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| Parent: Powell should step down |
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7/25/2014
By Tom Marshall
Senior Advocate writer
A concerned parent told Montgomery County School’s Superintendent Josh Powell that he should step down rather than cause more harm to the school district during a meeting of the board of education July 17.
“Please know Mr. Powell you are not wanted here,” Jennifer Golden told Powell. “The majority of school staff, parents of children in this district and taxpayers are tired of the terrible spotlight that we are under due to you and your actions.
“The majority of the community is fed up,” she said. “This is not how we do things around here. This is not the kind of publicity we want for our school system and not something we want our children to be a part of.”
Golden directed her comments directly to Powell, who sat silently throughout her remarks. At one point Golden requested Powell look at her. When she received no response, she said, “You can’t even look at me.”
Golden noted the school system is in complete and utter turmoil.
“I have lived here my entire life and never in my life have I seen such mass negligence on the part of most of the board and the superintendent, Mr. Powell. Our community itself has become a laughingstock in the papers and on TV. Everywhere they are talking about Montgomery County. This is due to the actions and situations brought on by Mr. Powell.”
Golden said teachers and staff in the school district are terrified of Powell and fear retaliation if they stand up to him.
“We’re losing good teachers that won’t play your kind of game,” she told Powell. “Teachers are looking for jobs elsewhere either because they want to or they have to.
“Frankly Mr. Powell, I don’t think you’re here for the children, I think you’re simply here to line your pockets between what you make and what your newly hired wife makes,” Golden said.
Golden was referring to the controversial hiring of Powell’s wife, Anna, as director of special projects. The State Auditor’s Office examined the hiring and found “unreasonable modifications were made” to the position description and to accommodate recommendation of Anna for the job.
Superintendent Powell disputes that, saying he stands behind the hiring of Anna, which was completely legal and appropriate.
“Seems to me the way to resolve the issue is to let Ms. Powell go and put the job description back the way it was before the change and post the job again taking the appropriate steps to find someone to take the position,” Golden remarked.
Golden complained that important programs are being cut and teachers are going without supplies while administrators make hefty salaries.
Among those programs, Golden said Powell has cut many essential foreign languages from the curriculum. Part of the state’s accountability formula will include foreign language next year, she noted.
“At the high school French is gone, Latin is gone, the Spanish teacher was cut and is being scaled back, leaving only a Chinese elective that is online,” she said. “That’s a joke.”
She noted to the board that schools are the first thing industry looks at when looking to locate in a community and will be driven away by the divisiveness currently in place within the school system.
“With all this negative stuff going on it is going to affect this community for years to come,” Golden said.
She questioned how Powell can be judged on test scores when they are based on two different tests conducted by the state in consecutive years.
“So how can you compare the scores,” Golden said.
Golden challenged Powell to provide the board, in writing, for the next board meeting, an explanation of how the test scores are a reflection of him and what he has done to improve test results.
The board was also addressed by Bruce Walters concerning its employment of two attorneys.
Walters told the board that two attorneys are not necessary and called for the board to remove Mike Owsley as attorney representing Powell.
“We need one and one only,” he said.
In other action, the board:
• Recognized Jacqui Johnston, chief administrative officer for the school district, who was recently named Administrator of the Year by the Kentucky Association of School Administrators.
• Was informed by Board Chair Kenney Gulley that the district has not spent the $5,000 the board had allocated to go after cyber bullies.
• Was informed that steps have been taken to extend the Project Lead the Way program with assistance from the University of Kentucky.
• Voted to eliminate the student advocate position and establish a district curriculum specialist at the high school.
The board will meet again in regular session 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 26, in the Camargo Elementary School cafeteria. Meetings are open to the public.
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