Guilford County school board candidate E.C. Huey was recently interviewed by the Simkins PAC. Two of the, uh, better questions and comments came from state Rep. Earl Jones and Guilford County Commissioner Skip Alston. Note Jones’ follow-up question after attorney Steve Bowden asked Huey about the recent problems at Grimsley High School:
Bowden: What are your thoughts on the situation at Grimsley? There were two neighborhood groups that had a dispute and apparently the school system was not aware of the problems that were brewing…and those kids that were kicked out weren’t even getting an education…what are your thoughts on that?
Answer: The situation there was tragic, and it did not have to happen. Long-term, if there a problem that was brewing, then it obviously required some proactive dialogue between GCS, school itself, the city, police officials, neighborhood groups, etc. There was a breakdown somewhere in dialogue. If it was a case of GCS knowing something was going to happen and failed to act, that’s a problem. In the short-term, those children should have been receiving services at SCALE and it turns out that SCALE was ineffective in providing what was required. I said since I began running for this seat that we need to retool what we’re doing at SCALE.
Jones: What is SCALE?
Answer: SCALE is the alternative learning center on Pisgah Church Rd. It’s the GCS facility that houses students that are on long-term suspension. GCS hasn’t expelled a student since 2000, so when children are given long-term suspension, they are sent there.
…Skip: you have a website?
Answer: yes.
Skip: who did your website?
Answer: me.
Skip: it looks like it.
I guess I shouldn’t fault Jones for not knowing what SCALE is since he is, after all, a state representative and not a school board member. And I guess there’s no such thing as a stupid question. Or is there?
