Our own esteemed Ricardo J. "Rico" Matthews wrote a letter to the editor and it has been published in this week's 'Watchman'. Here is the text from that letter. We have officially made his letter OUR Mission Statement. Well said, Rico. Well said. We applaud you and look to you as our example of making our community inhabitable for all:
"I would like to take this opportunity to express my concern and discontent with East Feliciana Parish and its school system. To see the place where I lived as a kid and became a man become basically the mockery of the state in many ways is unacceptable. The citizens deserve better and as taxpayers, should be afforded the opportunity to live in a prudent society. I often return home and have never forgotten the good and the bad things of the Great Clinton, Louisiana. While there I can’t help but humor myself by relating to the movie “Groundhog Day”. Time has passed and things have stayed the same. To some that may be good - for the majority, it is a horrible thing. I’ve come to the conclusion that change and modernization is something that is not very welcome here for many obvious reasons, for the few that benefit from the oppressive state of living here. The town has not grown economically, quality of life has diminished, education has become laughable, and elected officials now seem to be blind to the facts or just blatantly disregarding their duties. The community has become content with hopelessness and also tends to be very apolitical, at the least.
The East Feliciana School system is statistically one of the worst in the state, but it seems that the superintendent and school board members saw the need to test out a four day school week. I like change, but thought out change. A prime example of not giving thought is when the board votes for the purchase of an expensive building which ends up being unable to be utilized for its purpose. In a parish with financial difficulties this is unacceptable. Now they are in the process of considering a school consolidation, which may not be a bad thing, but the other considerations are ludicrous. Slaughter wants their own school system and that’s fine, but they should not expect any funds, buildings etc. from the budget of EFP. It seems to me that the people in favor of the Slaughter charter are acting in sort of an elitist manner. Actually it would be more beneficial if they were to consolidate and close the elementary in Slaughter, being it only has 300 or so students, and they will have to come to the Clinton High school anyway or go to a private school. That would save millions of dollars and free up many more resources. One parish, one school, one budget will simplify it all.
Elected officials have had a pass long enough. They have accepted the political office of choice for years without oversight of any kind. Most of the offices held are held by either affluent folks of old wealth or their friends. It's really unfair to the citizens for the way of life their elected officials provide them. It's partially the citizens' fault for their apolitical stands and interests. They prey on the idea of having things voted upon, knowing that only a fraction of the citizens will even vote. That’s not their fault, but what is their fault is once elected, you have a duty to the citizens to carry out the duties of that office to the fullest and do what is best for the majority and not the privileged. I don’t see anyone soliciting business to the town to create commerce as well as tax generating entities. You must be creative and strive to keep up with technology and promote a positive environment for outside sources to want to come there. When this is not done, it shows that you all don’t care about the future and the livelihoods of others. Its bad enough that they have a four day school week, but what is really bad is the children are not even provided an adequate place for recreation that is safe and updated. I know there are funds at the state and federal level available to provide these things. Think about this - there are seven days in a week and for four of those, they are in school and for three of them, they are not. That’s nearly half the time they have nothing to keep them occupied, leaving them with time to do silly, juvenile delinquent things. This leads to them getting in the system and once that happens, we all know the statistics show no promise after that. The police should be doing community type policing, meaning using some restraint on being so quick to arrest and ruin their lives on such petty things and be more of a mentor and let them know this is your warning.
I believe the citizens of the parish deserve better public services. I also believe the citizens must begin to hold their officials accountable too. It's time to stop being so apolitical and use the power that you have as a people and vote for what you believe in. Talking about what is and isn’t right is not good enough. Elected officials volunteer for their office and expect opposition - that’s the American way. I think you would be surprised at the amount of positive change that can occur if you were to become involved in community politics, being that they directly affect your livelihood. I challenge all parents to become partners with your kids' teachers and become a winning team, because that is our future and in order to know right, they must see right. We must stop accepting the blatant disregard of rules and laws and acts of buffoonery by our children and lead by example. Give your child praise constantly and they will believe in themselves. East Feliciana has some of the purest people I have ever met and with that said, they deserve better."
Ricardo J. Matthews
Clinton High “91”
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Consolidation Plan
E. Feliciana School Board rejects consolidation plan
By JAMES MINTON
Advocate Baker - Zachary bureau
Published: Jan 6, 2010 - Page: 5B
SLAUGHTER — The East Feliciana Parish School Board turned down a consolidation plan offered by the superintendent Tuesday in response to a request from the majority of the board last month.
Members Leon “Sonny” Franklin, board President J. Curtis Jelks, Tony Rouchon and Matthew Peterson voted to accept Superintendent Douglas Beauchamp’s proposal.
Mitch Harrell, Willie M. Jackson, Richard Terrell, Beth Dawson, Oliver Wingfield, Clay Barksdale and Michael Bradford voted against the idea.
Board member Henry C. Howell was absent.
A year ago, a majority voted to table a plan that Beauchamp presented in several meetings around the parish, often before hostile crowds.
The earlier plan called for consolidating Clinton and Jackson high schools on the Jackson campus and consolidating the communities’ middle schools at Clinton High School.
Beauchamp’s new proposal — which was to consolidate the high schools in Clinton and the middle schools in Jackson, along with a ninth-grade academy — was couched in terms of an overall school-improvement plan.
Jackson, however, said the “school reform initiatives” in the document are steps administrators should have implemented years ago.
Rouchon responded that Beauchamp’s initiatives are being pushed in the school system.
Bradford, the most vocal opponent of consolidation, said the only difference between the two plans is that the new one “brings the high school from Jackson to Clinton, instead of from Clinton to Jackson.”
Responding to requests from Bradford last month, Beauchamp reported that organizers of a proposed charter school for seventh through 12th grades in Slaughter will have a meeting with U.S. District Judge James Brady on Jan. 14 to discuss how the proposed school would affect the parish’s long-standing desegregation order.
Beauchamp said the state Education Department has not responded to a request for information on how a charter school would affect the parish’s state finances.
Beauchamp also told Bradford he is not advocating trying to persuade voters to increase taxes to weather the board’s financial crisis.
By JAMES MINTON
Advocate Baker - Zachary bureau
Published: Jan 6, 2010 - Page: 5B
SLAUGHTER — The East Feliciana Parish School Board turned down a consolidation plan offered by the superintendent Tuesday in response to a request from the majority of the board last month.
Members Leon “Sonny” Franklin, board President J. Curtis Jelks, Tony Rouchon and Matthew Peterson voted to accept Superintendent Douglas Beauchamp’s proposal.
Mitch Harrell, Willie M. Jackson, Richard Terrell, Beth Dawson, Oliver Wingfield, Clay Barksdale and Michael Bradford voted against the idea.
Board member Henry C. Howell was absent.
A year ago, a majority voted to table a plan that Beauchamp presented in several meetings around the parish, often before hostile crowds.
The earlier plan called for consolidating Clinton and Jackson high schools on the Jackson campus and consolidating the communities’ middle schools at Clinton High School.
Beauchamp’s new proposal — which was to consolidate the high schools in Clinton and the middle schools in Jackson, along with a ninth-grade academy — was couched in terms of an overall school-improvement plan.
Jackson, however, said the “school reform initiatives” in the document are steps administrators should have implemented years ago.
Rouchon responded that Beauchamp’s initiatives are being pushed in the school system.
Bradford, the most vocal opponent of consolidation, said the only difference between the two plans is that the new one “brings the high school from Jackson to Clinton, instead of from Clinton to Jackson.”
Responding to requests from Bradford last month, Beauchamp reported that organizers of a proposed charter school for seventh through 12th grades in Slaughter will have a meeting with U.S. District Judge James Brady on Jan. 14 to discuss how the proposed school would affect the parish’s long-standing desegregation order.
Beauchamp said the state Education Department has not responded to a request for information on how a charter school would affect the parish’s state finances.
Beauchamp also told Bradford he is not advocating trying to persuade voters to increase taxes to weather the board’s financial crisis.
Looking For Savings
School Board looks for savings
By JAMES MINTON
Advocate Baker - Zachary bureau
Published: Dec 2, 2009 - Page: 5B
CLINTON — The East Feliciana Parish School Board doesn’t have enough money to pay its bills, and a board member suggested Tuesday the first place to begin budget-cutting is in the board room.
Superintendent Douglas Beauchamp said the board is counting on federal stimulus funds and budget cuts to weather a $1.2 million deficit this year, but funds are not immediately available for a “large number” of unpaid bills .
Member Matthew Peterson called for the board to cut its salaries, reduce the board from 12 to nine members and consolidate Jackson and Clinton high schools to save money.
The consolidation proposal, which was dropped last year, again drew opposition from Clinton member Michael Bradford, who claimed that any savings realized would be “pipelined directly to Slaughter,” where community activists are trying to form a charter school.
The board referred cutting members’ salaries to the Policy Committee, although Bradford, Peterson and board President J. Curtis Jelks said they are donating some of their salaries to the schools.
The board budgeted $80,000 for salaries this fiscal year.
Assistant District Attorney Mike Hughes said the board cannot reduce its membership until after population figures from the 2010 federal census are available.
“We have a School Board member for every 185 students. We’re top heavy in administrators, but the first place where we’re top heavy is in this room,” Peterson said in arguing for adoption of the Police Jury’s nine-member districting plan.
As for consolidating the high schools, Peterson said the only difference between East Feliciana and West Feliciana’s school systems “is what they did in the 1970s,” referring to West Feliciana and its one consolidated high school. The district has ranked second in the state for academic performance the past four years.
After a lengthy discussion, members Beth Dawson, Leon Franklin, Tony Rouchon, Peterson and Jelks advanced a motion to ask Beauchamp to submit a consolidation plan at the January meeting.
Bradford and Willie M. Jackson voted against the motion, Richard Terrell abstained and members Mitch Harrell, Oliver Wingfield and Henry Howell were absent. Member Clay Barksdale, a volunteer fire chief, was called from the meeting for an emergency before the vote.
By JAMES MINTON
Advocate Baker - Zachary bureau
Published: Dec 2, 2009 - Page: 5B
CLINTON — The East Feliciana Parish School Board doesn’t have enough money to pay its bills, and a board member suggested Tuesday the first place to begin budget-cutting is in the board room.
Superintendent Douglas Beauchamp said the board is counting on federal stimulus funds and budget cuts to weather a $1.2 million deficit this year, but funds are not immediately available for a “large number” of unpaid bills .
Member Matthew Peterson called for the board to cut its salaries, reduce the board from 12 to nine members and consolidate Jackson and Clinton high schools to save money.
The consolidation proposal, which was dropped last year, again drew opposition from Clinton member Michael Bradford, who claimed that any savings realized would be “pipelined directly to Slaughter,” where community activists are trying to form a charter school.
The board referred cutting members’ salaries to the Policy Committee, although Bradford, Peterson and board President J. Curtis Jelks said they are donating some of their salaries to the schools.
The board budgeted $80,000 for salaries this fiscal year.
Assistant District Attorney Mike Hughes said the board cannot reduce its membership until after population figures from the 2010 federal census are available.
“We have a School Board member for every 185 students. We’re top heavy in administrators, but the first place where we’re top heavy is in this room,” Peterson said in arguing for adoption of the Police Jury’s nine-member districting plan.
As for consolidating the high schools, Peterson said the only difference between East Feliciana and West Feliciana’s school systems “is what they did in the 1970s,” referring to West Feliciana and its one consolidated high school. The district has ranked second in the state for academic performance the past four years.
After a lengthy discussion, members Beth Dawson, Leon Franklin, Tony Rouchon, Peterson and Jelks advanced a motion to ask Beauchamp to submit a consolidation plan at the January meeting.
Bradford and Willie M. Jackson voted against the motion, Richard Terrell abstained and members Mitch Harrell, Oliver Wingfield and Henry Howell were absent. Member Clay Barksdale, a volunteer fire chief, was called from the meeting for an emergency before the vote.
CLICK HERE to read the complete the full case study from the NSF-Supported Delta Rural Systemic Initiative. This is the report that used our school system as a model - not because it was a positive model, but because it was consistently among the worst of the worst.
The study shed light on areas to be improved and gave interesting input, very little of which seems to have been put in place. Please take time to review this study.
HERE IS A SITE WHERE WE CAN AIR OUR COLLECTIVE FRUSTRATION & ANGER OVER WHAT HAS BEEN DONE TO THE EAST FELICIANA PARISH SCHOOL SYSTEM OVER THE YEARS. SYSTEMIC RACISM & CLASSISM HAS TAKEN ROOT & HAS ALLOWED SEVERAL AREA PRIVATE SCHOOLS TO RUIN OUR EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM FROM THE TIME OF INTEGRATION TO MODERN DAY. WE, THE ALUMNI, FRIENDS & FAMILY OF THE EAST FELICIANA PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM, HEREBY DEMAND ACCOUNTABILITY & ACTION FROM ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES & RESPONSIBILITY FROM PARENTS & OTHERS CLOSE TO OUR CHILDREN. WE WILL NO LONGER STAND IDLY BY WHILE THE POWERS THAT BE TREAT OUR CHILDREN AS SECOND CLASS CITIZENS, THEREBY RENDERING OUR PARISH AS HELPLESS AS A THIRD WORLD COUNTRY. PLEASE JOIN OUR FIGHT TO TAKE BACK OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM FROM THOSE WHO SHOULD HAVE A VESTED INTEREST, BUT FEEL THAT THEY DON'T BECAUSE IT DOES NOT DIRECTLY AFFECT THEM AT THE PRESENT TIME.
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