Under-the-table politics and general passivity on FAMU’s Board of Trustees have obstructed the process of holding the Developmental Research School’s (DRS) administration accountable.Trustee R.B. Holmes, Jr., brother of DRS Superintendent Ronald Holmes, has wanted the board chairmanship ever since he received his appointment in 2001. But every time he’s sought the position, he’s come up short on votes.
With the exception of Art Collins, past BOT chairs attempted to placate Holmes after they won the election. Jim Corbin gave Holmes the Student Affairs committee chairmanship. Challis Lowe gave Holmes the presidential search committee chairmanship. Bill Jennings supported Holmes for vice-chair.
Last summer, Holmes failed to gather enough votes to even be competitive against Daryl Parks’ expected bid for the chairmanship. The possibility of Parks being elected chair was a threat to both Holmes and Jennings because he could not be pressured to placate either one of them.
At the last minute, Jennings (who did not originally plan to run for reelection) jumped into the chairmanship race with Holmes’ support. When the board convened for its election meeting, Jennings recognized Holmes to speak first. Holmes quickly nominated Jennings for chairman and Parks for vice-chairman (preempting any chance for Parks to be nominated for the top position).
Although Holmes lost the vice-chairmanship and did not receive another committee chairmanship, word has spread on campus that there’s an understanding that his brother will not be summoned before the BOT to answer tough questions about the increasingly bad situation at DRS.
DRS has spun out-of-control under Ronald Holmes. The school dropped from a “C” to “D” grade on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test last year.
Holmes failed to boost DRS’ student numbers enough to bring in the money required for this year’s budget. Enrollment only reached 544 this year after Holmes projected 600. The new DRS building is designed for 764 students.
At first, Holmes planned to lay off nine teachers to help him balance the budget. However, Provost Cynthia Hughes-Harris swooped in to save the jobs before Holmes could start swinging the ax.
The bad budgeting and poor recruitment program have forced Holmes to ask the school’s stakeholders for $175,000 by March 31st. DRS is running short on money to cover basic operational costs.
FAMU’s board has yet to ask Holmes to appear at a meeting and face tough questions about what he’s done to DRS. The BOT audit committee has not done any special reviews of DRS to get answers on whether the budget is being spent as efficiently as possible.
FAMU's trustees are sitting on their hands while the students, parents, and teachers of DRS continue to suffer.
Now this is the RN that I've come to love!
ReplyDeleteThe DRS parents need to congegrate and vocalize their demand for accountability from the school's leadership to Dr. Ammons and the FAMU BOT. They shouldnt wait until the school has a bad FCAT performance again. By that time it'll be too late, and most parents will be inclined to remove their child from the school, rather than address the leadership.
Welcome back RN. Thanks for asking the hard questions and wanting real answers. Keep up great work.
ReplyDeletethis outcome was guaranteed when they put this unqualified clown in that job in the first place.
ReplyDeleteThe BOT needs to man-up, lest it itself be called to account.
I agree with 8:50 am.Ammons should be held acountable for the problems at FAMU High. But of course he dosen't give a damn.
ReplyDeleteIsn't the DRS under the supervision and management of the Scholl of Education at FAMU? What is the Dean's role in supervising and managing DRS, if any?
ReplyDeleteThank you 2:26pm.
ReplyDeleteGood work RN.
What 4:34AM and 8:50AM said.
It's sad that FAMU has trustees who don't care about DRS. Maybe they'd be concerned if some of their children were enrolled there.
ReplyDeleteActually, I do not believe the FAMU BOT care much about academics at FAMU. They are a pathetic lot and are pretty much a collective cypher.
ReplyDeleteI sure hope Trustee Darryl Parks takes a personal interest seeing that he has a family member that that attends DRS. Rickards seems more like FAMU's lab school than FAMU DRS does. There used to be so much pride and respect for FAMU High! UF and FSU take really good care of their Developmental Research/Laboratory Schools...even Southern University is far ahead than FAMU/FAMU DRS at this point...FAMU DRS used to be so distinguished and now the current administration could give a rat's a$$ at what happens...time for Alumni and parents to really step in and SPEAK OUT and do what's necessary to save our school and regain the super status it once had!
ReplyDeleteFAMU DRS needs another Mr. Esteras (R.I.P) our version of Dr. Humphries and the most celebrated Principal, Superintendent or whatever they called them nowadays, of all times at FAMU DRS. FAMU DRS needs someone to take it to the next level...it is equipped well enough for it--but also be in tune with the rich traditions it once had...it was a community "gem".
ReplyDeleteFAMU DRS needs another Mr. Esteras (R.I.P)
ReplyDeleteAmen!!!!
I don't understand how Parks was as you state preempted from being nominated as chair. All Parks would have had to do is decline the nomination and then be nominated for the chairmanship
ReplyDeleteBy the way, Florida High is no longer affliated with FSU. They broke ties shortly after the school relocated. They simply kept the name.
ReplyDeletePreempt: “to forestall or prevent (something anticipated) by acting first; preclude; head off.”
ReplyDeleteHolmes nominated Parks for vice-chair before nominations for the chairmanship were even closed. The whole idea was to preempt a discussion of Parks for #1 spot. It was part of the strategy to give Jennings a running start against the threat of a Parks challenge.
got cha, however what would stop Parks from not declining the nomination and run against Jennings. I would think that he (Parks) didn't feel he had the votes
ReplyDeleteYou're correct that Parks could have simply declined the nomination. It might very well have been that he figured he didn't have the votes.
ReplyDeleteThe details behind the chairmanship election were shared in order to illustrate that Holmes clearly did not Parks to get control of the gavel. Holmes' actions showed that he wanted to discourage the BOT from even talking about electing Parks chairman. The key question is "Why?"
That's where the issue of keeping Ronald Holmes away from public BOT questioning comes in...
FAMU DRS is a failure and a drain on FAMU's finances. It's time to cut them loose and let them swim on their own. Enough's enough.
ReplyDeleteEvil Thrives When Good Men Do Nothing! Beware of those who speak the "word" and are filled with the devil...How can anyone in good conscience sacrafice children for the job of someone who is wholly incompetent? There is so much misinformation on here. First FSU DRS is still a part of FSU, they simply understand how to operate a Lab School as they have two with one in south fl....Yes FAMU DRS does fall under the College of ED. but if you think that they can run DRS then you think that they can run the College of ED. Which makes you insane and that is not an understatment at all! It is the oldest college on campus and it is and should be the SHAME of FAMU!
ReplyDelete2:03 AM,
ReplyDeleteYou are correct, and I was mistaken. They are still affliated with FSU, but now as a charter school (former FSUDRS, now FSUS DRCS). I wonder if becoming a Charter school would benefit FAMU DRS.
7:22 PM
Knowing that Educaion being the ROOT of all Schools, FAMU Administration needs to pay attention to the ROOT. Fix it and the plant will grow, Negelect it and the whole thing will die.
ReplyDeleteIn answer to the question concerning the Dean of the College of Education, please be advised that Dr. Bell does not know her head from a hole in the ground and is so happy with her salary that she has let COE and DRS run into the ground.
ReplyDelete10:45 AM
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, FAMU officials have ignored DRS since the late 80s and early 90s.
6:15, you are absolutely correct. The school sent from sugar to shizit once the Horse (Estarus) and Bullet (Harry Holt) team seperated. Wonder if we can get Mr. Holt to come out of retirement to get things going.
ReplyDeleteI roamed those halls for 13 years (kindergarten - 12th grade) and am really ashamed by the state of that school now. I am oh so glad my diploma says Florida A&M University HIGH SCHOOL and not that DRS mess.
What a goose egg.
ReplyDelete