Holster your pitchforks, McGehee is gone | Opinion | Lee's Summit Journal

Holster your pitchforks, McGehee is gone | Opinion | Lee's Summit Journal



It is time that the voters start researching the candidates that run for school board.  I ran twice.  I was bullied by one candidate.  It happened right after a debate and everyone in the audience saw it.  One person even stopped me on the way out and questioned me about why he attacked me.  



I was called crazy and was treated as a stupid housewife that did not have the ability to handle the business of a school district.  I was told that I belonged at the podium and not on the board.  I was told this in public.  In front of the few voters that showed up to the debate. 



We have finally gotten the voters to see what really goes on in this district.  They have only seen the tip of the iceberg.  Teachers have been fired for trying to help students.  Teachers have bullied students.  Three children with autism had to be removed from PE in one middle school.  Yes, the Superintendent knew it because I told him.



I met with the Superintendent on a monthly basis. He quit meeting with me when I refused to remain quiet.  He thought that I could be persuaded to quit going public if we met.  He was wrong.



I have been trying to educate voters for 10 years.  It hasn't been easy.  I earned a reputation.  I had parents call me and ask for help.  Then they would go to meetings and say my name.  The reactions that they got scared them and they gave up and let the district do what they wanted.  They were afraid of retaliation and working with me was too much of a risk.  



Terri Harmon and Chris Storms are up for reelection in April.  My prayer is that voters will continue to be involved.  I pray that they won't be satisfied with the Superintendent's resignation and become complacent again..  



We are 62nd in the state.  That is what we need to work on.  When I ran for school board one of the other candidates stated that he would hold up our facilities to any of those to the west.  That is code for Johnson County.  Is that the business that we are in?  Is our only goal to have facilities better than Johnson County?  Why not have a goal of being better than the 61 school districts that are currently better than us?



Below is part of the article from the Lee's Summit Journal.  Please read it all.



Many in the community have been collectively gnashing their teeth and pounding their fists over the alleged exorbitant salary of our Lee’s Summit R-7 Superintendent, Dr. David McGehee.
These frustrations are typical when a community sleeps at the wheel regarding its school district leadership, taking little if any interest in school board meetings, elections and anything outside of the day-to-day dealings they may have with the local school buildings.
The good news is the ship can be righted.
The challenging news: It is going to take some time, dedicated efforts and more than just lip service on a Facebook thread to do it.
People are going to have to attend meetings. Run for office. Ask questions when it isn’t so easy and righteous to do so.
The anger, angst and audacity we witnessed on social media since this story began to unravel in February hit a fever pitch when it was revealed that current and past boards of education were responsible for constant renegotiations of McGehee’s three-year contracts that slowly and surely elevated his salary to one of the top in the entire state of Missouri.
The community didn’t know, largely because we didn’t care.
We were told for many years that there was nothing to see behind the curtain at R-7. That our schools were running like clockwork, kids were getting educated, our athletics and other extracurriculars were shining bright and that questioning any of it was just a waste of time. Insulting, really, we were told.



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