Lee Refutes Water Claims At School
My telephone rang at 6:30 a.m. this morning. The person calling was a now-retired employee of Washington County Public Schools. He had just read the letter to the editor written by James Pence that alleged that “raw sewage” runs from Meadowview Elementary School into the creek, and he was upset by Mr. Pence’s statement.
The reason this former employee was upset is that he is man of worth, dedication, and competence who took great pride in maintaining the sewage treatment system at Meadowview Elementary for many years, and Mr. Pence’s inaccurate letter is a disparagement of this man’s good work.
Our former employee told me that Mr. Pence is wrong in his statement, and that the water coming from the Meadowview system is likely more pure than the drinking water of many residences in our county.
I do not know Mr. Pence, nor what information he has to make such a statement.
However, I can assure the residents of Washington County that the wonderfully dedicated employees who maintain our sewage systems do not allow hazardous waste to be discharged. Nor would the Department of Environmental Quality that regularly monitors our operations.
Alan T. Lee
Superintendent
Washington County
Public Schools
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Actually I believe rationalcitizen THINKS he/she is being rational about this. I applaud him/her for that. However, what he/she is doing is talking of things in the school system as he/she WOULD LIKE THEM TO BE.
We can take any situation and feel good about it. We can believe in it. We can promote it. We can defend it. However, if whatever the situation is really and truly is filled with corruption, all of our good feelings and positive comments doesn’t change the reality of it.
rationalcitizen is giving the school system the benefit of the doubt. That’s a good thing to some extent. School leaders are taking advantage of almost everyone giving them that benefit, and they’ve been doing some unbelievable things, while seldom being challenged. And those of us who come out with the truth about it, well, we’re simply labeled as outrageous, obnoxious, misguided, and flat out WRONG.
As I stated in an earlier post, I know tons of teachers who’d submit to a polygraph test concerning their time in Washington County. I wonder how many administrators would do the same?
I wonder who told RATIONAL CITIZEN that he/she is just that…RATIONAL…Is that HIS/HER opinion?? He/she doesn’t sound very rational to me….must be like the guy from california sticking his nose in something for no reason…
rationalcitizen,
This is too funny. I am absolutely shocked by the reasons you claim to know SO much about the school system.
1.) You’ve been to many School Board meetings. OK, good, but you haven’t been in executive session portions of any of those meetings, have you? At the part of the meetings where the public can listen, don’t you know that those folks choose their words very selectively?? Come on!!!!!! Do you think that leaders make public all the corrupt things they do?
2.) You’ve been to committee meetings? What kinds of committees? What does this have to do with what I’m claiming? Do you think someone is going to step up at a committee meeting and report that they (an administrator) have changed grades, forged teachers’ names, etc.? How naive can you be?
3.) PTA meetings? Oh, wow, I’m sure questionable actions of leaders are discussed at those meetings, right? I’m sure leaders discuss how “influential” parents pressure them to change policies for certain people.
Have you been in meetings with parents and principals? Have you heard the subtle threats that come from certain parents if their kid(s) grades aren’t good enough? You’ve never seen an instance where a student who missed 80 days, has their record changed to show fewer than 10 absences, have you? You don’t have any idea how all this works, which is why it’s so easy for leaders to get by with it. Those of us who point it out seem crazy because it’s all so incredible.
If you have half a clue, you have to realize that PERCEPTION is the primary thought of these school leaders. One former principal told a staff of approximately 50 teachers the following: “It isn’t what we’re doing here. It’s what the parents think we’re doing.“ I, along with several other folks, can guarantee you that that statement was made. You seem to imply that ALL school business, and actions, are made public, accurately. That’s crazy!!!
Here’s a clue for you…...The folks who are in positions of leadership work hard to keep these things quiet. Hmmm…I wonder why? People who are in the buildings each and every day see it. You, having only been to some meetings, wouldn’t.
Here’s something else you can deny. There are meetings that take place on Thompson Drive (The SBO) in which it’s determined exactly how to report delicate issues. They choose their words so very selectively. Often times, if there’s a serious situation that the media somehow gets a hold of, the quotes from district leaders usually focus on the incident being “blown out of proportion.“
Again, I say to you that many of these things have been pursued. The schools seem immune from investigation. You keep right on living on LaLa Land, and feel good about your top notch school system. I’m telling you the truth, regardless of how much you don’t like it.
Dear Everyone,
I am neither a teacher “trying to save my job” nor am I related to anyone in the school system. Neither am I niave or stupid. But as my moniker indicates, I am a rational citizen who will entertain any possibility if it is supported with verifiable and factual information.
I have already explained that I have had extensive involvement with the schools, especially through the first hand experiences of my own children - plus more. I am CERTAIN that I have sat through more school board meetings, school committee meetings and PTA meetings than anyone who is writing on this blog - not to mention just plain real time in the schools themselves.
Again, I challenge anyone who has disagreements with the schools (or anything else for that matter) to produce SPECIFIC and detailed information so we might truly know if such travesties are occurring. Anyone can allege anything. That doesn’t make it true.
You say I would not believe you. I will if your information is substantiated and verifiable.
You must not really WANT solutions or changes to these abuses that you allege. Otherwise you would be working hard to specifically bring them to light so the world would know and then do something about it.
Schools, Like politics are only as good as the citizens challenge them to be. If you know so much about all these abuses, why are you not trying to call attention to them and hold the culprits accountable?
But alas, you cannot do that without specific facts and instances. Leveling sweeping accusations without proof is slander - usually the product of insecure cowards.
Great point, peterbilt4me. Whatever the case, this rationalcitizen person is so far out in left field it isn’t funny.
My best guess is that he/she is just naive. That’s understandable on this topic. What these leaders in Washington County schools do, and have done, is so amazing, unless one has seen it and lived it, it would definitely be hard to believe.
The two primary culprits are Alan Lee, and former Superintendent, George Stainback. Wow, what a couple of cowards. And of, course, the school board has been full of cowards as well.
Too bad things aren’t run like they were when E.B. Stanley was around.
MAYBE (RATIONAL CITIZEN) IS A TEACHER TRYING TO KEEP HIS/HER JOB….HAHA…THERE SURE IS SOMETHING IN IT FOR HIM/HER…
rationalcitizen,
It isn’t worth my time to tell you things that have taken place in Washington County schools. Regardless of what I say, you won’t believe it. Administrators love folks like you because you allow them to bend rules, change grades for certain students, etc.
Some of these issues have been taken to the authorities. Forged teachers’ names, and student records were shown to authorities, as well as school board members. It went nowhere. A couple different lawyers agreed that “schools are left to police themselves.“
Ask Bucky Boone, Elizabeth Lowe, or any of the other board members. Their answer will be as follows…..“Issues like that are discussed in executive session.“
Many cases have been brought up to the proper folks. It does no good!!!!!!!!!!!!
You want names?? Go find Berkley Clear, Lee Brannon, and/or good ole Bo Catron. Ask them what policies they bent.
There are many teachers who have retired from Washington County. They didn’t want to retire. They got out because of how things were run, and how little support they received. If they truly wanted to stop teaching they wouldn’t be teaching now in other area schools. They wouldn’t have gone out and gotten other jobs.
There are tons of teachers and former teachers who’d voluntarily submit to a polygraph test concerning their time in Washington County. I can guarantee you that no administrator would do the same. The machine would blow up with all their lies.
You’re either related to some of these cowardly administrators there, or you’re incredibly naive.
Dear Farmer,
It doesn’t matter how many paragraphs you write if they are merely more vague accusations. If you are not willing to back up your complaints with specifics: names of children, names of schools, names of teachers & administratiors, grade levels, specific dates and exact recounting of instances, then you are no better than the pack of crows that sit up in the trees behind my house and make a lot of noise.
I will grant you that not all children in public schools are treated the same. That ubiquitious phrase, “All men are created equal” (and thus should be treated as equals) is a wonderful theory and goal to strive for, but must be acknowledged as not totally based on realism. Every individual is unique and different and thus has to be treated as an individual case. What’s good for an under achiever (more attention, work and remediation) is not necessarily the remedy for a more advanced student (expanded and more challenging assignments and studies).
Having been lucky enough to recive a top notch education myself, I watched like a hawk to see what kind of education my own children would receive. I admit that I was apprehensive. I found the public school system to be an instructive melting pot of all types of society and observed that the children whose parents were active and involved usually were the ones who fared better.
That is not that these children were more worthy or not even that their parents were necessarily more wealthy or prominent, but these children usually had better self esteem, discipline, attitude and work ethics.
Now, having written all that, I will never absolutely affirm that infractions by teachers, administrators or other students do not occur. Of course they sometimes do. That is the nature of life (sadly) and why I think public schools teach children a lot more than just the lessons they learn in the classroom.
If children are being discriminated against or not given proper attention, parents have to get in there and defend their childrens’ rights - I’ve seen it done successfully many times.
And yes, I HAVE worked with the school system for many years, as well as have been an extremely involved parent. At one point, some used to joke that I must have had a bed in the hall closet of the school, I spent so much time there.
So I am VERY familiar with all sorts of incidents at Washington County Public Schools and can say that on the whole they are well maintained, MOST teachers are conscientious (though I will admit not all) and MOST administrators try to render the best decision for each individual child.
If you wish to level more than hollow slander, you will have to come up with more specifics to be believable.
Ah, rationalcitizen…...
Not only are the things I pointed out true, I could’ve written paragraph after paragraph MORE of things that go on in Washington County that are swept under the rug. There is absolute proof of all the things I listed. However, it does no good to mention it, or show the proof. Nobody is listening.
Here’s a question for you…...How can you explain recent graduates reading at, or below the 4th grade level? Before answering that, keep in mind that school leaders in Washington County assure everyone that social promotion doesn’t exist. How are students passed from one grade level to the next without being able to do the work? Answer that!!! (Here’s a hint…administrators don’t want to deal with angry parents, so they just send everyone on. Believe it or not!!!)
Washington County schools are infected as bad, if not worse, than any school district out there with pure politics. It’s all about who you are, where you live, what your parents do for a living, and how much noise you can make at a board meeting.
Have you ever worked directly in the county’s schools? If you haven’t, I’d suggest you keep quiet. Everyone reading this who has worked there knows I’m right, and you look foolish.
Dear Farmer,
In a school system of 7,000-plus students, I’m willing to believe there could be A FEW instances of administrative misjudgement (like the continuation of allowing a science teacher at John Battle to teach and pressure students to believe in creationism - flagrantly against the law and not at all based on SCIENCE. Instead should be reserved for religion class.)
However, as a parent of former Washington County public school graduates who have also successfully graduated from college (and were well prepared I might add), I can tell you that on the whole, Washington County Public Schools are very well run and discipline and policies are justly enforced.
One of my children has taught in other parts of the state and can tell you from experience that Washington County is vastly superior to some areas that we often think are better. You really need to travel outside your own little cacoon to find out the pros and cons of how we actually compare.
Finally, if I was Dr. Lee, I too would probably just stare back at you. First of all, those are not questions, they are unsubstantiated accusations. To answer your claims, I would have to know the specific instance and proof of what you are referring to. Then, perhaps I could address it with accurate information about the circumstances involved. But because information about minors is confidential, very little - or none - can be divulged to someone who is not a parent of the child. Would YOU want your child’s confidential information splattered all over the place, especially on a public website? Thus Dr. Lee’s silence is entirely appropriate, not to mention that your tone indicates that you aren’t really interested in answers, but just intent on spreading venomous sensationalism.
I find your unsubstantiated comments rediculous and unproductive. This is no way to improve a school system ,whatever its faults may be.
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