If you steal from the state, if you steal from students, if
you try to cheat the system—eventually it will catch up to you and the wrongs
will be righted.
So it is with some satisfaction that now we see another
person involved in the Newpoint Charter Schools fiasco get sentenced tojail. Good—that is a good outcome. Rip
off teachers, steal money from kids, you deserve to go to jail so far as I’m
concerned.
But that is an outcome that almost didn’t happen…and it
happened too late for the taxpayers (the school got bonuses for BOGUS test
scores before the whole thing tumbled down on them…) and it happened too late
for many students that were subjected to that school and all of its spectacular
dysfunction for far too long to keep negative headlines out of the press.
As a staunch school-choice and charter school supporter—it is
and was somewhat ironic that I was the board member that received the
whistle blower’s complaint and ACTUALLY did something with the information. If I had not blown this up—my prediction is
that Newpoint would still be operating in Escambia County today. Sad, right?
I won’t rehash how it all went down-but there are a few of
us that know the whole truth. For those that want to know the truth about how
it went down, and what the Judge meant when he referred to “misfeasance” by
public officials in his sentencing yesterday—I’d suggest the following blog posts (here
here here here here and here) as a primer. You'll get the flavor if you read them.
The nefarious conduct at Newpoint was being actively swept
under the rug by district staffers at the behest of the superintendent’s office
throughout 2014 and into early 2015.
That is a fact, and it is also factual that multiple staff members told
me this point blank: “We were told NOT
to tell the school board about all the problems at Newpoint.” (these employees and the Newpoint Whistle Blower were the heroes of this story—they risked their jobs by telling me and doing
the right thing)
I made the decision to unilaterally report the misconduct to
the State Attorney’s Office, over the strenuous objections of the
Superintendent, when I went to his office to confront him about the
accusations. He told me I was
wrong. “You are making a mistake –you are wrong!” he yelled.
Here’s the thing, though.
I was right, and he was wrong. He
was a part of the problem and he is
fortunate in many respects that other aspects of that MESS were not investigated. He is fortunate that the investigators looked at other things..... ( I told the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth under oath to the state attorney and their investigators.)
fortunate in many respects that other aspects of that MESS were not investigated. He is fortunate that the investigators looked at other things..... (
But what does this all mean now, three and a half years later?
Well it means a couple of things. First off—yes, just as I predicted early on,
this ended careers and folks were arrested for this situation—at least three
thus far (one teacher and two Newpoint Employees)
Secondly: We just had an historic outcome when the voters of Escambia County finally, at long last, voted to end the Boss Hogg, King Superintendent throwback model of electing superintendents of school locally. That is a huge victory that was improbable according to many.
Secondly: We just had an historic outcome when the voters of Escambia County finally, at long last, voted to end the Boss Hogg, King Superintendent throwback model of electing superintendents of school locally. That is a huge victory that was improbable according to many.
I pushed for this outcome in this election, wrote editorials
and blog posts. Others stepped up big and put money into the effort—but the people that voted made this happen. Many teachers and administrators (current and
former) familiar with the cronyism and the petty politics of the elected “regime”
went into their polling places and voted YES for the appointed model. I spoke to MANY of these employees.
The Newpoint fiasco was a part of the reason
this happened. People read about
that. People read about the board being
left in the dark purposely—people didn’t like that.
And now that we will finally have a Superintendent that will
answer to and be accountable to the School Board (as it should have been long
ago)…I predict the school board will NEVER again be kept purposely in the dark
by whomever it is that holds the Superintendent job going forward. Never again will this happen without
immediate ramifications and consequences.
And this is a good thing.
I also predict that school board elections will now become
more competitive and more widely scrutinized by the electorate, which will
inspire even more and highly qualified candidates to run for these positions,
which is a great thing!
Now all the School Board needs to do is start the search for
Escambia County’s first Appointed Superintendent because there won't be an election for superintendent in 2020--which I know leaves some crestfallen...But it was never going to be a slam dunk that the anointed successor would walk into that job. It would have been a contested election that would have been vigorously fought--and that guy would have lost in the end anyway, in my estimation and according to the only poll numbers that were put out on that race. Nobody was going to just walk into that job, no matter who it was that wanted it, no matter who it was that was pushing. Nobody. It would have been bloody carnage, and in the end the guy who wins elections and knows how to win and has a proven track record of winning--yeah, that guy would have won, that's my prediction.
But it's all a moot point now.
But it's all a moot point now.
So, because this is the last elected superintendent ever here locally, the school board should start the recruitment effort right away, and as soon as
they go through that process and find their ideal candidate, the School Board
of Escambia County should make that switch sooner rather than later. They don’t have to wait until the end of2020 to do it—they could, like Marion County is considering, do it immediately.
4 comments:
Thank you as always. Your links back to other blog posts aren't working, FYI. We appreciate your leadership in all areas of Escambia government.
Wow! I don't want Boss Hogg after me. But you, you don't care. That's why I voted for you. Give em hell Bergosh.
Thanks Anonymous. I fixed the two links that were not working. They all work now :)
To anonymous 11:28 exactly Jeff Bergosh is brave and appreciated. I quietly follow his links and comments and blogs and learn a lot about things in the county many are too afraid to speak out about due to "boss hogg" and others with large ink wells.
As far as anonymous comments that is free speech and we hope you Bergosh will protect that. Don't do like the PNJ reporter. She was a criminal but Bergosh, please stand tall and fight back for us, like you did against the sheriff department last summer.
Your actions help break though and past the ones who think they are above reproach. You stand up against the bullies and do the right thing.
Yours and Northescambia allowing the anonymous comments gives a better perspective. Don't let anyone push you to do otherwise. Stand firm. Some can't control the message like they want to anymore.
Free Speech
I would vote for you or support you if you are the next appointed superintendent. Escambia needs more like you in roles of Leadership.
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