Our thoughts are with those in tornado-damaged areas like Henryville.
And… JCPS has ditched “Diversity” Director Jamilah Fraser. How bout that?
Of course, Fraser says she decided not to take the job. And Hargens still says she was the right hire. But we all know how that works. Best Friday evening news dump scenario for them EVER.
UPDATE: – Dear C-J ed board… we know the weather mess will occupy you all weekend but you really should run a Sunday editorial about this JCPS mess. We don’t even care if you give us credit for uncovering it. But it’s time to start speaking out about bloated $160,000 admin salaries while students suffer neglect on the actual education front.
22 responses so far ↓
1 J. Bruce Miller // Mar 2, 2012 at 7:23 pm
Jake: Congratulations to you for your public service on this one. Without your investigation I’m quite sure this abomination would be adorning our lame JCPS Administration, cashing checks and bellyaching about everything EXCEPT educational attainment. If GLI was still around you could get the public service trophy this year.
2 G'town Reader // Mar 2, 2012 at 8:31 pm
Bwaahaha…
Well executed, Mr. Payne. Not only your expose’, but also your “comments.”
3 blowin' in the wind // Mar 2, 2012 at 9:34 pm
Thanks, Jake. Keep up the good work.
4 jake // Mar 2, 2012 at 9:42 pm
Hold up, folks!
I appreciate the kind words but this isn’t about me. It’s about trying to do the right thing and hoping/wishing JCPS will do the right thing.
But if folks truly want to thank me – help me figure out how to improve Eastern Kentucky’s non-existent system of communication. This evening proves that a disaster is amplified like woah in the mountains.
5 E Childs // Mar 2, 2012 at 10:25 pm
Very disappointed with Hargens’ defiant tone in the announcement about this. Hargens blamed a “media spotlight.”
Shouldn’t a $160,000 position that oversees communications and public relations be able to withstand a few questions from the media?
Bizarre.
6 jake // Mar 2, 2012 at 10:35 pm
The only thing that’s bizarre is that Donna Hargens hasn’t been fired yet.
What a disaster.
If I wasn’t up in arms over storm damage and the dead in my hometown, I’d be foaming at the mouth.
7 Rob Mattheu // Mar 3, 2012 at 12:10 am
I’m not sure what the board’s options are, or if they have the stomach for them, but after reading the CJ article about the interview timeline, I’m curious as to how they can have any confidence in her.
8 jake // Mar 3, 2012 at 12:12 am
If I’m not mistaken, I questioned Hargens’ hiring at the time and raised concerns about the consulting firm paid to find her.
What a disaster that turned out to be.
9 blowin' in the wind // Mar 3, 2012 at 7:25 am
To add to yesterday’s problems, Jake, why didn’t the school district dismiss early like others did instead of sending kids home in the middle of the storm here?
10 blowin' in the wind // Mar 3, 2012 at 8:22 am
Jake, I just found out that the kids were not in school yesterday–it was one of those professional development days they have. Wanted to let you know right away.
11 jake // Mar 3, 2012 at 8:28 am
Was aware.
Some folks brought their kids in to the office yesterday.
Catholic Schools did let students go early, though.
12 Bill // Mar 3, 2012 at 9:53 am
The first thing that must happen for things to change at JCPS, is to ensure that upcoming vacancies on the board are not filled by clones of the existing members.
Nothing will change until we change the board.
13 JTT // Mar 3, 2012 at 10:16 am
One of the problems with dismissing early is that after school care is just that, after school. Every family is different, but if, for example, a latch-key child goes home, they aren’t likely to be watching the warnings and taking appropriate action if they are alone (unless they’ve been well trained). Parents can’t necessarily leave work early to be with their children, either. And you risk them being on a bus (as did happen in Indiana) when it all hits. It’s just so tough to make the decision, I’ve already heard people in Louisville complain that “they got us all worked up for nothing” because THEY didn’t experience any damage.
14 Steve Magruder // Mar 3, 2012 at 11:18 am
I’m not defending Hargens, but this is just one matter. I don’t think termination is a proper response to one mistake. Sometimes you have to give people room to make some mistakes and learn from them. Surely, keep up the pressure on Hargens, but let’s not jump the gun.
15 Steve Magruder // Mar 3, 2012 at 11:19 am
As far as “changing the board” is concerned, we have elections. Vote. And if you don’t like the candidates for your district, find a better one, or run yourself.
16 jake // Mar 3, 2012 at 11:21 am
Jamilah Fraser is one matter. The others making more than a million that she hired AFTER being told to cut $100K+ salaries? Several other matters.
Louisville and JCPS sorely need a reality check.
17 J. Bruce Miller // Mar 3, 2012 at 12:41 pm
Jake: I agree with your position on this vs. Magruder’s. My father once advised me that you can best tell the character of a person when they act when they think that no one’s watching.
If my father was correct (which I happen to believe he was) then in the early stages of the Fraser matter Ms. Hargens was acting WITH ADMITTED FULL KNOWLEDGE OF FRASER’S INFIRMITIES and actually ‘changed’ the job description/requirements in order to permit her selection. In doing this she thought no one was watching (including the C.J.). She was right, except she didn’t take this blog into account.
That being the case — McGruder’s wrong. The Board is MANDATED to find out (i) why Hargens changed the job description to suit Hargens’ pre-conceived notions about Fraser and (ii) why was a MILLION DOLLARS in additional hires undertaken when the EXPENSIVE audits recommended that the administrative payroll load be reduced and improved.
18 jake // Mar 3, 2012 at 12:43 pm
What’s most telling, in my opinion, is that fifteen minutes before Toni Konz started asking questions and filing records requests, everything was puppies and rainbows.
Two hours later, after Konz had the documents, the deal was off.
They truly were operating as if no one was looking. They didn’t realize, from what most in the press can tell, that Kentucky has open records laws for a reason.
19 G'town Reader // Mar 3, 2012 at 1:20 pm
And now Open Records laws are under attack. Or definitions are being redefined.
20 G'town Reader // Mar 3, 2012 at 1:24 pm
P.S. @Jake, what’s your hometown area? My late maternal grandmother, a Payne, was from Rockcastle Co. area.
Hope your family is getting the necessary solace for such a devastating experience…
21 jake // Mar 3, 2012 at 1:26 pm
West Liberty. Have been covering it a bit on Page One.
22 J. Bruce Miller // Mar 3, 2012 at 2:39 pm
Jake: Your #18 response to my #17 comment reaffirms and underlines my feeling that the JCPS Board ABSOLUTELY HAS A PUBLIC RESPONSIBILITY to delve into this and get to the bottom of my two questions and the many others that exist as a result of this mis-adventure by Ms. Hargens.
The public is entitled to know and this simply cannot be shoved under the rug as some sort of an ‘initial’ mistake or inconsequential ‘fubar’ by this Superintendent. Why? It was a know, deliberate and intentional effort to ‘play a 3-card monte game’ with the public (and quite probably the Board itself).
This kind of crap that has gone on at JCPS for a decade has to stop, because the public school education of our kids in this town is far more important than is Ms. Hargens or Ms. Fraser or anyone involved with this boondoggle.
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