SouthHighSucks.com > News Archive >

Should the Minneapolis School Board vote to opt out of the state mandate that students recite the Pledge of Allegiance each week? Yes No Current Results

WASTEFUL SPENDING EXPOSED:  The Office of Student Engagement  School Food Service Propaganda

CORRUPT CHARLATAN PATROL -- Earlier this year, Chiron Middle School had a problem. The downtown Minneapolis charter school had an honest man on it's board.

The Chiron Board of Directors rectified that situation on August 28, 2003, when they voted to remove N. Judge King from their Board of Directors. Why? According to a letter sent to Chiron parents, "the reason N. Judge King was removed had to do with his campaign of spreading false and or misleading information about the school, it's staff and its administration." King claims he was removed for whistle-blowing.

This whistle-blowing included telling Insight News that the Chiron Board was dysfunctional, and that instead of leading, they left most of the decision-making power to Chiron Principal Gary Warrington, who had the Chiron Board of Directors' treasurer in his pocket.

A Part-Time Principal with Full-Time Pay

King claims that as default ruler of the school, Warrington decided he was a part-time employee--with a full-time salary--and proceeded to run the school from his living room couch by email or phone, leaving his actual duties to a person he hired as "Assistant Principal." King also claims that Warrington put family members on the payroll, without assigning them any duties. Plus, he alleges that Warrington spent $1,500 from the school budget to go on an unauthorized trip to California.

He also alleges that teachers and students had to perform janitorial duties because money that could have paid for janitors was squandered by Warrington.

According to King, on a regular basis, Warrington would hire a retiree to be substitute principal--at $480 per day--when Warrington chose to take a day off from his rigorous schedule of phoning the "Assistant Principal."

King also alleges that the Minneapolis School Board was duped (I bet that was hard!) into sponsoring Chiron through another school year. He also claims that all of the people who went before the school board to campaign for Chiron's contract renewal "have a financial interest in the school"--either because they work there or because they are a supplier of the school.

Diversity is also a problem at Chiron--King claims that a 90% white staff handles a 93% black student body.

The school's attorney, Blessing Rugara, claims there aren't a sufficient number of black teachers in the job market. Rugara also claims that the accounting procedures at Chiron were not out of line with standard operating procedures.

If King's allegations are true, us taxpayers had better pray Chiron's actions weren't standard operating procedures everywhere, but we wouldn't be surprised if they are.--Tee Doff, Vinny's Graftwatch Volunteer.

Comment on this in our Message Board!