Page 4 - Florida Sentinel 4-1-16 Edition

Features
Readers Share Opinions About Superintendent’s Decision
Daughter Of Sentinel Employee Completes Advanced Leaders Course
Daughter And Father...
SSGT. Nichelle Watson And Johnny Watson (inset)
If Ms. Essie Wynn were still alive today, she would be as proud of her granddaugh- ter, Nichelle Watson, as her son, Johnny Watson is.
Nichelle graduated from 88M Motor Transportation Operator Advanced Leaders Course at Fort Lee, Virginia.
The completion of this course was a promotion re- quirement in order to pin the rank of Staff Sergeant in the United States Army. Nichelle graduated as one of the only females in her class out of 39 other male soldiers.
Sgt. Watson maintained her professionalism and led from the front as the student First Sergeant throughout the course. She also volunteered her personal time while at- tending school in Waverly, Virginia to help clean up a neighborhood which was de- stroyed by a tornado.
Sgt. Watson is stationed at Fort Hood, Texas, and rep- resented “the great place” ex- tremely well. She has been in for 6 years and plans on mak- ing the Army a career.
Remember, nothing hap- pens until something moves.
Her father, Johnny Wat- son, flew from Tampa to Vir- ginia to attend the ceremony.
MR. DANNY GREEN
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
Recently, Hillsborough County School District Super- intendent Jeff Eakins con- firmed rumors that he is re-organizing his senior staff for the second time in less than a year. Thirteen top level em- ployees will be required to re- apply for their positions and there are no guarantees that they will be re-hired. All of those affected are considered “at-will” employees.
The members of his Cabi- net who will be required to re- apply and interview for their jobs and the positions they hold are: Dr. Lewis Brin- son, Chief Diversity Officer; Gretchen Saunders, Chief Business Officer; Christo- pher Farkas, Chief Opera- tions Officer; Stephanie Woodford, Chief Human Re- sources Officer, and Owen Young, Area Superintendent, Priority Schools.
All of the current Area Su- perintendents must re-apply
REV. KAREN JACKSON SIMS
and complete the interview process as well. They are: Area 1, Maribeth Brooks; Area 2, Lisa Yost; Area 3, Brenda Grasso; Area 4, Henry Washington; Area 5, Sher- rie Sikes; Area 6, Jerry Jackson; Area 7, Sharon Morris, and Area 8, Marcos Murillo.
Jerry Jackson, Area Su- perintendent for Area 6 is re- tiring.
Some readers shared their opinion about Superinten- dent Eakins’ decision.
Danny Green said, “I don’t think they should have to re-apply for their jobs. If they were not qualified for the job then they shouldn’t have it. Or, if they don’t do a good job then they should be replaced.”
Ms. Ann Jenkins said, “In the decision that the School Superintendent made, I think it is the most disgusting thing I have ever heard of. It is my opinion that there is some- one out of the 13 employees that is targeted to lose his or her job.
DR. SAMUEL WRIGHT
“This is the second time he has re-organized his staff in less than a year. If that’s the case then he doesn’t know his job. He should have put to- gether a plan of how he wanted the district to be ran, and sent them to training so that they could be on the same accord. Eakins is afraid of the voting four women on the School Board (Griffin, Valdez, Stu- art, & Harris).
“If they are trying to get rid of someone, all they have to do is tell him and he would do it. Notice the re-organization that he is using is the same re-orga- nization they used on Mrs. Edgecomb to get the gavel from her as chairperson.
“This School Board needs to be cleaned up, at least two of those four women need to be replaced, starting with the ones that are running for re- election. Finally, racism is still alive, Nepotism is still alive. We need to get to the bottom of what’s going on with this School Board before it’s too late. Our children need at-
MS. ANN JENKINS
tention and they need it now.” Dr. Samuel Wright said, “We must understand fully that Jeff Eakins NEVER HAS BEEN a Superintendent and as the chief educator in Hillsborough County, he is re- sponding to concerns of the current Board members—four of whom who are in control of the Board. I am sure they are well aware of his new direction to restructure his top level staff
again.
“As a retired educator, it is
uncomfortable to be in such an environment, but we all can agree that the District proba- bly is top heavy with adminis- trators and need only to keep the positions or personnel who are needed. Continuing in this direction, I am certain he may be able to make some changes for the good hopefully.”
“I pray for the District, for it is vitally important that our children get the best education ever to help them catapult to future endeavors. Many of them face terrible struggles, but I only wish that their fu- tures are BRIGHTER!”
Rev. Karen Jackson Sims said, “Someone needs to ask him what his vision for the school system is, what plan has been established to achieve it and what are the key positions needed to obtain it. These types of changes in less than a year say he has no direction.”
PAGE 4-A FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY FRIDAY, APRIL 1, 2016