Jackson Jambalaya

Think about it. Who did MDE shadily and illegally contract with for IT oversight services during the time these payments were being made to Kyles? None other than John Q. Porter and his Blue Sky group!! He should be run out of Jackson like he was run out of Oklahoma City. And Carey Wright, who brought him here, should get the boot too. This is shameful.

And these are the people we want to oversee education in Jackson???

I don't know which is the worst, JPS or MDE. Sounds like both had people stuffing their pockets full of cash as fast as they could. Where did all of these crooks come from and why were they hired and by whom?
I am beginning to understand why Mississippi is on the bottom of the list as far as education goes. The poor kids do not have a chance.
Is there an honest person left in Mississippi?

JPS should be taken over, but not by MDE--they are cut from the same cloth. Bring in an outsider who has no loyalties to anyone locally. Not a bleeding heart liberal Yankee but a businessperson who lives by conservative principles. Forbid them from hiring relatives. Hire a proven, successful educator to handle curriculum and keep the district in compliance with the myriad state and federal regs. Run the school district like a business and not as the jobs welfare program it is now. Insist on accountability from parents and staff. Even if folks don't care, there are ways to make them so uncomfortable that they will act like they care. Take names, kick butt, and give the students in JPS a fighting chance for their future.

What other examples of fraud/malfeasance have taken place? I wonder. One can sense that this is just a crack in the damn, and that many high level idiots in the MDE or related commissions are scrambling to cover their asses. Once the feds get involved, they'll be begging for deals and happily ratting on each other, or quickly resigning, and/or both.

Glad I don't work in the IT dept at MDE. Wonder if anyone besides senior management in the IT dept at MDE even had a clue about what was happening.

Anonymous 2:00,

I worked there at the IT department for seven years. My job was crucial but at a very lower level. But I worked as a service to my State and poured in more hours than anyone else in the IT department. I did not apply for the job I was invited by a previous CIO and when the carnage started I was there. I spoke up and was escorted out despite me having highest Oracle credentials and experience and recognition from previous management teams. The person who was used to fire me (She was my supervisor for three weeks.), was retired after I was fired.

I knew their design and I also knew the fear, intimidation, and carrots they dangled before the employees. I have seen folks who are my children's age given big promotion because they were obidient.

The tragedy of this group is not just the corruption and loot they staged. They have created a completely dysfunctional IT department at MDE and cleaning up will be expensive. By the way, I offered Wright to freeze my salary and move me to CIO's position for two years before she brought in Porter. I wanted to do it to serve my State. She had other plans and she brought in Porter.

I am still ready to serve my State giving up my current job which pays almost twice of what MDE used to pay. I can take the reduction in my income if it helps the State. I wish there was someone in power who listened to me at that time. The only one who kept hammaring their misdeeds was KF and I commend him for doing it. I know a whole lot more than what comes on the news media.

My thoughts are that only the top at MDE IT knew about this. Has anyone seen Dr. Porter's office at MDE? I was told hundreds of thousands were spent on its elaborate renovation. Also, several years ago thousands were spent on a gathering area on the third floor of MDE to provide a place for SBE members to relax and meet informally. It looks like a Hilton Hotel lobby. Last time I was in that room there was a huge conference table with accompanying large leather chairs. Beautiful. MDE uses the room for meetings also, but I wonder if Board members use it to meet, thereby bypassing open meeting laws? Does anyone have pictures of these places to share??

3:09. I worked at MDE for many years, and I think I know who you are. If I am correct, you are a man of integrity who got a raw deal because you wanted to do the right thing and not 'go with the flow.' The corruption is deep, and not just in the IT area.

Hold parents accountable...interesting. So, MDE/Pulley are going to force parents to care about their children or act like they care. MDE/Pulley are going to make parents answer their phones during school hours when their student is being disruptiveor attacking a teacher. Sounds like an earlier post to extend school days and hours. So, educators are also supposed to raise their students. How about just send the educators home with the students to help with homework.

MDE is part of the poisonous tree and if you take a step back and stop fixating on just one district, perhaps the question/answer should be why the state is at the bottom. Surely, there is an agency in place to oversee Mississippi's educational system. Wait a minute that's MDE...wonderful job for the great state of Mississippi.

2015-2016 above average (53) 14 "A" districts and 39 "B" districts
below average (54) 35 "D" districts and 19 "F" districts

Has anyone looked at whether these same people have surfaced at other school districts around the state with similar contracts when MDE takes them over? This makes me opposed to letting MDE take over any more districts. A better solution would be to have Gov. Bryant and Mayor Lumumba jointly agree on a conservator and board. MDE does not need to take over anything else.

6:08 PM, best idea I have heard. You are correct, many of the same people resurface at Districts taken over by MDE.

Didn't we pluck our number one at MDE from the number 2 slot she held at the only school system in the USA lower than our own (Washington, DC)? DR Wright should have a lot of 'splaining to do before being sent packing back to somewhere in the DC area where she built such a sterling reputation that Mississippi was willing to pay nearly a quarter of million dollars per year to get her services. I think the entire Board should be held strictly accountable for their actions in this scandal.

"I knew their design and I also knew the fear, intimidation, and carrots they dangled before the employees. I have seen folks who are my children's age given big promotion because they were obedient." This goes on across the entire spectrum of Mississippi government sadly.

Lumumba actually has nothing to say about the takeover, whether it occurs or who is placed as conservator. Why even have a conversation about his acting in tandem with the Governor?

There are state regulations in place that address such takeovers, when the occur, how they are decided, how they are implemented, exactly how the process works. Please stop acting as if ANYBODY has the authority to 'bring someone in' in some sort of process devoid of MDE involvement. The governor gets to appoint most of the board, but his authority (supposedly), other than signing off on a takeover recommendation, ends there. And there is no such thing as Lumumba's authority in this matter.

Is there an honest person left in Mississippi? September 30, 2017 at 1:01 PM

Gosh, Honey, other than YOU, I reckon not.

8:28, and since I am nor running for any office looks like we will have to settle for crooks.
This is Mississippi so things will stay the same as they have been in the past.

8:26 AM I mentioned Lumumba because Bryant has not yet approved the takeover. As I understand it the law gives him the option to approve or deny the takeover. It does not preclude Bryant from developing a third option where a deal could be made with Lumumba and others for major changes to be made at JPS and to delay a takeover. If Bryant approves the takeover it will be a new feeding trough for MDE and unlikely any improvement will be made. Bryant could look at ways to make a deal that does not give control to MDE immediately.

The notion that BabyChok somehow knows what to do is wholly laughable. Next thing you know he and his jackbooting adherents will tell us that he is also capable of performing complex brain surgeries while standing on one foot.

I see how your thought process works, 5:51. Either you are totally ignorant of reality or you would favor one huge employment agency taking over another huge employment agency which would result in the establishment of yet another huge employment agency overseen by the first huge employment agency but piddling around with reforming the second huge employment agency.

In the smaller world of city politics, they call these handout-recipients 'Project Managers' and those jobs are gifted to those who can drive a city-truck and supported the mayor in his last campaign. In the scenario you favor, there would be hundreds of project managers hired and given gifts from the money-tree.

Please stay out of productive discussions.

I think that what is being overlooked, is that this Joseph Kyles is one FIIIIIIINE-lookin' man. I 'spect that someone in Jacktown had been undressing Kyles with their eyes, and offered-up some consultancy fees, in order that he might be amenable to a little bit of the DOWN-LOW ACTION.

After reading your thread entitled "Get out the Lysol", which contained a hint of an allegation by a former employee, that Mayor Tony was going around spraying his DNA on more than just women & pearl necklaces & office carpeting - and rubbin' his junk on more than just desks, I've come to the conclusion that Mississippi's leadership is quite VERSATILE.

The current rate for "inducements" (when you're paying with Public Moneys) seems to be around $49,999.00.