At a Muscle Shoals school board meeting tonight, Blake E. Jarmon was terminated. We're presenting a video of what occurred; this is the long version, but we believe the entire meeting should be viewed by any caring Muscle Shoals citizens:
We're particularly concerned that Principal Willingham told students not to tell their parents. A man who would hide that would hide anything...even his numerous DUIs...if he had any that is.
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Speaking of DUIs, the holidays are upon us, and we understand that police chiefs are giving rides to those too drunk to drive. Now that's service.
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We don't know if Blake Jarmon is guilty or innocent of the charges against him. What we do know is that if he's guilty, this was not handled in any decent manner. If innocent, Muscle Shoals has ruined this man's career in North Alabama, perhaps anywhere. Think about that.
Citizens of Muscle Shoals, you deserve better. Does the expression "Throw the bums out" mean anything to you?
Team Jarmon, Concerned Citizens of Muscle Shoals, Faculty and Staff of Muscle Shoals Schools, and anyone else with an interest to the happenings in the school system and the city...LISTEN AND LISTEN CLOSELY... whether you are for or against or have no opinion on Mr. Jarmon is beside the point that needs to be at the forefront of this debate! What has happened to Mr. Jarmon, right or wrong, is just the latest episode in what has been an ongoing problem in the Muscle Shoals School system under its current leadership, or lack there of. The speaker for Team Jarmon at last nights BOE meeting did a great job relaying the concerns from their team. But probably more importantly he asked some questions that have been asked in the past by other inquiring minds and to this day have never been answered. If you haven't already, YOU NEED TO WATCH THE VIDEO IN ITS ENTIRETY. When is Brian Lindsey going to be held accountable for his actions? When are the BOE members going to be forced to stop being yes men and women and start doing a part of their duty as paid board members and investigating all of these questions that have been posed by various concerned citizens about the direction the system is heading in and the handling of these situations? Some of these questions are reoccurring and deserve to be addressed. If this board is incapable, as I suspect it must be by its inaction, then it is time to evaluate the ones who appoint them...the Muscle Shoals City Council.
ReplyDeleteLook at the poor leadership in the Balentine domestic abuse incident, the Middle School Principle's Pandora Box incident, numerous faculty and staff incidents in just the last 2-3 years alone, and now the mishandling by Alan Willingham and his staff over Mr. Jarmon's incident and the continued handling of the incident by Lindsey with the attorneys! This list could go on and on and on....BUT there is one thing that is consistent...THE CLEAR LACK OF ORDER AND MANAGEMENT!! The disciplines, and in some cases better jobs, are handed out in a very disorderly and haphazard way. There is no rhyme or reason to any policy that is being followed. Each school seems to run independently of each other with no cohesion. Student handbook policies are interpreted different from school to school, personnel policies are interpreted different from school to school, etc.
What we are beginning to see as an end result of all of this chaos and mismanagement is the loss of good teachers and administrators, either willingly or unwillingly, being forced out by inept leadership in the schools with absolutely no guidelines or management from the Central Office. Great, proven, and dependable teachers are being replaced with teachers with very little or no experience in life or the classroom. Administrative jobs are being given to people because of who they know and not what they know. One does not have to go very far back in the hiring practices to discover this. Is it so Lindsey and his Court can "raise" them the way they want to? It sure does smell like that.
And last but definitely not least is who suffers the most....the students who grace the hallways of what once was a very striving school system. Those who should be the first priority in every decision made are unfortunately last. Was it always perfect? Never was and never will be. But if some action isn't taken and taken soon, what once was the crown jewel of Muscle Shoals will continue its drastic downward spiral until it becomes too late. What a shame. And the credit for all of this lies with the Muscle Shoals Board of Education and the ones who appointed them, the Muscle Shoals Mayor and City Council.
Got to go now...I think I see Dr. Willingham and Chief Reck directing traffic.
But I'll be back...