Taunts, rumors surround MBA-Ensworth basketball controversy; also news
MBA retires a chant
Last week, rumors started trickling in that a handful of Montgomery Bell students were not representing the high-minded ideals of their tony West End school (i.e. Gentleman. Scholar. Athlete.). The accusation? During a Jan. 16 basketball game, standout Ensworth guard Tavarres Jefferson was taunted with chants of "Hooked on Phonics" (clap clap, clap clap clap).Jefferson, who is black, was apparently unfazed by the taunts, as he and Ensworth went on to beat the Big Red by nine. But Ensworth parents are less forgiving. After several complaints, MBA headmaster Bradford Gioia acted swiftly, meeting with about a dozen boys thought to be responsible for the taunt a day after the game. "Phonics" has been a weapon in the MBA armament for as long as he can remember, says Gioia, usually as a retaliatory lob at Father Ryan students who chant "Da-ddy's Mo-ney" (clap clap, clap clap clap). It's all a part of the grand tradition of young men teasing opponents at sporting events, something they probably learned while watching their dad flick off Ravens fans at LP Field. The phonics taunt becomes a loaded weapon, however, when employed by a mob of well-heeled children at the expense of a black kid—something Gioia, to his credit, was quick to acknowledge."(MBA kids) have been saying that for 10 years, with the insinuation being 'you're dumb,' " he says. "They didn't have any intention to be racist. But when the line between what's funny and what's spirited gets muddled, it's best to step away from it." —Caleb Hannan
Rosalind Kurita's revenge
Call it Rosalind Kurita's revenge. The Tennessee Democratic Party has been slapped with a whopping $80,000 bill from Bass, Berry & Sims, the lawyers' price for defending the party against Kurita's unsuccessful federal lawsuit. The former state senator alleged that Democrats violated her rights by stripping her of her 19-vote primary victory over now-Sen. Tim Barnes.Unfortunately, $80,000 is about all the party has left in its bank account. And with the Democratic establishment upset over Saturday's election of Chip Forrester as the party chairman, fundraising isn't looking too promising at the moment. So Forrester is trying to come up with a payment plan to satisfy Bass, Berry. —Jeff Woods
English-Only's carpetbagger funding
According to the Davidson County Election Commission, almost all of the $84,205 raised in support of the failed English Only amendment came from ProEnglish, an Arlington, Va., interest group that goes around the country spending money on these kinds of things.
That explains why Councilman Eric Crafton, the measure's chief proponent, was so evasive about funding prior to the election, going so far as to blow off filing his campaign finance reports. When the Scene asked last summer where his money came from, he offered this cryptic response. "From folks. It's just mostly folks and their contributions."
Car dealer Lee Beaman was the only major local contributor, kicking in $6,000. Just five other Nashvillians contributed to the cause, giving between $100 and $200 each. —P.J. Tobia
The NAACP throws a wrench
Black leaders held a press conference last week as part of their unfolding strategy to stop Nashville's impending return to a more segregated school system.
At NAACP headquarters, the Rev. James Lawson—a white-haired eminence of the civil rights movement—took center stage to express his outrage over the student rezoning plan. "It's disgraceful in this land of ours that we are still having to organize ourselves to defeat the vestiges of racism that have never been dismantled and remain," Lawson said.
According to sources, here's the NAACP's game plan:
Step 1: Shame the city into abandoning the plan, which smacks of the days of desegregation when white flight created the city of Brentwood. Not a pretty time to recall.
Step 2: If that fails, hit the school board where it hurts—in the pocketbook. That's the reason for the federal complaint that's been filed with the Education Department's Office of Civil Rights. It makes two indisputable points: (a) the rezoning plan results in a more segregated school system and (b) the school board has refused to discuss a possible compromise with parents or even to place the matter on its agenda.
If the Office of Civil Rights is sufficiently upset about all this, it could threaten to withhold federal funds from our schools. The mere threat would cause the school board to knuckle under quickly.
Step 3: As a last resort, the NAACP will sue the school board in federal court. In that case, they'll have to prove discrimination, which might not be all that hard to do considering the backroom behavior of certain school board members revealed in Pedro Garcia's memos. —Jeff Woods
School board won't back down
At least one key public official isn't fazed by the NAACP's civil rights complaint against the school board over its rezoning plan. School board chair David Fox says he remains adamantly behind it. There's been "no conversation at the board level to do anything any differently," he says. Fox insists the board will keep its promise to spend an additional $6 million on Pearl-Cohn's cluster of schools next year, despite the district's budget troubles.
"I don't think there's a scenario in which we can't spend it," he says. "...We have been clear publicly and with the administration that, as the budget process begins, additional resources for the Pearl-Cohn schools will be one of the first elements put into the budget. I don't see any scenario in which those resources are not made available. ...I think of it as a way for us to demonstrate that we can educate our at-risk children to high national standards, so I don't really see it as optional."
In which case, we have a suggestion: Take the money out of Hillwood High's budget. —Jeff Woods
The elusive dress code
It's a measure of how little confidence exists in MNPS governance that parents are strategizing about how to get the school system to honor its own dress code policy.
When the school board first approved the inanity of "standard school attire" in 2007—a policy for which no solid evidence of its effectiveness exists—it came with an expiration date of sorts: The board included a provision that after two years "a school's principal may submit in writing a petition to opt out of the program to the Director of Schools." It also gave schools the right to appeal a director's refusal to the school board. The two-year mark arrives later this spring, and parents who are both fed up with the policy's inherent lunacy and distrustful of the school system's willingness to stick by its policy are eager to learn details of the opt-out procedure.
But instead of offering up a simple and timely announcement of an opt-out procedure, school officials hint that an announcement might not come until late May, when school is out and parents would have more difficulty influencing principals to opt out.
Meanwhile, incurious education reporters like The Tennessean's intrepid Jaime Sarrio are parroting district propaganda about dress code effects, rather than pushing officials to put an opt-out on the table sooner rather than later. The potential bright spot is new schools director Jesse Register, who seems to understand that a board directive can only be undone by the board.
Replying by email last week to a parent, Register wrote, "Be assured that we will discuss the intent of the board policy and that they will have the opportunity to exercise the opt-out policy as intended by the Board." Thanks, Jesse, but we'll believe it when we see it. —Bruce Barry
Excerpts from the daily mirth and adventure now appearing on nashvillescene.com
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Yes, EHS is, and will continue to be MBA’s nemesis. As a father of two MBA sons, I have seen the writing on the wall at MBA for perhaps the past 10 years. EHS, along with other private schools, has raided MBA’s teachers and staff to the point that very few current staff members have more that a few years tenure at the school. The disturbing fact is that their replacements have proven themselves to be less qualified, less experienced and extremely more tolerant of substandard performance from their students than the fine men and women they replaced. The school seems to care more about the big check that “Dad” can write, than upholding the standards and traditions of the school. Gentlemen Scholar Athlete Lets talk about “Gentlemen”. In the past few years there have been instances on campus, that with past administrations, would have resulted in immediate and permanent expulsion from the school. However, these young men, for some reason, have been given a pass. I’m speaking of cheating, thievery of classmates money and possessions, destruction of school property, drunkenness, even the selling of drugs to classmates, have all been swept under the rug along with fervent attempts made by the administration to keep these actions from being disclosed to parents. Lets talk about “Scholar”. Is the money we as parents spend to send our sons to MBA worth the expense? In past years, I would have given this question an answer of “Yes, definitely.” Today, I’m not so sure, and this goes back to what I said before about the teaching staff. I know of instances where the teacher was so out of the loop as far as the classes subject matter, that tests were being given on material covered in a text book from two years previous. This teacher was giving assignments for specific pages within a specific chapter in a book that the students did not even possess! Another circumstance that I know of is a science teacher giving the students assignments to complete in lab class, then, instead of staying in the classroom to instruct and answer questions,, would head to the restroom and smoke until class time was almost up. He would collect the assignments, then grade them. Basically, the students were teaching themselves. I could go on and on……… Lets talk about “Athlete”. Yes, MBA has experienced successes on the athletic fields in the past. They could have been even better. I know of many fine young men that no longer participate in athletics because of all the nepotism, discrimination and preferential treatment issued by some of MBA’s coaching staff. I know of a instance where a coach was “hired” by a students dad to teach his son a certain football position over the summer months. The following season, this boy started every game at this position. Everyone knew there were other boys on the team that were better suited, had more skill and experience than this particular boy, however, it never failed that this boy started each game. But, whenever the team got behind, or needed someone who could do the job, this coach would pull this boy out, and substitute one of the other boys. When the team would rally and re-take the lead, back in would come the coach’s protégée. These kinds of actions were not limited to the football program, but throughout the entire MBA athletic program. I could name a dozen fine athletes that no longer play any sport at MBA because of this type of practice, or they don’t have the ‘right’ last name, or their Dad can’t write the ‘Big’ check. And, having the ‘right’ name, or the assets available to write the ‘Big’ check has huge influences with the current administration. A good question at this point would be, “Why don’t the parents speak out, and charge the current administration to uphold the traditions and standards of the past”? There is an easy answer. It is the simple fact that the current administration at MBA cannot tolerate constructive criticism, in the office, in the classroom, or on the athletic field. Attempts to ask questions that contradict certain liberal ideas and practices are dealt with ramifications against your student that can jeopardize their grades, or their playing time. These are just the facts that currently surround MBA, it’s staff, it’s students, and it’s reputation. I think the school has been depending on it’s superior reputation for the past decade or so. Lack of leadership, by the administration and the schools trustee’s, is about to catch up with them.
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