Formal Education in the Americas began way before there was a United States. Way before there was a Constitution, Way before there was a Declaration of Independence. In 1647 AD the “Puritans” in the Colony of Massachusetts passed a law called the “Old Deluder Satan Act” that established the basic requirements for public schools in America. The Puritans highly valued literacy. They believed ALL individuals should be able to read the Bible and the LAWS of the land for themselves. They believed that Satan (the Devil) was a deluder; a liar and a deceiver, who could best deceive those who could not read for themselves. The Bible or anything else. A rather obvious conclusion.
The Public Schools started by the Puritans in America brought Education in the United States to First in the Whole Wide World. When Robert A graduated High School (Burns at Fallston in 1965) Public Education in the United States was still No. 1 in the world. But, the mistaken and false notion that the launch of the first rocket launched earth orbiting satellite, “Sputnik,” by the USSR in 1957 indicated that Communist Russia had a better Education System than the USA. This mistaken “notion” caused the Public Education “bureaucrats” to lobby Congress for tons of extra funding to “upgrade” public school education in the USA. As bureaucrats always do. And, like lots of bureaucratic mumbo-jumbo everywhere; Cleveland County included (especially Cleveland County), they accomplished the exact opposite of what they stated they wanted to do. That, along with taking the Bible and Prayer out of Public Schools in America has brought the Public Education system in the United States way down. Out of the top ten. Not to mention the negative impact of teaching Critical Race Theory and other race-based hate agendas of all sorts and all kinds of LGBTQ-XYZ indoctrination; instead of basic reading, writing and arithmetic during the allotted school class time. None of which, this such nonsense, appears to be taught anywhere else in the world.
Perhaps the best comparison of Education by Country is shown by the following measure fond on the internet.
Education Rates of Children Around the World
Most findings and ranking regarding education worldwide involve adult literacy rates and levels of education completed. However, some studies look at current students and their abilities in different subjects.
One of the most-reviewed studies regarding education around the world involved 470,000 fifteen-year-old students. Each student was administered tests in math, science, and reading similar to the SAT or ACT exams (standardized tests used for college admissions in the U.S.) These exam scores were later compiled to determine each country’s average score for each of the three subjects. Based on this study:
China received the highest scores,
followed by Korea,
Finland,
Hong Kong,
Singapore,
Canada,
New Zealand,
Japan,
Australia
and the Netherlands.
No mention of the USA’s actual ranking out of the top 10.
Editor’s Note: Other rankings that seem to factor in the Dollars per student spent on US Public Education still seem to indicate the USA is Number 1 in the World in Education. But the ratings noted above, based on actual student test scores clearly indicate to Robert A that a lot of Educational spending is wasted on an unprecedented scale. Attending Commissioner Meetings and School Board meetings clearly proves that is the case here in Cleveland County. Waste and more waste. Wasteful and foolish spending. Over and over again. And that is the basis of this article.
And, then the merger forced upon all Cleveland County Public Schools by the Commissioners around 20+ years ago, and all the residual problems that has caused. Twenty years of battling to protect one’s own “turf” instead of developing systemwide unified plans to move forward in a unified, comprehensive, fair and cost-effective plan for Cleveland County Schools educational process. Ignoring the continuously aging facility repair and replacement needs. As of this very moment, neither the Commissioners nor the School Board NOR the Taxpayers have the slightest notion of what a future plan for the replacement schedule for CCS’s 29 aging schools consists of, or how much it will cost. Totally bad planning by all and by any reasonable measure.
Apparently not bad planning or no planning because of incompetence with CCS leadership, although there is plenty of that. Robert A has asked CCS for their Facilities Replacement Plans for years under Public records requests and has received ZERO in “good” information to date. CCS has basically refused to produce future building plans, Maintenance plans or even organizational charts that would identify those responsible for maintenance and construction plans. And, when they hired some consultants to do a so-called Facilities Assessment, all the public has seen so far from these consultants are recommendations to shut down Marion and Graham Elementary Schools because of underutilization. NOT pressing operational or maintenance issues or needs.
And, the Cleveland County Commissioners. Missing in Action while asleep at the wheel. Every single one of them. The Commissioners are the only county-wide “Taxing Authority” at the County level and would have to provide large portions of the funding for new school construction. Where are the Commissioners in protecting taxpayers from a wasteful School Board???. Are they on the Moon or Mars? They are certainly NOT at School Board Meetings or holding the School Board responsible for sound financial operations. Yet, the Commissioners have approved a sales tax referendum to raise sales tax by one quarter cent (the maximum state tax increase allowable by current State Law) that will appear on this year’s 2022 General Election Ballot. Supposedly this quarter cent increase will go toward “school construction” but, to date the Commissioners have NO IDEA what school construction CCS has planned-which is ZERO to date.
Now, let’s consider this sales tax increase referendum. This will be the THIRD such sales tax quarter cent increase referendum in the past several years. Both the first and second such referendums failed by a 3-1 margin as I recall. In the First Referendum, the reason for the increase was supposedly to help volunteer fire departments. Kevin Gordon, now Commissioner Kevin Gordon-then a big Countywide Fire Department head wannabe, led a secret Political Action Campaign toward passing that Fire tax referendum that eventually went down in flames. That Second sales tax referendum was for something I have forgotten about and don’t want to take the time to look it up, also went down in flames. Now, Commissioner Chairman Kevin Gordon foolishly claims this third sales tax increase referendum will go for school construction. Gordon also says, as a threat to education, that a no vote on this third referendum will mean there will be no new school construction, even while knowing that CCS presently has NO PLANS for new school construction. It is also obvious that Commissioner Gordon also knows very well that a tax raised for one purpose can be used for any other purpose. Totally legal and already tested in Court.
Now, the Commissioners; blindly following their foolish Chairman, have already voted to hold this third referendum to increase sales tax a quarter cent without knowing anything about any new school construction, have called for a joint meeting with the School Board this MONDAY, tomorrow, Monday, August 8, 2022 to hear what the School Boards consultants will say. With cameras rolling and Robert A sitting there in the front row.
And, let’s NOT forget that the Commissioners and School Board Chairman Robert “Luke” Queen have bad blood between them ever since the Commissioners refused to reappoint Luke Queen to the Community College Board of Trustees and the Rogue Republicans induced Senator Ted Alexander to reappoint Luke to the CCC Board of Trustees as a General Assembly appointment. Totally making the Commissioners look like a bunch of fools. Which they were. Not because of canning Luke Queen, but getting caught red handed appointing, without proper vetting, an ineligible person instead of Luke Queen to the CCC BoTs
So, at Monday’s School Board and Commissioner’s so-called Joint Meeting the CCS consultants will be giving a presentation that nobody (except perhaps Luke Queen) knows what they will say.
Wouldn’t it be a “hoot” if these “facility assessment” consultants, paid by CCS (Luke Queen), get up and say that ALL four CCS high schools; Shelby, Kings Mountain, Burns and Crest, need to be replaced immediately at a total cost of $500,000,000 ($125 million each)?
Now, you folks that are asking Robert A to consider running for Cleveland County Commissioner in the 2024 election. Robert A believes YOU are wondering, what Robert A would do in a dire situation such as previously postulated?
Well, the answer is simple. Robert A would immediately answer that he has innovative plans for the operations, maintenance and replacement construction of aging CCS facilities. CCC and County facilities too. And would NEVER be caught in such a hair-brained mess as the fool Commissioners AND the fool School Board have stupidly put themselves in. Robert A says the Commissioners and the School Board both suffer from bad leadership, too much foolishness and a lack of good common sense. Both refuse to include the public in making their decisions and rely on too many politically and financially motivated opinions of others to cover up their own selfish motives instead of methodically working themselves through problems within the scope of the law and utilizing ethical behavior in that decision making process that would resolve the problems in a timely and cost effective manner.
Stay tuned folks. Robert A recommends you come to this Joint School board and Commissioners meeting in person to let everybody involved know that YOU are concerned and YOU want the scheming, conniving, back-biting, silly, foolish and stupid behavior from both the School Board and Commissioners to stop immediately. Come early and find a seat close up. Look your elected officials in their eyes so they will know that YOU mean business. If THEY refuse to talk to you, vote them out at their next election. By 2024 for sure as the MAJORITY on BO”TH the School Board and the Commissioner’s Board are up for reelection. More on that later.