| PREPARED STATEMENT FOR DIST. 227 BD. MEETING ON OCT. 8, 2013 ****************************************************** Black Collaboration in Promoting and Maintaining Discrimination in Hiring in District 227: This Contributes to Low Test Scores in failing Black Majority Student Population On April 9, 2013, the people who voted elected 2 new board members, Antoine Bass and Dr. Delores Woods. Both were relatively unknown having little or no participation in District 227 education of our youth. To overcome this lack of name recognition and non-involvement, both paid money to Country Club Hills Mayor Dwight Welch to appear on his "punch card" receiving Welch's endorsement.
It is reported that similar deals were made with the Mayor of Park Forest, possibly the mayor of Richton Park, as well as with the Rich Township Democratic party organization headed by Tim Bradford. Also, the Rich Township Education Association [teacher's union] endorsed Woods and Bass. These endorsements have political and practical implications which directly impact negatively on the delivery of education to our youth as they carry significant importance to the endorsers' hopes of getting their agenda's through the new board. Now I voted for "change", although I didn't get enough votes to win a seat on this board, making sure my potential election would be blocked was a "main" condition agreed to by the 2 new board members [Woods and Bass] for gaining the support of the politicians mentioned above. I voted for "substantive change" by that I mean a change in policy, practices and direction from the previous 12 year reign of terror under the Owens, Norwood, Brunson regimes. Now the new board to its credit started to make "organizational change" from the superintendent on down. But that was only cosmetic----not substantive change, and here is why. A new direction can only begin with a change at the top in the superintendent's seat. But with that organizational change [and the other changes] must also come a change in mentality or thinking. For example, under the Owens regime, people got hired based on word of mouth, who they knew on the board or staff----not on what they knew or any life experience, credentials, or competency in the particular area being hired. [Credentials] A change in thinking [mentality] means we hire based on what the candidate knows, demonstrated history/experience in the area [record] and what credentials they bring. Are they the best fit for our district's economic, educational, social/community needs and demographics? A change in mentality is illustrated further by the words of former Interim superintendent of District 227, Dr. Griff Powell, who said publicly at a school board meeting and was quoted in the a local newspaper that "a district's staff should reflect the community it serves, from superintendent down to food service workers." Towards achieving that end, this school board has a long ways to go. We are a District that is 98 percent Black, according to the most recent school report card. However, our teaching staff and other support staff is 85 percent Caucasian. Nearly 99 percent of that staff lives in communities composed totally opposite of our school population and taxpaying communities. When I speak publicly about the federal and state guidelines re: racial disparities and inequities in hiring in District 227, some whites and Blacks get uncomfortable and attempt to label me and discredit the facts of which I speak. But I am not bamboozled or intimidated with such antiquated tactics. Neither are the young people who are forced to live under this imbalance everyday at each campus. But when the majority teachers union speaks about race and funds a study about it, attempts to discredit them, their leaders and the issue are not conducted by those who criticize me. ["Climate Report July 15, 2009" in depth report refused by Hunigan Owens regime on FOIA request] Protect the union and its members from accountability to the taxpayers, citizens, students, parents of District 227] When members of the new board majority, hire people based on who they know, the "practice" is as wrong "now" as when the previous majority board did it. When the new board majority says they require people with experience, then hire people with "no" experience in the area hired, the "practice" is as wrong now, as when the previous majority board did it. When members of the new board majority hire a failed principal who had accepted another position at a District in the far western suburbs, creates a new position and gives them a pay raise, the "practice" is as wrong now, as when the previous majority board did it. [if they did] [Note: old board created position of police liaison for Norwood crony, Motten) When the new board majority locks a fellow board member out of meeting or speaking with district office personnel at the district office, and other hiring processes, as was previously done to Ms. Coleman under the Owens/Leak regime, the "practice" is as wrong now, as when the previous majority board did it. When the new majority board refuses to allow "ALL" qualified applicants for a position to have an interview, using a smoke screen that the applicant "didn't apply online" when in fact they had, and interviews only 2 applicants, 1 of which only 3 members of the board majority previously decided they wanted to have the job, the "practice" is as wrong now, as when the previous majority board did it. When the new board majority practices race based, sex based, viewpoint based, who you know based discrimination in hiring, the "practice" is as wrong now, as when the previous majority board did it. When the new board majority "talks" about transparency and accountability, then allows a Owens regime district employee holdover to stay on our payroll, then is caught shredding a credit card which could be evidence in a possible criminal probe of corruption in our District, the "practice" is as wrong now, as when the previous majority board did it. When the new school board majority wants only praise of its conduct from supporters but punishes those same supporters who may have any criticism, the "practice" is as wrong now, as when the previous majority board did it. I was threatened by a supporter of the new board majority in a phone call late one evening. Asked if I was still working and had enough money to pay my bills among other condescending, arrogant, demeaning and backwards remarks. I interpreted this call as an effort to discourage me from coming here and making my statement about the criticisms of our new majority board and to convey a threat. The caller took "personal" credit for all the 2400 votes I received in the April 2013 election, and assured me he wouldn't support me in the future, which makes me question whether the support was there in the first place. Well, I don't know who put this individual with some power up to calling me, but I can tell all under the sound of my voice, here tonight, that I fear no man and I only fear the living God who has bought me from a mighty long ways; when I was down He lifted me up; when I was lied on, talked about, lied to in my face and stabbed in the back by the same people, mis-understood, deliberately had my words twisted by my enemies both among my own people and the local press---God stood by me and said to me in these struggles, trials and troubles, keep standing cause "no weapon formed against you" shall prosper. The bible says "God plus one is the majority" "Touch not my anointed and do my servants no harm" "That whatsoever man sows, that shall he also reap" It's time for those on our new school board majority to abandon and end the system of Apartheid thinking/mentality in their minds, which has produced Apartheid South African style policies, practices, hiring, reasoning, culture, excuse making, and inferior education forced on our children over the past 2 and ½ generations in this District and in the school systems of the South Suburbs. "Substantive Change" is changing your minds and your way of thinking. Only then can you change direction, set new policy, practices and produce a high quality and caliber education worthy of the brilliance and genius of our youth. Firing Leak and company was "cosmetic" change---- not substantive. Hiring people with no demonstrated record or competence in turning around a single school or district is more of the same failure of the past 20 years only under new names----but the game is still the same. Hiring people unilaterally without all seven board members having substantive input "before" asking for each members "vote"----is more of the same pattern of planned failure of the past 20 years under the previous board majority only under new names-----but the game is still the same. Choosing to deny applicants an interview for any position based on sex and/or viewpoint prejudices and discrimination, is more of the same pattern of planned cronyism/nepotism/corruption as was practiced by the previous majority board under new names-----but the game is still the same. Cutting off communications with supporters or non-supporters who may have valid criticisms of the current majority board, is more of the same pattern of tuning out any dissent and the community as was done under the previous board and now under new names-----but the game is still the same. Komaa Mnyofu Parent, Community Activist, Analyst, and Social Critic Rich Township High School District 227 Matteson, Illinois | 
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