Hutchinson/Nelson

[NotSoSilentBob]

Why does district 1 elect people like this? Nelson at least has some modicum of civility. Hutchinson is a joke.

[sup-rbeast]

I had Hutchinson as a teacher and coach...and regardless of what anyone thinks of him, he's a stand up guy. He has also been a principal and he was over education at red onion and wallen's ridge for a while. He was elected to represent his district, and that's what he does. He has taken every job he's ever had seriously, including this one. The thing I always liked about him was that he treated you as an adult, but once ya screwed up you got a taste of his temper...and that was usually enough to straighten ya out. The way I look at it tho, he was elected by the people in his district, and he has the backbone to go to bat for their interests, regardless of what anyone else in the county thinks. If all politicians had a back bone like that, we'd be OK IMO.

[Biggin]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: sup-rbeast</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I had Hutchinson as a teacher and coach...and regardless of what anyone thinks of him, he's a stand up guy. He has also been a principal and he was over education at red onion and wallen's ridge for a while. He was elected to represent his district, and that's what he does. He has taken every job he's ever had seriously, including this one. The thing I always liked about him was that he treated you as an adult, but once ya screwed up you got a taste of his temper...and that was usually enough to straighten ya out. The way I look at it tho, he was elected by the people in his district, and he has the backbone to go to bat for their interests, regardless of what anyone else in the county thinks. If all politicians had a back bone like that, we'd be OK IMO. </div></div>

I agree wit everything you jus said.

[R0cketer]

I'm assuming his 'backbone' has nothing to do with his wife's job, right?

[yankeebaseball]

Look people, Ill say this what everyone is standing up for is a joke. Spend some time in these schools and see, dont go by "how it was" when you were there. Its a new day and age, that is concerns with the schools, admin, kids, teachers etc. Its sad and a joke that we say we want all these things for kids yet we keep them in sub par conditions, we trap them in situations where if you make it out, you should get an award. If you could compare the area and the situation it is like an inner city, people say they want to help but do not want to do anything about it. Dont believe me? Go to one of these schools in Jan or Feb and see kids wearing coats in the buildings, try and plug in an AC on the second floor of one of these buildings in the hot months. But, most have wised up and gave up the good fight. There isnt one, you either make some tuough decisions and swallow pride for your future or keep going the way it is and live with it. You choose what happens.

[R0cketer]

I appreciate people not wanting to change, heck I don't want consolidation to happen, but its a necessary evil around here now and its the only way to help to eventually rebuild this area. Good schools will hopefully help build the next generation to be a bit sharper, and a bit more on their toes and help to undo the years or mismanagment, poor choices, and uneducated fools leading things.

Just because you like someone, or think they are a swell person, doesn't mean they are capable of seeing things in a big picture. I took everything that was offered to me when I was in high school, I never had a study hall, and then I went to college very unprepared for the most part. Certain areas I was ok in but I was still behind the curve. The majority of our kids that go away to school end up coming back, sure homesickness is part of the problem with some, but the ones who go generally are behind and don't get to enjoy the full college experience because they are behind from day 1, and either have to kill themselves to keep up, or decide to head home. I'm not downing the majority of the teachers, the system itself is broken, the teachers can only do so much. The argument was made before that not everybody is going to go to college, well that is a truthful statement but you need to make the system work best for the ones who will, you need to try and make things easier for your best and brightest, not go to the lowest common denominator. I'm not downing the ones who don't want to go to college either, its actually good if kids realize that they aren't college material necessarily, but by having more options available, you don't hurt the ones who don't want to go to school, and by the same token, you might help them by giving them more options, and who knows, they might find something that will help them. I think a good school system not only has more college prep opportunities, you increase the number of technical prep classes you have, more specialized.

I don't know just my 2 cents.

[ChrisSabo]

Hutchinson also ran against Rocky Cantrell. That district is lucky Mark won, regardless of what you think.

He ran on a platform and is doing what he said would? Too bad we can't find a prez that would do that. Consolidation might be alright if it was done fairly, the new schools are needed, but if this county gave a [censored], the schools would't be like this to start with. I really find it funny that folks think "Johnny Jones", just passing base courses , is gonna be smarter cause he is in a new building. Vote is done, time to move on. Pick cheap sites ...and don't forget, Wise County is broke and none of the old schools are useable. Classrooms are too small for todays class standard. Find 80 million in a broke county that is facing state funding cuts. And stoker coal for this year is ...what about 150 bucks a ton?

[pvfan]

Were in a mess, I support consolidation if they improve the curriculum, as it stands I'm not sure that will happen. I think you need to have more to say than what was said whenever you propose something like this, how in Gods name can you go to the school board propose 3 new schools without any mention of sites, what to do with athletic facilities, whose losing their job, and I'm really not convinced they know how much all of this is going to cost. Both sides are full of it imo, I personally will be voting differently the next time.

As long as we don't wind up on one of Billy Ray Cypress' shows , with a new school and no textbooks, I guess we will survive. At least we got rid of the bunch that had 54 mill one Jan to renovate 3 old buildings , then couldn't find enough to run all the county schools that summer.