Robert A repeats: Parts 1 and 2 of this 3-Part series of articles described the corruption of the Rogue Republicans on the CCS School Board where they appear to be hiding behind a façade of costly incompetence and malfeasances. This article completes this series by describing the complete and self-imposed insanity and total lack of good sense by the Rogue Republicans that were suddenly and completely conjured-up and presented for the last 20 minutes or so of the November 21, 2022 CCS School Board meeting. This complete lack of sanity and good sense by the Rogue Republicans was also taken up by all the former Democrat School Board members that have now been totally and completely removed from the CCS School Board by the 2020 and 2022 Elections. Only re-elected incumbent Dr. Danny Blanton and newly elected but not sworn in yet Dr. Ronnie Grigg (and the voters of Cleveland County) have the common sense to realize that Cleveland County Schools are in the tight grasp, clutches and throes of despair and denial that an Educational Emergency presently exists in Cleveland County. And good common-sense approaches to the many complex problems and issues that plague CCS to its core are the only way that will turn CCS and Cleveland County around.
Robert A, sitting there listening incredulously to that last 20 minutes or so of the November 21, 2022 School Board Meeting, quickly realized that he must have suddenly been transported to the very center of the Twilight Zone. Robert A also had to conclude that only the 2024 School Board Elections that removes Luke Queen, Ron Humphries, Greg Taylor, Rodney Fitch and Joel Shores from the CCS school Board will a common-sense MAJORITY on the School Board ever be possible. The links to this school board meeting is included at the end of this article. Please pull up the CCS school board meeting, advance to the 1:02 hour mark and hold on tight regarding what you are about to see and hear.
At about the 1 hour and 2-minute mark in the November 21, 2022 CCS School Board Chairman Luke Queen calls on CCS Superintendent Dr. Stephen Fisher to give his “Superintendent’s Report.” It is the last item on the meeting agenda prior to the meeting being adjourned. Several former Democrat school board members that were defeated in the 2020 elections are in the audience. Including Shearra Miller and Richard Hooker. This was Robert A’s first indicator that what was coming was arranged in advance.
Dr. Fisher began with a “Recognition of three outstanding people.” Democrat School Board members that were just defeated by a wide margin in the 2022 school board elections. Dena Green, Coleman Hunt and Phillip Glover. Supt. Fisher begins with statements of deep praise and adulation for these three and describes them as outstanding leaders. About how CCS “Cultivates Excellence in everything that we do.” About how CCS educates and treats every child in an excellent manner. About how “Leadership” is so very important in everything CCS does.
Editor’s Note: Apparently and intentionally Supt. Fisher was ignoring the statements that parent Samantha Davis made during the Citizens Recognition portion of this school board meeting. This was provided in Part 2 of this article. For your reading and understanding convenience, those statements are added below.
This is exactly what Samantha Davis told the School Board:
“This has been a long time coming…
I Prayed, I Prayed for many years that you all would listen to me. I Prayed that you would stand up for our minority children, our special needs children and our bullied children.
I Prayed for better days. Days without the heartache of seeing my children as well as others be bullied and retaliated against (at school). Days when this school board would do what is right for every single child. Days when you all would listen to us parents who so many times cried out to you for help. I never stopped praying.
Mrs. Green and Mr. Hunt, I remember when you two became members of this school board. I remember thinking, ‘Finally we have someone that will help our minority Children.’ Finally, I believed that I could breathe a little easier because you knew what it was like to be a minority.
Yet, you did NOT stand up for our minority children. You did not do anything about the injustices against our minority children. You did nothing.
Mr. Glover. Sixteen years. Sixteen years of you bullying other school board members, sweeping things under the rug, mocking and laughing at parents who would speak up at school board meetings. Sixteen years of you thinking you are invincible and better than us all.
We the people have voted. It is time to say goodbye and good riddance. I Pray that you never have to feel the pain that I have felt and many other parents have felt because school board members truly didn’t care.”
Then Supt. Fisher goes into long and drawn out praise of each of the three noted Leaders. Dena Green, Coleman hunt and Phillip Glover. Fisher called them out by name over and over and over again. Each time calling them extraordinary leaders. Over and over and over. Again, and again
Editor’s Note: By this time, it was totally obvious and clear that Supt. Fisher had totally and intentionally ignored any reference to Dr. Danny Blanton. The only one of the four school board members that ran for re-election in 2022 that actually won reelection. In fact, Dr. Blanton was the top vote “getter” by a very, very wide margin over the other Democrat candidates. Incumbents and all. And, Samantha Davis had supported Dr. Blanton in his reelection campaign. It was also becoming clear that Supt. Fisher and the Rogue Republicans were not only dissing Dr. Danny Blanton; they were dissing the voters in Cleveland County who had re-elected Dr. Blanton by that wide margin. Dissing those voters for Dr. Blanton, who also made up a large part of the Taxpayers of Cleveland County. Supt. Fisher, CCS School Board Chairman Luke Queen and ALL the Rogue Republicans were dissing Dr. Danny Blanton, the voters, the citizens and the taxpayers of Cleveland County as was being recorded in the notebook carried by Robert A as can be seen in the CCS meeting video. And, there was more.
More of the same, but in a different format.
Supt. Fisher calls up Dr. Brisa Hunnell to help pass out some awards.
The first award went to Dena Green who had been the Homecoming Queen at Shelby High School “just a couple of years ago. A peacemaker, according to Fisher.
Second was Coleman Hunt. “Legendary” according to Fisher. A Gentle Giant. “Coleman never met a meal that he didn’t like.”
Third was Phillip Glover who had been a school board member for 17 years. Supt Fisher stated that Phillip Glover had been on the CCS School Board for as long as he had been Superintendent.
Then Supt Fisher’s presentation format changed again. Each School Board member was asked to give their testimonial regarding the three wonderful school Board members who the stupid voters in the 2022 elections had defeated so soundly. Each and every Board member spoke very highly about the three defeated Democrat school Board members. Except ONE.
When Dr. Danny Blanton’s turn to speak came up, Dr. Blanton was having no use for talking falsely about how great things were in the past. Dr. Blanton began talking about what HE, as a reelected School Board member, was going to do in the FUTURE to make CCS a better place. That HE, Dr. Danny Blanton, was going to CONTINUE to represent Cleveland County Schools, the Staff, Teachers, Students, parents and taxpayers to the best of his abilities. That HE was going to continue to fight to reinstate insurance benefits for CCS employees that had been wrongfully dropped. Insurance that was a benefit to CCS staff and had not cost CCS a dime to keep. But was foolishly dropped by CCS.
Dr. Blanton did not diss anybody, nor brag on himself. As far as Dr. Blanton was concerned, the citizens and voters of Cleveland County had given him another term in office and HE intended to be transparent and do what was right. Dr. Blanton was also not going to play the silly games that were being played. Games that were, in fact, a failed subliminal attack on him personally. An attack on him personally, Dr. Danny Blanton, that was obvious to the most casual of observers.
But, this foolishness at the end of the November 21, 2022 School Board meeting would continue just a little longer.
After the speechifying was dying down and everybody had played their contrived part about how great CCS was (except for Dr. Danny Blanton, who knew better), School Board Chairman Robert “Luke” Queen made a monumentally false, phony and stupid statement. According to Luke Queen, Cleveland County Schools were so good that they were a good example to every school district in the State of North Carolina as well as in the whole of the United States.
School Board Chairman Luke Queen has to know that Cleveland County Schools are way low in test scores in math, science, reading and writing and about everything else. The NC Schools website cites most CCS Schools as below average. Test scores are so low that nobody at CCS will talk about them. CCS is NOT the kind of School District that sets a good example for North Carolina or the USA. And, Robert A will put some money where his mouth is.
Robert A challenges CCS School Board Chairman Robert “Luke” Queen to provide proof, in the form of documented and verified evidence, that CCS is worthy of being held up as a good example to the school systems in North Carolina as well as in the USA. If Luke Queen can provide such proof to an unbiased observer, Robert A will present to Luke Queen a crisp, new $100 bill on the steps of the Old Cleveland County Courthouse, West Side, at High Noon at a date of Mr. Luke Queen’s choosing.
Robert A also challenges CCS School Board Chairman Robert “Luke” Queen to deliver to Robert A, on the CCS Central Offices front steps, a brand-new crisp $100 bill if he, Luke Queen, cannot provide documented and verified proof to Robert A by December 12, 2022.
Robert A believes this challenge between Robert A and Robert Luke will prove to the Citizens of Cleveland County that one of us is a bald-faced liar. And, it won’t be Robert A.
Folks, go to the link below if you want to see and hear for yourself all of this “Twilight Zone” stuff from the November 21, 2022 School Board meeting. Robert A believes that the CCS Superintendent Stephen Fisher spent at least $10,000 at Fisher’s time, salary rate and other CCS recourses to present this 20 minute of bull offal-like material at the November 21, 2022 School Board meeting.
Note that it might take a few minutes after you “Click” on this link below for the video to pull up. This is likely a devious attempt to discourage citizens from watching this video. CCS is known for these kinds of dirty trick.
Add Link HERE:
https://live.myvrspot.com/index.php/showcase/view-showcase?sid=fNTYxMjY4YjZlNzFkMWVhNjc3OTVkNmNkMmI0MWZmZmE#(grid|popup)=/iframe?v=ZWUyNTRhM2I1ZWUyMTcyMjdhMjY1ZGViZTk2YmQyNWM;