Intellectual Stupidity Perpetrated By Superintentdent Ed Pratt-Dannals and the District Leader By Firing Mr...
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Posted By: Samuel Burnham on December 26, 2011 DISCALMER: I do not know enough about the situation to agree nor disagree 100% with the post below. However, since I have family in J-ville and have lived there a few years, I have a concern. In addition, I know Jacksvonville, FL has a lot of HBCU alumni. Determine for yourself, Sam ------------------------------------------------------------------ Intellectual stupidity perpetrated by Superintendent Ed Pratt-Dannals and the District Leader by firing Mr. George Maxey Intellectual stupidity perpetrated by Superintendent Ed Pratt-Dannals and the District Leader by firing Mr. George Maxey is a gross example of the current Duval County Public Schools’ (DCPS) misguided leadership. Disclaimer: Even though, shallow thinking exists amongst a majority of DCPS’ Board members and Superintendent Ed Pratt-Dannals, amongst the political and religious African American leadership in Jacksonville and across the nation, this is no excuse for the DCPS Board’s repeated perpetuation of misguided leadership and social injustice. I’ll add, I have no malice for members of the DCPS Board and Superintendent Ed Pratt-Dannals, Black Leaders or anyone in positions of authority; my sole interest here, is with a razor sharp focus on how we can provide quality education to all students, particularly, those in blighted communities throughout Jacksonville and across the nation. Quote: Consider what you think justice requires, and decide accordingly. But never give your reasons; for your judgment will probably be right, but your reasons will certainly be wrong. ~Lord Mansfield Mr. Maxey was fired, allegedly for lying to police, soliciting an associate to lie and covering up the theft of personal electronics. Are you serious?! Misguided DCPS Board and Superintendent Ed Pratt-Dannals, if those allegations against Mr. George Maxey are true, then a man with his high level of commitment and concern for students should be reprimanded, at most, certainly, not fired! I know beyond doubt, that his commitment to educating students, compassion toward youth and his leadership role in the community is an asset, not only at Raines High School but throughout the educational arena in Jacksonville and the nation. Today, child killers and molesters get better treatment within the justice system than Mr. Maxey received by this School Board; even though alleged, the punishment he received for his mistakes in judgment does not fit the “crime”. District leader Betty Burney and Superintendent Ed Pratt-Dannals should have resigned two years ago for relocating Mr. George Maxey from Ribault to Raines High School. History note: It was under the leadership of Superintendent Ed Pratt-Dannals when the legendary history (trophies, pictures and plagues) of many African American students from the Old and New Station Schools was discarded into the dumpster, no one was reprimanded or fired. Self-serving Betty Burney (Raines’ Alumni) had Mr. George Maxey relocated to Raines High because of DCPS politics and conservative affluent powerbrokers wanting Ribault High to continue its downward trend educational placement status. Their agenda is to close the school and re-open it as a college prep magnet school for two reasons – land, Eurocentric history, Pritchard Road companies, businesses and residential development and location for the north Jacksonville affluent communities”. The misguided District Leader, the DCPS Board and Superintendent Ed Pratt-Dannals seem to have forgotten that Raines High had issues with theft and many other derogatory incidents prior to Mr. Maxey’s arrival which was compounded by a lack of vocational training programs provided to the Intervene Schools. In addition to too much involvement by several predatory businesses paying low wages, teenage pregnancy and truancy, HIV and poor healthcare, dysfunctional home and parenting, home foreclosures and too little business, community, and church involvement in the Intervene Schools, all this placed Mr. Maxey in a very challenging position to achieve, what seemed like, a mission impossible dilemma. As principal of Raines High School, Mr. Maxey’s inherent responsibility, in order to achieve success, was totally different than his counterparts, of other high schools. For success, Mr. Maxey was required to be a father, community advisor, social worker and big brother to male and female students while continuously providing hope to hundreds of students, parents and communities throughout the north side. Mr. Maxey restored faith in teachers, students and parents in an education destitute community, long before he arrived at Raines High School. While Principal at Raines High, he re-established parents’ and students’ belief that empowerment comes through education. He successfully transformed many mis-educated students and misguided parents into embracing education as the key to their life’s success. Definition: Critical thinking is the process of thinking that questions assumptions. It is a way of deciding whether a claim is true, false, or partly true and partly false. The lack of critical thinking by past and present DCPS Board leadership is appalling, racist and counterproductive to the progress of the Intervene Schools; appropriately defined, failing predominately African American schools for students and mostly single-female parents on the north side. As you know, it is rare to have an African American male principal on the frontline. We (Parents, students and the community as a whole) were honored to have, Mr. George Maxey, a man totally committed to transforming years of the DCPS’ Board and Jacksonville’s historical neo-conservative characteristics of intellectual stupidity and racism that have been demonstrated through standardize-testing that is race-biased and money-making for those selling the tests and a magnet program that robs the north side communities of its best and brightest students and future leaders. Many past members of the DCPS Board and Administrators were racist and embrace the concept of the magnet program with a hidden agenda that was designed to cater to affluent Caucasians. They handpicked top African American students (academically and athletically inclined) in Jacksonville to attend these magnet schools, but only after a court-ordered school integration mandate. This malicious act over 20 years ago robbed the north side’s Intervene Schools of optimistic student leaders, some of its best athletes, and many of its competent and committed African American teachers. Correlation - The educational injustice of fleecing top African American students from urban core neighborhood schools to magnet schools and the corruption behind the use of federal and state funds, notably the failure to use Title I funds in underserved schools, perpetuated the continuous inequities at the Intervene Schools. With Mr. Maxey’s arrival, he awakened, lead and transformed students and communities that had been left behind by a past racist DCPS Board’s malicious act (Jim Crow mentality) and self-absorbed leadership, to name a few African American Board Members, Mr. Jimmie Johnson, Ms. Brenda Priestly- Jackson, Ms. Betty Burney and the current NAACP President and other African American leaders and Administrators. Mr. Jimmie Johnson, Ms. Brenda Priestly- Jackson, Ms. Betty Burney and the current NAACP President and other African American leader’s poor decision-making shows lack of leadership ethics, a lack of critical thinking and a lacking moral compass when it comes to the true needs of students of the Intervene Schools and communities. This correlates to the perpetuation of generations afflicted by a Jim Crow mentality as it relates to education, politics, business opportunities, justice and social inequalities in the city of Jacksonville, especially within its blighted communities. The perpetuation of a Jim Crow Laws mentality is alive and well in Jacksonville implemented by misguided African American educational, political and religious leadership. Prime example noted, the misguided and aggressive agreement by the previous DCPS Board, the City of Jacksonville, the Sheriff’s “School to Prison Pipeline” and the “Weed and Seed program” in Springfield, is a criminal and appalling, yet, true reality. This negatively affects the majority of students in the Intervene Schools and its communities. In closing, this lack of critical thinking by City of Jacksonville past Mayors, past and present City Council members, past and present Chamber of Commerce, Jacksonville Civil Council tyrant’s, DCPS Board Members and dispirited African American leaders who also lack courage, intellect and the strength required to affect changes in the Intervene Schools’ areas; a lack in these areas: empathy for education by parents, healthcare awareness and prevention, and entrepreneurial minded, as well as, negative jobs creation and the need to eradicate the blood sucking religious leaders who are fleecing citizens from the core urban communities while they live in the suburbs, has forced a catch 22 situation for Mr. Maxey. Mr. Maxey deserves, has earned, and is committed to changing lives for the better and this has come with the price of his career. How noble it is, that a man sacrifice his career and professional growth, to help one child succeed. I wish I knew at least five good African American men in Jacksonville or the nation with his dedication, commitment and compassion. I recommend your strength to act on one out-of-the box solution. Pair Mr. Maxey and Mr. McCullough together as liaisons between the DCPS, parents, students and the community to achieve an opportunity for positive transformation for all students especially in African American students who are seeking and doing the right thing with themselves, their families and rebuilding their community future. Stanley "Doc" Scott Activist, Writer, Founder of the AAERTT http://www.jacksonville.com/interact/blog/... doc3507@msn.com Jacksonville, Florida 32203 904-764-5175 If you enjoyed this article, Join HBCU CONNECT today for similar content and opportunities via email! |
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Samuel Burnham
Associate, Chosen Agency Florida A&M University class of 2003 Member Since February 2009 |
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