Residents, NAACP critical of Henry County School Board
Max Oden /
Henry County Residents, right, watch a presentation by Henry County Schools Superintendant Dennis Coe, left, Thursday evening in Abbeville.
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By Greg Phillips
Published: June 19, 2008
ABBEVILLE - The president of the Henry County branch of the NAACP and members of a group calling itself “Concerned Citizens of Henry County” criticized the Henry County School Board at Thursday’s board meeting, saying the county is suffering a “compound fracture.”
“We are disturbed that the people of Henry County are allowed no input, as evidenced in the recent decisions that have outraged many citizens,” said Henry County NAACP President Dorothea Culver.
The most controversial of those decisions involves the non-renewal of the contracts of several teachers who were later replaced by new employees.
According to some Abbeville residents, the personnel changes made a negative impact in their school.
“The school has changed, and it is not a good one,” said Tanya Balkhan of the Concerned Citizens of Henry County. “I have visited the school on occasions, and I see that it is not a good environment for the students or teachers. There were some positive employees at the school who worked very well with the students and the parents. Some of these employees were not hired back, and we don’t know why.”
One of the group’s representatives suggested the teachers were fired for personal reasons.
“We believe it’s a case of not being liked or not conforming their beliefs,” said Latravia Horn. “If a teacher isn’t deemed accountable, shouldn’t their observation report reflect that? When given a recommendation for nonrenewal of a teacher, do you review their observations?”
Henry County School Superintendent Dennis Coe said teacher evaluations don’t affect the hiring process.
“It’s generally left up to the principals to make an end-of-year recommendation to me, and I put it in written form to the board,” Coe said. “We do monthly walkthroughs at every school and classroom, and we do impromptu visits with the school.”
The concerned citizens also discussed unfair treatment of students in the school system.
“We have a problem of staff members rendering different punishments for same offenses. It all depends on who you are,” said Shaenaea Stanford. “The school system has scarred our children physically and mentally when it could have been avoided if someone would just take time to listen. These people that you hired are stereotyping our children.”
Horn said the mistreatment sends the wrong message to students.
“These are not seeds we need to be planted in our children,” she said.
Those negative seeds are already being reaped, according to Stanford.
“It’s sad to hear children say they don’t think they learned anything from Abbeville High School, but just got a degree,” she said.
Culver gave the board what seemed to be an ultimatum.
“There are several things broken here that need to be corrected. You can begin by calling back all the employees you let go at the end of this school year, including the non-tenured teachers,” she said. “If this does not happen, the next thing we will look at is forcing some oversight or sanctions on the board.”
According to Coe, some of the complaints are unfair.
“Some of it was in reference to nonrenewal of minority teachers. Of the teachers not renewed in henry County, only 21 percent, three employees, were minority teachers,” Coe said. “They were replaced with minority teachers. The total number of minority teachers in this county hasn’t changed. And of those not renewed last year, 80 percent were white and 20 percent were minorities.”
Coe told the concerned citizens he would address each of their concerns in writing.
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Reader Reactions
Posted by ( lucky7 ) on June 24, 2008 at 1:04 pm
CONCERNED,
DON’T THINK I HAVE NO HEART. I KNOW SOME OF THE THINGS THAT GO ON ARE NOT PARTICULARLY HIGH ON THE MORALS. I WAS COMMENTING ABOUT THE RACE ISSUE BECAUSE THAT IT BASICALLY THE WAY THE ARTICLE IS WRITTEN.....NAACP, NUMBER OF MINORITIES LET GO, ETC. I KNOW PEOPLE WHO WERE LET GO FROM NOT NECESSARILY HENRY COUNTY SCHOOLS BUT OTHER SCHOOLS IN AREA WITH STUPID REASONS GIVEN SO DON’T THINK THIS ONLY HAPPENS IN HENRY COUNTY. I ALSO KNOW PEOPLE IN THE HENRY COUNTY SCHOOL SYSTEM THAT WORKED WITH SOME OF THE PEOPLE THAT WERE LET GO, BOTH WHITE AND BLACK. THERE WERE DEFINATELY REASONS WHY THEY WERE LET GO AND NOT JUST BECAUSE SOMEONE DIDN’T LIKE SOMEONE. IF IT WAS BECAUSE SOMEONE DIDN’T LIKE SOMEONE, IT WAS THE TEACHER NOT LIKING THE PRINCIPAL AND NOT SHOWING ANY KIND OF RESPECT A PERSON SHOULD SHOW TO THEIR BOSS. I’M NOT SAYING THE BOSS IS ALWAYS RIGHT, BUT YOU SHOULDN’T SAY “WELL, @#$@ WHAT THE BOSS THINKS, I’M GONNA DO IT MY WAY”. AND THAT’S HOW SOME OF THE TEACHERS ARE.
AND WHAT MAKES YOU SO SURE THAT THE REASON WASN’T THE BUDGET AS TO WHY YOU WERE LET GO. I KNOW MANY PEOPLE WHO WERE ALSO SCARED THEY WOULD BE LET GO BECAUSE OF THE BUDGET. SOME DID, SOME DIDN’T. I DON’T THINK IT’S RIGHT AND I BLAME THE STUPID LEGISLATORS COMPLETELY BUT DON’T LET THEIR IDIOTIC IDEAS MAKE YOU THROW THE BLAME THE WRONG DIRECTION JUST BECAUSE YOU THINK THAT “SOMEONE DOESN’T LIKE YOU”.
I’M NOT AGAINST TREATING PEOPLE FAIRLY IF THEY DESERVE TO BE TREATED THAT WAY. JUST AS YOUR POINT WAS THAT ALL OF THE TEACHERS LET GO WERE NOT BAD, MY POINT IS THAT THROUGH MY KNOWLEDGE NOT ALL OF THE TEACHERS LET GO WERE GOOD. WHICH BRINGS ME FULL CIRCLE BACK TO THE ARTICLE. IT MAKES IT SOUND AS IF THE NAACP WAS SAYING THAT ALL THE BLACK TEACHERS LET GO WERE GOOD. I KNOW FOR A FACT ONE OF THEM WAS NOT A GOOD TEACHER FOR THE CHILDREN. I CANNOT SAY ANYTHING BAD OF THE OTHERS BECAUSE I DON’T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THEM. THE ARTICLE JUST SOUNDED RACIALLY MOTIVATED AS IN....BLACK TEACHERS--GOOD WHITE TEACHERS--WHO CARES
I FEEL FOR YOU IF YOU LOST YOUR JOB UNJUSTLY. TAKE SOLICE IN THE FACT THAT YOU ARE DEFINATELY NOT ALONE. OTHERS HAVE TOO AND NOT JUST TEACHERS. IT HAPPENS IN ALL TYPES OF JOBS.
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Posted by ( Concerned & Disappointed ) on June 24, 2008 at 10:07 am
Lucky7 - did this article concern anyone who was still employeed? No - it was because of the unfair treatment to those who were let go. I believe that the public should be aware that it is not just a racial thing. Black and White teachers were treated poorly. I also believe that several of the teachers still employeed with the system know that what administration has done - is wrong. In fact, I would bet that at least one of these comments is from a teacher still with the system. Several of my parents and friends (outside and inside school) were upset about the treatment to the teachers and said they would have something to say about it at some point. Unfortuately, none of them (nor I) were aware of the effect of collaborative public support, like the black community was.
I am sure this same type of thing is done at other schools; however, I must assume that they handle it better because none of them are being persecuted for it. The fact that we were not renewed isn’t the issue. It is - that we were treated so poorly. No one deserves to be humilated and discarded like we were. Especially not with the positive evaluations and no prior problems.
But to answer your question - if I were still employeed, I problably wouldn’t be so “on fire;” however, I did lose a friend to the same unfair treatment & I would make a stand for her. Also, if the Board does offer my position back, I just pray that I’ve accepted another position somewhere else - so that I may, without any hesitation, turn them down. Unfortunately, many schools are not hiring because they held on to their teachers the best they could during the budget cuts, & now they don’t have many positions available.
I also fear for the multitude of teachers being turned out by the local colleges that were told when they began that they would have no problem getting jobs, because many schools are now not hiring. Alabama has gone from a teacher shortage to now cutting our throats with possible unemployment in our field.
The initial budget cut scare was a valid reason for not renewing contracts and it would have been accepted if it weren’t blatantly obvious that this was not the case. In addition, if the employee didn’t fit the mold that the school desired, delicately wording it would have been better than flat out lying or giving no reason at all. I believe that no one would want to work at a school where they told that they didn’t fit.
I personally felt that my position was temporary until I was led to another school; however I had personal reasons for wanting to give my all to the school I was at. I was disappointed that the school didn’t recognize my efforts nor care that I dedicated myself to them. I also felt a personal sting that their loyalities were so slighted. I believe that it is the school’s right to hire and keep teachers that they feel represent the style they like; however, I also believe that people deserve to be treated well. It does no good to recite a motto everyday that the school does not itself promote. “I can and will be RESPECTFUL, RESPONSIBLE, and resourceful at all times.” How were they respectful in the way they treated those teachers? How are they showing responsiblity when they assume they can discard people without a care in the world? This article was about the teachers that were let go. If anyone in the system stands up for those mistreated, that just exemplifies their moral character.
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Posted by ( tjones ) on June 24, 2008 at 8:48 am
There are several points I would like to make:
1. The teachers in HES that were let go of were let go for personal reasons. It was not due to lack of job capability but because they were not low down enough to mistreat students based on race, family financial status or whose momma didn’t like who.
2. The “professionals” you have running your schools in Henry County leave a great deal to be desired. These women are more concerned with weight watchers and looking 10 years younger than they are at caring for “our” children. The entire time you are screaming that the blacks are just making an issue of this you need to realize that it is not a “black” thing it is an educate and respect each of these children thing and do what is best for them
3. We are supposed to be in the business of educating our youth yet somehow you have a group of women running thing that have turned it into a high school drama. If administration spent less time trying to figure out their teachers personal business and more time making that school run smoothly and enhancing the morale of the student and staff alike most of this nonsense of 2007-2008 would not have happen. No wonder State is coming in and taking over the high school. That will be only their first stop.
4. It is not a race issue it is a FAIR issue. Coe is less than a superintendent for allowing his principals to dictate to him who to let go without having the paper work to back it up. Of the teachers let go most had good observations and a great rapport with the students. It is only when they did not compliment and kiss up to the Administration on a daily basis that their jobs were put in jeopardy.
5. Furthermore, of the 3 African-American Teachers that were teaching at HES only 1 remains and that is because Headland has not figured out a way to get away with not having a single African-American teacher. Coe misspoke when he stated that the minority teachers were replaced with minorities. I have first hand knowledge that this is not a true statement.
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Posted by ( Concerned Parent 101 ) on June 23, 2008 at 9:35 pm
I am concerned about the lay-off of highly-educated teachers who are replaced by coaches wives. Teachers who love what they do and spend a great deal of their perosnal time to be a good teacher. I am not a teacher, therefore I do not understand how a teacher can be lay-offed without any warning and they can not question why they were let go. How can a new teacher who has no real mentoring and one observation be lay-offed by receiving a letter in the mail. How is this justified? This is not a black/white issue. It is a good ole boy issue. You have to know the right people and say the right things in order to keep a job. If you lay a new teacher off without any explanation, how do you expect them to learn anything from the experience and it not be detrimental to them. I want to make a stand for the teacher that commented about this article. I love living in a small town but sometimes you got to do what is best for the kids and their education instead of what it take to get a good coach.
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Posted by ( lucky7 ) on June 23, 2008 at 8:11 pm
i hate to make the comment because i’m sure some of you are actually good people....but i notice if you are critical of the system it is because you were let go...those of you commenting that the schools are sooo bad, answer this truthfully...would you still be complaining if you were still employed? All of you know the answer everyone would give, no matter how you say you would answer differently...just a thought
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Posted by ( white concerned citize ) on June 23, 2008 at 5:53 pm
First of all let me assure you that not all concerned citizens are black and not all of the people mistreated in the Henry County School System are black. I personally know a white educator who was replaced without even a thank you for dedicating one year of her life to the children in her class. At least we have finally heard it admitted that performance is not important and evaluations are useless. I’ve really thought this all along. What about test scores? Did the students in the class of the dismissed teachers suffer? What can anyone say to make a parent feel better when their child was taught all year by “an unfit, unacceptable teacher”? If she/he is so bad you couldn’t rehire her/him, why were they allowed to teach my child? Who’s going to make up for what my child missed? Can you honestly say the teachers who remained are better than those who were released? Oh, I forgot, they are tenured, so it doesn’t matter if they are any good! I’m just glad I had this opportunity to express myself. Some of the teachers who were released will be greatly missed, and it is our loss because they will now be dedicating themselves to students in another county.
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Posted by ( monica ) on June 23, 2008 at 5:45 pm
I hope that the citizens of Henry County really open their eyes to this issue because it is not a race issue this a real issue that needs to be addressed so that good teachers are not let go and replaced by friends of the people in charge They have been able to get by with this type of business for a longtime and it really needs to be stopped so that the students are put first!!!
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Posted by ( monica ) on June 23, 2008 at 5:36 pm
I really hope that the citizens wake and see what has been happening to their schools and decide to not to turn their heads to this and act like this is a race issue-people of every color has been and continue to be done wrong by this superintendant and his friends in charge at the schools
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Posted by ( monica ) on June 23, 2008 at 5:31 pm
I know these teachers personally and all of them black and white did a great job and really cared about the children that they taught-but the were pink slipped why no one knows it is a sad day for these schools and everyone wonders why these school are not making AYP and one of the school may get taken over by the state this year. It is sad for these students that attend the school because the people in charge care more about having people that suck up to them and tell them how wonderful they are than to have real quality teachers in the classroom I’m proud someone finally stood and said something maybe others that know what is going on will to and change can happen!!! Wake up Henry County this is not a black or white issue- this school system has been ran on who you are basis and it is time for change!!
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Posted by ( monica ) on June 23, 2008 at 5:18 pm
i know these teachers personally and they were let go not because of their job performance -these were wonderful teachers that really cared about the students now the students are left with a bunch of teachers that are a bunch of suckups that kiss up to the people in charge of school and walk around all day like they are so important and do nothing to actually help and educate the students-that is what the schools are left with and everyone wonders why the schools are not making AYP and about to not make it again!!! In addition one of the school may be taken over by the state!!!! We all need to wake and stand up for these good teachers that are being mistreated and let go and replaced by people who don’t really care about the students!!! This is not a black or white issue-it is about treating people right and to stop using the good boy and i know you system that is being used by the people in charge. This is a very big issue but for years it is been in the dark and these things have been pushed under a rug and now finally someone has stood up and hopefully everything that these people are doing will come to the light before more students drop out and get left behind because they are in the right group or have the right last name!!! That is what is really going on!!!
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