Breaking News, tonight at the February 19, 2019 Commissioners Meeting the Commissioners unanimously appointed outspoken School Board Member Danny Blanton to the newly formed DSS Advisory Board. This “DSS Advisory Board” reports directly to the Commissioners, who have already abolished the power of the previous DSS Board and have taken over legal responsibility of running the Cleveland County Department of Social Services.
This new DSS advisory Board will be a seven-member board whose role is only to “advise” the Commissioners. The commissioners, unwisely in my opinion, will “demote” the existing DSS Board (five members) and make these existing members the core of the new advisory board. Two new members were appointed at tonight’s Commissioner’s meeting. Danny Blanton and another person whose name I will have to get for you. Over a period of time all the DSS Advisory Board will be appointed by the Cleveland County Commissioners.
School Board Member Danny Blanton is well known for being outspoken at School Board Meetings regarding such items as excessive waste, high teacher turnover, low literacy rates, low performing schools, the infamous School Credit Card scandal where nobody was fired, lack of transparency and many other important issues. The Commissioners also recently appointed Danny Blanton to the Region C Workforce Development Board to help develop “fixes” to the failure of Cleveland County Schools to maintain an up to date training curriculum at the High School level to provide Cleveland County students with the basic training for entry into the workforce for jobs that are available in Cleveland County.
Also, Danny Blanton is totally responsible for the effort in Cleveland County and also in the NC General Assembly to adjust CCS instructional schedules to suit Cleveland Community College’s schedule in an effort to assist students who are presently in High School, but their necessary vocational training is not available at CCS. But Cleveland Community College, under new President Dr. Jason Hurst-in collaboration with Danny Blanton, is making CCC facilities available, in the short term, to provide the training that CCS cannot provide at this time.
Also, As the Cleveland County Department of Social Services is a “Work-First” agency who provides Food Stamps to over 20,000 recipients who are unemployed or underemployed, it is expected that Danny Blanton will soon provide sound advice to commissioners regarding comprehensive workforce development programs for all Cleveland County Agencies. This is what is good and what is needed. An overall plan that is grounded in past educational experience in education, updated to the needs of the 21st Century workplace. Not just political indoctrination of students as has become the norm.
Sources indicate that Commissioners Doug Bridges, Deb Hardin and Johnny Hutchins were instrumental in the Commissioners appointing Danny Blanton to both the Region C and DSS Advisory positions.
Good for you Commissioners Bridges, Hardin and Hutchins. Well Done!!! Dr. Jason Hurst, Tim Moore, Kelly Hastings and Ted Alexander too.
