Jackson Jambalaya

Had a good time on WJNT yesterday. I opened with a monologue about Jackson Public Schools. The transcript is posted below. Moved on to MPACT, Hinds County, and the Election Commission. Pete Perry called in and we discusses his arrest by Jerry Moore during an Election Commission meeting in August. Yup. Its discusses at the end of the program. I won't spoil the details for you.





Well, the Jackson Public School board is at it once again. They passed a budget this summer for $86 million which included a property tax increase of 2 1/2 mills. That amount wasn't good enough for the new Superintendent. Dr. Gray came back and submitted a budget request of $88 million with yet another tax increase. No one from the school district, from Dr. Gray on down, had the guts to come face the city council and make the request- they sent it over in writing. Such is their contempt for the taxpayers and the extent of their moral cowardice. The city council balked. Didn't matter because the school board then sued the city council last week for the tax increase. The school board said in their complaint filed in court it didn't matter, that under the law they didn't have to provide ANY notice if the increase was under 4 mills. This is what your school board thinks about you. It doesn't matter what the law says, they don't think you, the taxpayers, should have any notice when they decide to raise your taxes and if anyone says otherwise, they'll go out and pay attorney Dorian Turner $200 an hour to get their way.

Then there is Dr. Gray and the new report cards for schools. The legislature changed the law this year and ordered schools and districts to use a grading system of A,B, C, D, F instead of the system of star through failing where everyone was a champion and no one a loser. Unfortunately the $11,000 a month the district pays to attorney Dorian Turner does not her instructing Dr. Gray on what the new law means because he completely ignored it in a video two weeks ago explaining the system's latest ratings. Not once did this master of all things educational mention A, B, C, D, or F in relation to Jackson Public Schools. Not once. Dr. Gray instead referred to them under the old system: star, high performing, successful, academic watch, low performing, at risk of failing, and failing. He didn't stop there. Dr. Gray states in the video: The Mississippi Department of Education "uses seven classifications to rate Mississippi schools". Dr. Gray says (4:14) "there are no schools at risk of failing or failing. This is a drastic and dramatic improvement." In other words folks, Dr. Gray flat out lied to you and did it while wearing a bowtie.


However, the truth is 82% of JPS middle and high schools are rated for "D" or "F" and 45% of all schools rated "D" or "F". Only 3 middle and high schools are "C" and none are "A" or "B". Dr. Gray does not mention anywhere in the video the letter grades for the schools themselves nor the district. Dr. Gray instead states the district is rated "Academic Watch". He says "We are proud of our accomplishments but not proud of our results." The video then scrolls through all of the schools with their ratings under the old system.

The report cards for all schools are:

A: 3
B: 5
C: 16
D: 13
F: 10

Compare reality to what the press release said: JPS has 18 Academic Watch and 11 Low Performing and no schools labeled At Risk of Failing or Failing. Although JPS has no schools labeled as “Failing” or “At Risk of Failing,” the District overall label is “Academic Watch.” What this means is that although JPS experienced improvement in academic achievement, it did not meet the challenge of academic growth

Unbelievable. If this isn't giving the state a big "screw you" I don't know what is. New rating system? What new rating system. This is just more proof the leadership of Jackson Public Schools is out of control. They don't care about you, they don't care about the kids, and they don't care about the future of Jackson. This is all about sweetheart deals and pimping the taxpayers while strutting around in their suits and carrying their ipads. The Board doesn't think you deserve to know when they want to raise taxes, give hundreds of thousands of dollars to their friends while they squander bond issues, or lie to you when they are told how to tell you your schools are really doing. Meanwhile they have no problem selling out your children into the slavery of illiteracy and ignorance. They think nothing of abandoning the children as long as they have their little piece of turf in MIssissippi and if you say anything, they just ignore you or call you a racist.

Well, I'm sick of it. They can pull all of the games they want but they aren't going to do it in the dark as they've been doing for years. I'm going to keep exposing them on this show and on Jackson Jambalaya. The future of this area, the future of these kids, the future of the parents who do care about their children and are stuck in Jackson is simply too important. Keep it up Dr Gray because before too long, we're going to take this away from you. The Republicans aren't stupid. Many democrats in this town aren't stupid. They see what you've become- a rotten carcass that is eating itself into oblivion. The Republicans are going to step in next year and pass a charter school bill and trust me, they will have their eyes squarely on Jackson when they are writing the bills. So enjoy it while it lasts, Dr. Gray. Have fun Dr. Gilmore Love. Enjoy your sweetheart hire, Mr. Sergeant. Because come next year, you're going to become alot less relevant as we take these children away from you and give them what they need: a damn good education under some leadership that actually cares about them.