CAT Tracks for June 24, 2011
SPECIAL BOE MEETING...MINUTES

The Cairo Board of Education held a Special Meeting on Friday, June 24, 2011, at 5:30 p.m. Below are abbreviated minutes...

...'cause I ain't wastin' my time dignifying their actions.

In an earlier post today, I mention that "when it comes to Cairo School District Number One, there is never rhyme nor reason..."

'Twas confirmed - UNANIMOUSLY - tonight.


Backing up a bit...

Tonight's meeting went approximately four hours, half of which was spent interviewing the three applicants for Interim Superintendent. In order of interviews, the applicants were Leotis Swopes, Constance Williams, and Ronald James.

When they opened the doors for the public session, the BOE rushed to judgment before the "audience" could even get to their seats. I heard the motion as I was walking in the door. Madam President missed the motion, coming into the room as the vote was being taken. Madam President, never the shy one, asked at the conclusion of the vote what the motion was.

Hey, if I were a member of the Cairo Board of Education, I'd want to vote before the witnesses showed up too...


Earlier today I paraphrased a couple of politicians.

Tonight's vote brought another quote to mind...Jesse Jackson's 1988 Democratic Convention Speech: "Keep Hope Alive!

Competing with the quote, however, was a rising crescendo of music...which I finally identified as the song "American Pie" by Don McLean, in which he sang about February 3, 1959...the day a small-plane crash near Clear Lake, Iowa, killed three American rock and roll pioneers: Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J. P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson, as well as the pilot, Roger Peterson..."The Day the Music Died."

So as confusion reigned among the BOE members (probably reflecting their complete and full knowledge of the dastardly deed which they had wrought), the message that filled the room was: June 24, 2011..."The Night That Hope Did Die".

Yep...after deciding a few months ago that Leotis Swopes had failed his evaluation as Superintendent of Cairo School District Number One, after accepting Leotis Swopes' resignation for the purposes of retirement, after presenting Leotis Swopes with an illegitimate "bell" at the District retirement ceremony ("bells" go to employees who have devoted 20 years of service to the District), after all that...

The BOE members present (Arnold Burris, Mary Coleman, Gabriel Harris, Artie McBride, and Rodney Moore) voted U-N-A-N-I-M-O-U-S-L-Y to hire Leotis Swopes as Interim Superintendent...

...no rhyme nor reason.


I mentioned confusion...

After UNANIMOUSLY voting to hire Leotis Swopes as Interim Superintendent, President of the BOE Artie McBride called for a motion on another hiring: "We need a motion to approve as Principal of Cairo Junior/Senior High School Superintendent Leotis Swopes..."

WHOA!!!...was the response as more than one BOE member interrupted President McBride. After some strenuous whispering by those members trying to point out the error of her ways...that she should NOT be recommending Superintendent Swopes for the CJSHS Principal's job, President McBride indignantly continued her recommendation:

Oops...Nevermind!

Sheepishly, the vote was again unanimous.

A motion was made, seconded, and passed to adjourn at 9:27 p.m.

Don't know what these folks have up their sleeves for Monday night's 30-minute encore. How can they possibly top hiring back their failed Superintendent as Interim Superintendent?

A word of advice...

Don't bet against them!

POSTSCRIPT:

None of the negativity expressed above should be taken as referring to the hiring of Zena Madison as Principal of Cairo Jr/Sr High School. Congratulations to Zena.

The negativity is solely directed at the Cairo Board of Education for hiring Leotis Swopes as a "mentor" to Justin Miller...a mentor who was a failure in his own right. How crazy is that?

I am not a golfer...

I have witnessed Leotis Swopes golf on school time (not exactly a proper example to set.) I have heard the rumors of errant golf balls striking passing vehicles. However, the ONLY thing that Cairo Superintendent Leotis Swopes could possibly teach Justin would be how to swing a golf club.

Let's hope and pray...

...oops, sorry, hope died tonight...

...let us PRAY that Superintendent Swopes' "people skills" are not contagious. Let us pray that Superintendent Swopes' penchant for violating existing contracts and causing the District to be charged with Unfair Labor Practices for repeated violations is not contagious. Let us pray...period! The last refuge of the hopeless is prayer...


Word of advice to the mentor...

...have Tracy remove the "No Golfing Allowed on School Property" sign before the opening of the 2011-2012 School Year!