Good Judgment is Not Micro-Management

Our third and currently last installment on the Tuscumbia City School situation from a regular reader/contributor:

About two months ago the Administration of TCS allowed an unsupervised senior student campout on the grounds of Deshler. Unfortunately some students in attendance at the camp out vandalized the school. The teachers at DHS were rightly outraged. There was talk of calling off the 2011 DHS graduation. The Superintendent asked the School Board what would be the appropriate punishment for students at a regular school board meeting. Members of the School Board gave varying answers but the dominant theme was the Code of Student Conduct gives direction to the Administration for proper student punishment. The School Board pointed out that the Grievance policy gives any student or parent the right of appeal. This is an example of the Administration asking for micro-management and the Board on reflection pointing out that policy exists to handle the situation. This was not micro-management, just good management.

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It seems that the RSA will be out over 900 million in 2011 for its share of state retirement benefits. They predict a shortfall by 2023. Logically, ridding itself of some bad investments comes to mind as one solution, but who would want to purchase National Alabama? The alabaster pachyderm of Barton is fast approaching one billion dollars in costs, and no end is in sight. If you can think of someone who needs a mile long industrial facility located in the boondocks, please let us know and we'll pass it on to Dr. Bronner.

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To all residents of Lauderdale County: If you think your property tax is too high, by all means ask for a clarification. Do all that it takes to make it right. We greatly admire Danny Hendrix, but he does not do the actual appraisals. His staff, many untrained, do the appraisals of property in this county.

This brings us back to complaints that these positions are filled by those having only a GED or high school diploma. It's a "who you know" situation when it comes to jobs at the Lauderdale County Courthouse. Contact the Lauderdale County Commission and let them know how disappointed in them you are for allowing this to continue all these years. Property in Lauderdale isn't worth more, or much more, than in Colbert or Franklin Counties--it's just that we have no trained appraisers and apparently no board to mediate disputes. Let's try to change that, shall we?



Shoalanda