So last night I had my first brush with political strife.

The story begins at 3:45. I call my mom and find out there are political machinations in the works. My mom just recently got offered a new kind of job last year. She was taken out of the kindergarden class and asked to assist with fighting illiteracy in the schools. Students apparently are having difficulty reading. So last year a grant was written to form a reading first group. She is a part of this group at Henry Elementary School. She spent her whole summer devoted to working on learning the techniques which will assist her in her new role.

This year the program begins and is met with immediate success stories. Apparently they are doing well. The super intendent has put up a motion to involuntarily switch the principles of Erath High School and Henry Elementary School. Involuntarily, meaning against the principle’s will. This is key. The education system has the right to do this with administration officials. Mrs Moss, the principle polietly declined the offer, in which she was told her only choices are move or retire.

So they put the motion up for vote at a school board meeting. After some minor discourse about my diner plans, i find out all this information. Mom tells me she isn’t happy. She was distraught, her major concern was the future of the project. The grant proposal was written by Mrs. Moss, the principle, and Mrs. Moss has also gone through intense training for the unique strain put upon her due to this program. Mom tells me that she wish she could make a stand at the board meeting, but she is concerned she will get to emotional. I offer my services as an individual concerned about right and wrong.

My main concerns with this process is the drive for such an action. Apparently there are no legalistic arguments against the action, but their lack of offering justification for their actions was disturbing. They just simply think it “would be for the best of the community” as a whole. So i go to the meeting.

The meeting begins and this is the first politcal side-show i’ve ever seen. For thirty minutes the wrote routine of call and answer occurs. Apparently one person says, “this motion is put up, all for say yay” and then everyone on the panel says yay, and they move on. It was so robotic. I was dissappointed with the human race. British people know how to hold forums (see house of commons.) Confused for a good portion of the proceedings, i notice they decide to discuss the motion in “executive session”. They leave the court room, and for thirty minutes the room is rumbling with statements of disgust.

Time ticks by.

I tell mom that she needs to speak also. Our only force is going to be numbers. I say i’ll speak first, but she needs to speak next, and we needed more support. Finally after planning out her address so she wouldn’t stumble, the men come out. I hadn’t planned my address. I’m not a good public speaker. They bring the motion to the floor and i raise my hand and am acknowledged. I stand.

“Hello, My concern is….”
council -First tell us who you are. (apparently long haired young concerned individual wasn’t enough)
“oh.. yes.. My name is david bennet, i’m actually a product of this fine school system and soon to be graduate of the university of louisiana at lafayette, in the philosophy degree program… now my concern is justification. I don’t see the need to move someone who wants to remain… Ok let me begin again. I want to know why it is necessary to take someone who is as valuable as Mrs. Moss from her position. She has been instrumental in instituting a program that just got off the ground in Henry elementary, and what is more is that she has developed relationships with all of her fellow teachers and students at this school. My concern is that you are not looking into the negative consequences of this action. Can you please give us justification for making such a drastic change in the system?” I studied under Mrs Moss and know how well she is as a teacher and concerned administrator. I think we deserve some reason for this change.(by the way this is horribly cleaned up, i was stuttering and unlcear through the first 25% and by the end i was pissed at myself for not being clear and concise and planning my statements out beforehand.. I will say this though, i did handle the interruption very well and shot back my name + short historical biography very quickly and precisely. I’m amazed sometimes how i can be smart ass quick, and yet planned and disciplene diction takes almost a day to formulate. I also had a grin when i said, “product of this fine school system.”)

I sit down. Mom stands up. –I can’t remember exactly what she said now, and so i’m not quoting it, but it centered on how instrumental Mrs. Moss is to the program, and how much time Mom devoted to the program. It also stated examples of her success and how pleased apparently national auditors are of their success.

Three others stood up and gave their speeches, each equally well delivered. Then they respond. At first they were going to just move on and vote, and one of the council members states, “I sense the council isn’t concered with giving them a reason, and i think as a member that they do deserve to hear why it is we are making these changes.” Another member states, “well why don’t you tell them.” Time ticks by and no one speaks. Finally the super-intendant speaks and says, “We feel that her abilities would be best utilized in these circumstances” Now this is key. His eyes are down and to the right, meaning he is lieing. He is staring at the podeum on the floor. This pisses me off. Now i say fuck this official shit, i’m approaching the issue head on.

After his little speal i see no one wants to respond so i do, “So let me see if i understand this correctly, Your argument is that the reason you feel this change is necessary is because it is for the betterment of the community. I’m sorry i have to disagree. I do not see how taking a worker, any employee, from a position they enjoy and placing them in a position they do not want against their wishes has any hope of improving productivity in any business. Statistics have shown that the average worker is a lot more productive in a position they want and enjoy working within. Have you even taken that into consideration? It sounds to me like your response is horribly vague and dodges the issue at hand.”

Moments pass and he responds, “Vague as you call it, it is our statement.” Another council member speaks up, “It sounds to me like you are all concerned about whether or not your going to be liked by the new principle and whether your going to get along. I think these concerns are not relevant.”

My hand fires up again, he acknowledges. “I think you horribly misrepresent and trivialize their concerns, they are concerned-” and i was cut off by a lawyer who said, “We need to move on.” What i was going to finish saying of course was that they were concerned with the success of the students.

But they voted and in robotic fashion decided to pass the resolution. So against two principles will they will be transfered to schools they do not want to teach at. The programs that were instituted in their last schools are left in the air as to who will command them. And yet again i’m concerned as to their underlying reasons.

Now this is just speculation, and horrible speculation at this. My theory is that since Henry Elementary School is a primarily poor school district, a majority of the students are bused in from abbeville’s poorest sections, the high success rate of the students have gotten other schools jealous. It is the school boards concern that Erath high school and Middle School are in need of this kind of revitalization. Seeing as both of these schools support some of the more well established citizens of our fair cities. I mean we arn’t talking rich and poor, more like upper lower class and lower lower class. Anyways, so they force this principle to leave a post she loves because she is making a difference into a school where the difference will mean more to the upper crust of society.

perhaps i’m paranoid… perhaps… just seems fucked up…

on a relevant note, apparently she was told that she shouldn’t attend the meeting because “women get too emotional about these aspects”. And also she was told she would be fired. Both of these comments are illegal and will go unpunished because the council is male dominated, with one token black male who is like sammy fucking davis junior. The council is demonstratively annoying. I can’t believe this is happening in this day and age.