Any doubt that Melissa Walker is Narcisse's lap dog was removed this morning. And I am not talking about quoting him exclusively in the article about the Superintendent's budget proposal. The other board members, who think little of Walker and don't go out of their way to return her calls, will study the budget they just received, wait to hear from the public and other stakeholders, and listen to the extensive presentation at Tuesday's meeting before commenting.
Not Jon. He immediately called the budget "reckless." Of course he did. He can't stand Superintendent Sebring and has called for her removal. Because of this personal hatred of the Superintendent any comments he makes about her or her work are disqualified.
Why is Walker the puppet and Narcisse the puppeteer? She consistently writes from his perspective, guided by his misguided and peculiar view of the world, spoon fed by him and his screwball supporters.
The latest example is her dishing of the International Baccalaureate in today's article saying it raises student angst and "parents and politicians" don't like it because it teaches "an anti-American agenda built on world citizenship and multiculturalism." This is claptrap direct from the tin foil hat brigade (Narcisse's core constituency), but Walker writes it without attribution as if it were fact. (Disclosure: I do not have any children in the program.)
She could have also written this: "The IB is committed to providing rigorous, international education to students from around the world. In the United States, the IB has received much support from governments and policymakers, including the U.S. Department of Education and local school districts, to increase student achievement and to turn around low-performing schools. The core of our curriculum provides students with critical thinking skills, second-language skills, and an understanding of other cultures in order to prepare them for success in a global economy." This is from an IB North America spokesperson quoted in a recent US News & World Report.
Walker didn't give a balanced description of IB and didn't cite her sources. Why? She is Narcisse's spokesperson. She has succumbed to his view of the world.
Now for the most laughable part of today's budget article. Narcisse promises to present an alternative budget. Dedicated education professionals and CPAs with years of experience and no political agenda produce a "reckless" budget, but he, an unemployed (and unemployable), uneducated, mama's boy is going to produce an alternative budget! Bull.
