Part-Time Pundit: Just When You Thought You Were Done with Spencer High School

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May 11, 2005

Just When You Thought You Were Done with Spencer High School

Ok, here's the deal. When you moused over Del Parker's e-mail text you see dparker@mindspring.com, that is not D. Parker but Dave Parker. He decided to "play along" and pretend to be on the board and send out inflammatory e-mails. So because of the error on the website, he got copied on these messages and then he responded as part of the board here. It was assumed legitimate because he was on the list which we assumed to be correct. The website is getting fixed, honest mistake on my part and I probably should have checked first. Apologizes to Del Parker and school board for this mistake.

====

Attached is e-mail coorespondence with someone who was outraged and the treasurer of the school board. This is how they look on parents and children, not as someone they are serving but subjects to command and cow into obedience. Maybe you didn't find the suspension outrageous, but this response is that much more outrageous. It's dripping contempt for the public for having a say and a criticism of them is too much. The absolute ridicule of a servicewoman trying to talk to her son and the son who wants to talk to his mom is beyond description. This is beyond the pale and merits, this time, a call for this politician's resignation.

This is the individual responsible for the e-mail (which is at the bottom):
Del Parker
dparker@mcsdga.net
Treasurer of Board
P.O. Box 2427
Columbus, GA 31902-2427
706-649-0546
Fax 706-649-0871

This is the contact info for the rest of the board. Let them know your outrage at a public official on the public dollar having contempt for the very people he serves.

Dr. Mary Sue Polleys
polleys_marysue@colstate.edu
Chairman of Board
Member at Large
Term ends 2006
1815 Stark Avenue
Columbus, GA 31906
706-323-1971
Fax 706-565-3466

James Walker
walker.j@mindspring.com
Vice Chairman of Board
District 3
Term ends 2008
4825 Toney Drive
Columbus, GA 31903
706-327-2651
Fax 706-653-9558

Patricia Hugley Green
phugley@compuserve.com
District 1
Term ends 2008
P. O. Box 6177
Columbus, GA 31917
706-687-2888
Fax 706-687-5582

John Wells
jwells@knology.net
District 2
Term ends 2006
7107 Leighton Road
Columbus, GA 31904-0772
706-323-5938
Fax 706-323-6038

Naomi Buckner
buckner.n@earthlink.net
District 4
Term ends 2006
620 Baxley Way
Columbus, GA 31907
706-563-2258

Fife M. Whiteside
whitesidef@mindspring.com
District 5
Term ends 2008
1124 Lockwood Avenue
Columbus, GA 31906
706-320-1215
Fax 706-320-1217

Brenda Storey
wbs1980@aol.com
District 6
Term ends 2006
9625 County Line Road
Midland, GA 31820
706-649-3751
Fax 706-649-3812

Joseph Roberson
joeroberson@knology.net
District 7
Term ends 2008
1909 Dee Avenue
Columbus, GA 31903
706-615-2110
Fax 706-689-3434

Dr. Philip T. Schley
philip.schley@crhs.net
District 8
Term ends 2006
2009-A Hamilton Road
Columbus, GA 31904
706-576-2382
Fax 576-23
====
The E-Mail Exchange:

-----Original Message-----
From: dave parker [mailto:dparker@mindspring.com]
Sent: Tuesday, May 10, 2005 6:53 PM
To: ###########
Subject: Re: Mother's call gets son in hot water

Dear Mr. ######,
I am truly disgusted at your inattentiveness to the situation. Do you
not
bother to continue reading the news after your knee-jerk reaction?

We have allowed Kevin to return to classes, provided he gives a full
apology
to the officials involved and has agreed to wash their cars each weekend
for
the remainder of the school year. He will also mow the grass on the
school
grounds. I think you will agree this is a considerable savings to our
taxpayers.

Furthermore, we have exacted a promise from his mother that she will no
longer attempt to call her potty-mouthed son while he is at school. In
order
to aid her in this attempt, we have sent her a clock set to our local
time.
We have also delineated school hours on the clock face using an
indelible
marker, next to which we have written "Don't call now!" All of our
officials
agreed that this was prudent, as Sgt Bates seems unable to subtract 8
hours
from her current time. Additionally, we have removed the minute hand to
prevent Sgt Bates from calling at a quarter-past every hour.

Of course, had she been better in math she might have gotten a job in
the
private sector and saved us all a lot of trouble.

Now, as to our selection of school officials, may I assume that you're
offering yourself for employment? I believe we may be in need of someone
who feels motivated to action based on the word of a talk-radio host
milking
this story in an effort to boost his ratings at the expense of
well-qualified
educators. I urge you to contact our hiring office immediately; we need
someone ready to sprinkle pink powder on vomit wherever it occurs, and
you
seem uniquely qualified.

With regards,
D. Parker
dparker@mindspring.com

On Tue, 10 May 2005, ######### wrote:

> Dear Del Parker,
> http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/mld/ledgerenquirer/news/11575912.htm
> I sincerely hope that you and your fellow board members have a plan
where by this travesity of justice can be undone.
> I find it very hard to believe that any school which is located so
closely to, and affiliated with, a military base, would not be aware of
the tremendous sacrifice being given by the personnel assigned to that
base and the sacrifice being borne by their dependants.
> I find it hard to believe that there was an adult, let alone a school
staff member, who acted with such a callous lack of forethought.
> Do you not screen and select your management staff better than this?
> Or is this evidence of a bigger and more systemic problem in your
school district?
> I am sure there are very many service personnel in your district who
will be watching to see how you remedy this situation.
> I think you need to apologize to the young man, his mother and to the
school population as a whole for putting them in a command structure
which is devoid of good judgement.
> I'm sure you are aware that a very large number of people, all across
the United States, are watching to see what you do to rectify this
situation.
> I sincerely wish you God Speed and good insight.
> It is obvious that the latter is lacking in your appointments.
> Thank you.
> Yours truly,
> ###########
>

Posted by John Bambenek at May 11, 2005 4:51 PM

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Comments

Please, this email sounds so fake. No public official is stupid enough to make such comments in an email - to do so is to commit political suicide.

I believe the original email - if there even was one - was twisted by someone to create strong reactions from readers to make them biased against the school board and more favorable to the student.

Note that I agree with the student's right to call - still, that does not excuse this attempt to stir things up even further.

Posted by: guest at May 11, 2005 5:53 PM