TKC EXCLUSIVE AND THE SATURDAY NIGHT PLAYLIST!!! EASTSIDE SPARK BOOKHART SCHOOL BOARD SLATE THREATENS PROGRESS!!!
With all this empty talk of Kansas City, Missouri School District "right-sizing" I've noticed that the mainstream media hasn't been very interested in what's really going on with the District at the grassroots level.
Behind the scenes, a great many people are curious, suspicious and skeptical of a slate of candidates touted by former Kansas City Obama organizer Spark Bookhart.
The slate consists of Marilyn Simmons (incumbent), Linwood Tauheed, Cokethea Hill (incumbent) amd Kenneth Hughlon. Behind the scenes their main argument for staying in power seems to be vague and mostly based on the hope that voters won't question their stance beyond a mere shared racial identity. Real Talk:
THE SPARK BOOKHART SCHOOL DISTRICT SLATE IS THE SAME KIND OF ALL BLACK POLITICALLY DRIVEN TICKET THAT HAS RUN THE DISTRICT INTO THE GROUND FOR MORE THAN A GENERATION!!!
If these politicos had kind of competence to promote other than political connections across the City they haven't noted or said as much so far.
Even worse . . .
WORD IS THAT SPARK BOOKHART & CO ARE CHAMPIONING A "SUCCESS CIRCLE" THAT CHARGES $10 A PERSON TO JOIN A MEETING THAT ENDS WITH A PLEDGE TO VOTE A STRAIGHT TICKET!!!
This kind of campaign scheme speaks to the worst part of old Kansas City ward-based politics and what the mainstream media hasn't reported is that it's working wonders.
Accordingly, it's the antics of Bookhart & Co make me skeptical of any so-called progress made by Superintendent Covington. At the end of the day, if Marilyn Simmons and her cronies remain in power than no matter what shape or size the district takes, it will still be marked by corruption, cronyism, incompetence and failure. While so many people write-off the Eastside they fail to realize that the fate of the Kansas City School District really resides with this community and the hope they won't buy into the same old cowtown politics as usual.
Additionally, from my perspective it seems that this group is also dedicated to denying any Latino representation despite the fact that 25% of students in the District share a Hispanic heritage.
And again, it looks like Simmons & Bookhart are making tremendous progress under the radar so much so that School Board election results will seem remarkably similar to a great many people and so much hope will undoubtedly evaporate once this old school political strategy out maneuvers so many newbie candidates who don't know how Kansas City's neighborhood political really works.
###################
To wit, tonight's playlist has been inspired by undercover political maneuvers and yet another long lasting reign of political cronyism over yet another Kansas City Institution.
As always, thank you for reading this week and have a safe and fun weekend.
I am worried to about the simmons slate.
ReplyDeleteBut her candidates have not been attending any of the candidate forums. The newbie candidates have been showing up everywhere. They seem to be working hard. Problem is we have 4 good at large candidates, but only 2 slots.
There is a real chance that the 4 newbie candidates get the most votes, but they split the vote so simmons' slate wins.
It would be good for us all if two of the newbie candidates dropped out and threw their support to the other two.
Why not use instant-runoff voting? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Instant-runoff_voting
ReplyDeleteI seem to remember you saying SPARK was the hope for KC politics Tony?
ReplyDeleteSpark was always a pretender next to Chris Moreno. All the Obama organization was just living off the scraps of the Nixon Campaign in 2008.
ReplyDelete1030 Even Moreno would find that comment lame.
ReplyDeletebbw bisexual personals black [url=http://loveepicentre.com/]problems with online dating services[/url] dating year anger back friend invited involved tip woman groups http://loveepicentre.com/ adult dating personals
ReplyDeleteHow r u? your website is nice
ReplyDeleteTake a look at that cool emo song:
http://tinyurl.com/9tqcum
youth dating prayer [url=http://loveepicentre.com/]jewish dating web site[/url] african american singles http://loveepicentre.com/ boston singles events
ReplyDeleteSparks has sputtered... done nothing to help this city and only works to further the agenda that has hired him.
ReplyDeleteIf the Eastside community sits idly by and allows this slate to win the upcoming election, then it serves it right for the KCMSD to finish going down in flames.
ReplyDeleteIf they really want to improve student performance, regain accreditation, increase enrollment numbers and attract new students to the district, then voters should elect board members who are not tied to special interest groups and who are not trying to maintain the status quo. The status quo has been crippling the district for the past three decades. Its time to do something different.
The goals of the board should not be to line the pockets of their friends and families, but to provide the best education to the students that will enable them to excel in college and to compete in a competitive workforce.
The board should be abolished altogether or at least have new board members elected who sincerely have the best interests of students at heart.
If any candidate running possesses the education and experience to serve on that school board, it is Rose Bell. She was my academic advisor at UMKC. Ms. Bell has been at UMKC for over 20 years and has never viewed students as numbers and genuinely wanted everyone to do well during the years I attended the University. Had it not been for her, I wouldn't have graduated from undergrad, let alone grad school.
As a matter of fact, either Rose Bell or Airick Leonard West should be school board president. I say Mr. West because he seems dedicated to doing all that he can to help KCMSD students succeed. He actually cares about the education and well-being of the "scholars." I have never known any board member to do half as much as West has done during his brief time on the board.
School personnel should learn to not treat the kids like students instead of inmates.
Bus companies should stop hiring pedophiles and drunk drivers. Bus drivers and monitors should stop allowing kids to sexually harass, fondle and fight one another on the buses and stop letting little babies off at the wrong stops and leaving them unattended on empty buses for hours on end.
Children under the age of 12 should never have to walk more than two blocks to a bus stop or to school. There should always be crossing guards at busy intersections and high traffic areas near schools for at least two hours first thing in the morning and during the evening to ensure the safety of the children.
And finally, if there is not at least one Latino elected to serve on that board this time around, I hope that the state takes over the district or investigates any improprieties and conflicts that exist among any school board members.
Bottom line is that the KCMSD is dying and only radical and substantial changes are needed in order to save it.
Correction: I meant to type that "school personnel should learn to treat children as students instead of inmates."
ReplyDeleteexcellent point.
ReplyDeleteI was told that 30% of the student body population is bilingual, but yet the district has less than 10 bilingual teachers.
ReplyDeleteHey,
ReplyDeletejust passing by from Ohio. Single mother, enjoys talking and watching movies and TV Series.
Hello to all!!
Moreno and Nixon kept Obama in striking distance in Missouri. Withouth Moreno and Nixon, Obama would have lost Missouri buy 15 points.
ReplyDeleteHi, my Aunt was diagnosed with Mesothelioma about a pair of weeks ago, she is not doing okay and her family unit goes to pursue the matter in court against the insurance company of her former employer. I'm curious how mesothelioma settlements work as a result of I understand they would a lot of rather settle than move to court and pay out all that cash in legal fees. Are there completely different varieties of damages that may be awarded?
ReplyDeleteThere are several good board members that should be president of the school board...
ReplyDeleteAs for the "team"/slate and the other four At-Large candidates we need look no further than yesterday's debate to see which two candidates should drop out and endorse the other two. You had two candidates taking on the whole slate while the other two sat back and let the lies of the slate roll by with out question. We need folks who will stand and fight not lie down and go quietly into the night.
Tauheed is sex partners with Sharon Sanders Brooks (yeah... gross. I know)my guess is that he also wants to be like his bunkmate who is also fucking the citizens of the 3rd district out of a future by doing nothing. Together, if both elected, they will maintain a sick, incestuous, sexual stranglehold on the poor peoples of central kansas city. Those people in charge of the schoold district and the incumbents at city hall all need to be thrown out on their asses. Start over end of story
ReplyDeleteGreat post, Tony. Though I'm not in the KCMO school district, I've watched these moves with great trepidation and skepticism. I appreciate and agree with your point of view on this one.
ReplyDeletethe fact is, Tony, all your "the world is coming to an end" rantings get tiresome.
ReplyDeleteAll your capitalization and bold letters and exclamation points just weaken you and your points.
But you don't know that, apparently.
And/or don't get it.
Really, you and your blog get to wearing your readers out. Everything with you is a catastrophe.
Once in a while you serve a good purspose, like today when you pointed out Crosby Kemper III's statement about Russ Cirquefield but everything else with you is som big face calamity.
I'm over you, Tony.
We're breaking up.
Keep the ring.
Good job Tony reporting on this.
ReplyDeleteWhere is Kansas City going to be with the number of schools bing closed? Education is for the future of Kansas City. All of these schools closings are the result of mismanagement....fire the manager ... don't make the children suffer.
If you want more crime in a crime infested city then close schools.
ReplyDeleteIf you want to know the real NEWS come here.. Tony's got it right he reports the news. TKC is the best place to come if you want the truth of what's happening in KC.
ReplyDeleteTKC tells it like it is.
Go Tony Go !
ReplyDeleteSpark is a joke. Talking all that shit he was going to D.C. to work for Obama...we all see how that worked out.
ReplyDeleteSimmons is a crook who is a puppet for Ajamu Webster and his ACE School cronies. Tauheed shamed UMKC into giving him a job, while holding the race card threat over their heads. Hill is a Spark wannabe and can't think for herself.
If these pathetic low-lifes get voted in, then KC deserves what they get. The tragedy in all of this is that all the children (black, latino, asian, and the few whites left) continue to get an education that isn't worth a damn.
I'm glad to see that Covington has called them out and has called this district out. It's only a matter of time until they get rid of him too....
could crime get any worse in kansas city? we need a new police chief. how many more rapes and murders do we need?
ReplyDeleteAnd wer'e racist?.... Show a picture of a black guy speaking, all the sudden it's Jay-Z, Jeezy, and Ludacris.
ReplyDeleteSparks is a very bad punchline to a joke.
ReplyDeleteYou know I'm tired of the Afrikan vs everbody else that goes on on this blog. Its clear that Tony won't be happy until the whole city is overrun with illegals like chicago. Look we have an Afrikan centered school and it does well. It educates and the Students succeed and people hate to see "educated niggers" to bad because you won't be able to take this away from us. I know your upset because you hate to see us doing good. Well we're doing great and will continue to do so. I will keep brother Spark and the rest in my prayers.
ReplyDeleteWork for Obama in DC? Yeah right. Spark is an amatuer David Axelrod. He wanted to claim victory for helping Obama win Missouri so badly, but we see how that turned out. Had the campaign actually hired someone qualified and experienced instead of stupid Spark Bookhart, the results would have been much different. The man is a loser and any candidate that allows him to run their campaigns will be to.
ReplyDelete