Shawn Joseph ends journey dotted with legal, ethical issues

The narrative of the left and the majority of Black activist will be that Shawn Joseph was driven from office because Nashville is racist and Joseph is Black. Don't believe it. Joseph was ethically challenged, did not follow the law and mismanaged Metro Schools and the number of failing Metro Schools increased on his watch. Please read the following: Shawn Joseph ends journey dotted with legal, ethical issues.

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How the School Board members voted on the Shawn Joseph buyout.

by Rod Williams - The deal to get rid of Joseph will pay him his normal salary through July 31st which comes to $261,250, plus he will be paid for accumulated vacation time and potentially sick time. In addition Metro Schools will pay  $10,000 in legal fees to defend Joseph against a one-year suspension of his license by the Tennessee State Board of Education.

This is so wrong! Instead of defending him against the suspension of his license, we should be supporting the State in urging the revocation of his license. Most people who don't perform their job get fired and only get paid through the end of the day, not giving a bonus that may total $350,000 to leave. 

Those voting for this deal were Sharon Gentry, Rachael Anne Elrod, Christiane Buggs, Will Pinkston, and Gini Pupo-Walker.

Voting against  the deal were Jill Speering, Amy Frogge, and Fran Bush. Anna Shepherd was out sick.

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What you need to know about Shawn Joseph’s controversies

This is a concise summary of the controversies surrounding Dr. Shawn Joseph by Phil Williams of News Channel 5: What you need to know about Shawn Joseph’s controversies.

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The Black community support for Dr. Shawn Joseph

That Blacks rally to the defense of other Blacks even when they are known to be incompetents or corrupt or immoral is nothing new.  My earliest awareness of this may have been in the case of Congressman Adam Clayton Powell who was a politician and a Baptist preacher who engaged in morally scandalous behavior and illegality. Finally, the Democratic Party refused to seat him but his constituents reelected him anyway.  Over the years, this is the pattern time and time again. Here in Tennessee we have the case of the notorious Ford family of Memphis. Corruption and outrageous behavior characterized members of that political dynasty yet it did not impact their electability.

Nationally, from Reverend Al Sharpton and his involvement in the Tawana Brawley affair and his tax issues, to Representative Charlie Rangle and his various ethical and tax problems it, unfortunately, seems there are many ethically-challenged and incompetent Black political leaders. If one names off all of the Black political leaders one can think of and then analysis the names on the list, a large percentage of them will prove to be crooks or people of severe moral lapses.

It should not be necessary to say, that I am not referring to all Black leaders but it is. To even bring up this observation opens one to charges of being a racist.  I am not referring to all Black political leaders. I was pleased that President Obama had no ethical or moral challenges associated with him.  I didn't like his politics, but he appeared to be a moral and an ethical person. Off the top of my head I can think of Mia Love, J. C.Watts, Tim Scott, Condolezza Rice and Colin Powell as Black leaders without a trace of scandal. It shouldn't be necessary to name honest Black leaders to show that I am not saying all Black politicians are crooks. I accept that it is the minority of Black leaders who are crooks. I am sure across the nation there are thousands and thousands of good, honest and competent Black elected officials.

Some will say what about Spiro Agnew, or Boss Tweed, or Ray Blanton or Huey Long. Certainly, there are corrupt white politician.  The difference is, it seems to me, that when corruption is proven or credible allegations of corruption are made, voters do not keep reelecting these white politician. Their constituents do not keep supporting them when they are known to be corrupt or incompetent.  My perception is that many Black voters, defend Black leaders and just accept that the leader is corrupt or incompetent.

This brings me to the case of our Director of Schools Shawn Joseph. There has not been allocations of corruption against Joseph. However, there is plenty of evidence of incompetence and mismanagement and serious allegations of bullying and arrogance. Yet, he still has his defenders and the only reason I can see his defenders are still defending him is because he is Black.

The Interdenominational Ministers Fellowship, a Black ministerial group has rallied to his defense as has the NAACP and the Nashville Black newspaper, The Tennessee Tribune.  An article by the Nashville Voice in the Tribune said, if Joseph is removed from office, Nashville will remembered  as '“that racist city that forced the first ever Black Director of Metro Schools out of office.”'  This is the same line of argument being made by Joseph's white liberal defenders. They simply believe that performance and behavior that would be disqualifying if done by a White person must be excused and overlooked if done by a Black person.

If is unfortunate that so many are judging Joseph though this lens that expects less from a Black person. Fortunately, not all of Nashville's Black leaders are doing so. One of the School Board members who is a harsh critic of Joseph is Fran Bush who herself  is African-American.  As more an more bad stuff is coming out about Joseph, more members of the Black community are starting to break rank and putting the educations of Nashville's children first. Below is the report on this development from Phil Williams of Nashville's News Channel 5.

Debate over MNPS director's future divides black community

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — For months, the Metro School Board has been bitterly divided over the future of Dr. Shawn Joseph.
Now, the controversy over Nashville's first African-American director of schools is dividing the city's black community.
"To me, it is not about Joseph," said Rev. Venita Lewis, a local community activist.
"It is about our children who are not getting a fair education, who are suffering, who now have moved out of the school system and into the street - and we have failed them."

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State education officials recommend 1-year license suspension against Nashville schools chief Shawn Joseph

The Tennessean - .... The recommendation to suspend Joseph's Tennessee teacher license comes in the wake of a review that found the superintendent failed to report 12 teacher misconduct cases to the state within 30 days, as required by state rules. (link)

Rod's Comment: I guess this is just another example racism.

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Shawn Joseph on his way out! Will Pinkston resigns from School Board.

Shawn Joseph

by Rod Williams - With support fading at the school board and one of his stanchest defenders resigning from the board, Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools director Shawn Joseph announced he would not seek contract renewal which expires June 20, 2020.  If he waits until June 2020  to depart that means more than a year of mismanagement and additional damage to Metro Schools to go. We may not have to wait. On Monday, School Board member Anna Shephard who had been a supporter of Joseph filed a resolution to fire him "with cause." That resolutions will be taken up by the Board at the April 9th School Board meeting.

Yesterday, Pinkston announced his resignation from the Board effective April 12. In his resignation letter, Pinkson blamed the dysfunctional board for his resignation, especially the division over the performance of Director Shawn Joseph and over pay raises for teachers. He said that the treatment of Joseph was racially motivated and the treatment of Joseph was "dishonest and unfair." The Metro Council will fill the vacancy created by Pinkston's resignation.

For months, School Board members Amy Frogge, Jill Speering and Fran Bush have been calling for Joseph's firing.  With Anna Shephard now on board, that makes four of the nine-member-board, favoring firing of Joseph.  With Pinkston out,  that makes the board equally divided. Pinkston's replacement will be appointed by the Council. If Pinkston's replacement joins those favoring Joseph's ouster, he could be fired.

If the board were to fire Shawn Joseph without cause, they would have to pay him for 12 months salary which is $285,000. If they fire him "with cause" he would not be due any extra compensations. Also, if they just let him leave at the end of his term, he would not be due any extra compensation.

Joseph has said he will not resign early, but that he realizes he can not be successful as Schools director and will not seek contract renewal.  “I do not know if we can be successful with the current governance structure and the current minority of board members that makes it impossible to make any decisions with kids as a focus,” he said.

Shawn Joseph has been a failed Schools leader from the start. He has been arrogant, wasteful, disrespectful toward teachers, mismanaged administrative functions, and failed audits. His administration has been characterized by cronyism, creating a toxic work environment, carelessness or misuse of school funds, and failure to follow State procedures when confronted with misconduct of school personnel.  Under his leadership, Metro Schools have gotten worse. Joseph has pulled programs from schools which made Metro School attractive to middle-class parents who want their child to have a good education.  Under his leadership the number of failing schools, classified by the State as "priority schools," has increased.

Also, the total number of students enrolled in Metro Schools has declined. Metro School enrollment has declined at the same time that the population of the Nashville MSA and the population of Davidson County has been increasing.  I have seen no study on the demographics of those moving to the Nashville area and where they are moving, but they can't all be childless young people.  School systems around Davidson County are increasing in student enrollment.  I suspect that two things are going on. People with children moving to the Nashville area are choosing to move to surrounding counties where schools are better.  The other thing, is that those who can afford to do so are sending their children to private schools. I have no data on this, but would bet that, that is the case. Something is going on when you have increased population and reduced school enrollment.

From the very beginning  Shawn Joseph has had a troubled time at Metro Schools.  He brought several people with him from his old job as Director of Prince George’s County (Maryland) Public Schools.  These people where brought in at high salaries. This ruffled feathers. He also displays his privileged position by having a chauffeur to drive him where he needs to go in his School Board provided $55,000 Tahoe.  He is the first School Board director to have a luxury car and a chauffeur.  Other School Board leaders drove themselves in a motor pool vehicle are drove their private car. Joseph's driver is a senior mechanic from the school bus garage who makes $46,000 a year. Also some of Joseph's lieutenants got School Board provided expensive cars that they can drive home every night. That is a nice perk.

Under his leadership, complaints against employees for misconduct are often not handled in the prescribed manner.  Some employees investigating other employees had no training as investigators.  Contracts have been let without bids. He has often misled School Board members about what is going on in the administration of the schools.  

In response to criticism of his failure to improve schools and his questionable management practices, Dr. Joseph has played the race card and claimed that the criticism of his administration of Metro Schools was the same product of the factors that led to the murder of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin and the treatment of other African-American men. Many Blacks have rallied around Joseph.

It time for Shawn Joseph to go and the sooner the  better. 

For source material and to dig deeper into the issues around Shawn Joseph, see the following sources:

• Pinkston's resignation letter.
• Nashville school board readies for fight over future of Director Shawn Joseph
• School board member Will Pinkston resigns, calls board 'impossibly inept'
• School board chair: New MNPS director has 'full rein' on spending
• Schools boss denies using MNPS workers for house.
• Nashville schools board tensions fly in contentious night as group calls for Director Shawn Joseph's ouster
• 'Unauthorized' spending skyrockets inside Metro Schools
• MNPS failed to report more educator misconduct
• Investigation: Nashville schools broke law, misled school board about contracts
• Dr. Joseph plays the race card in response to criticism over no bid handouts to cronies
• Audit: Nashville schools need to tighten purchasing procedures
• Nashville sees spike in schools among Tennessee's lowest performing; Joseph vows improvement
• City leaders rally in support of Shawn Joseph as he faces scrutiny

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New evidence suggests $1 million wasted, Dr. Joseph misled the School Board.

Please watch this Channel 5 WTVF news report by Phil Williams.  He reports that 
there's new evidence that Metro Schools may have wasted a million dollars of your money. He uncovers proof that the schools director, Dr. Shawn Joseph, misled the school board about a contract that spend a million dollars on software to track student achievement. This was software that Joseph had helped promote in his previous job.  He also signed a separate contract for another $500,000 just to have the company Certica Solutions write the questions for the software.

This is an outrage! How long will the School Board put up with this incompetent and likely unethical person leading our schools. Under his leadership the number of failing schools is increasing.  Our schools are on a downward spiral plagued by mismanagement, waste,  and incompetence.  It is way past time for him to be fired.
 

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Fran Bush under attack for her criticism of Dr Shawn Joseph

Fran Bush

by Rod Williams, 2/20/2019 - The herd mentality of the African-American community is on display here in Nashville in an effort to oust School Board member Fran Bush. Ms Bush who is African-American is one of three vocal critics of Dr. Shawn Joseph on the nine-member elected school board. The other leading vocal critics are Jill Speering and Amy Frogge who are Caucasian.

We know how any politically conservative Black person is treated by the larger African-American community.  A Black person finds it difficult to deviate from Black group-think without being ostracized and denounced. Black conservatives are often denounced as "Uncle Tom."  Even in non-political matters the denunciation of "acting white" is used to criticize Blacks who speak proper English or strive to join the middle-class.  This effort to enforce a sameness and solidarity on the part of Blacks extends to cultural things such as music, fashion, or food.  A Black may jokingly tell another Black person that they will have their "Black card" revoked if they deviate from accepted Black norms. Blacks often rally behind other Blacks even when the person they are rallying behind is a crook or incompetent or an attention seeking loud mouth.  This factor has been on display in the case of Dr. Shawn Joseph.

Dr. Joseph is incompetent and rules the Metro Public Schools like an autocratic old-style boss.  It is reported that he bullies teachers and intimidates critics. He also displays his privileged position by having a chauffeur to drive him where he needs to go in his School Board provided $55,000 Tahoe.  He is the first School Board superintendent to have a luxury car and a chauffeur.  Under his leadership, complaints against employees for misconduct are often not handled in the prescribed manner.  Contracts have been let without bids. He has often misled School Board members about what is going on in the administration of the schools.  For a small sample of some of what the media has reported about Dr. Joseph's questionable conduct and practices follow these links: link, link, link, link, link.

In addition to cronyism, creating a toxic work environment, carelessness or misuse of school funds, and failure to follow State procedures when confronted with misconduct of school personnel, Metro School are failing.  Last year there was a substantial spike in the number of Metro Schools on the Tennessee Department of Education's list of the lowest performing schools.  Also, despite Metro Nashville's population rising, the number of children enrolled in Metro Schools is declining. Many people with children moving to the Nashville area move to a surrounding county where the schools are much better or they send their children to private schools.

In response to criticism of his failure to improve schools and his questionable management practices, Dr. Joseph has played the race card and claimed that the criticism of his administration of Metro Schools was the same product of the factors that led to the murder of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin and the treatment of other African-American men. Many Black leaders have circled the wagons around Joseph and defended him.  I can see no other reason for protecting him other than the fact he is Black.  Also, many white leaders have been hesitant to criticize Joseph.  There is a tendency on the part of White liberals to bend over backwards to excuse and ignore incompetence  or corruption on the part of Black leaders.  I don't know if it a merely a knee-jerk political calculation or genuine response conditioned by White guilt, but behavior or practices that would be denounced if a White person did it are often overlooked on the part of Blacks.

Fran Bush who is Black has shown courage in standing up to Dr. Joseph and being critical of his administration.  Now, there is an  effort to make her pay for it.  There is an online petition at Change.org calling for her ouster. As of 1:30pm today the petition had 232 signature. That is not a huge number but this movement to punish Bush needs to be watched.  It is not easy to recall an elected official. A recall petition for the offices of School Board member or district councilmember must contain the signatures and addresses of 15 percent of the registered qualified voters in the district from which the officer was elected. That takes a lot of effort. Also, a notice of the intention to obtain signatures for a recall petition, together with the form of the recall petition, must be filed with the metropolitan clerk.  The Change.org petition does not appear to constitute a recall petition.  However, such organized criticism may cause a person to fear they may be subject to a recall petition or it may cause them to modify their behavior and weaken their resolve to stand by their convictions.  If a person so criticized is concerned about serving more than one term, they may try to make nice with their critics. Also, such an effort may be a warning shot to others they they better not step out of line.  

I have posted a word of encouragement on Fran Bush's Facebook page. You may want to take a moment to encourage her and let her know that she is doing the right thing and you support her. You can find her Facebook page at the highlighted link or email her at franbush5@gmail.com.

Update 2/21/2019: The above has been updated to reflect corrected information about the process of executing a recall petition for school board members and district council members.  For anyone seeking a more in depth information follow this link and see

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