Passing Along the Problem

Mike I heard about this several weeks ago right after all the blogs were written about the student protest at the High School.  It was "second hand information" given by a Parent with a child in that school I know through business.  She told me that the teacher actually remained on as part of the faculty there for the remainder of that School year after the internal investigation was complete.  Since it was hearsay and I'd not heard anything about it in the news I've just kept what she said to myself. 

It was her opinion the Principal alone was responsible for that delayed reaction.  I believe this incident is nearly two years old if not more and it's more then a little odd why this is just now getting out to the public. 

I read the Folio story. It is very interesting and perhaps telling.

Here is the link for anyone interested in reading the full story:

http://www.altweeklies.com/alternative/AltWeeklies/Story?oid=oid%3A197527

Was there some fire amongst that smoke? Probably, but some of the young man's statements may be very telling about why the story is just now coming to light.

One thing I found interesting was the fact that he has some arrest warrants that can't be served because he disappeared right after talking to the school.

Why did they let her resign? Probably because they couldn't prove there was any impropriety. Kind of like why Duval let Wise resign.

If you don't get the real investigators (detectives) involved, rumor and speculation are no more than just that.  

Perhaps there is a lot more truth to some of the statements made in previous blogs about Principal Ward than some would like to admit. This doesn't seem to have been the best way to have handled a very sticky situation.

But then, we are only seeing the Folio Weekly side of the story. I like them, but they can stray a bit from center on occasion.

Finder

I imagine it is just now getting out to the public because Clay County media outlets do not want to report anything that happens in Clay other than "feel good fluff and stuff". That is why I, like OneMann, pick up a copy of the Folio Weekly each week.

Award winning writer Susan Clark Armstrong has long kept North Floridians apprised of the shenanigans of our local past politicians (Former Clerk of Court John Keene, Former Godfather-Sheriff John Hall, former Sheriff Scott Lancaster, his brother , former Commissioner Larry Lancaster, and former Commissioner Christy Fitzgerald, to name a few. Of course I can't leave out former County Manager Bob Wilson and former public works director Big Arhur Ivy. Gosh! I love that word---FORMER!!). Her writing can also be found in Fleming Island Messenger.

Her coverage of the School Board member Charles VanZant (absent too many times to count), Superintendent Owens, and Sam Ward (Principal of FIHS due to his good buddy status with Owens) has been noteworthy, too. The harassment of student Kelli Davis by Sam Ward and a faculty member was covered nationwide as a result of the cover story in Folio.

Many people wonder why Principal Ward remains the head of FIHS. As for me, I wonder why people keep electing David Owens and school board members over and over and over and over again. Are we all asleep at the ballot box?

OneMann, I, too , would prefer a "system and leadership within the system" that follows the law, protects our children, and does not brush the whole thing under the rug. With the 2008 election, there will be a chance to sweep away the old leadership, and not just brush the whole thing under the rug.

Kudos to Susie Armstrong. There's nothin' like a good expose to cleanse the soul.

You'd think that School District leadership would have used a case like this as a statement: Clay County DOES NOT tolerate abherrant behavior from its educators.

Period. Make her a shining example so that others are not encouraged to engage in a power-based abusive relationship with an underage minor. But no. It's an election year and we want everyone to believe that all is well in Happyville. You wait, that's what we're going to hear a lot about. All is well in Happyville.

There are several more "Good Buddies" who slide under the rug. How about the school principal who was allegedly arrested for driving under the influence and suspended for three days NOT because of the arrest but because - per policy - he failed to report the incident to the District. Evidently, the arrest took place in another county and was hidden for a period of time. If it had been a non-buddy, I don't think we be talking about whether or not a broomstick was used here.

I've known some teachers at FIHS who have had to "put up" with students over the years who have been visibly "high" and been told by the principle to "just get them (the student) through." They've been this way the past few years at FIHS, sounds like he doesn't want to deal with the consequences in calling these kids and parents to responsibility and expell them if necessary. Sad thing is, they've lost some good teachers because of poor leadership there. I wouldn't send my child there unless the leadership changes. Can't wait to vote! How about swapping with Clay High principle? 

I'm a little surprised about some of the information and comments I'm seeing here. From the tone of some bloggers back when we were discussing the FIHS student protest I would expect to see a lot of people up in arms about denigrating their beloved principal.

You remember the protest right? The one where the students were all spoiled brats that needed a strong leader? One that knew the principles of being the one in command and all the subordinates were supposed to march lock step to his drum?

It seems like there may be some cracks in that leadership. But hey, what we don't know won't hurt us. Right? There won't be any changes in leadership at this or any other school until there are major changes to the school board. 

Finder

The “Island” residents would hemorrhage if the principal from CHS was placed in-charge. He is a no non-sense administrator. Most principals protect the image of their school at any cost. This is one of the reasons you seldom hear anything negative out of the school system. It’s like being at Disney, nothing bad happens at Disney.  They clean it up fast and take it under ground in the tunnel to deal with the situation.

Key2life mentioned an incident where an administrator failed to report an arrest. All school board employees and subcontractors are required by the Jessica Lunsford Law to have their finger prints entered into the Live Scan Finger Print System. I am not sure if employees hired prior to this law taking effect had to submit their prints but all new employees are printed in this system instead of the traditional card system. This year all law enforcement officers in the state had to submit to a Live Scan application regardless of your hire date. If you are printed in this system and you are arrested it automatically notifies the original submitter there has been an arrest and the charge. No more hiding. Each jail in the state has a Live Scan and your prints are rolled electronically now. No more ink and card systems in our state.

The Florida Dept of Education (fdoe) is liberal in revoking the teaching certificates of educators. I have assisted in some of their investigations where they decided to not take action or give the educator probation and other sanctions, when there should have been a decertification. In the law enforcement side of administrative hearings by the FDLE Criminal Justices Standards Training Commission, any arrest will get your certification revoked for a period of time. A first time DUI arrest will result in a 6-12 month suspension and mandated counseling course.  A felony arrest you can forget ever getting your certification back. Maybe they should hold educators to the same standard.

To use the kid's vernacular these days - 'drama'

The Folio is interesting reading,  I always enjoy her writing.  It is not necessarily objective, she makes FIHS sound like a unique peyton place school.  I have news for her, drugs exist in every school and in fact I would venture a guess that FIHS has no higher rate than any other school in Clay County, as well as their own drama.   Heck, there is another school in clay county where one of the football coaches married one of the graduates as soon as she graduated, what a fast courtship huh?

But the most affluent school is going to be a target for those kind of generalizations, just like the generalizations that all Middleburg students go to school barefoot and live in double wides and all Clay HS students have rebel flags on their trucks, all OPHS students are in gangs, and all Ridgeview students are well - boring geeks.

Regarding the teacher, there is a definite double standard.  If this was a male teacher, he would be rotting in a jail with leg irons awaiting trial.  Which is exactly where she should be.

Regaring the CHS principal going to FIHS (Magnum's comment above), yea right - that is the same principal who sidestepped his whole infidelity episode with a fellow administrator.  He hides out at CHS biding his time which is where he needs to stay. 

This FIHS episode will pass - her career is over as well it should be.  If things were not handled properly, hopefully people will be punished, whether it is the principal or whomever.  Hopefully she will pay the criminal penalty as well for what she did to this student, and who knows if she harmed others as well. 

Folio's target audience is young people with disposable income.  In Clay County, the densest congregation of that demographic is Fleming Island.

When Clay High kids trade in their Confederate flags and pickups for BMWs and illuminati decals, Middleburg High students show off their Guccis in the hallways between classes while inviting everyone to see their new mansion with indoor-outdoor pool, and those poor Ridgeview kids finally start dating on Friday nights, Folio's primary readership is going to remain Fleming Island.  That means Folio, by reporting some of the seedier happeniings at FIHS, is serving its readership.

As far as the double-standard of teacher ethics based on gender, that's something that needs to be addressed by the School District in a system-wide way to ensure that differences in ethical standards are not based on genetalia.

Key said it wonderfully earlier.  The administration at Fleming Island High School and at the School Board had a chance to make a statement about what will not be tolerated in our school system.  It chose, instead, to condone elicit behavior, cover it up, then reward it with another job in Duval County.

Sure, stuff happens at every school that leaves a less than savory taste in the mouth.  Unfortunately, the people in those areas do not provide dense populations that will support Folio Weekly's advertisers.  Too bad, too, or we'd be reading about those other schools, because Folio is the only media (style aside) willing to devote any resources to in-depth coverage of Clay County.

Michael S. Mann

I’m not saying there are not problems at FIHS.   My only point was – and I do like her writing style – is she made it sound like FIHS is unique and it is not.  Her words,

 “Despite its sleek good looks and privileged student body, however, the school has had its share of problems. Drug use, vandalism and behavioral issues are considered rampant even by students,… Others -- including teachers -- frequently refer to the school as Fleming Island Pharmacy, a nod to students' affinity for illegal substances.”  She also stated, “Clay County Superintendent David Owens approved pouring millions of extra dollars into the design of the school.”   

But – she is the writer, and if she wants to put in her opinion laced with adjectives, great, I still enjoy her writing.  My only point is that when read by the general populace, she paints FIHS as Clay County’s Bourbon Street replete with grandiose architecture. 

I agree with you on the inaction of FIHS and CCSB administration.  From what I have read and heard, the administration missed the mark on this one.  If nothing else, an immediate suspension with pay or reassignment to a desk job to get her away from students should have been done at the first evidence of misdeed. 

The question now is whether the Times Union will pick up on the story or stay away from it since Folio did it first.  And since there are all those affluent FI residents who buy the paper, seems like a slam dunk they would run with the story. 

Or will we instead read about the FFA judges being paid off, to give fair time to the south part of the county?

CCC and OneMann,

I guess its years in the reporting business that draws me to some cynical conclusions because I've watched people make poor decisions in relation to the media...

First CCC, no, I do not think the T-U will pick up the story because the Folio did it first. The T-U did not pick up the Van Zant debacle after the Folio published a pretty credible story which was corraberated by a viable witness. The T-U has a habit of ignoring anything that comes out of the Folio. And that's unfortunate. However, if the Folio continues to push and expose elements of Clay life, maybe they'll be inclined to research their own story and publish. The mission of MCS is not indicative of providing in-depth journalism. It's not that they don't want to, it's just not in their mission statement. The only way a story of this magnitude would have had a chance of being revealed to the public was if someone had spoken about it (citizen's card) at an open meeting. (My opinion.)

It's been my experience that in situations like the FIHS handling of Ms. Porter's employment, its student body, the educators and parents of the school would have been better served if there had been a concerted effort from the Public Relations department to bring as much detail and fact to the public as it could. In that way, they could have controlled the information flow and reduced some of the sensational elements of the story.

At this point, because of this venue and others, the story will not receive the balanced treatment it deserves (this is not swipe at the Folio but an outside observation). The story will build and grow until it doesn't hold the shape of truth to it. (It's like the link to the nude pictures of Ms. Porter that ended up on the blog this morning.)

I think the lesson here is for school adminstrators and district officials. When they treat their public as a mature body, then they'll start earning our respect. Until then, they've earned our juxtaposition of cycism and distrust.