Sandra Clark reports that 1st District School Board member and candidate for reelection Gloria Deathridge has health issues that "might make it difficult for her to serve a four-year term."

Sandra Clark's report...

Our thoughts and best wishes go out to Ms. Deathridge for her peace and wellbeing.

Topics:
Bbeanster's picture

I want to be clear about

I want to be clear about something (and don't think S Clark would mind):

This information did not come from Marshall Walker's campaign, but is evidently pretty widely known in their district. When Deathridge did not respond to Sandra's email, I called Marshall Walker. He said he would not talk about this and that nothing regarding this matter would come from his campaign. Then he added, "I pray for her every day."

Sandra Clark's picture

Obligation

This is a difficult time for Gloria Deathridge, but she is a candidate on the Aug. 7 ballot and has an obligation to both disclose and be candid about her health status.

Voters deserve no less.

Pam Strickland's picture

That's true, Sandra. If she

That's true, Sandra. If she has a health issue that would prevent her from carrying out the duties of the office, then the voters have a right to know. That's basic to being a candidate being able to meet the obligations of the office.

East K's picture

It is well know in the

It is well know in the community and has been for some time. I find it ironic that the daily paper has not notified voters. After the 7th of August, would that be a good time?

cwg's picture

FWIW

Deathridge says her health won't be an issue.

(link...)

I do wonder if anyone will ask her about this tonight ...

Was here in 2008's picture

Cari

You've got a little bit of lobster on your blouse from lunch.

Sandra Clark's picture

Request for comment

In a message dated 7/20/2014 8:02:02 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, SClark426@aol.com writes:
Gloria, Wanted to give you a heads up and opportunity to respond. My cell phone is 661-8777.

I'm making reference to your illness in the context of school board alignment. We print Monday at 5 and are distributed Wednesday morning. -- Sandra

Sandra Clark | Publisher | Shopper-News | 865-661-8777

Mike Wallace's picture

Really?

I don't have a dog in this fight, but it it really SOP to send an email requesting comment on Sunday night before you go to press on Monday? You say you print at 5, but it's reasonable to infer that the actual deadline is some number of hours before that. Plus, there's no mention in "Turmoil..." that a comment was requested and/or not yet received. Deathridge's phone number is listed on the school board website. It's probably archaic, but a phone call might've been a quicker way to assure a response on a Sunday night.

Plus, youngsters like Morely tell me that the word "shopper" in an email message might just be something that could trigger a spam filter, whatever that means. We ate spam during the war. Oh hell. Andy's up here and heard me say that. Now I'm going to have to listen for hours as he goes on about the little key that opens the can.

Was here in 2008's picture

Brian, Chamber news rep Cari

Brian, Chamber news rep Cari already took care of this.

Bbeanster's picture

An email leaves a virtual

An email leaves a virtual paper trail, proof of contact in case somebody claims they never heard from you. And when you're working a news story, you want to make double sure of your facts before even asking such a question. Sometimes even on Sunday.

Deathridge is contending, presumably on Thursday, that she never heard from Sandra Clark. Who goes that long without checking their email? A Realtor and a sitting school board member running for re-election?

I suspect you actually do have a dog in the fight, Mike Wallace, but it don't hunt.

p.s.: You deserve extra points for the Spam suggestion. Priceless!

Mike Daugherty's picture

I hope Gloria Deatherage will

I hope Gloria Deatherage will have a quick and full recovery if she has any health problems. However, regardless of her ability to serve another full term, she should not be re-elected. Voters should choose Marshall Walker. Walker is for our children and teachers, against school choice, against vouchers, and against extending the superintendent's contract. Deatherage has stood against the best interest of our children, attacked teachers, supports vouchers, and voted to extend the superintendent's contract

Cece's picture

Well said. Marshall Walker is

Well said. Marshall Walker is the better candidate. I still would like to know what Gloria means by "behind closed doors".

(link...)

Brian Hornback's picture

It is disgraceful

that the only way to elect Walker is to publize a health issue that hasn't been confirmed. I don't care, but this is similar to Clark's shenanigan with the James and harber photo

Bbeanster's picture

I take it Marshall didn't buy

I take it Marshall didn't buy an ad.

Brian Hornback's picture

I haven't looked

At the Slopper to see if he bought an ad from you and Sandra. Is that how you two determine your defense? Sad, Bean, that you would determine your coverage that way.

If for some perverted reason, you are referring to BrianHornback.Com I did not take school board ads with the exception of Terry Hill before the May primary. The reason for that ad is one of my long term business clients who supports Terry asked Terry and I for it.

You obviously are on BrianHornback.Com often, so you should have known the facts. However, you never let facts get in the way of your tainted dark spin. Now, do you?

peixao's picture

I suspect she's there for

I suspect she's there for entertainment value and gets her facts coverage elsewhere. That's how I play it, anyway.

Was here in 2008's picture

Chamber money

How pitiful. Rent a blog.

(link...)

How much silver does it take to be a Chamber boy/girl? And it's not only Brian, is it Cari?

Refined people wear a bib when they slobber their lobster.

Pam Strickland's picture

Glad to see Deathridge

Glad to see Deathridge responding to the rumors and getting that out of the way. Speaking the truth is the only way to shoot down rumors sometimes. You just can't ignore them.

East K's picture

Did you attend the League of

Did you attend the League of Women Voters candidate forum last night Pam? If you did, do your eyes work? Gloria isn't well. And you can see it by looking at her. The only rumor is the one being spread by Metro Pulse and Sentinel writers. And by Gloria.

Pam Strickland's picture

Unfortunately, I'm having

Unfortunately, I'm having some minor sickness of my own and I did not attend the forum last night. I'm scheduled for gallbladder surgery on Tuesday, so I'm keeping a lowkey schedule these days. But, if she says she's well, then we have to take her word at it, don't we?

Pam Strickland's picture

And, you'll note, East K (not

And, you'll note, East K (not verified) that I have endorsed her opponent repeatedly both in the May election and the runoff.

S.P.E.A.K.'s picture

Pressure from McIntyre?

HORNBACK , RACHEL R 221 $29,380.00 $0.00 $0.00 $29,380.00 SECRETARY SCHOOL A L LOTTS ELEMENTARY

(link...)

to

(link...)

Brian Hornback's picture

Ignorance is a beautiful

Ignorance is a beautiful thing. She has been a school secretary at Lotts since 1993 when it opened, two to three years before that at Brownlow (in Fourth and Gill) I served 200-2004. Her position and her tenure, she hasn't received a step increase in a number of years, the non certified folks haven't received cost of living in quite a while.

I hope what the other SPEAK says below is true. But it is cowards and the mental midgets that can't debate me that they have to reach out to my wife of 26 years. What's next you mental midgets gonna go after our children aged 23, 19 and 18?

Hey Sandra and Betty, was it Scripps and Schools pressure that got you to attend a County Commission meeting handing out feathers, singing and BEGGING for the Commission to approve McIntyre's budget increase a few years ago? What is they say about birds of a feather, flocking together?

Students, Parents, and Educators Across Knox County (SPEAK)'s picture

Individual posting with name S.P.E.A.K.

Please be aware that the individual posting above with the name "S.P.E.A.K." is not a representative of the group Students, Parents, and Educators Across Knox County, which also uses the acronym SPEAK. Any posts by this individual are not statements from or endorsed by SPEAK. Thank you!

Sandra Clark's picture

Wondering

Wondering if all school secretaries earn $30K or just those whose husbands have served on the school board???

CARTESIAN FROG's picture

?????

Sandra, do you think she ran an ad or poodle shilled for a failing elite structure to get and keep that job? Oh wait ...oh yeah ..hmmm..Got it ...Never mind

Lauren Hopson's picture

As a founding member of

As a founding member of SPEAK, I find it reprehensible that someone, in an attempt to stir up this issue, would post here under our name without the knowledge of any member of our board. We, in no way, have an interest discussing Ms. Deathridge's health and wish her only the best, whatever her situation.

Cece's picture

Teachers are just a statistic to Richard Briggs

I don't live in the 7th District, but if I did, I would never vote for Richard Briggs.

(link...)

CARTESIAN FROG's picture

Karen Carson???

In the u-tube below, Karen Carson said she had not seen the SPEAK alternative program and could not find it on line.Why then did she refuse a copy of the SPEAK program that was offered by Mark Taylor?

(link...)

Ann L's picture

CARTESIAN FROG,

You may have forgotten that Karen Carson does like Mark Taylor.

(link...)

If you think that was unprofessional, listen to the full meeting from Tuesday night at West Valley Middle where Carson won't let anyone speak and is so rude when Mark offers the SPEAK alternative plan.

(link...)

She is a bully. Mark is a great teacher and deserves respect.

Ann L's picture

typo

"You may have forgotten that Karen Carson does like Mark Taylor."

should read

You may have forgotten that Karen Carson does NOT like Mark Taylor at all.

CARTESIAN FROG's picture

Mrs Carson, here is the SPEAK plan

By the way, here is the SPEAK plan
(link...)

I wonder if Mrs Carson has found this yet?

Dave Gorman's picture

SPEAK's review of the Strategic Plan

SPEAK had previously announced that we would have a public review of our response to the KCS Strategic Plan on Tuesday at 7pm; Mrs. Carson then scheduled her meeting at 6 the same day. Mark attempted to present a draft of our response to Mrs. Carson at her meeting.

We held our meeting as planned, broke into small groups at tables to review our document, took notes, and then later most of the suggested changes were incorporated into our final version. We emailed that final version out to the board secretary and several media a bit before 2pm yesterday.

CARTESIAN FROG's picture

Thanks Dave, that explains a

Thanks Dave, that explains a lot. It does not, however, explain Mrs Carson's disdainful treatment of Mark Taylor.Nor does it explain Carson's obsession with protecting BOE at the cost of free expression by teachers.The paper thin mask of Carson's so called Service Excellence will not conceal the grotesque face of intimidation,suppression of opinion, and eventual job threat that could easily come with the old "chain of command gambit".Mrs Carson, the teacher revolt came because that very process you treasure did work.Teachers, students, and parents had no other choice but to go public. As a veteran, I am sad to say,I have seen this same drivel of "protect the process" and "follow the chain of command"used to persecute victims of sex assault and abuse , while protecting and insulating the criminal perpetrator. Isn't Mark Taylor's case a classic example of selective targeting by a self-defined management apparatchik like Carson?This antipathy appears to be long standing but only became public last fall,due to leaks from the infamous BOE retreatwhere Carson's venonm was on display..Her contempt for this hard working successful teacher is both sad and puzzling.

Bad Paper's picture

That is unreal. Carson acts

That is unreal. Carson acts like a dictator in that meeting. How was she so popular for so long?

CARTESIAN FROG's picture

..On to the AJBuilding Alpenfestung and Rocky's Redoubt...

In a blast from the recent past, here is BOE member Karen Carson in BOE work meeting of 7/30/2012, calling for an organized effort ,in her words, " to respond, to speak up , and to fight back against those who are 'bashing' education". I suppose her definition of bashing at that time included citizens and teachers who were asking questions about the BOE and the superintendent,long before the teacher revolt went public.In light of her most recent desire to cripple teacher freedom of speech and to further truncate public forum, are we seeing the final stage of Carson Plan 2012 ? Carson claims that the "protect the process" and" follow the Yellow Brick Road, I mean the chain of command" directives are improvements.Perhaps Carson is eager to return to the good old days of teacher silence and private, heart breaking, tearful teacher resignation outside the glare of public scrutiny.This may ultimately explain Carson's animus toward Mark Taylor.....Mark's story revealed the grotesque flaws of TVAAS madness and the BOE's complicity in it(especially Carson ) He was effective,successful, beloved and vocal in his opinions.That certainly qualifies him as a threat that needs to be neutralized in Carson's "The Empire Strikes Back Plan" of 2012...See the plan below.
.....On to the AJBuilding Alpenfestung and Rocky's Redoubt....

(link...)

Bbeanster's picture

Wrong, as usual. You've got

Wrong, as usual. You've got me confused with your friend Jake.

And yes, Clark supported the KCS budget request, which isn't unusual for her.

Comment viewing options

Select your preferred way to display the comments and click "Save settings" to activate your changes.

TN Progressive

TN Politics

Knox TN Today

Local TV News

News Sentinel

    State News

    Wire Reports

    Lost Medicaid Funding

    To date, the failure to expand Medicaid/TennCare has cost the State of Tennessee ? in lost federal funding. (Source)

    Search and Archives