Sep 8

Written by: host
9/8/2010 3:50 PM

By Patricia Morris

We have asked to sit down to reach a settlement agreement plethoras of times, but it has not happened, and in retrospect, our asking on all of the occasions we appeared before the board, and in letters and emails written and sent to the TPSS's former superintendent, current superintendent and compliance officer should put to rest what the school board, and probably what has been told to Judge Lemelle by their Defendent Attorney and others that "we cannot work with 'those people,' which is viewed by citizens across this parish, and yes, across this country as being a ludicrous, inciteful, and condescending comment that is being made by an attorney.

Al Link made this statement in his comments last night to their deseg attorney, "We (TPSS)have paid (you) $1,000,000 in attorney fees." His question now is, what for? We concur Mr. Link. Yes, Tank Genco said it, "The people will decide," but Sonya Traylor reitterated it best, "Why set ourselves up for failure in spending $100,000 to promote the tax, knowing it will fail, and when you (school board members) have said in the back room that you (school board members) do not believe it will pass?" We know some of the same ones who voted last night to proceed with the tax next year, in their saying to others that they will not vote for it (tax) either. What do you expect from your constituients?

We do, however, have a question for Mr. Link and Mrs. Dominguez, both of whom said last night that they do not pay any millages for any schools. Have both of you moved from areas where you once paid them? It is understood the Constitutional Millage (4.06) is paid, but how do you escape paying millages for a school system as school board members? Can this be explained better than was done last night, especially when Mrs. Dominguez passionately said she paid 51 Mills years ago? If you have moved outside of school districts that pay millages, we understand, but it continues to raise the question of how the school district and taxing district lines do not match, and they should be the same.

The Deseg Plan does not desegregate the schools, and simply stated, why continue to waste money when both sides can come together and agree on what both sides can live with, enforce the attendance lines, make all things equitable in Tangipahoa Parish Schools, fix what is broken in all of the schools, put certified teachers and administrators in positions in ALL of the schools that will enhance the learning experience of every child in this school system, thus, giving every child a right to an equitable education according to how the Fourteenth Amendment says it is to be.

In Mrs. Guerin's comments made last night to the board, she stated that all was in court when the plan was presented. The problem is this. Yes we were in court, except the Representative Voice for the Black Community was not asked to come to the table for discussion during the planning process. That Voice should have been at the table as well, and if it had been, much of what is happening now would not be happening.

The following Public Input Statement was read last night at the TPSS's School Board Meeting. It should put to rest all of the lies and rhetoric being said now on the GTPB NAACP's stance on supporting the April 2011 Tax next year, and on the TPSS's Desegregation Plan:


PUBLIC INPUT STATEMENT

The Officers and Members of the Greater Tangipahoa Parish Branch NAACP received information that people in some of the various school districts is stating that this NAACP organization is supportive of the April 2011 Tax and the current Desegregation Plan.

We wish to make clear tonight that this is not true about our organization supporting the tax, and while there are few things in the Desegregation Plan the TPSS put together that might be workable, there are so many other things the GTPB NAACP, Court-appointed voice for the Black Community; class of black children and their parents, do find as serious flaws in this plan, and cannot support all of it. We believe the current Desegregation Plan to be an extremely costly and massive building plan that will not desegregate the schools in this school system, according to the federal court order this school system is under, and since we did not have an active part in sitting with the Defendant School Board of the TPSS when plans were made in putting it together, we cannot support all of what is before us now in the current Desegregation Plan.

Additionally, we extend the proverbial “olive branch,” yet again to sit together with you as TPSS board members and superintendent to reach a settlement agreement that both sides can live with in order that this case can finally be settled, and settled without asking the public to pass any new taxes, especially in a declining economy, and is something the citizens, black and white, in Tangipahoa Parish believe not to be necessary, and do not want.

Finally, we ask that this Public Input Statement become a part of your school board minutes tonight – September 7, 2010.

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