Ronald Holmes, an assistant principal of Banneker High School in College Park, Ga., has been selected as the new superintendent of the FAMU Developmental Research School ( kindergarten through 12th).
Holmes, the brother of FAMU Trustee R.B. Holmes, was given a three-year contract that starts on Jan. 21, that will pay him $110,000 a year. He has an undergraduate and a doctorate degree from FAMU. His specialty is in "test-score enhancement, an area of expertise that is critical for the school.
R.B Holmes recused himself from voting on his brothers contract.
"In the interest of full disclosure, I want to report that Dr. (Ronald) Holmes is the brother of trustee R.B. Holmes," FAMU President James Ammons said. "However, trustee (R.B.) Holmes was not involved in the search process, nor the selection of Dr. (Ronald) Holmes as superintendent."
FAMU DRS, has been without a permanent superintendent since June 29, when the former head of the school district retired. There were eight applicants for the job, a list of finalists was established by a committee of university administrators, DRS faculty and community members.
Article published Jan 3, 2008
ReplyDeleteAdvisory board must have a say in future of FAMU DRS
Thomas A. Jackson
My View
Re: "FAMU DRS has plan for improvement" (news article, Dec. 29).
I am compelled to respond to certain matters in the story concerning the report given by the university provost to the Florida A&M University trustees.
First, it is important to state two facts that seem to be missing when we talk about the FAMU Developmental Research School. First, DRS is a separate organizational unit (a school district) and is not operated by the university. Second, Section 1002.32 of the Florida Statutes states, in part, that policy matters of the FAMU DRS are made, with several exceptions, by its school advisory board, not the university trustees. So, the presentation of matters dealing with the FAMU DRS to the university trustees is both inappropriate and misleading.
I cite as an example a Sept. 30 Democrat article that states that the "board of trustees approve a budget of more than $3.1 million for the school." The board does approve budgets for the DRS. But the money is made available to the school by the Department of Education based on Florida Education Finance Program calculations.
These factors suggest to me that, even if the university administration were to change every year or every day, the FAMU DRS has, by law, its own policy-making body, an administrative structure and funding from the DOE to sustain its operation.
Now to the Dec. 29 article, I suggest that the establishment of the FAMU DRS task force was a fatal flaw that has been made by university administrations for the past two decades.
These actions have accomplished very little, as is evident from the current status of the school. If a task force was needed, it should have been initiated by school's advisory board.
FAMU DRS has known that it needed reading and math coaches since its designation as an F school by the DOE at least a year ago. There was no need to be told this by the task force. To my knowledge, no one has been hired as a math coach, despite constant requests for assistance.
Yes, salaries need to be significantly increased for the school to compete for a quality faculty. But giving a $3,000 bonus does not change the salary structure; a bonus is just that, a bonus, and it does not become a part of the faculty member's base salary.
This, too, we have known for years, so why the need for a task-force report to bring this to our attention?
The article further states that "school officials hope to hire a superintendent next month."
Again, the school advisory board has had no involvement in this process. I was invited to a Sept. 17 meeting and found myself involved in interviewing candidates for the director (superintendent) position. It was apparent that someone had screened the eight applications received for the position and an interview team had been selected without the involvement of the school advisory board or the stakeholders of the FAMU DRS — its faculty, parents, students and staff.
I offered my services to the university administration to assist in any way possible, and I was given the opportunity to work with the FAMU DRS situation, despite limited K-12 experience.
I was willing to learn what I needed to know to make a contribution. One of the non-K-12 things that I have learned during the past three months is that there are an awful lot of people who want to assist in improving the quality of education at the FAMU DRS.
I have also learned that we have wasted an awful lot of time waiting for a report that outlines three well-known factors as a plan of action.
The real question is: Where do we go from here, and who is going to provide the leadership?
If the school advisory board is to provide that leadership, then there needs to be some straight talk among board members, the DRS administration, the members of the school advisory council (the unit responsible for the school improvement plan) and the university administration.
Thomas A. Jackson is chairman of the FAMU DRS advisory board and a retired Florida A&M professor of education. Contact him at thomasjackson-01@comcast.net.
Something is not quite clean in this mail! Rev Holmes' "brother"....naaaah! Recuse himself or not, he was involved, and cannot deny that..come on now "Rev", lots of people know that you're a shister! Plllllleeeeeaaaasssse!
ReplyDeleteThanks, R.B., for giving SACS another reason to be suspicious while we're already under the microscope!
ReplyDeleteR.B. could recuse himself, because it appears that deal for his brother was already greased!
ReplyDeleteSACS could care less what happens with FAMU High. Self hating negroes and their self destructive attitudes and comments are factors that greatly influence SACS & others.
ReplyDeleteMr. Holmes may turn out to be great for FAMU High. Why don't we give him a chance?
I'm a white person and whether you people realize it or not, your self hating comments are playing right into the hands of the powers that be. Some of you criticize and complain about every decision that is made at FAMU. I've heard that several BOG members think you people are a joke and hate yourself just because.
ReplyDeleteIf you want white people to accept and believe in you, you first have to believe in yourself. This blog has become the joke and entertainment piece at white parties and gatherings. White people actually sit around and wager on the most rediculous comments on this board. I'm not a racist, but some of you people post some very self hating, inferior messages on this board. Do you expect me to believe in you if you don't believe in yourself?
I'm a white person and whether you people realize it or not, your self hating comments are playing right into the hands of the powers that be.
ReplyDeleteCriticizing conflicts-of-interest that could harm FAMU's accreditation does not equal self-hate. It simply reveals an alumni base that is serious about protecting its alma mater.
I've heard that several BOG members think you people are a joke and hate yourself just because.
The BOG is the last body that should consider anyone else a joke. The BOG played an instrumental role in sending FAMU into decline. It pushed inept JUCO administrators like Castell and Debra Austin into the university and vigorously defended them even after they received the worst state audits in the school's history.
BOG chairwoman Carolyn Roberts tried to reward Challis Lowe, who said Castell was doing a good job despite receiving FAMU's first qualified audit opinions, with another term. The state senate laughed in her face and dumped Lowe like a bad habit.
The BOG's claim to be serious about helping FAMU's financial situation is the biggest joke in Florida. The BOG has worked to sabotage FAMU with poor trustees who hired and shielded poor administrators.
This blog has become the joke and entertainment piece at white parties and gatherings.
You do not speak for all white people. And you certainly don't speak for the many white state auditors who received critical information from this blog and its supporters.
Rattler Nation and its sources fed the Florida Auditor General a long stream of accurate, verifiable information about Castell's voodou accounting and dirty management practices.
This blog has credibility as site dedicated to candid discussion about FAMU from an inside perspective.
Some of you criticize and complain about every decision that is made at FAMU.
If you had any background at all about FAMU's internal politics, then you'd understand that R.B. Holmes has been a serious problem on FAMU's board for years. He was part of the group led by Jim Corbin that fixed two presidential search process (one for Fred Gainous and the other for Castell Bryant). He has aggressively micromanaged in the interest of members of his church congregation and friend/family base who work at FAMU (or want to work at FAMU).
Holmes turned against Bryant only after she began firing prominent professors who attended his church. He knew he had no chance of influencing Thelma Thompson (who was the Lowe and Bryant's candidate) to change that course so he backed Ammons with the intention of pressuring him to be good to Holmes' church members and family members during the hiring decisions.
Rattler Nation and its bloggers have consistently criticized Holmes when he was wrong in the past and will continue to do so in the present.
I am a white person as well. All we have to do is look to the White House for entertainment at parties, meetings, conferences all over the WORLD where you know who is the butt of jokes in over 50 different languages.
ReplyDeleteI am a daily reader of the NY Times Blogosphere and there are crude comments made about politicians, their wives, their girlfriends, their hires, decisions, etc. FAMU is not in a unique situation. Many universities have these blogospheres and they can get to be quite nasty.
I believe university administrators should pay attention to some of what is being said and how folks perceive their actions and inactions.
Yes, this board provides a sad commentary on the DRS; some BOT members and even some of Ammons' actions since taking office. However, the bigger questions is what will this administration do to insure that the perception of change is not just an illusion, but in fact something that stakeholders and those cheering for FAMU can touch, see and hear that it is real.
This is the new age and this is just another way of how people express their likes and dislikes.
After all this is America, home of free speech.
10:59, you are a white person who seems to have bought into the idea that there is only one Black voice in America. Why would any thinking individual be surprised that Black people have differences of opinion? Isn't that one of the very basic ideals of our country's foundation? I am perplexed that you would come here and suggest that Black people should be of one opinion. I doubt for one minute that you would chastise an FSU graduate for voicing a difference of opinion with FSU administration policy. How dare you think that you can come here and chastise us for engaging in meaningful debate.
ReplyDeleteThat you would suggest FAMU grads should not exercise our right to disagree is unfair, uninformed and unAmerican.
10:59 pure tomfoolery.
ReplyDeletesome of you white folks sure smell yourselves...we donot care or give nothing about anything any of you think about us--black people or rattlers.
how absurd of you!
...to the 10.59am blogger i don't know who 'you people' are but i AM a black man who unapologetically loves black people, love fellow FAMUANs, who have a vested interest in the betterment of our alma mater, and one who does not give a damn about being 'accepted' by whites nor do i need whites' validation. You did not have to indicate that you are a racist; you're worse, you're an ignorant one. Your thoughts indicated that. You're an arrogant condescending a**hole; that is what you really are. Thank GOD all whites don't think like you. Thanks 12:07p
ReplyDeleteBLOGS not only give you the opportunity to have intelligent discourse on pertinent issues, but it's also an avenue to rebut ignorant nuts like 10:59am. We should not be afraid or apologetic to discuss the good, the bad, on any issues on these BLOGS. That's part of their purpose. And if the BOG, BOT, or FAMU Administration spends their precious meeting time to even mention a blog THEN that blog is effective. Think about it; if the leading news agency in the world, CNN, has entire segments of programming on monitoring and reading whats in the blogosphere they know the effective power of it. I don't care what anyone says, but THIS BLOG, RattlerNation, kept many of us informed over these most turbulent last few years. RattlerNation was quite effective in shining a light on the inept Castell administration and kept us abreast of things going on before it hit any media outlet. To the RattlerNation blog creator, staff, 'researcher', and contributors...i thank you! And let the detractors and haters hate.
Many has mentioned that because of news spread on RattlerNation FAMU is on probation. That's absolute nonsense. Yes, they may even have SACS people eyeing this very blog for issues to put on under the FAMU microscope, but it was the incompetent administration WE HAD that caused us to be placed on probation.
So, on that note FAMUans keep up the good work of providing us the news, critique, accolades, gossip, hearsay, grapevine, 'straight no chaser' information that is provided on this blog
10:59 AM I am black and a graduate of FAMU and I partially concur with your response. All blogs are a joke if you ask me and at times, this one is no acception. The reason I said partially, is because many of those that post on this blog does not speak for the majority of us. There are many of us that do not believe in airing our differences and shortcomings for everyone else's amusement. Many of us feel the same as you and your cohorts & cronies. Who doesn't sit around and joke about others shortcomings (I could post some links to sites and blogs that we find amusing as well...Trust me, each race has its disgrace...and embarrassments). However, the big picture is that ALL of us need to embrace change for the better and give change a chance and stop the bantering, the "all around" hate including self-hate and the sometimes complete ignorance and utter disgrace. Again, most black people DO NOT condone ignorance, but we're not the ones you read or hear about...unless they play sports or something. I am all for freedom of expression and speech...even if it is unsettling at times...hell, what can I say except for hopefully there will come a time when we will all "get it!"
ReplyDeleteAnd by the way, the term "you people" IS definitely offensive.
--"God has the last laugh anyway."
How do any of us really know if 10:59 AM message board poster is white or black???? Don't believe everything that you read on a blog.
ReplyDeleteAmen, 3:44. That "white" person could be a sister or brother just hatin' on her/himself and others and simply wants to vent what they really feel. The person knows exactly what buttons work and don't work, especially the "you people" comment. I've not taken the bait. There are, as we all know, traitors among us.
ReplyDelete^^^^10:59 AM....I just wanna know who the hell is "you people"!?!?!?!
ReplyDeletenothing that's posted on this blog is going to change the ignorance of poster 10:59. The person is historically hopeless. Now, whether or not it's a black person playing devil's advocate or a white person, it doesn't matter, because either way, the person has a serious mental disorder. i say the best thing we can do is to ignore the comments and move on to something productive and important that's worth reading and writing about.
ReplyDelete4:33 PM - "You people" are people that are full of self hate. Clear enough?
ReplyDeleteThis is addressed to the "white person" who says that this blog is the talk of his party.....
ReplyDeleteSir....
If this is the HIGHLIGHT of your gathering, FAMU needs to be the LEAST of your problems.....
*Just a thought-the debating may continue-*
I don't know much about the new superintendent, but I hope he comes in and help FAMU become an "A" school.
ReplyDeleteThanks 7:10 for bringing this board back to the topic of FAMU DRS and away from devil's comments that have nothing to do with the heading "FAMU DRS gets new superintendent."
ReplyDeleteIf Rev. Holmes was any kind of leader, he would have instructed his brother, not to apply for the position seeing that it would (and has) put him into an uncomfortable predicament. Maybe he is qualified, but seeing that that isn't the norm as of late for FAMU, it will look to all as yet another hook up on the FAMU totem pole.
ReplyDeleteLack of leadership.....let's talk about it. Rev. Holmes was on the board and sat idly by as the university went into its demise. He is PROVEN ineffective as a board member and should have had the dignity to resign seeing that he and EVERYONE else that was on the board FAILED the the university. He will continue to milk the university for his vanity, pride and own agenda as long as the university lets him. What do we expect when a "LOCAL" (minister) gets to have a say on a non secular state university board. For shame for a person supposedly of and for God.
3:33 it is exception, not acception. Who gives a damn about what "White America" thinks. That is in my view why we are in the situation we are in where black children are becoming infected with the "White Man Diease" and our race is going to hell (and I aint talkin about a make believe lake of fire) in a hand basket, I am talking about Filling up the Prisons of "White America" and our children Failing out of these intergrated schools that were suppose to be our great saviour! WE NEED HELP AND I PRAY THAT GOD HAVE MERCY ON OUR PEOPLE!! BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY I PRAY THAT WE START DOING SOMETHING HERE ON EARTH!!!!! HOLMES IS WRONG FOR FAMU AND SO IS HIS BROTHER!!!!!
ReplyDelete^^^^^
ReplyDeleteYou are right about Holmes. He is like a CANCER. I wished he was headed for the door with the rest of the board members the left with the other folks that set FAMU on this course.
We need to start a movement to get his selfish, self-serving butt off of our board.
And shame on Ammons for hooking up with this fool and his brother. If he can't stand up to Holmes over this nepotism (hire Ron Holmes) then I don't know if I can trust him to go into a room with Mark Rosenberg and not sale FAMU out.
Thank you Dr. Tom Jackson for exposing those lies told during the press conference naming Dr. Holmes as the next superintendent of DRS. If not for you, many of us would have believed our new president hook line and sinker that this selection was a collaborative effort by your advisory board, the parents, students, administration and faculty. Secondly, that the university was pretending along with the board, probably the good Rev. Holmes regarding the plans for future progress. I won't be surprised if this was all orchestrated to usher in Holmes's brother.
ReplyDeleteNow I am more apt to believe the rumor circulating that the search for the provost was not kosher. Prior to the end of the semester, it was rumored that some board members were bullied by the chair to fall in line and support the pre-determined provost or else risk the wrath. Let's wait and see what the fallout of the search committee members is and who got rewarded for not asking the tough questions during the search process and who got punished.
For the uninformed that read this blog:
ReplyDeleteFirst, I'll say that I am NOT a fan of R.B. Holmes presence on the BOTs. I lobbied unsuccessfully for his removal after Gov. Crist took office.
Secondly, yes- the hire looks bad on the surface, however, if you look at the credentials of Dr. Ronald Holmes compared to the other candidates who names were forwarded to Dr. Ammons, you will see that he is coming in from a school that is nationally recognized with strong academic programs. He's also a FAMU alumni who has 2 masters (one from FAMU, the other from Bowling Green), and a Ph. D. (FAMU)- not from a diploma mill. He's been at this school for 10 years. This is a school that kids actually leave prepared for college (college prep courses).
From their website: "...the school boasts a strong banking and finance department, as well as an industry-certified Business Management program."
If those type of programs can be implemented at the DRS. Think of the feeder program that it will develop into for our SBI programs. Who else was bringing this kind of experience?
At first, I felt the same way as some here feel when I heard of the hire. But then I had to compare the background, experience, and credentials side-by-side. Holmes was the better candidate.
Those business management-related courses and programs all sound good, but the students at DRS need reading and math help. Web sites can say whatever the institution's management want them to say, so we can't all go on the gloriousness and lovliness and beauty of the visuals. Pretty web sites aren't going to help the students pass the FCAT and they're not going to help remove the school from that "F" grade.
ReplyDeleteThe committee recommended another candidate and Holmes was rated the 3rd best by the committee.
ReplyDelete1:54am, what good does it do to go from one D/F school to another D/F school. If you weren't getting it done at the former, what in heaven's name make you think they can do better at the latter?
ReplyDelete11:16, did you read my 1:54 comment. Can you comprehend? I said NOTHING about the school moving from an "F" to a "D". My comment was in response to a poster who said (something to the effect) about some kind of fancy web site and a bunch of business programs. What I said, AGAIN, since you obviously have a learning disability, is that the students at DRS need help in reading and math, that fancy web sites aren't going to help them at all. I was responding to a poster's notion that banking and finance programs were all good, but what the kids need at FAMU DRS is assistance in math and reading. Maybe YOU need help in reading and understanding what has been written, because your response to me was WAY off somewhere in left field. Damn.
ReplyDelete