Less Than 40% Of Henrico’s Schools Will Make Annual Yearly Progress This Year!

Today, the Times-Dispatch reported that, “Henrico County projects that 30 of its 69 schools would make Adequate Yearly Progress by the fall, down from 46 in the current year.”

There is no doubt that a majority of the 39 schools that are not going to make academic progress as required by No Child Left Behind, are on the East End of Town.

It should also be noted that, based on the Times-Dispatch report, Henrico’s projections are down 19 schools.  UGOTNERVE has said that, under the leadership of Mediocre Morton and his incompetent cronies for the past five years, the district has experienced a downward spiral academically, socially, culturally, and in every other way.

We were the first to report this and warn against the increased failure of Henrico’s students due to unqualified leaders that seem to be both, Mediocre Morton’s and the school board’s, preference.

The question that EVERY parent and student should be asking is why the downward trend was never stopped by school leaders?

KEEP UP THE NERVE!

Was An Alternative School In Henrico Forced To Hire A School Attorney’s Spouse?

Confidential sources affiliated with an alternative school within Henrico County Public Schools shared that attempts were made by central office officials and the superintendent to employ the spouse of a local Richmond attorney that has been retained by the district.  If the allegations are true, this would not be the first time that the employment law has been disregarded, compromised, or even blatantly violated. 

Allegations of corruption regarding the selection, hiring, and promotion of under the present superintendent and Director of Human Resources have been long-standing for the past five years.  In fact, Superintendent Morton faced similar questionings regarding the ethics of his hiring and promotion practices while serving as superintendent for Montgomery County Public Schools.  Based on school board minutes, allegations of bias and lack of objectivity during the hiring process were issues of great concern for the board, so much so that the board demanded that Morton provide an evaluation of his employment practices.

It should be noted that the same attorney whose spouse was reportedly strongly encouraged to be hired despite the fact that they were not the best candidate for the position, was also the same attorney that worked with Morton in Montgomery County.

Hmmmm….corruption begets corruption.  It seems that even during his last days with the district, Mediocre Morton is trying to give his adult cronies the hook-up.  It also appears as though, as is his habit, he cares nothing about the competence or qualifications; only “cronification.”

Well, Henrico school employees are sick and tired of being sick and tired of being bullied into doing the wrong things for children, so they are speaking out.

Good for you!

KEEP UP THE NERVE!

Richmond Schools Moving From Competence To Excellence, When Will Henrico Get To Competence?

That is the question that Henrico County residents are asking regarding Henrico County Pubic Schools.  It is clear that under the present leadership of the current school board members and superintendent, the district has not only fell from excellence, but it has fell from competency as well.

Richmond City’s superintendent, school officials, students, parents, and its mayor have partnered to get out in the community in order to promote their commitment to community partnership.  They are going door to door, meeting families that they serve where they are at.  And no, it is not an election year!

Good for you Richmond City!  Henrico needs to follow Richmond’s lead, then maybe, just maybe, both, competence and excellence will be restored.

See: www.nbc12.com 

Richmond Public Schools kick off enrollment campaign

Posted: April 26, 2009 11:10 AM

Updated: April 26, 2009 11:10 AM

Virginia Headlines  more>>  Liberty fires assistant prof accused of sex crime Leesburg farmhouse on sale with a catch Activists protest against IMF, World Bank Gunman shoots 2, self in Hampton University dorm News Minute: Here is the latest Virginia news from The Associated Press 2 historical markers unveiled in Richmond area D.C., Md. hospitals say nursing shortage no more School construction money approved in Fairfax Co. Activists plan protest against IMF, World Bank Bill Clinton making campaign appearance for Va. Democrat Terry McAuliffe

By Laura Geller - bio | email

RICHMOND, VA (NBC12) – Richmond Public Schools want to be your choice for educating your children.

Officials went door-to-door in the first district to kick off their Choice Campaign an informational effort to persuade residents that public school is the best option.

The campaign stems from this statistic: there are 35,000 school age kids living in Richmond only 24,000 of them actually go to Richmond Public Schools.

They are an army of messengers from public figures, to average citizens and public school students all wanting you to know they’re the best.

Any public official can tell you the battle they are fighting is against perception.

“I think there are perceptions about what goes on in Richmond Public Schools,” said Richmond Mayor Dwight Jones. “But you know we can either be a part of the problem or a part of the solution.

“Of course we have our urban challenges but we also have a majority of great kids who do great things everyday and an outstanding set of teachers who do great things everyday to provide educational opportunities,” said School Superintendent Dr. Yvonne Brandon.

The first district isn’t the first stop on the campaign because of numeric order, school officials say this area has a higher population of kids who don’t actually attend Richmond Public Schools.

Richmond enlisted the help of students who actually attend public schools.

These kids went door to door with information.

Elise Sale knows firsthand there are many options for education.

She attended private school through eighth grade and put a lot of thought into the decision to switch to Thomas Jefferson High.

“The teachers are great here, obviously no tuition, the students were really interesting, when I came to shadow here they were having discussions on literature and it was this wonderful place,” said Sale.

School officials, however, recognize there is work to be done on the long road ahead.

They just want that journey to include some of the 11,000 kids who aren’t currently enrolled.

“We want everyone to know that we’re on focus, we’re on point and we are moving from competence to excellence,” said Brandon.

The choice campaign will canvass the entire city.

The fourth district is the next stop in August.

Parents Speak Out About DIRE Conditions In Henrico’s East End Schools

Superintendent Morton has denied it……

School board member, John Montgomery has denied it……

School board member, Lamont Bagby has denied it…..

District Publicist, Mychael Dickerson has denied it….

Assistant Superintendent Patrick Kinlaw has denied it….

Director of Human Resources, Philip Jepson has denied it……

Director of Middle Schools, Marilyn Royal has denied it….

They have all repeatedly and consistently denied that there are dire conditions and horrific disparities between East and West End schools, but the parents that spoke out during a Varina town hall meeting refuse to allow them to deny blindly any longer.

In Henrico, denial is no longer an acceptable option…so choose another song to sing!  We know, school leaders are not used to the “natives” getting so restless and staying restless.

KEEP UP THE NERVE!

***********************************

Retrieved from:  www.henricocitizen.com

Emotions Run High at Varina Town Meeting
By Tom Lappas, Henrico Citizen Editor 02.APR.09
Frustration filled the voices and faces of many Eastern Henrico residents Monday night at a Varina District Town Hall meeting in Highland Springs. Several of the 100 residents who attended expressed anger at what they consider the latest evidence of widening inequality between Eastern Henrico and the West End – that budgetary constraints are likely to delay the construction of a new Sandston high school (currently scheduled to open in 2012) and the renovation of Varina High School.

News that the county’s proposed budget includes no money for new capital improvement program (CIP) construction projects, including the two Eastern Henrico schools, has re-opened a recurring wound in the district. Eastern Henrico residents have come to expect that projects in their community will be placed on the county’s backburner, Sandston resident Lisa Creeden told Varina Supervisor Jim Donati at the meeting. But now, she said, residents are tired of waiting.

“We’re upset and frustrated. . . because the calendar just keeps flipping over and it just never gets done,” Creeden said.

Donati and School Board Chairman John Montgomery co-hosted the meeting, which was designed in part to inform residents about the county’s current budget situation. Donati was quick to point out that a number of projects, including the construction of Elko Middle School, the renovation of the Henrico Theatre and Highland Springs High School and the new Osborne Park, have taken place recently in the district. 

And, he said, the anticipated delay in funding for new construction projects in the county will affect 16 projects countywide – not just those in Eastern Henrico. The Varina District stands to receive the most benefit from the 2005 bond referendum – about $100 million worth of projects in total, he said.

But a large chunk of that funding that hasn’t yet been appropriated is expected to be delayed when supervisors adopt a budget later this month, and that didn’t sit well with some residents at this week’s meeting. Several pressed Donati for assurance that he would voice their concerns to other supervisors and lobby at a minimum for planning money in the new budget that would allow the new high school to remain on target for a 2012 opening. Donati said that while he also wants the school built quickly, he must consider the needs and best interests of the entire county, too.

“I would love to see this new high school open in 2012,” he said, “but I have a tough row to hoe.”

Montgomery encouraged attendees to speak at the Board of Supervisors’ April 14 public hearing on the proposed budget, which is scheduled for 6 p.m. at the Western Government Center.

“It’s important for us to make our voices heard,” Montgomery said.

Several voices made themselves heard at Monday’s meeting.

“Our schools are overcrowded and they’re in crisis,” one man said, offering to pay a higher real estate tax rate if that would mean that new schools could be built sooner.

“We move into this district, and then we realize what the dire condition of the schools is here,” said a woman.
Loud applause followed the comments of Guy Jones, a fifth-generation Varina resident who said that he and others were tired of feeling like “the red-headed stepchild of Henrico County.”

Montgomery said that it would make sense for supervisors to allocate at least $3.5 million for the planning of the new high school so that the project could advance and become “shovel-ready,” meaning that it would be ready for construction as soon as money becomes available. 

Supervisors, however, have been leary of leap-frogging incomplete bond referendum projects to fund newer projects. 

But Montgomery said that with supervisors’ blessing, the School Board has done just that three times already, setting aside funding for the planning of a new career and technical education center at Glen Allen High School and for two field houses at Deep Run and Tucker high schools even though no construction money exists for the projects

If This Mother Is Charged By Henrico For “Child Endangerment” Why Does Attorney Kizer Refuse To Do The Same To Henrico’s School Leaders?

Read for yourself.  The common points between this mother’s negligent actions and those of Henrico School leaders are uncanny!

*******************

By BILL MCKELWAY

Times-Dispatch

Published: April 23, 2009

A Richmond woman angrily confronted police, used racial slurs, made cop-doughnut jokes and needed to be pushed to the ground and handcuffed when she was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving last year, police officers testified yesterday.

But the conduct and condition of Sharon Breeden Wood, 37, also created a “probability of death or injury” to her two young children, a Henrico County judge ruled yesterday.

. . .

In a four-hour hearing that included portions of an hour-long video of Wood arguing and badgering police at police headquarters after her arrest, Circuit Judge Catherine C. Hammond said she will sentence Wood, of the 300 block of Clovelly Road, in July on child-endangerment charges that could bring a maximum of 10 years in prison.

Wood also was convicted yesterday of driving under the influence.

Hammond allowed Wood to remain free on bond pending sentencing but ordered her to surrender her driver’s license.

She also described the Windsor Farms resident’s conduct as immature and lacking judgment in the hours after a shopper found her slumped over the wheel of her Mercedes with her 2-year-old daughter and 5-year-old son strapped in car seats in the back.

“We’re just pretending,” witness Corinne Wilkinson quoted Wood as saying when she and a friend tapped on Wood’s window about 1 p.m. Sept. 23 to ask about her condition.

. . .

After shopping for 30 minutes inside a Target store at Libbie Place shopping center in the 5500 block of West Broad Street, Wilkinson said she returned to her car and found Wood still dozing and groggy and chewing on a rag “that looked like a baby’s blanket.”

When Wood drove off at a slow rate of speed, stopping elsewhere in the parking lot and scraping her car’s driver’s side wheels against a curbside, Wilkinson called police.

Wood berated officers, flubbed field sobriety tests, refused to enter a police vehicle, said she needed to leave to pick up another child at St. Christopher’s School, took five minutes to produce a license, broke free of handcuffs and had to be forced to the ground, officers testified yesterday.

A sample of blood taken about three hours after she was first being taken into custody indicated that her blood alcohol level at the time of her arrest was about three times the legal limit, a toxicologist testified.

. . .

Bart Chucker, Wood’s lawyer, presented no witnesses, but argued that while Wood clearly was legally intoxicated, her driving was not impaired, that she had not done anything that overtly endangered her children, and that Virginia law does not regard driving under the influence to necessarily carry a presumption of recklessness or endangerment.

But Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Amy C. Turner said the events of the day taken together showed a woman who willfully drove while intoxicated, ingested a sleeping pill, and signaled to officers that she intended to travel the roads to pick up the third child.

“Risk is inherent in the situation,” Turner argued. Chucker countered: “What we have here is just the impairment. That’s not enough” for child endangerment.

Hammond called the charges serious and pointedly referred to the clear concern and actions taken by the bystander witness and ignored by the defendant.

Is Superintendent Fred Morton A Narcist?

One of his own team members has referred to Superintendent Morton as a “narcist.”  

What is a narcist?  It is defined by one that is “inordinately fascination with one’s self, excessive self-love, vanity; that is derived from deep seeded insecurities that are derived from birth.  (dictionary.com)

Narcissism is considered to be a form of mental disability.  While a retired educator, now teacher coach, did confess that Morton was a special education student that failed the seventh grade, it is not probable that his narcissism, as described by his own staff, would have been visible then.

Famous narcists include Adolph Hitler, Donald Trump, OJ Simpson, Osama Bin Laden, Saddam Hussein, Martha Stewart, and many more.

While the typical narcist has reasonable intelligence, because of their deep seeded internal insecurities, they bully others into following them whether they are wrong or right.   They will even go as far as becoming abusive toward those that do not agree with them or openly oppose them because they are not secure enough to deal with confrontations or challenges to their own authority or way of thinking.  

Sounds just like Morton to us!

So, why is someone like him hand-picked to be over the lives and futures of children?  Not only that, why was he given another year to be a narcist?  The reason is simple……he was appointed and is supported by follow narcists.

 

KEEP UP THE NERVE!

John Rolfe Grandmother To Partner With ACLU Regarding School Police Pepper Spraying Incident

 

Nearly a year ago, the first pepper spraying of a Henrico County Public School student took place on February 13, 2008,

The student was a middle schooler.  The student was a special needs student.  The student was male.  The student was black.

Henrico County Public School officials have lied, falsified testimony, falsified documents, and even attempted to silence those that witnessed the incident in order to avoid being held accountable.  Key Henrico employees have also confirmed that administrators, Andy Armstrong and Paul Jordan will less than truthful with Office of Civil Rights investigators, changing their stories several times.  Both are still gainfully employed with the district to this day in spite of their actions that lead to the first pepper spraying of a student in Henrico’s history based on Office of Civil Rights reports.

Well, the ACLU has taken a special interest in this case due to the fact that it considers the policeman, Officer Wharton’s, actions unwarranted in this case.  Officer Wharton, who is a white male, as are Armstrong and Jordan, also continues to be employed with the district.  His fellow police officers have confirmed that he has a questionable history with the police department, which lead to his reassignment to the school setting.  To make matter worse, Wharton was reassigned to follow the student that he pepper sprayed from middle school to high school, which is one of the main points that will be addressed by the ACLU and other civil rights organizations that are taking an interest in this case of extreme racial injustice, police brutality, and school system corruption.

Superintendent Fred Morton and the school board members, John Montgomery, Lamont Bagby, Lisa Marshall, Diane Winston, and Linda McBride not only participated in the cover-up, but to date, have taken no action to protect other students and families from abusive officers like Wharton and corrupt administrators like Armstrong and Jordan, who have a long history of everything from cheating on tests to falsifying personnel documents.  

It looks as though the months of letter writing, speaking out, and standing up by this grandmother have finally paid off.  Keep in mind that this is the same grandmother that spoke out on behalf of her grandson but was completely ignored by the superintendent and school board.  This is also the same grandmother that John Montgomery ran away from, like a coward, when he was confronted about his endorsement of Armstrong as principal.  This is the same grandmother that has collected more than enough signatures to remove Montgomery, however, she insists on having he, the superintendent, and the other school board members charged with criminal and civil actions instead for their vicious actions against her grandson.  She is quoted as saying, “I want all of them to suffer like they made my grandson suffer.  They treated him worse than a dog.  Then when they realized that they had made a mistake, they tried to cover it up and lie saying that my grandson attacked the police officer.  The Office of Civil Rights asked how my grandson could attack him when his back was to him.  Then they could not lie anymore.  I have everything that they told me on tape for a jury to hear.  I am glad that the ACLU contacted me to send them a message so that they will finally be held accountable for their lies.  No child should be forced to go through this.  My grandson has had to receive counseling and had nightmares for months after it happened.  I would not allow him back in school with that police officer or those principals.  They even lied on his IEP to try to cover up, but Ms. Lucas helped me to make them correct that and admit that they made it up.  They are very corrupt and evil people.  Very corrupt and evil people that will hurt a child and lie about it.  But now, we will finally get our day in court. I knew this day would come.  I prayed for it.”

See the article below for what is in store for Henrico school leaders within the upcoming months:

 

 

 

By Tiffany Satchell
Staff Writer
Many public and alternative schools across the country have partnered with local police departments placing officers in schools for safety reasons, but does police presence exemplify danger of leading students on a school-to-prison pipeline trend?
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) discussed this matter in a teleconference last week. The organization announced that it had filed a federal civil rights lawsuit charging Southaven, Mississippi police and the DeSoto County school officials for assaulting and racially discriminating against school children of color.
Nsombi Lambright, executive director of Mississippi’s ACLU, believes the case is an example of a major problem seen throughout the U.S.: the school-to-prison pipeline, “where police are allowed to handle disciplinary issues such as fights resulting in the arrest of students for assault, disorderly conduct or resisting arrest. MM
Lambright believes school officials, not police, should handle such incidences.
The goal of the Mississippi ACLU, Lambright says, is to change the way police are used in schools.
“Police should not be allowed to discipline students who have not broken the law. That’s not their job.
“This case demonstrates they are not trained to handle disciplinary issues at school,” said Lambright.
According to the ACLU, the case sparked from an incident that occurred on August 12th of last year.
The ACLU states, as students of DeSoto County Alternative Center headed home by bus, a surveillance video allegedly showed police arresting and assaulting six Black students who ranged from ages 14 to 17.
Allegedly, an argument between one Caucasian female and two Black females led to the bus monitor advising the driver to pull over and contact the police.
ACLU believes the bus monitor should have attempted to handle what is being called a minor argument before getting police involved.
When two police officers arrived on the scene, the argument had ended, but allegedly police began threatening the students informing them they would be taken to juvenile hall. One officer allegedly threatened to shoot students between their eyes while his hand rested on the butt of his gun.
Two Black students involved in the argument and four others who found humor in the situation were arrested, however, the Caucasian student also involved in the argument was not arrested or charged.
One female student arrested for laughing or smiling told the police officer that she was going to call her mother.
In response the officer allegedly grabbed her by the neck, flinging her down into an empty bus seat. The officer allegedly used his body weight to subdue her by landing forcibly on top of her. The officer then allegedly screamed, informing her not to speak to the officer in that way.
The student was then allegedly jerked to her feet before being taken off the bus to the patrol car.
Students were then taken to the police headquarters where they were held up to 24 hours and charged with minor offenses such as disturbing the peace.
Shortly following the incident, the six students returned to the home school they once attended before being ordered to attend the alternative school.
During the teleconference, a parent identified as “TH” to protect her identity, explained that she is the mother of the female student who was grabbed by the neck. She said she was devastated when viewing the video.
“I could not see why an officer of the law would do something like what he did to my child.
“It was totally wrong and unjust,” said TH.
TH then shared that her daughter is still terrified from the incident because the same officer who brought harm to her daughter is currently assigned to her school.
Pertaining to the August 12th incidence, TH says, her daughter didn’t say anything to justify the officer’s behavior.
Jamie Dycus, attorney with the New York ACLU Racial Justice program, further describes the school-to-prison pipeline as a challenge the organization faces.
“It refers to the increasing tendency in some communities that criminalize young people instead of educating them,” he said.
Dycus added that the trend includes zero tolerance policies, severe punishments for minor misconduct, and “the segregation of some young people in alternative schools that seem like little jails offering a different way of learning.”
Similar to DeSoto County, there is police presence in Richmond Public Schools (RPS).
According to Richmond Police Department’s Public Affairs unit, there are 15 armed police officers called School Resource Officers (SRO) stationed within schools.
Officers are trained by the National Association of School Resource to work in school environments. The duties of a SRO includes student counseling if a conflict occurs and officers teach students on various law enforcement topics such as bullying, drug/alcohol use and abuse, and gangs if requested.
Richmond’s alternative school, the Capital City Project (CCP) run by the private for-profit company Community Education Partners, is reported as having two police officers and four security guards during school hours.
Last year, a parent spoke before Richmond City Council and referred to the school as the “colored children’s prison.” This prompted the Richmond Voice Newspaper to investigate matters within the school.
After touring the school, the paper found that there were similarities with the Richmond City Jail (RCJ).
For example, RCJ inmates, like CCP students, are separated by gender, wear uniforms, walk on one side of the halls and yell out of windows to others as a form of communication.

New Info Regarding John Rolfe and Kim Taylor…..

UGOTNERVE received a very interesting communication from an internal Henrico County Public School source, that Andy Armstrong, John Rolfe’s Twice Illegally Appointed PrinciPAL to Mediocre Morton, never took disciplinary action against Taylor like he was instructed to by central office staff.

OOOOOO……….What a mess!  What a mess that is for Henrico!  What a great opportunity it is for Rolfe’s students and families to sue the pants off of Henrico County Schools!

Their ignorance is the children’s gain!

KEEP UP THE NERVE!

Henrico Administrators Refuse To Enforce Dress Code?

The word is that schools like Varina, Godwin, Freeman, and Hermitage have turned into “club scenes” where there clothing is very inappropriate with short shorts, plunging necklines, sheer clothing, flip flops, visible g-strings, and of course, the ever present sagging pants.  Now, that is just what some say the teachers are wearing!  So it would stand to reason that the students would follow their examples.  

Why isn’t the dress code being enforced?  Why are students not being sent home for dressing like “whores” and “thugs?”  Maybe because if the students were sent home, teachers would also need to be sent home.

Check out what could be seen at any Henrico high school if you were to walk in……

 

 

 

 

 

John Rolfe’s Staff Is Spilling The Beans About Kim Taylor…Finally!

The staff at John Rolfe Middle School is finally “breaking their silence” about Kim Taylor and how the administrators of Rolfe, central office staff, and the school board members are conducting one of the biggest cover-ups in years!

Many parents, mostly those of special education students, have reported that many at John Rolfe are warning them about the violent history and cover up involving Taylor.  Still others have agreed to speak to the media, attorneys, civil rights groups, and state and federal law enforcement  agencies.

One Rolfe staff member stated, “the tide is changing and now we do not have to be afraid since a large number of us are speaking out and what we are saying would happen has happened.  We can finally do the right thing for children.”  

If any staff member at Rolfe wants to share their thoughts…UGOTNERVE is here to be your voice as always.

Here is our shout out to Rolfe’s bold new warriors:  KEEP UP THE NERVE!