Arkansawyer

A serendipitous venue, don’t you think?

There’s a fair crowd, and also some journalists. Whether they’re fair or not, well, we’ll see.

Bobby Roberts, library director, is giving the introduction with some words about Fred Darragh, who said he’d like to have a little controversy here now and then. That got a good laugh from the audience. He also notes Katherine Mitchell was on the library board that hired him.

Now Steve Ronell, chairman of the Political Animals Club, announces the next meeting, August 9, at the Governor’s Mansion, with Mack McLarty. He notes the presence of Dennis <last name> who brought Dr. Mitchell to this meeting. In attendance are various elected officials, beginning with Dr. Mitchell.

Mary Lou <I didn’t catchthe rest>

Fred Allen, District 33 State Representative

Melanie Fox, Little Rock School Board

Pat O’Brien, Pulaski County Circuit Court Clerk

Larry Berkley, Little Rock School Board

Wendell Griffen, Arkansas Court of Appeals Judge

Steve Harrelson, District 1 State Representative

Dr. Mitchell: I was advised not to let the Arkansas Democrat (note that she did not mention the Gazette half) define me–that I should tell you who I am. (Applause, some laughter). She notes her forebear, her English teacher from Dunbar High, who lost her job challenging the school system for equal pay. (She was later restored to her job by the Court of Appeals.) I am not here to beat up on anyone–I believe in the Golden Rule, and in a good education for all children.

I need to make a statement regarding the allegations about me: It has been usggested that I hvae compromised by postions as a board member without getting the board’s permiission for that action. I am making this statement to inform the public of my position. I am an employee of a private college where I teach education students. My conly contract is with them. I have never been employeed by the LRSD. In 2005, it appears that an agreement was reasched by the LRSD, the Ark. Dept of Edcuation, and various colleged for alternative licensure. Philander Smith was the host for that program in 2005. Students in that program included LRSD employees and others. The LRSD was the custodian of funds, and not the hiring authority. This was approved by Roy Brooks. If my particupation was viewed as inappropriate, then Mark McMillan or Dr. Brooks would have made it know. As custodians of the district, I would expect them to make the board aware of these issues. If there was a problem, it should have been rasied at the time, not two years later. It has been suggested that race played a part in locating the program at Philander Smith. The program, however, served a variety of people of various ethnic backgrounds. I have been mindful to operate within the law in all that I do. I have committed on crime, depsite theallegations and inferences to that effect. Since, thanks to Mr. Powers and the Democrat, this has become a matter of prosecutorial investigation, I have not other statement to make.

{Arkansawyer} I believe I see why some dislike her so–she is poised and dignified under these stressful conditions.

At the time that Dr. Mitchell become board president, she received a report on the positions being cut by Dr. Brooks. These were positions needed for education. The ratio of black/white pay cuts was roughtly $900k/$28k. The people who made these decisions were cabinet-level–people at ground level were not given inputinto the process.

I tried to engage with Dr Brooks, but it seems that what the community wanted didn’t matter to him. I also heard that he did not communicate with African-American parents. I did not have a problem with the reorganization per se, but with its implmentation.

In the last election, a black majority was elected to the board, and i think this troubled some people. In a democracy, the majorty rules–but that doesn’t mean that any children will not get a good education. We were told that the resources freed by the reorganization would be used to help educational acheivement, but we have not seen that happen.

The courts told us to

bring in outside experts to evaluation our programs and tell us what’s working. We have not yet done that, because we first must have staff development. We must begin making more data-based decisions. We also need to speak to the people tho work with children every day, and find out from them what they need to help those children.

We’vehave schools in West Little Rock which do not have reading programs. We have parents who have told us about their concerns–we need to be more sensitive to that.

She referenced this article in the <i>Washington Post</i>: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/26/AR2007062602339.htmlOur teachers

We need to focus on schools as the primary site of learning. We need to pay more attention to the measures we use and the resuts they bring.

Our teachers have not been appreciated–that will go a long way. Our business community needs to help us. I planned programs to bring parents more involved in their children’s eeducation (this got a small laugh). We have a lot of teachers who come and stay two, three, four years and decide this is not for them–we need to give them more support in their early years.

All of us have a stake in the education of our children. If we do not prepare them it is our fault if they cannot take over the functions of our society. There is a need to return to the traditions which came when we had respect for God. I encourage all parents in this district to establish firm and working relationships with your children’s teachers and priniciplas. I urge you to organize precinct by precinct to gain the power to make your politicians more responsive, to improve our community, rather than the interests of business and power brokers. We should come together in the interest of our children. We should not let one person or one act divide us, as we have allowed to happen. Student achievement, thebest performace our children can have, sh

ould be our focus. It’s not about any attitude I might have about the superintendent, but about seeing we have the people in place to make our children successful in their futuuerh lives–that’s my focal point. Many things have been said, including in today’s editorial aboutme. I am focused on providing a quality education for our children. We will all benefit by that.

Thank you.

Now the questions:

Q: When you have seven great minded people, you’re going to have conflict. When that conflict became so apparent over the Brooks issue, there was talk of a mdeiateor–what became of that?

A: It hasn’t gone anywhere yet. Once we get other things resolved, we;ll get to that. Onee thing–we have always disagreed. But now, because the disagreement is between a majority black school board and a mminority which was once in the majority, it’s become dificult. When Dr. Brooks was appointed, I supported Dr. HOlmes. When the majorityvote was in favor of Dr. Brooks, I recieved him. We didn’t raise Cain over it. I went to him and said I was willing to work with him. We havevoted along raciallines in certain situations, becasue we vote by our experiences. We all have opionins, htats all they are–none of us spit out facts. That’s how intelligent people function. If the majority ovtes in vaor of something, we have to accept that. I’vedone that for the 18 years I’ve been on the board.

Q: It’s neen the policiy of the board to bring s schhol to the underserved NW area. WIll you repaset atht commitment.

A: That is the unanimous policy of the board.

{Arkansawyer} I’m skipping people’s commentaries from the floor.

Q: Do you personally believe that the district is unitary, that’s it’s reached that legal bar? And while Judge Wilson ruled so, it’s been appeals–will you continue to direct your attorneys to follow that appeal, to agree that the district is unitary?

A: I don’t think we met the requirements for unitary status. The judge said, at first, that we had to embed out working programs into the curriculaum. I don’t think we’ve done that. The judge said we’d shown a good faith effort–the terms had changed. I’m in favor of doing whatever is necessary to help all our children acheive. As far as the appeal, we have to continue with it–our attorneys will have to fight it, unless Mr. Walker decides to drop it.

Q: There is disagreement witin the district. What have you thought about reconciliation and going forwared to accomplish the things you’ve talked about today, which which no one could disagree.

A: The board is not together. Some members don’t speak to each other. I can only say what I hope would happen–I think they vote their consciences, just as I do. Regardless of how we feel about each otehr personally.

Q: What percentage of youth, by race, are in AP classes? What percentage are in alternative schools–and what is an alternative school, exactly?

A: I’ll have to get those figuesres for the first questionl. The alternative schools are designed to provide a different route for children–but most of them of filled with children who “misbehave” in school. The only truly alternative school, in my opioni, we have is the Metropolitan, where we have the accelerated learning programs–the graduation rate is really high ther, and I’m proud of that program. But at Southwest, the majoirity of them are African-American males–the same at Franklin. I’m concerned that we don’t put the appropirate personnele in those school.

Q: Woul dyou share with us the thought process that went into the buyout, rather than airing the concerns you had about Dr. Brooks?

A: First, we were reperesnted by counsel, and his expereience led him to make the suggestiong to us to make the buyout. He indicated to us that it may be a long process, that D.rl Brooks attorney’s could keep appealing, and that two years later we might be in the same position. I got calls from scitizens encouraging that buyout.

Q: Could you say something about the process for finding a new superintendent?

A: The board will make a decisions about the process–in the past, we;’ve had a search firm submit resumes of applications, after they did the initioal screening. I don’t know what the board will do in this case. We will have to have an interim–this i snot a good time to do a search to have someone here for August. We’ll discuss this tonight at our board meeting. I want a superintendent who’s had some experience in an urban setting, who’s got good communication skills, and good leadership shills.

Q: Who have you talked to about the interim posttion.

A: I haven’t talked to haanyone.

Q: I think the question about the disparity–what is the cause of the disparity in AP CLASSES, and how do we get more educated black stduents in there.

A: We have to satrt in elementary–I wasnt to reduced class sizes to 15-18 students in K-3. We’ll save money on alternative programs, becasue students will learn to read and do math. One middle-school prinicpal told me recently she we eleimnating regular classes– that all her classes would beAP classes . We hve to have high expectations, to expect that our students can learn.

Q: Good teachers prodcued good students–how do you produce good teachres?

A: We have to start somewhere–I have to say we start in the elementary grades.

Q: You’ve seen superintendents come and go–is it unusual to buy out a contract?

A: It’s done in school systems, and in other areas.

q: You said there’ division on the board. Can we trust the board to come together for the good of our children? I address that toyou, and to Miss Fox, who’s on the board.

A: I can only speak for Katherine. I’m willing to work with everyone on the board.

{Arkansawyer} And that’s a wrap. I’ll neaten this up later, and try t o link to the text of Dr. Mitchell’s statement, if available–don’t expect that I got it perfectly right.