The Cairo Board of Education held its rescheduled regular meeting on Thursday, February 24, 2011 at 6 p.m. Below is an annotated agenda to serve as "minutes"...

I. Call to Order - 6:00 p.m.

II. Roll Call - Coleman, Harris, Gooden, and Burris answered roll. (Brown and McBride arrived at 6:03 p.m. Stubblefield arrived at 8:04 p.m. but left before the end of the meeting.)

III. Examples of Excellence - Tonight, it was CJSHS's time to shine...

First up...Two 7th-Grade students, accompanied by teachers Charlotte Lovelace and Ron Woods and teacher aide Tonya Johnson. Combined, they gave an enthusiastic presentation of a new program called Read 180. The program involves a double period in which students read books tailored to their reading level and work on vocabulary/test on vocabulary. Both students and adults raved about the improvements being made through the use of the program.

IV. Recognition of Guests/Comments From Public And Employees - In what could have easily been "Part Two" under "Examples of Excellence", two members of the CJSHS Leadership Team - Nancy Tammen and Mike Moore (joined by Ron Woods) rose to be recognized...to brag about the improvement in discipline at CJSHS over the past two years, an improvement verified by a collection and analysis of behavioral data. (A handout - "Positive Directions" - was presented to the BOE and Madam CAT President secured a copy which will be posted at the bottom of these minutes...below the Treasurer's Report) The teachers were unanimous in giving credit for the improvement in discipline to the CJSHS administrative team of Principal Mark McClintock and Instructional Coach Zena Madison.

V. Approval of Previous Minutes - A motion was made, seconded, and passed.

1. Public Hearing Minutes of January 20, 2011
2. Regular Minutes of January 20, 2011
3. Closed Minutes of January 20, 2011
4. Special Minutes of January 24, 2011
5. Closed Minutes of January 24, 2011
6. Special Minutes of February 3, 2011
7. Closed Minutes of February 3, 2011
8. Special Minutes of February 8, 2011
9. Closed Minutes of February 8, 2011

VI. Approval of Agendas - A motion was made, seconded, and passed (with no changes.)

1. Regular Meeting
2. Closed Meeting

VII. Approval of Treasurer's Report - Superintendent Swopes read the highlights - A motion was made, seconded, and passed.

VIII. Approval of Payment of Bills/Payroll - There were no questions - A motion was made, seconded, and passed.

IX. Informational

1. SIP Required Form - Linda Davis (RESPRO Coach) - Linda Davis was there to collect the signatures of the BOE President, the Superintendent, and the CJSHS Principal on a "SIP Required Form". However, having heard the previous presentation by the CJSHS Leadership Team, she chose to add her praise as a frequent visitor to CJSHS, along with that of a colleague...who had remarked how quiet and colorful the building was...how the person wanted to be there! Linda Davis then collected her signatures and left the meeting.

2. Thank You Card - Ruth Mayfield and Family

3. Thank You Card - Diann Thomas and Family

4. Tentative change of Date - April Board Meeting - Re: Easter - Superintendent Swopes indicated that he had previously considered recommending that the BOE change the meeting date from April 21st...because it was the Thursday before Good Friday. However, he informed them that he had had second thoughts and that April 21st was fine with him. (I could be catty and remark that he probably had wanted to make an early get-a-way for Chicago...not stay for a late-night meeting, which might require him to spend a night in Cairo. But, I'm giving up "catty comments" for Lent...)

5. Joint Meeting/Board of Education & Financial Oversight Panel - Tentative Dates (2/28/11 or 3/1/11) - The FOP meeting that was rescheduled from last week to tomorrow has been rescheduled again. The FOP will NOT meet on Friday, February 25th, at 10:30 a.m. Instead, the FOP will meet on Monday, February 28th, at 4 p.m. That meeting will be followed by a Joint BOE/FOP Meeting at 6 p.m. Superintendent Swopes distributed a handout - FYI - of possible topics of discussion. Superintendent Swopes called the coming year..."interesting"...what with the financial goals of the District and the contracts to be negotiated with the various unions. He also used the phrase "tough row to how" to describe the coming years and the decision to be made.

6. "Initial presentation of (attached) JAMP Special Education policy revisions:

   2:220 Governing Board, 2:230 Governing Board-Public Participation, 2:260 Governing Board-Uniform Grievance Procedures, 4:170 Operational Services- Safety, 5:10 General Personnel-Equal Opportunity, 5:20 Workplace Harassment, 5:30 Hiring Process, 5:90 General Personnel-Abused and Neglected Children Reporting, 5:120 General Personnel-Ethics, 5:220 Professional Personnel-Substitute Teachers, 5:240 Professional Personnel-Suspension, 5:260, 7:20 Harassment of Students Prohibited, 7:310 Students-Restrictions on Publications, and 8:30 Community Relations."

   Superintendent Swopes indicated that the JAMP Board (Mary Coleman in Cairo's Representative) was in the process of changing some policies...for the BOE members to review them...and direct any questions to either him or Mrs. Coleman.

7. Request for College Tour for CHS Students - Ironic in light of the topic to follow. BOE Member is the "contact person" (in addition to Superintendent Swopes) for this activity. (I didn't catch where; the time was mid-April.) Mr. Harris reported that all expenses would be covered by another organization...except transportation. The question was...a yellow school bus or a chartered bus. The cost of the chartered bus was placed at $3,200. Without further discussion or hesitation, the BOE indicated that the District owed Cairo students the opportunity to visit colleges and that the District should charter a bus for the excursion.

8. Then the other shoe dropped...the annual Beta Club Convention...an on-going dispute among the BOE members. Even though the Beta Club is the most active club at Cairo High School...even though they are in The Cairo Citizen almost every week...for cleaning the park, for cleaning the Riverfront, for visiting the "old folks" at Daystar, for conducting Safe Driving forums and exercises, etc...the Cairo BOE has "struggled" with the financing of the club. Their annual convention costs - ironically and coincidentally - $3,200...the price of the aforementioned charter bus.

   And then the lies began...

   Superintendent Swopes speaks with forked tongue.

   He "informed the BOE" that the Beta Club had raised a total of $190 toward the $3,200 trip. (Now one could be catty and say that THAT is $190 more than the students will raise for the charter bus to "college day", but I don't need to be catty.) Because it's a damned lie! The $190 figure is the "average" that EACH Beta Club student has raised toward the trip. In fact, the Beta Club has raised almost $1,000 toward the $3,200...not counting all the "good deeds" that the Beta Club performs. (We all know how challenging fund raising is in Cairo. To deny these students - Cairo High School's most academically successful students - an opportunity to attend their annual convention would be a travesty.

   But, Superintendent Swopes wasn't done lying...

   In making his presentation, Superintendent Swopes was extremely negative. Superintendent Swopes indicated that he had asked for information concerning the trip, but had received no response. (I know personally that this is a lie, because I have seen the letters/responses with my own eyes.) After reporting his unsuccessful attempts to get responses from the sponsor, Superintendent Swopes concluded his remarks by stating that "I got no cooperation."

   Madam CAT President could bite her tongue no longer and raised her hand to speak. Her main point...if there was going to be a discussion on this issue, it was "unfair" not to invite the sponsor to the meeting so that he could answer the BOE's questions...defend himself against the accusations being made against him. Well...THAT got her butt jumped by a BOE Member, who felt that the term "unfair" was, well, unfair. There was some heated back and forth, and Madam President finally tried to defuse the situation by simply stating that the sponsor had done everything he was asked to do and for Superintendent Swopes to say that he did not cooperate was just plain wrong.

   And, that's when the Superintendent unleashed his forked tongue once again...in front of God and many, many witnesses. (Too bad the BOE quit audio taping open session. I'd love to roll THAT tape! Of course, given warning and time, the Central Office has been knows to lose a tape or two...shades of Tricky Dicky!) Anyway...Superintendent Swopes said "I did NOT say that the sponsor was uncooperative!" Damn...where's a lightning bolt when you need one?! (THAT was the talk of the audience as we left the BOE room for closed session...everyone remarking and agreeing that the Superintendent DID say that the sponsor was uncooperative...and that he flat out lied less than 5 minutes later.) The silver lining to tonight's meeting...there were "visitors"...people other than the "usual suspects" of me, Madam CAT President, Justin Miller, the Principals, and one of the "Three Wise Men" (the FOP Financial Advisers.) It's nice to have additional witnesses to the evil deeds that are done by the CSD #1 administration.

   The Superintendent finally told the BOE that they should not be arguing the situation with Mrs. O'Shea.

   Superintendent Swopes again told the BOE that the cost to them for the Beta Club Convention would be $3,000 something minus the $190 raised by the Beta Club members...a flat out lie!

   No decision was made on the Beta Club Convention...which is the middle of next month...BEFORE the next Regular BOE Meeting.

   BTW: The Superintendent and the BOE keep saying they want to see a "breakdown" on the trip. I know for a fact that the sponsor sent a COMPLETE BREAKDOWN of the trip to the Central Office...back in December!!! Again...I saw it with my own eyes...talked to Central Office personnel who agree that they received it. Hell...it had who was sleeping in each room!!! What more "breakdown" do you need???

   These are the kinds of things that teachers have gone through for years in CSD #1. When they finally throw up their hands and quit...and nobody else wants to step forward and do the work because they know the kind of treatment the previous sponsor got...then we hear the Superintendent and the School Board members bad-mouth the teachers..."They don't care about the kids!" Well, pardon my French..."Bull Sh*t!"

   Look at this week's Cairo Citizen...or last week's...or the week before. Superintendent Swopes is NOT sponsoring these kids. Superintendent Swopes is NOT giving up his free time to work with the kids. NO... Superintendent Swopes is too busy endangering passers-by with golf balls. Superintendent Swopes is too busy trying to arrange fast get-a-ways to his Chicago home. Superintendent Swopes should be ashamed...

9. Checks Deposited - District Account

   $185,188.09 - State Aid - Dec. - 1st Payment
   351,098.73 - Real Estate Taxes - Alexander County
   13,381.78 - Federal Lunch
   7,156.22 - School Breakfast Program
   12,540.00 - Title II Teacher Quality
   185,188.09 - State Aid - Dec. - 2nd Payment
   74,350.00 - Title I Low Income
   13,172.25 - TAMES
   927.10 - Fresh Fruits & Veggie Grant
   8,493.00 - Title II Teacher Quality
   8.59 - Forest Reserve
   3,023.96 - Alexander County Mobile Home Taxes
   2,618.75 - Lease - CCEC - Shawnee College
   100.00 - First Student Transit - Rent

X. Closed Session - The BOE voted to enter closed session at 7:00 p.m. The BOE voted to exit closed session at 8:28 p.m.

XI. Requiring Action/Decisions By Board of Education

1. Personnel employment, resignation, release, discipline, or compensation
   a. Recall Lorraine Johnson - Teacher Aide - Cairo Elementary School - Retroactive to Feb. 7, 2011 - Motion made, seconded, and passed.

   b. Accept Decline of Recall - Jean Woodring - Motion made, seconded, and passed.

   c. Recall Bessie Lambert - Personal Aide - Meridian Life Skills Class - Motion made, seconded, and passed.

   d. Employ Vonda Williams - High School Girls Softball Coach - Motion made, seconded, and passed.

2. Accept Resignation of Jim Drew Due to Retirement - Effective End of This School Year - Motion made, seconded, and passed.

3. Accept Resignation of Diane Simington Due to Retirement Effective - End of This School Year - Motion made, seconded, and passed.

4. Accept Resignation of Richard McBride as Head Boys Basketball Coach and Assistant Track Coach - Motion made, seconded, and passed.

5. Accept Gift From Cairo Gathering Group - For Cairo Jr. High Girl's Athletic Dept. - $769.67 - Motion made, seconded, and passed.

I have been accused of editorializing to heighten emotion...

...it is a charge which I have never denied.

But...I don't tell a lie. I report the facts...and give my honest opinion.

This time, I'm not even going to venture an opinion.

However, I did "play" with the facts...rearranged the facts...building to the climax of the meeting.

When the BOE came out of closed session and the Superintendent made his recommendations, he reversed the order of the above items. Item "1a" was actually done 9th. Item "1b" was done 8th. Etc. Item "#5" was done 2nd. Counting the items under "XI", you get a total of eight (8).

So, you might ask...

...if there were only 8 items, how was "Recall Lorraine Johnson" Item #9?

Well...

...I'm glad you asked!

Hence...my rearrangement of facts/items...my building of suspense...my toying with your emotions.

When Superintendent Swopes was given the cue to make his recommendations, he began with an item NOT on the agenda. Namely:

"I recommend that the BOE accept the resignation letter of the Superintendent for the purposes of retirement effective June 30, 2011."

And, Folks...

THAT ain't no lie!

XII. Other - None.

XIII. Old Business - None.

XIV. Adjourn - A motion made, seconded, and passed to adjourn at 8:34 p.m.

CLOSED SESSION IS FOR THE PURPOSE OF CONSIDERING INFORMATION RELATIVE TO THE APPOINTMENT, EMPLOYMENT, PERFORMANCE OR DISMISSAL OF INDIVIDUAL EMPLOYEES WHICH MAY BE OF A TEMPORARY CONFIDENTIAL NATURE, STUDENT DISCIPLINE, PLACEMENT OF SPECIAL EDUCATION STUDENTS, DISCUSSION OF LITIGATION PROBABLE, IMMINENT, FILED OR PENDING AND COLLECTIVE BARGAINING OR RELATED ISSUES.

An Enlargement of a Couple of Frames From Above for Readability: