An email from Tea Party of Gilmer County, titled call to action, caused Superintendent Jason Kouns to retaliate with his own

“call to action”

email. Kouns sent an email to approximately 575 people. The email was sent to all Gilmer County School employees drawing attention to what Kouns described as

“possible danger and personal sentiment”

from the Tea Party, a local political group.
FYN has received several copies of the email sent by Kouns and sources tell FYN that the email has been forwarded to several outside of the school system.

On October 15th, Joene Deplancke, communication director for the Tea Party of Gilmer County, sent out an email with a call to action for its members to attend the October 16th Board of Education meeting concerning the BOE 2015 budget and ELOST.

Mr. Kouns’ email states that DePlancke’s public comments were personal and dangerous and that she was representing the Tea Party. According to the video recording of the meeting, DePlancke’s comments, addressing the BOE at the October 16th meeting, were in reference to the BOE’s lack of putting the meeting agendas online for the public to see. She asked how the public would know the BOE intended to discuss the ELOST, a proposed tax, so that interested parties could attend. She also complained about not being able to get through to Kouns that day to request to be placed on the agenda for public comment. DePlancke never mentioned she was representing any group.

Although Deplancke did send out an email on the 15th. she did not comment on the email at the meeting on the 16th. Kouns’ email gives the impression she did mention it during the public comment section of the BOE meeting. When Kouns sent his email he was not clear on what was said at the meeting.

FYN is aware of a meeting that took place between Kouns and Deplancke. We do not have the details of that meeting. When we spoke with Ms. Deplancke she told FYN that she has requested a public apology from Kouns to which at this time she has not received.

In response to questions that FYN asked Kouns about his email, he responded by accusing FYN of sensationalizing the issue,

“Although always happy to clarify, I certainly see this type of questioning as an attempt to sensationalize. All parties involved are working collectively to rectify misunderstandings, share conversations, build relationships, and serve this community. Bringing up issues long ago addressed really serves no benefit to anyone. I recently held an open community forum and no one from Fetch was there.”

Kouns claims that all parties are working together to rectify the situation but when we contacted the Chairman of The Gilmer Tea Party, Frank Oglesby to ask how talks with Kouns was going, Oglesby told FYN he has heard nothing from Kouns. Kouns has never called him about Deplancke’s comments or the position of the Tea Party.

Click to read and hear Deplancke’s comments at the October 16th meeting. Go to 25 min in the video to listen to comments.

Below is the statement Joene Deplancke sent out with a call to action.
A copy of the email Kouns sent to all Gilmer County School Employees
A copy of the Email FYN sent Kouns with a list of questions concerning the email.
The response from Mr. Kouns to FYN questions.

Questions still remain, will Kouns send out that apology email Deplancke has requested and will he ask for the Tea Party’s help in trying to get ELOST passed.

TEA PARTY OF GILMER COUNTY
“LOCAL Issues & ACTIONS NEEDED”

October 15, 2014

Dear Frank,
First and foremost, this is a CALL TO ACTION. We need as many people as possible to attend the Gilmer County Board of Education meeting at 5:30 this Thursday, October 16, 2014. The meeting should last less than an hour and the critical time to be there is from 5:20 to 6:00 pm. PLEASE TRY AND COME. It is held at the BOE building, corner of Industrial and Maddox across from Little Caesar’s pizza, next to Huff Drug and across from the Pilgrim Pride Chicken Plant.
Reasons:
The Gilmer County Board of Education and the new Superintendent Jason Kouns just approved a budget that is $3.3M more than their revenue which means that they will have to take almost $4M out of their reserves this year and $4M or more next year which will pretty much deplete their reserves. When Dorsey left there was over $14M in reserves.
Secondly, they are considering requesting that we renew the ELOST tax for something like $19 million in projects and issuing another Bond. If they continue on their current course they will more than likely need to increase their millage rate. They already get almost 74% of the taxes collected in Gilmer County. This means that the County will have to increase taxes with no additional money going to the County portion needed to fix any of the infrastructure problems the county is currently facing. The county has not had sufficient funds for employee raises for over 7 years except for the small COL given earlier this year and precious few funds for bridge, road or building maintenance.
Third, there is still approximately $6.5M in the ELOST fund that has to be spent by 2015 so they are spending almost $5M for a new bus barn, cold storage facility and janitorial and maintenance storage buildings out at Clear Creek, hardly a central location. The cold storage facility will save the BOE $1800/mo or $21,600 a year in cold storage rental costs, but that would only save $216,000 over 10 years yet the building will cost far more than that, and they have not factored in any costs for maintenance, utilities or the cost of transportation to go there every day to retrieve foods.

I could go on for pages of all the things not considered. The projected revenue from a new 2015 ELOST seems to be around $17M. However, that does not take into account the reduced projected sales tax revenue due to the Wal-Mart in Blue Ridge or any possible effect on the economy due to unknowns such as ISIS or any Ebola outbreak. The projects listed so far come to about $10M. So the bond request might only be $10M, but who knows, they could ask for the entire $17M and just add to the proposed construction list. If you trust they will do the right thing, stay home. You don’t need to get up and speak, you just need to come and sit there and let them know we have enough debt and that there are citizens that care even if we don’t come to every meeting. Or at least insist that more effort be put into the numbers.
PLEASE COME AND BE SEEN.

Joene DePlancke

“GOD BLESS AMERICA”

From: Jason Kouns
Date: Fri, Oct 17, 2014 at 10:17 AM
Subject: Call To Action
To: All
Gilmer County Charter School Family,

Last night at the October Board of Education Meeting, two very important events took place.

1. We were able to recognize and celebrate your colleagues, friends, and peers, on their accomplishments and leadership, proven to be successful with the children we are privileged to serve daily. Today, I would ask that you take just a moment to help them celebrate!

2. A personal, and dangerous sentiment, was issued in verbal commentary, by a representative from a local political group, that truly called into question, the charge that we answer daily in our Profession.
Mrs. Joene DePlancke, who has been enabled to speak on behalf of the Gilmer County Tea Party, shared a great deal of misinformation, fueled by a lack of understanding and attendance at our monthly BOE Work Sessions and Regular Meetings. Through news letters issued to the Tea Party, Mrs. DePlanke quoted inaccurate facts about our General Fund Balance, the purpose and amount of the proposed ELOST, Drops in Revenue and excess spending, and even noted Immigration, ISIS, and Ebola, as items the School System should take into consideration as we plan and budget.

This is what the “General Public” is hearing.

So…My question to you would be; What are you doing as an Educator, and a member of the Gilmer County Charter School System, to convey the accurate facts to this community, and those that support our schools? Are you sharing a consistent message? Is it pervasive and filled with truths? Is it one that speaks to the importance of what you do each day? Is it one that focuses on children and not criticism? Are you part of the solution?

OR…Are you content in sitting idly by, and allowing others to speak for you?

I urge you to consider the commentary shared at our Professional Learning Day by Dr. Sylvia Hooker. This is OUR time. This is OUR profession. These are OUR children. Time to fight for what is important to you.

Questions, comments, thoughts, I’m ALWAYS able and willing to address.

Thank you!

Jason R. Kouns
Superintendent
Gilmer County Charter School System

FYN questions

Mr. Kouns,
I hope all is well. In an email you sent out to all teachers, administrators, and board members, Titled call to action you made a statement (see email above); (below are a couple of questions I would like you to please answer)

According to the email you sent it to everyone in your Gilmer County Schools contact list. How many people received the email? I understand around 500, could you give a more accurate number?
Before the night at the School Board meeting had you ever met Ms. DePlancke?
Why did you label Ms. DePlancke dangerous? Please elaborate on what she said that was personal and dangerous.
I have watched the video, I don’t see where Ms. DePlancke identified herself as speaking on behalf of the Tea Party so why in your email did you feel it necessary to say the Tea Party enabled her to speak on their behalf?
Have you contacted the chairman of the Gilmer County Tea Party Frank Olgesby for comment? If they support DePlancke’s comments, If she was speaking on their behalf, what their position on ELOST ………..?
You mentioned that Ms. Deplanke, “shared a great deal of misinformation, fueled by a lack of understanding and attendance at our monthly BOE Work Sessions and Regular Meetings”, Can you elaborate in detail the inaccuracies that she shared in her comments?
Mr. John Williamson, until recently, was the chairman of the Gilmer County Tea Party and is currently an active member. I notice at BOE meetings it is very common to see John wearing his Tea Party Badge clearing letting people know he is a member. Mr. Williamson is very involved in the BOE. My question is have you ever sent any emails out concerning Mr. Williamson for any reason and if so whether you agreed with him or not, did you ever identify him as being a member of the Tea Party or say that the Tea Party enabled his comments?
In the following sentence, This is what the “General Public” is hearing, why is general public in quotations? Who is the general public?
In the following statement you made to teachers,

So…My question to you would be; What are you doing as an Educator, and a member of the Gilmer County Charter School System, to convey the accurate facts to this community, and those that support our schools? Are you sharing a consistent message? Is it pervasive and filled with truths? Is it one that speaks to the importance of what you do each day? Is it one that focuses on children and not criticism? Are you part of the solution?

OR…Are you content in sitting idly by, and allowing others to speak for you?

Is part of a teacher’s responsibilities to convey facts to the community over and above their responsibility to teach? If so why is this their responsibility? Are you asking the teachers to engage Ms. DePlancke and the Tea Party? Are you asking the teachers to go public with this email and explain to people the Tea Party has attacked their profession? What in Ms. DePlancke’s comments directly call the profession of a teacher into question?

10. Have you communicated with Ms. Deplancke concerning her comments? If so could you elaborate.
11. Have they, Ms. Deplancke and the Tea Party asked for a retraction or an apology for the email naming them publicly?
12. I understand you may feel attacked by the comments she made but do you not feel by sending the email you have drawn some battle lines with the Tea Party and that you are attempting to make the Tea Party look bad as a bunch of misinformed radicals?
13. Why did you send the email? What did you feel you would accomplish by sending it? What has the response been concerning the email from teachers or anyone that received the email.
14. Have you mentioned the Tea Party or discussed the email in any of your faculty meetings?

Mr. Kouns I ask these questions with all due respect to your position. I understand how busy you are but if you could thoroughly answer these questions ASAP it would be greatly appreciated. I have asked Ms. DePlancke for comment and the Tea Party. I would like to complete my story by the end of the day.

Respectfully,

Brian K. Pritchard
CEO
FetchYourNews.com

Kouns response to FYN questions.

Mr. Pritchard,

In response to your questions, I offer the following.

1. The GCCSS employs between 560-565 employees. (Depends on current retirements, resignations, hires)
2. I had never personally met with Mrs. DePlancke prior to her address of the Board that evening. I had spoken with her a few times via phone communication.
3. I did not label, and/or refer to Mrs. DePlancke as dangerous. If you will note the message, it states that ¨A personal and dangerous sentiment¨
4. I believed she noted the Tea Party in her commentary. She too met with a contingency of Tea Party Members prior to, and after the meeting. My assumption was based on her association with these individuals.
5. I have spoken to no other member of the Tea Party.
6. The misinformation was on accurate budget numbers that are shared each month at all open meetings.
7. Mr. Williams has participated in multiple conversations with me personally and with the Board of Education, and I have no concern with Mr. Williams and his knowledge of items discussed.
8. General Public refers to those not directly in the school conversation daily.
9. I certainly believe, and have conveyed, that it is essential for the Educators in this community to share the good news of the school system, as in many instances, the media does not paint the most attractive pictures of our performance and results. I have certainly never asked anyone to ¨Engage¨ Mrs. DePlancke or the Tea Party. I have asked all Teachers to share accurate information with anyone in this wonderful community who has a question.
10. Mrs. DePlancke and I have had a very lengthy and informational discussion, and I find her to be a tremendous and passionate community advocate. I applaud her diligence in seeking community activism in holding officials accountable for the decisions they make. Our conversation was amicable and helpful and I have welcomed Mrs. DePlancke to call or meet with me any time she has a specific question.
11. Conversations between Mrs. DePlancke and I included many retractions by both parties, and I am very comfortable with our relationship.
12. I drew no battle lines, nor do I feel there should be, as this school system serves this community at large, in totality. Anyone who wants information only need to contact me and I will certainly aid with their understanding. I too ALWAYS encourage everyone to come to each and every BOE meeting where a great deal of information is shared. Anyone, uneducated about any topic, no matter their affiliation, should look for clarity.
13. I send emails to my faculty/staff all the time to challenge them to always be better. To learn new things, to share new information, to build new capacity, to gain greater clarity. My email was a call for action in representing themselves.
14. I have mentioned commentary noted by specific individuals, groups, and/or committees, in conversations I have all over the county.

Although always happy to clarify, I certainly see this type of questioning as an attempt to sensationalize. All parties involved are working collectively to rectify misunderstandings, share conversations, build relationships, and serve this community. Bringing up issues long ago addressed really serves no benefit to anyone. I recently held an open community forum and no one from Fetch was there. I would have been happy to answer questions at that time in public, but no such attempt was made. Rather than waiting for the last minute story, wouldn’t that have provided more of an opportunity to make our system better in a cooperative manner through dialogue?

I have done as requested. Thanks,

Jason R. Kouns
Superintendent
Gilmer County Charter School System