Musical chairs and a wanna be Panther

The sand and wind are moving at warp speed creating tornado-like systems. Chairs were set out in a circle and the players went around while the music played. When the song stopped and the lights turned on, Dr. Valerie Wanza was seated in the acting Chief of Staff chair, Ernie Lozano was returned to his seat as Director of Behavior Threat Assessments, Dr. Ted Toomer plopped down in the seat as Associate Superintendent that Dr. Wanza vacated, and Michael Walker will be seated in two seats. You all remember Walker.  He is the Executive Director over Professional Learning, who didn’t apply for the job nor interview for the job and admits he knows nothing about the job. Well, Ol Peter is reporting that he is about to learn or be dragged out into public view. It was reported that he relied heavily on the skills of the directors beneath him. Now that Toomer is gone to be Acting Associate Superintendent, Walker gets to do the Director job that Toomer vacated.

Interim Superintendent Earlean Smiley promised to restore the district back to what she once knew and loved and the Street Detective thinks she has gotten off to a good start.

Ol Peter was a silent observer Monday night during a one hour and 55-minute segment of Race and the Races. Host, Sandra Cherfrere left no sand grains unblown as she pounded away at the District 5 Board member, Jeff Holness.  While her co-host, Narnike Pierre Grant, treaded lightly in the sand, Cherfrere left a path of footprints in the dirt that won’t readily be washed away. Ol’ Peter sleuthed from the active comments in the thread, Holness is in deep trouble come 2024. The Detective will be surprised if he can make it to a second term.

The over 200 comments during the two-hour segment were very unkind to Holness and his decision to reinstate the former superintendent, Vickie Cartwright, after she had been fired by the previous Board. Holness defended himself and used process and fear of a lawsuit to substantiate his decisions. Cherfrere, an attorney by trade, went straight to cross with her questions, often using Holness’s own words to trap him. She pointed out that he wanted to not “waste time” yet he then wanted to “waste time” by interviewing candidates whose resumes were clearly substandard to those of Smiley and Wanza. She told him that that in itself was not efficient.

Holness referred to those who wanted Cartwright released as being emotional.  Cherfrere pointed out the inappropriateness around referring to Black people, specifically his constituents in District 5 seeking justice as emotional. She pointed out that the word is offensive and appears to devalue them as being unreasonable in their cry for justice. She gave him a replacement word, PASSIONATE.

The Detective raised an eyebrow when Cherfrere advised Holness to not just accept compliments but reflect on criticisms. Holness talked about graduating from Dillard High School and being accused of not being a “real panther”. The Detective was surprised to hear him say that he ignores these critics. Again, Cherfrere schooled him on not taking things personally and peeling back the layers to determine why someone would say he is not a real panther.  She questioned what attributes and characteristics are understood to reside in Real Panthers and what is it that Holness is doing or saying that makes them strip him of his Panther rights.

Pete is told that this episode of Race and the Races had the most viewers of any show in their two-year history, and the engagement via comments from the viewers was the most active of any of their shows.

Noticeable attendees included: State Senator, Dr. Rosalind Osgood; District 1 Board member, Daniel Foganholi; Sun Sentinel Education News Reporter, Scott Travis; Westside Gazette Publisher, Bobby Henry; Former District 5 Candidates, Antonio Burgess, Ruth Carter Lynch and Jimmy Witherspoon; Pompano Strong President, Kimberly Burke-Mohorne; District 5 Advocate, Areatha Wimberly; Citizens Concerned about our Children President, Amy Shield and a host of others.

Both Cherfrere and Pierre-Grant represent Holness on district committees, ESE advisory and Diversity. Nothing Ol’ Pete can write in these sands can do Cherfrere’s performance justice. Visit the Facebook page of Race and the Races and watch the episode with Holness.

Pete’s last bit of news in-volves the revolving accusations of “double dipping” by the Broward Teachers Union. It appears that President Anna Fusco may be getting paid double for the district’s troubles, but she has now negotiated for her teachers to get double.  A letter from Susan Cooper, the director of Employee Relations went out last week to explain that teachers would be paid $55 per hour to cover for teachers who are absent and a substitute teacher is not available. Even teachers like reading coaches can be paid this $55 per hour. So, if a reading coach takes on a class because a substitute doesn’t show up, they get their regular check plus $55 for each hour they are in the class.  They are not doing their own work, but is being paid double for their troubles of sitting in a classroom being a substitute teacher. Like their president, they will be paid double. Ol’ Pete is scratching where it doesn’t itch and completing the application to become a teacher. Yes, Teachers should be paid more money; however, is this double dipping legal? Someone should ask Cherfrere to look into this.

The Detective continues to drag these sands and will be sure to bring all measures and treasures dug up to you, the reader.