Thumb up
A $1.8 million grant is worth pursuing and keeping. The Dollarway School Board and Superintendent Bettye Dunn-Wright met with state Department of Education Commissioner Tom Kimbrell and his staff Thursday to ask why the education improvement grant was removed from Dollarway High School last week and to determine if the grant could be salvaged.
“I did not make the decision to pull the grant in one day and I will not make a decision on whether to change my mind in one day either,” Kimbrell answered. Kimbrell’s letter on the decision to yank the school improvement grant noted “these dollars were given under the plan submitted by the Dollarway School District to enhance student education.”
Board President George Stepps asked why the grant was removed in what appeared to be an abrupt manner. Kimbrell noted his office had stressed the urgency of making needed changes since fall 2011 to no apparent avail. The need for urgency was stressed again in November, but “there were no change, even in March.”
“After we performed the November monitoring, there were lots of things lacking,” Kimbrell said. “We met with Dr. Wright and expressed a need for urgency and things that needed to happen… Afterwards there was no change, even in March.” Board members asked Kimbrell what could be done to have the grant reinstated. Implement the district’s own plan with dispatch, not delays or excuses, was the reply. “There is urgency about getting these things done. I won’t tell you an answer to your question today but I will never close the door, especially when it comes to children. My biggest concern is what can I expect from you seven on the board and the superintendent in implementing this?”
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Dollarway officials didn’t get a “no” or a “yes,” but what was described by several observers as a “maybe.” Taking that “maybe” and kicking the plan into high gear sounded like an answer to the question. A pair of “maybes” still beats a “no” in poker. The kids are worth the gamble.
‘Misspoken’ words
Thumb down
Now and then we recall the pearls of wisdom from an Arkansas elected county official who served 22 two-year terms in elected office.
Yup, 44 years following three simple rules of public service: “No. 1, Tell the truth; No. 2, tell the truth; and No. 3, don’t lie.” Mayor Carl A. Redus Jr. admitted Monday that he may have “misspoken” in March when he said there had been an internal affairs investigation into allegations raised against Police Chief Brenda Davis-Jones.
“I said there was an investigation done,” Redus said in response to a question from Alderman Bill Brumett. “So it wasn’t done by internal affairs, but it was investigated.”
“I might have misspoken,” Redus added.
We have heard so many different versions of what was said and done involving the allegations that we become dizzy just thinking about it and won’t plow that ground again today. If that late politician who served the public for more than four decades would not object, we might paraphrase his recommendations and add three for an even number: No. 1, if you don’t know the answer, don’t try and gloss over the fact; No. 2, if you don’t want to give a truthful answer, claim you are sick, go home, take two aspirins, turn off the lights and go to bed; No. 3, don’t lie to the public because they can spot a fib at 100 yards; No. 4, don’t misspeak on the record in public; No. 5, return telephone calls to reporters asking questions; and No. 6, claim amnesia only in an emergency.