scam is dead in SC.
Tell Howie. It’s a fact.
BIN News Editorial Staff
Flair and Balanced
By Palmetto CPA February 14, 2009 at 9:48 pm
“We’re all trained in the education area. We’re not trained in how to develop materials and present those materials in a way that is understandable, and accurately portray what we’re trying to say to folks” -Thomas White, in defense of the $275,000 spent on PR last year.
I may only be a lowly accountant, but I thought developing materials and presenting them in a way that is understandable was one of the main principles of being an “educator”. Shows how much I know…
Besides that, I fail to see the need for a public school district to “market” itself in the first place. To whom are they marketing their services, and do their “customers” have any other choice? What a shameful waste of resources, especially in this economic climate.
By Dear Palmetto February 15, 2009 at 12:04 am
Palmetto,
First let me say, being from Union, I agree with EVERYTHING TERRIBLE ADMIN said. White almost ruined what little excuse for a school district we have left. I bet he left town under darkness, especially considering how upset he made the folks out in Jonesville and Lockhart.
But, to your comment, let me say that Thomas White could spend $275 million dollars and no one could teach him how to communicate what he wants to say, at least in a respectful way.
He should have saved that $275K on something that might could actually improve. As long as he is in charge, I doubt there will be any amount of PR money that can save his reputation as an administrator. I know that no amount of PR money could buy him back a good reputation down in Union.
By Former Student February 15, 2009 at 1:34 am
As a former student of Dr. White at the one time Palmettos Finest Boiling Springs High School, Dr. White preached integrity to the school. It makes one wonder what happened at BSHS . With a military background and a disciplinarian that he was, I am disappointed in his recent lack of judgement.
Follow up for FITS, why is Spartanburg D2 principle so interested in Steve Parker?
By Former Student February 15, 2009 at 1:35 am
I should have said superintendent, Scott Mercer.
By Silence the Noise February 15, 2009 at 2:06 am
BIN…
Why keep the kids deserving a real education stuck inside failing SC public schools?
Its their parent’s money…..they should be able to take the money with them when the kid leaves….I mean after all…..if the kid is no longer in the public school why then does the public school need the money for the vacancy?
oh thats right…..so they can pay for golf courses and catered meals.
like I said…..you’re an assclown just like all those who oppose common sense reform.
You jokes have run the education system in the ground….why the hell should we trust you to fix it?
this has nothing to do with your obsession howie rich or any other SC advocacy group…..YOU answer the questions above without mentioning will, howie, the policy council, scrg, or club for growth.
I will be interested in seeing your attempts at justifying without the same old lame bullshit you usually write.
By Earl Capps February 15, 2009 at 4:19 am
He could have hired a full-time communication professional for far less than what he paid that firm.
I guess it’s easy to throw money away when it’s someone else’s money in the first place.
By StupidShouldHurtMore (SSHM) February 15, 2009 at 11:10 am
Silence the Noise said:
“Its their parent’s money…..they should be able to take the money with them when the kid leaves….I mean after all…..if the kid is no longer in the public school why then does the public school need the money for the vacancy?”
It’s that self-serving, “screw you, I got mine” libertarian mentality that serves to undo communities around the country. You live in a COMMUNITY. ACT LIKE IT. Support your public schools. For many children, it is the ONLY opportunity they have to advance themselves. Even if your children are grown and no longer apart of the school system, the products of said school system have a tremendous impact on the community at large.
I find it amazing that everyone and their figurative brother can somehow armchair quarterback a situation for which they do not have a background in. Imagine if we took this loony approach to bridge building and decided to armchair quarterback that, hmmm?
Let those that are trained to address the issues address the issues. I don’t walk into your place of business and tell you how to do your job better. I’d expect you’d extend the same level of courtesy and respect to the educational establishment.
… stupid …
- SSHM
By Pres February 15, 2009 at 3:31 pm
Well, here in Lex/Rich District Five, the people have caught on to the fact that they were lied to about the November Bond Referendum. Yes, they were warned but bought into the smear campaign by the pro-referendum folks.
Now, good teachers are being shown the door while the district collects on the bond after lying about numbers and intentions.
By BIN News Editorial Staff February 15, 2009 at 4:28 pm
Dear “Silence” – the Voucher Clown,
Exactly which kids do you think are the “kids deserving a real education.”?
You betray yourself with the latent racism and the cultural and socioeconomic bigotry that’s so much of the problem. What about the other kids?
Why don’t they deserve a “real education”?
All children in SC deserve a “real” education! Yet our Legislature allows the shameful “minimally adequate” standard to fester.
At the same time, you and Howie’s other voucher clowns (like sic(k) willie, the Voice for Voucher Scams, South Carolinians for Voucher Scams, Putting Voucher Scams in Charge, S.C. Voucher Scam Council, etc.) are only concerned about the kids you and Howie think deserve a “real education.”
Your words betray you. You care nothing about the “other” kids.
You know; the kids not exactly like you.
They are the ones the voucher scam would leave further behind.
BIN News Editorial Staff
Flair and Balanced
By James the Foot Soldier February 15, 2009 at 7:30 pm
Pres gets the gold star for postings today.
Not only does lex-rich have a slush fund that it won’t be using to retain 100 teachers now it also has a 250 million dollar pot of money to be used for new facilities that all of a sudden are no longer needed.
Why didn’t the district hire the populuation growth guru BEFORE the referendum? It obviously knew the student numbers were trending in the opposite direction of its public yip yap yappping.
Soooo Stupid and BIN: there is a $250,000,000 exhibit A for why “education professionals” aren’t always the best at addressing the issues they were “trained” to address.
That said – siphoning money from the public school system to a private school is clearly not the answer either.
By BIN News Editorial Staff February 16, 2009 at 1:18 am
Pres sounds like a sore loser.
James the Foot Fungus is commended for agreeing that allowing vouchers to “siphon” money from public schools is just a voucher scam.
But stay on topic. Vouchers are a scam!
By StupidShouldHurtMore (SSHM) February 16, 2009 at 1:49 pm
@James,
You choose to point to the biggest boondoggle (Rich-Lex 5) and use it as an example, in hopes of making it the norm, rather than the exception it clearly is.
That quarter-of-a-billion dollar bond referendum for Rich-Lex 5 has been vetted over and over again here (FITS) and at other locations/news outlets. In the end, it was, in the eyes of many, determined to be a mess (bad numbers, bad superintendent, etc.).
With that said, I agree with you 100% – the answer lies somewhere in the middle. We must decide, as a state, if we want to provide more than a “minimally adequate” education to our citizens and at what cost are we willing to fund said endeavor. To me, it’s a no-brainer: Education is the single most powerful tool you can imbue an individual with. A “one-size fits all” approach won’t work.
Maybe a “educational convention,” similar to a “constitutional convention” is what should occur. Get everyone together and discuss what needs to happen (then actually take action).
- SSHM
By James the Foot Soldier February 16, 2009 at 2:55 pm
SSHM,
Trust me, we do provide more than a minimally adequate education to our citizens. Shall Exhibit B be how Lex-Rich$5 provides French instruction to Kindergartners? Perhaps that may be a resource better used elsewhere?
We’re pouring mega-bucks at every nook and cranny in this state and there remain pockets of utter failure. Those are societal failures that more educational resources won’t overcome. It’s impossible to legislate away stupidity and parents that don’t give a rat’s ass about their children – let alone know where the mother of their baby even lives.
By StupidShouldHurtMore (SSHM) February 16, 2009 at 3:50 pm
@James,
Not ALL citizens receive that minimally adequate education. Take a tour of lowcountry schools that lack the tax base to provide for their students. Now, compare that with Lex1, Lex5, Rich2, And5, Greenville, etc, and you will see the LARGE discrepancies in what constitutes “minimally adequate.”
Teaching kids French in Kindergarten? Honestly I’d prefer German, but thats just me. It’s actually the perfect time to introduce a foreign language into the life of a child – introduction well before certain walls go up in the mind.
You are correct – there are certain societal issues that must be overcome before we as a state – we as a whole – advance. I would also put forth that societal issues exist in every school district in the state … whether it’s the cool shoes to wear at Irmo HS or the fact one has shoes to wear (speaking towards the corridor of shame).
Some societal issues are just more trivial than others.
Note this: Teaching the value of education has to happen OUTSIDE of the school. Start with requiring individuals on government assistance to obtain their GED. Force them to set an example for the children they raise.
Correcting societal ills takes more than pontification of conservative ideals. It requires action.
- SSHM
By BIN News Editorial Staff February 16, 2009 at 7:29 pm
SSHM,
Post your email, and we’ll have our HR Director contact you for your resume.
Things are tight at BIN News with the economy and all. But, when things come around, we may be able to find a place for you on our staff.
Like we told sic(k) willie and Howie’s other Voucher Clowns: over and over.
Fix the real problems facing public education.
Then talk about Howie’s voucher scam.
BIN News Editorial Staff
Flair and Balanced
By BIN News Editorial Staff February 16, 2009 at 7:42 pm
SSHM,
Regarding language training for kids…
…in light of where things are in the world:
Maybe Arabic: “alekum es salaem.”
BIN News
Flair and Balanced
P.S. Watch sic(k) willie Google that!! :)
By Silence the Noise February 16, 2009 at 10:09 pm
BIN…..
Dude the public education system in SC sucks. You cannot say otherwise.
All kids deserve a great education….no doubt. The state should do a better job…..they have plenty of money to do it with.
The kids who’s parents want to take them out of the shit that is our public education system should be able to.
That has no bearing whatsoever on the quality of the education the “other” children would recieve…..in fact…..the “other” children would recieve a better education because there would be less in the way of school crowding and more in the way of a teacher/student ratio that benefits the student.
again…..you’re an assclown.
sshm…..you to are completely wrong.
your comment about coming where you work and telling you how to do your job better blah blah blah…..guess what dude…..your entire state and federal government is that way…..these assclowns (legislators) know nothing about education…..most of them dont have a decent one….probably went to SC public school…..but that notwithstanding….they are in charge of the failed system they came from and what do you know? IT IS STILL FAILING.
YOU HAD YOUR TRY…..30 years worth of shit…..nothing is working. Dont punish the kids who deserve better simply because you think its racist not too. Dont worry….blacks and whites alike will take part in the voucher program along with every racial and ethnic demographic.
you’ll see.
By BIN News Editorial Staff February 17, 2009 at 1:31 am
“Silence The Voucher Scam” lies through his fingertips when he types this horse f@rt: “…blacks and whites alike will take part” in the voucher scam.
Silence, that’s the biggest lie in your entire voucher scam. You know it.