We’re going to put a question mark at the end of this headline because it’s currently a personnel matter that can’t be discussed…
SouthsideCentral is now confident that the Danville School Board will terminate the contract of superintendent Dr. Edward Newsome today. The board has called a special session for personnel matters at 3:30 PM today before their regularly scheduled 7 PM meeting tonight. This follows an “emergency session” that was held last Thursday.
SouthsideCentral will be LIVE! at this afternoon’s special meeting and we’ll cover what’s happening in a new article.
UPDATE #1: SouthsideCentral has learned that today’s special session is being described as the superintendent’s annual evaluation. Riiiight.
Developing…
We should all hope you are correct. Newsome has been a joke from the start at several levels. The real question surrounds how the school board was so inept as to hire him in the first place. If they don’t get to the bottom of that, then (as usual) they will do the same thing all over again.
What in the World
Folk are always too quick to rush to judgement without knowing all the detaills or facts.
If the matter can’t be discussed then why is it even article worthy until all the facts are gathered. This city is a hot mess!
Because people don’t like to be ambushed.
Welcome to the world of SouthsideCentral. We try to tell you things before and as they happen.
I am disappointed to hear how Mr. Buddy and others show no respect to the man whose number 1 concern has been the academic success of all children of Danville Public Schools. I know there are people, like Mr. Buddy, who fear change and do not want to accept that CHANGE is inevitable and what the district has needed and (NOW) continues to need. We can’t continue to administrate and teach the way we have always led and taught. My suggestion is that we, as adults, stop the name calling and work cohesively to shift this ENTIRE district towards success.
I will not attack Mr. Buddy on his leadership skills nor on his decision making. However, as he continues to serve the citizens of Danville…I can only hope he self reflects and can honestly say he has made impartial decisions as he leads.
I don’t think his proposed additions of bureaucracy had anything about his desire for academic excellence.
agreed
I knew I would get that type of response from you and others. I suggest you visit the Danville Public Schools’ website and view the job descriptions. Then, research the students’ performances (from all schools) on the Standards of Learning Assessments. I would love to hear what you and other qualified citizens would do to help turn this district around. We want to lower unemployment rates by attracting new companies/industries, the school district plays a key role in this coming to fruition.
Louise, do you work within DPS? Just curious because your comments don’t seem to coincide with what has ACTUALLY been happening within the system.
Personally I have not questioned his motives but more so how he has carried out his vision by delegating his initiatives through his “cabinet.” I have seen this first hand and clearly not everyone has the same visions.
It’s nice to think that was the case but it’s one thing to say it and another to do it. The bottom line is I have seen very little improvement in the teacher morale or in the other issues
I love it how people think they know what’s really going on. Let me tell you Louise and Mary, before you put the superintendent on a pedestal try and substitute teaching for a while. Then you can make an informed comment. He’s in way over his head. There’s nothing wrong with change unless it’s change in the wrong direction.
Thank you for what you do but substituting and being in the classroom every day is two different things.
I do not think this is true. But if it is his lackeys such as kathey osborne should also be removed. There is a strong racist group with in that school system including mona whittle and newsome. Newsome was just here to collect a fat check and hook up his cronies with posh, high paying jobs. Danville public schools is in such a bad state it will take 10 years to fix the damage of this one scum bag.
Please do your research…you are not speaking the truth. Although I do not agree with all decisions made, I believe you are being extreme in your interpretation.
How about the coalition of black educators who threw a reception for Newsome at the institute but used email of school system to notify teachers of invitation? Some of those organizers attended a secret meeting with the good teachers who have the best interest of students at heart and of course ran right back to him and told him of every one involved. Is it legal to form such an organization on DPS time and money?
Oh wait that **********in the White House has been such a shining example of success in the dumbing down of America I reckon the coalition used him as their mentor
FYI Bob, Osborne did not enter with Newsome. Yvette Smith did, however.
You have hit the nail on the head! I agree 100%
Bob, you are a racist of course, but what ideas do you have in mind or in place that would help fix the school system, because you aren’t doing anything but calling names! And how did Dr, Newsome manage to tear apart an entire school system in one year?! please explain in details.
Yes, Bob I think your comments are very ignorant. And quite frankly I am offended how you threw the African American race into this-Are you referring to BLACKS as being “cronies”…I am offended at your low class morale of talking to people. You do not have all of your facts straight. Newsome did not create this Mess. The other superintendent created it and left…. So, take your mouth off of him please..If you would like to say something about who is to blame. it is definitely not Newsome. It is the prior superintendent that was in DPS. Thanks.
amen
Yeah because Sue Davis was doing a FANTASTIC job….it amazes me how some act like all the troubles with DPS started when Newsome took over. How soon we forget that it was Davis who oversaw a decade of poor decisions and then left a complete mess for Newsome to inherit. He’s been here one year….
Well said Ashland! Like I said before, people need to do their research and stop believing the “negative picture” that has been painted of Dr. Newsome.
Thanks you. Sue Davis is the person to blame. I don’t know how people could just simply forget that Sue Davis was in office and left the DPS system like this. Newsome inherited a mess (he didn’t make the decision. Sue Davis did….She is to blame.
I am so glad I found out about this blog after I went to city council, it entertains me daily!
Thanks for the kind words. I personally promise to write something that pisses you off soon. Ha!
Please be kind lol
The schools are a mess. I am glad my children are adults now. I don’t know what I would do if they were attending the public schools, especially middle and high. No respect from the children towards anybody, full time teacher or substitutes. I know, because my son substituted for a while. The schools don’t know what to do with these kids because of rules/regulations, so they keep them in the regular classrooms with the few students that really are there to learn. Not saying it all started with Newsome, but there is no change and it is just getting worse. A part of me blames the parents of these children for not teaching them respect and then blasting off at the teachers/principals when they are suspended, etc. If they do not want to be there and are interferring with teaching and learning, they should not be in the regular classroom. An alternative was supposed to have been implemented and we are still waiting for that. Newsome has had a year, it’s time to find someone else…and research them really well before hiring.
Cindy Newsome has been there a year and SUE DAVIS Was there for decades. You as a mature minded adult should know that you cant fix a decade of problems one yr time frame.. Give me a break….
I completely agree
Well said Ashley!! They are always passing the BUCK!!
A year is not enough time to straighten out a decade of MESS!! He didn’t create this MESS so why should he only be given a year to straighten it out! Let’s see the BIG picture. The Danville Schools system has needed an overhual for many years. Now there is a lot of barking when the man doesn’t create miracles in a year. Just maybe the problem is him!!!
Board tells you not to hire positions but you do it anyway? That is not a leader. He has createdore division in the district then I have seen in years. His new ideas were simply rehashed old ideas. It’s hard to list all the reasons he needs to go…..
I am a teacher …not a sub…there are MANY things that the public does not know about. A few examples: The money being spent on “created” positions downtown in the hundred of thousands of dollars, administrators told not to suspend leaving trouble makers in the classroom (even though he denied saying this to them), programs that were proven to work – shut down, haven’t seen the man in our school but twice this year (saw Davis a few times a month!), low teacher moral -not to mention the mass exodus of teachers this year from the classroom.
If we could just get a healthy budget in place with competent people who will oversee it, MANY issues the system has incurred over the past could be helped. Teacher morale is extremely low- no raises for 6 years, “cabinet members” telling teachers what to do and how to do it, and what can only be described as a dictatorship across the system has created this. When teachers have low morale, coupled with larger class sizes, and lack of programs/resources then yes, academics will suffer!! Doesn’t take a genius to figure that out!
Well said, Faye. I am a DPS teacher as well and agree whole-heartedly!!! All he was concerned with this year was building his “cabinet” and his image. Who cares how many emails, phone calls, meeting etc he dealt this month. He would be astonished to see all the things a DPS teacher does in a month, or even a day for that matter. He is a politician in superintendents clothing. I for one will be happy to see him go.
I am a DPS employee that is disgusted with the horrible state of the school system as it is now. It is truly heartbreaking to witness the demise of a system that is capable of so much more. The division and discord within the district is real! Dr. Davis was a wonderful person AND Superintendent that did the best she knew how with good intentions, but a change was needed. I honestly believe Dr. Newsome came in with good intentions and I commend him for upgrading the system with a much needed new image. However, I think he jumped ahead of himself and failed tremendously by coming in making prompt, uninformed decisions/changes without first observing and gathering data about practices/procedures that work/did not work within the system. He is not the only one to blame for the MANY issues within the system, I could state names of others that should equally be scrutinized i.e., “Chief Academic Officer” Yvette Smith , but pointing fingers is ineffective. The two have double-handedly underminded the intelligence of the DPS family and completely destroyed the sense of cohesiveness within the district. We need a leader(s) that will LISTEN to those who are in the trenches when determining what our students need to be succesful. Unfortunately, we do not have that in our current leaders. I had high hopes for Newsome but sad to say Im deeply disappointed and continue to hope for positive change for the sake of our children.
Why do you think Sue Davis was such a great Superintendent when 3 schools got closed down and teachers lost their jobs and got booted out of their positions due to the mess she left DPS IN. SHE created a mess that she couldnt fix and ran out the back door. THAT IS GOOD TO YOU? NO, SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH THE MINDSETTING ANYTIME U CAN SAY SUE DAVIS IS A GOOD SUPERINTENDENT BUT SCRUTINIZE NEWSOME (Whom has only been there on year) . You are not giving him a chance and its not right…
Any news???
As a student of DPS, I feel the effects of Dr. Newsome. I have never seen the man once around GW, whereas Sue Davis was always seen. Dr. Newsome and the block schedule mess at GW has caused many problems. If block schedule was such a wonderful thing, then tell me why there was such a debate over whether or not to keep it at GW. Most teachers and several parents at GW fought against block schedule and he refused to listen however he is supposed to be “listening” and “taking the students and teacher’s best interest into consideration.” Explain to me how this is taking our opinions into consideration. Due to all of these problems that have rose throughout the school system, especially with the middle and high schoolers that are not being resolved because the administration was told not to suspend, as others have posted and as I have been told by my teachers, I as a rising senior, have decided for the sake of my education that I would be better off to switch to county schools.
The county schools are run by idiots, too. As soon as you have a school system run by people who have forgotten what it is like to be in the classroom coupled with educators who sleep or complain through their required continuing education conferences then you have a recipe for disaster. I see lots of teachers on here talking about “needed change” who still approach their day-to-day jobs with the same strategies they have used for 20 years. Guess what? There have been entire textbooks written about modern best practice that only the fresh-out- of- college teachers have even heard of. However, just being able to talk a good game about things like Response to Intervention and multimodal teaching strategies isn’t good enough. It has to actually be implemented and reinforced, which is where both school systems FAIL.
Putting up Misleading Information to the public can be a lawsuit…..Until you have all of your facts straight then I suggest rumors not get spread and I suggest you as the individuals do not feed into rumors. Again, putting up nonfactual information can be a lawsuit…I am shocked at how many people jump the gun off of “A RUMOR” . Don’t comment on what you do not know to be factual ladies and gentleman….
Sue Davis created this environment and Newsome came here thinking it was the natural state and didn’t try to fix things. Both are at fault. What bothers me is that those at the meeting tonight were more interested in race than the failing education system their children are captive to. Race has become just like tenure. Additionally school board members are just wannabe politicians these days. Gone are the days when board members were volunteer community leaders.
I also work for DPS. Mary Jane, I was at the meeting we were told to stop writing referrals. Were you there? Students and teachers are at risk when the discipline plan is not used the way it was designed. Of course there is no written proof. Dr Newsome is too smart for that. And if race is or is not the issue why did he throw down the race card during the meeting. Oh excuse me, his lawyer did that. What’s wrong with this picture. A man making 6 figures a year has to resort to this. What kind of country do we live in? God help us
No I was not at the meeting but I do work for DPS. He has been visiting schools-Ihave seen him various times inside of the school. I do not like how people are so quick to point fingers at him and POINTED NONE At sue davis. This was Sue Davis mess. ANd to think that Dr. Newsome can come in and fix this mess overnight (in one academic year) I just think that is unreasonable. You are being unfair and unreasonable (is it because he is African American so he is being scrutinized more so than the person who left the place in a wreck. This is years worth of mess that was unresolved by Sue Davis. It makes me wonder….What do you mean he threw down the race card. Explain and elaborate on this. What exactly was said to make you think a race card was thrown down..?
You know when a student can’t learn, Steve? It’s when the student is not in the classroom. The overuse of referrals is a problem not just in Danville, and the Superintendent would be smart to crack down on it discreetly if indeed he did do that. It surprises me little that teachers who are so willing to just give up and let the student out of class at the first moment of any trouble are the type of teachers disaffected and leaving this system. The system will be better off for their departure. The attitude of the parents and students is part of the self-fulfilling prophecy the over-reliance on referrals in the Danville system has caused.
Steve, I agree with you totally. I had a principal tell me he could not expel a student who brought a weapon to school, after threatening my child’s life because the superintendent did not allow expulsion. So I know for a fact teachers’ hands were tied Thanks to Dr. Newsome
I think some people have a short memory. Dr. Newsome spent the first 100 days of the school year focused on talking to stake holders in DPS. Dr. Davis NEVER visited my classroom, but Dr. Newsome visited my class twice during the Fall. The Focus School for middle school students was closed last year, we were told due to a lack of funds. Dr. Newsome listened to middle school teachers and opened the scholars academy. It is unreasonable to expect him to solve all of our problems in a single year, but he IS listening and he IS working on proactive changes. Necessary change is rarely popular and hard decisions will bring always bring a storm of criticism. As a teacher in DPS, Dr. Newsome has my support and I would ask that people learn and recall all the facts before attacking decisions made by our leaders and that we give Dr. Newsome a chance to implement at least some of his ideas. (Just for the record, I am white.)
I respect your comment Giving a chance. Not only was the scholars academy opened. Additionally, Extra positions later became open second semester due to the overall crowding of the school system as a way to try to limit class sizes. People like to talk about what Dr. Newsome hasn’t did. Instead of focusing on what he has been doing and his vision of what he is still trying to do. All of this does not fall on Dr. Newsome: -I guarantee another superintendent would not be able to get a decade problem fixed in one year either… “IT TAKES A VILLAGE TO RAISE A CHILD” AND ATTACKING THE SUPERINTENDENT IS NOT THE ANSWER. How can you possibly be role models for many at risk kids when AS ADULTS WE RUN ATTACK ON OUR LEADERSHIP. THATS NOT TEACHING THE KIDS ANYTHING-WHY SHOULD A CHILD CHANGE THEIR BEHAVIOR WHEN ADULTS ACT WORSE THAN THE CHILD. It is really disgusting….I hope that you as adults sit there and think about your actions….
Newsome is a racist. At a meeting at Bonner he pretty much said if you are white you cant understand urban black kids. He will not answer teacher emails unless they are from ass kissers like Giving a Chance or black teachers. Reminds me of the piece of crap sitting in the white house. Cant blame him bc he is black. Teachers are leaving this mess and you will be stuck with the leftovers.
No thats not racist. That’s the truth. If you are not African American then you cannot possibly relate to an African american kid like a “Black Teacher could or someone black” Just like an African American teacher is not going to be able to relate to a Caucasian kid. Just because “Giving a Chance” is speaking her mind and telling whole picture then you want to call her an “Ass kisser” excuse me? And how do you know who and what emails he responds too. And I support my President in the White House as well! He couldn’t turns BUSH MESS around overnight…. Are you a racist Bonner is hell on Earth? How are you going to call the president a piece of crap… This is what i mean….Adults acting like CHILDREN. TEACHERS NOT KNOWING HOW TO BE ROLE MODELS -you are supposeed to be a role model as an educator .and what i see is just not it….
So, If a white teacher can’t “relate” to black students and black teachers can’t “relate” to white students, what is your solution??? Do you want to go back to 1950 and segregation of schools??
This whole affair is becoming increasingly absurd. The biggest problem I have as a teacher has nothing to do with race or religion, but parenting. The students who cause the most disruption and effect the process of learning the most are the ones who are disrespectful and have no discipline from home. Occasionally the parents flat out tell their kids they don’t have to listen to their teacher, nothing will happen!
The only thing that should matter now is that Newsome has not done his job! He has gone against what he has been told not to do, he refuses to take any accountability for things he says and he is a terrible leader. All he has done is tear this district farther apart. HE NEEDS TO GO!
I do not think advocating fair treatment is kissing someone’s behind. (I am educated enough to not to need vulgar language to make a point.) One may decide to be part of the problem or part of the solution. I do not refrain from public attacks on Dr. Newsome because he is black, but because he deserves a chance and attacking him anonymously does not help find solutions to the issues faced by DPS. Dr. Newsome has been actively recruiting individuals and businesses to become stakeholders in DPS in creative ways. I do support positive solutions that build bridges and welcome new voices. Hell is an ending place for the wicked and unmerciful; Bonner on the other hand is a place of new beginning and grace. (By the way, I am a man.)
The only change at Bonner will be the lack of qualified teachers left to babysit. Look at the racist rants of Lee Smallwood. Who would send their kids to these hellholes? Newsome is incompetent and needs the naacp to help keep a job he does not deserve. Funny how if a african american does a crappy job you cant touch him or criticize him due to his race. If a white guy was as sorry as this guy is whites and blacks would want him fired. How is the NAACP different than the Klan?
“BONNER IS HELL ON EARTH” WHAT SUBJECT DID YOU TEACH AT BONNER? JUST WONDERED?
Adam blamed Eve. Eve blamed the snake. Sound familiar??
Quit blaming Dr. Newsome for Danville’s problems. He is not our scapegoat. As parents, we must be parents and take responsibility for our children. When a student can swear at a teacher, walk out of the classroom, and there is little to no consequence, then there are issues deeper than an administrator or a skin color. Satan wants you to be distracted by media issues and fail to address the real issue–parenting. Parents are the real teachers and authority figures childrens’ lives. I challenge all parents to take parenting classes, get involved in your childrens’ educations, be supportive of the teachers, volunteer at their schools and be a positive voice. Your child needs you!
One person did not cause our problems and it is not fair for Danville to think that one person can fix them. Dr. Newsome is has given us (teachers, parents, and Danville community members) the chance to speak and is implementing our ideas. Rome wasn’t built in a day and he needs time, funding, proactive parents, and our prayers.
He also needed to learn that his boss was the school board. That’s the big lesson here.
AMEN!!! AMEN!!! AMEN!!! YOU PREACHING THE TRUTH!!!
@CAlling All Parents- Amen! Amen! Amen! You are Preaching the Truth!!!! @ SouthSide central-the schoolboards need to get more involved and get more involved in the community where there are at risk kids residing.” IT TAKES A VILLAGE TO RAISE A CHILD” Newsome cannot do it by himself. HE NEEDS EVERYONE HELP INCLUDING THE SCHOOL BOARD!!! How many days did it take for the world to get built? IT STARTS WITH PARENTS-RIGHT AT HOME!! PARENTS NOT RAISING THEIR KIDS AND THEN ON TOP OF THAT THEY DON’T SUPPORT TEACHERS OR ADMINISTRATION… ONE MAIN PROBLEM IS THE PARENTS POOR ROLEMODELING AND LACK OF RAISING THEIR KIDS.
For the record Mary Jane, my comment stated,”Dr. Davis was a wonderful person AND Superintendent that did the best she knew how with good intentions, but a change was needed.” I did NOT say she did EVERYTHING RIGHT, PERFECT or without MISTAKE!
Giving a Chance, Im happy to hear your classroom was visited 2 times this past year. I too saw Newsome several times and voiced several concerns only to be cut short and respectfully shrugged off. I have also witnessed student questions and concerns being kindly ignored.
Let me make myself clear, I carry a certain level of respect for my leaders as I was raised to respect my elders and those who have reign over me but I am still entitled to MY THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS AS AN INDIVIDUAL!!! Accordingly, I am not speaking ill-will against Davis or Newsome because we ALL have fallen short in some way or another. Im thankful that MY leader is KING JESUS! Superintendents may come or go but my God is everlasting and He has it all in His hands. So you all can go back and forth w/ each other continuing to sow discord and division all day-everyday but the issues will remain the same. Im a strong believer in prayer and it is definitely praying time!
How will the school board react to the threats of NAACP head Greg Hairston? If the school board was elected by us to represent us, then the decision to fire should not and can not be influenced by one man with about 100 following his lead. Why, because if the SB is swayed, then the majority is not being heard and the SB is NOT doing the job as elected. If there is not a petition to have Newsome removed, then one needs to be started. I will sign.
Greg Hairston threatened nobody, and it is not his practice to whip local residents into a frenzy. He is one of the most rational, reasonable people you’d ever meet, and his restraint as head of the local NAACP has created a local organization with great credibility. As somebody who knows the man and what he stands for, I strongly resent all of this ignorant bile going in his direction.
As to the issue of a majority, last I checked the school board meetings are open to the public. It might just be that the good old boy system Danville is used to won’t be breathing all that much longer and there will be a lot of decisions bemoaned by the current minority lamenting the way they used to hold power (poorly I might add).
It looks like you’re going to have to yell at Robert Benson in his latest R&B editorial as he isn’t fond of Hairston’s speech either.
Yeah, I wouldn’t be too proud of saying the same thing as Robert Benson. He’s the editor of the paper with a long-standing tradition of covering up the race troubles in this city dating back to Bloody Monday. His editorial also more or less amounts to hey you’d better give the white folks their way because they’re the ones with money. Yeah, that’s not race baiting at all. It’s also no secret the newspaper has a months long desire to bash Dr. Newsome based on the way they gleefully reported on the Bonner situation (which is a situation Newsome inherited to be clear).
Race exists. Saying it exists does not equate to racism. You were in the room yesterday. Hairston wasn’t saying anything that wasn’t obvious, and he wasn’t the one odds are who put those bodies in those seats. The saddest part of Benson’s little diatribe seems to be that he was sad his newspaper was so far behind on the coverage of this event because nobody told him. How could anybody put together so many people to be involved without the Register Bee knowing?
Anyone in politics knows that a “crowd” at a public hearing is simply a vocal group of citizens. It is not any measure of how a community feels.
It’s odd. “Racism” used to be defined as believing one racial group was superior to another. In the 21st century, it became the sociological idea that “not all individuals who share racial characteristics have the same thoughts, preferences, etc.” If racism is thinking that an entire group of people think the same way due to the color of their skin, how can someone claim to be a spokesman for a specific racial group of people? That’s completely contradictory. If one accepts the premise that Hairston “speaks for the African American community”, then one is saying that African-Americans think alike due to their skin color. (Not true) If African-Americans don’t think alike due to the color of their skin, then Hairston can not be a spokesman for an entire group of people. (True)
For instance, I know an African-American family with a son at Bonner. You better believe they wanted Whitlock gone and they damn sure want Newsome gone. Hairston does not speak for them. What’s gone on at Bonner is nothing short of a disaster.
Jerry turnout is the truest measure of how the community feels. This is why the right fringe Tea Party has so much power — they’re the ones who will show up faithfully to things like meetings and primary elections. It’s called engagement.
You’re setting up and trying to knock down your own strawman with your redefinition of racist. Nope, racist still means the same thing in spite of the right-wing effort to make some sort of amorphous reverse racism allegation whenever humanly possible.
Nobody is saying 100% of the black community was going to do anything. That is indeed insanity. What Hairston said was what was apparent — there were a lot of people in the community he is OBLIGATED to speak for as the President of the NAACP would be outraged. That’s not a threat. It was clearly the reality from that room full of engaged Newsome supporters. It’s no different than the Speaker of the House saying that his party is going to support this or that. It doesn’t mean every Republican believes x. It means he speaks for the group of people he represents and that’s their position. That’s what Hairston was saying last night.
As a parent with three students in DPS I was deeply disappointed in the way this school year went. It has Nothing to do with race on my behalf but Mr. Newsomes lack of concern for the students. My child was bullied to the point of attempted suicide, and when I went to the school board to speak to Mr. Newsome about the schools lack of attention in the matter. He never had time to talk to me as a concerned parent. I was always told he would call me back and as of today, he has yet to do so. He has also taken alot of power from the teachers and principals. Filling their days with paperwork instead of teaching time. Please think about What’s best for our children and leave race out of this.
Bullied? Did you follow the chain of command Mam and report this to his teachers first? And what type of bullying? Name callling or what.? what type of bullying specifically?
Yes we followed the chain of command from teacher, to guidance counselor to principal to school resource officers to school board officials and the only thing the child got was 3 days iss. It involved name calling, hitting, pushing to messages about killing him and myself. They actually sent pics of weapons to child’s phone & one boy brought a gun to school. They found the gun and set him to scholar academy while my child was placed on homebound for his safety. Yea right