Thursday, December 29, 2011 at 6:00 PM at Audrey’s (Common Place) there is a meeting of the Gilmer Schools Coalition in coordination with any and all interested parties willing to organize and stand as one voice, united, to take back Gilmer County Schools.

This is an opportunity for each individual to have your voice heard, choose a spokesperson via true democratic process and move forward with honest efforts to end this nightmare.

It is an opportunity to show that we will put the children and their future before the political well-being of others.

Let us set the example showing that we will, as a community, stand up and be counted when it comes to their future.

The Gilmer County Schools (GSC) Coalition was advanced yesterday by electing Dr. W. K. Simmons as its spokesperson. Active participation in the Coalition should swell to end staus quo in the County. Hopefully, one of the Coalition’s first achievements will be to require Mr. Blankenship to be open about his plans for our school system including replacing GCHS’s problem principal.  Pertaining to the Coalition’s potential for achieving positive change, there have never been major social improvements overnight. The first ingredient for change has always been a few highly committed and selfless individuals wanting improvements. We have that critical core established, and if we actively support the Coalitions’ mission we will prevail in protecting the children.

Your coalition would have been better served if Dr. Simmons was working in an advisory role instead of leading.  He was in leading figure that triggered the takeover and will have little pull with the state BOE.

Pressure on the politicans and appointed members of the BOE from numerous citzens is the key to any attention to your concerns.

Dr. Simmons was removed from an elected position much the same way polish officials were removed in 1939 the year everything changed.

Really HOW was the removal of Simmons any different? When you say ‘YOUR ‘ coalition,it seems that you are not part of the group.

The voices of all that attend meetings will be voices heard.

The Gilmer Schools Coalition will get back the control of the schools in Gilmer County, and put the control where it belongs in LOCAL elected representatives.

Gilmer County Schools were considered far above average in the past, but those days are gone, and so is Nasia as soon as it can be arranged.

We don’t want her to be able to get her hands on the young ones, and turn them out, like she did her own daughters.

Mr Jones and everyone:  It is not “your” GC School Coalition.  It is “our” coalition and you, everyone are invited to be a part of the repair of our school system.  Watch for the next meeting announcement, and be a part of progress in Gilmer.  Was it Nancy Pelosi that made a statement about “draining the swamp”?  You can help drain ours.

It doesn’t make sense to me that the state BOE took over our schools to do improvement, but has done nothing. The only reason for the takeover was to protect Nasia. The state superintendent knows as well as everyone else that Nasia is the problem. They also know that IF Dr. Simmons was the leader in the school, that she would have been out of here. She is sitting back and laughing because she and her supporters got by with their evil/out of control ways. She treats people the way she wants, she honestly thinks that there is nothing that anyone can do to her. Well, guess what she will meet her match one of these days.

Why was Dr. Simmons removed from his elected position, when he was hired by the elected members of our county.  It would be nice if someone would step forward and tell the truth, not what you want us to know.  I would like the truth.  I feel that he would have a great leader for school system.  NOBODY gave him a chance.
How does Nasia Butcher feel when people says nasty/ugly things about her daughters, which are true.  Dr.Simmons is going to have his hands full fighting to get our schools back. We don’t want Butcher around our children when she should be acting like role model and she thinks its OK for people to post themselves on the internet naked and kissing each other in the mouth. What are these girls, lesbians? This kind of action is not a good way to act as a professional as she claims that she is. Send her back where she come from. They probably don’t want her either.  Nobody wants her not even her husband, but she thinks he does.  He really don’t want to hurt her feelings. she is nothing but a liability for him.

It is a genuine mystery why Nasia Butcher wants to stay at the GCHS? She knows that citizens, teachers, staff, and students don’t want her. Why does she need to remain when she has her high perched mansion, big ticket item cars, stashes of money her lawyer husband made as a directer of United Bank and a GSC official, doing legal work for the State, and money he amassed from his signature estate work? Could it be that Nasia loves making more money so she will remain on the job no matter what? Or, could it be that she relishes attention she is getting? Whatever, Nasia should go and when she does a festering sore will begin healing in Gilmer County. Is there a psychologist out there who could explain this human behavior mystery?

Al—Don’t think its that its too much a mystery?
A few thoughts come to mind.
>Narcissism Issues?
>Ego?
>Obsessive Compulsive Disorder?
>Financial Issues?????
>$2000. flower pots?
>Fear of problems being exposed to her ‘world’?
>Combination of above?
You all hang on, the ride has not started yet.

When the state takes over a school system they usually keep control for at least 5 years. Its common for a community group to form to try and reverse the action of the state BOE but it never accomplishes anything.  The state believes that local citizens had their chance to influence their local BOE and failed and that is why they take them over. 

The Gilmer Co BOE had the reputation as one of the worst in the state.  Your elected BOE created this mess by making some terrible decisions over the past 5 to 10 years.  Why didn’t you hold them accountable?

I haven’t lived in Gilmer Co for almost 30 years so it would be difficult for me to be apart of your coalition.  It is disheartening to see what has happen. I wish you luck.

Mr. Jones,the issue is what do we do now? With the State’s take over don’t you believe that citizens should be treated respectfully to include free access to information, being informed of substantive progress Mr. Blankenship has made during his tenure, being convinced that Mr. Blankenship is committed to excellence by his replacement of GCHS’s principal who is a major cause of turmoil, and being given specific criteria for the State to apply in determining when the school system will be turned back to the County. Without open disclosure of criteria for the State’s withdrawal, how can it be concluded that anything other than arbitrary reasoning will apply? No, Mr. Jones, we won’t give up with the assumption that we are already defeated. That is what opponents want, but with establishment of the Coalition, we have an organization for mounting tough resistance. All it will take for the Coalition’s success is widespread support by Gilmer’s good citizens. Will you join us?

First of all I can’t even imagine that the state boe, Blankenship,and Nasia being in control of our schools for the next 5 yrs. I see if they are, then there will be NO school system period.  You can blame the elected BOE members for the mess that the school is in, but NO it is not the members to blame.  When they don’t have the proper administrators supporting them what do you want them to do.  Well, lets see Nasia has caused more drama as a role model than any teen age child, someone getting a posted job that had never applied for the position, so how did you suppose that he got that job. The BOE members are to vote on the employees for the job, How do you know that Jay would even be a good AD, he does well to do the job he has as NAK (Nasia A***kisser). He does exactly what she says.  If you can get a job without being interview that the job everyone wants.

Nasia knew what to do when she even heard that DR. Simmons was running for the superintendent for our schools.  Yes he would have been a great leader for our schools system, but Nasia knew her job would have been vacant.  She honestly feels in her heart she is not doing a good job, but she doesn’t care about nobody but her self. It is all about her fancy life style that Terry gives her. She wants to be the bread winner in her home,but shes not, so she has to become the drama queen which she is… It is time for a change.  If the citizens don’t do something soon than we can expect one thing,  NO SCHOOLS IN GILMER CO. it would not seem to surprise me that state boe don’t consolidate all Gilmer schools, into another county school.

I do agree citzens should be kept informed by the new adminstration.  My fear is your group will expect more from the State BOE than you expected from the local BOE.  From the roster of atendees from your initial meeting it seems the quite a very were involved with the school system that caused the takeover.  Do you think they will have any credibility with the state BOE?  The state will not give former BOE members or anyone connected with them the time of day.  Im sorry to be so blunt but just being realilistic.

If you want to have any chance of making a difference you have to have numerous citzens contacting the electing state officials. Your agenda should be to build a repore with the new Superintendent and not personal as it seems this groups agenda currently is.  Dr. Simmons and the local BOE members are to close to the situation to be able to work with the new adminstration.  Its to personal for them.

Respectfully,

Numerous individuals making contacts is a good suggestion Roy Jones and so is the suggestion of new people and more numbers. You see, that is how it all evolves, but there is a process.

Now what happens is maybe the group can act or vote on some of your suggestions. YOU have made some valid observations and have recorded your suggestions for change, so YOU have already helped and have even attended a meeting.

The meetings will be reported to all concerned here at the GFP, but maybe on the large issues the matter should be place to a vote over the internet just the same way polls are conducted.

That way many more people can participate and we could stream the meeting in the future and possible welcome live internet participation.

With Blankenship’s demonstrated attitude that it is his way or the highway with unwillingness to attain input from Gilmer citizens before he makes decisions, what is the evidence that rapport could be developed with him? When men wield absolute power as Blankenship does with the State’s blessing, it is counter to historical evidence that they willingly relinquish power. What citizens need to do is to find ways to blunt his power and that will require innovativeness including getting to politicians who can rein him in. Hat in hand Neville Chamberlain tactics won’t work.

With all due respect Mr. Jones, look around and see all of the miracles that have happened because we have waited for just the “right people”  to do it.  This community division into factions is unhealthy and defeatist. For the children’s sake, for this county’s sake, it is time to forget old differences.  This is a beginning and, hopefully, for once, we can unite for a worthy common cause and bring many ideas to the table.They told us the take over period was usually about 5 years.  Ask McDowell County about that.  Do you really believe they think we are any different?