WEBVTT - 10-8-26: CMS Names Interim Superintendent 0:00:23.620 --> 0:00:29.610 Let's go. Oh, let's go. Oh, let's go. 0:00:34.470 --> 0:00:38.110 Welcome back to Charlotte's News Talk, 107.9 FM, WBT. 0:00:38.170 --> 0:00:41.170 Brett Jensen here with you on this Thursday night edition 0:00:41.430 --> 0:00:43.559 of Breaking with Brett Jensen, coming to you live and 0:00:43.580 --> 0:00:49.479 in living color, 704-570-1079. That is the WBT telephone number. 0:00:49.840 --> 0:00:52.440 That is also the WBT text line, driven, of course, 0:00:52.500 --> 0:00:57.190 by Keffer, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram, the family store. And guys, 0:00:57.590 --> 0:01:00.270 follow me on X at Brett underscore Jensen for all 0:01:00.290 --> 0:01:02.910 the latest and breaking news in and around the Charlotte area. 0:01:03.760 --> 0:01:07.060 If you're not doing it, I just don't understand. If 0:01:07.110 --> 0:01:10.069 you listen to the show, you really should be following 0:01:10.110 --> 0:01:15.110 me on X. Again, Brett, then the underscore, then Jensen. Again, 0:01:15.310 --> 0:01:17.870 on Twitter, I call it X to give Elon credit, 0:01:17.990 --> 0:01:20.390 but that's where you go. Okay, so we got some 0:01:20.410 --> 0:01:23.110 stuff that we're going to get into tonight. Yes, there's 0:01:23.150 --> 0:01:26.010 going to be some CMS stuff. I mean, come on. 0:01:26.470 --> 0:01:28.810 The sun came up today, so how can there not 0:01:28.870 --> 0:01:32.640 be CMS stuff? We got CMS stuff. We got a 0:01:32.920 --> 0:01:35.840 little bit of CMS stuff. Actually, quite a bit of 0:01:35.880 --> 0:01:39.820 CMS stuff. And we also got some stuff that hasn't 0:01:39.840 --> 0:01:45.180 received a lot of notoriety or attention, but I find 0:01:45.220 --> 0:01:49.340 it interesting. And that was someone that was sentenced today 0:01:50.560 --> 0:01:55.480 for screwing around with ICE and impeding ICE back when 0:01:55.500 --> 0:01:58.580 ICE or the Border Patrol was doing their raids not 0:01:58.640 --> 0:02:02.850 long ago. I guess it was last year, September, October, November, 0:02:02.890 --> 0:02:08.160 whatever it was. Guy was sentenced today. And I found 0:02:08.180 --> 0:02:10.740 it fascinating to what he was sentenced to. So we'll 0:02:10.760 --> 0:02:12.960 talk about that. So there's a lot going on that 0:02:12.980 --> 0:02:15.420 we've got to get into tonight. But I want to 0:02:15.460 --> 0:02:19.010 start off tonight. So last night, let's revisit last night. 0:02:19.820 --> 0:02:22.480 And I broke all kinds of things down. Again, things 0:02:22.500 --> 0:02:25.179 that you're only going to hear on breaking with Brett 0:02:25.200 --> 0:02:28.380 Jensen and on my Twitter account and here at WBT, 0:02:28.660 --> 0:02:31.380 the only places you're literally going to hear it. Now, 0:02:31.520 --> 0:02:34.310 others might pick it up, but well, after the fact, 0:02:34.380 --> 0:02:36.410 I mean, I feel like a lot of the media 0:02:36.470 --> 0:02:38.470 outlets should be paying me. I should be on their 0:02:38.490 --> 0:02:42.589 payroll because, um, I basically like doing, I'm giving them 0:02:42.669 --> 0:02:46.299 all their leads and scoops, uh, and. I know that 0:02:46.340 --> 0:02:49.620 sounds like a tool bag, but I don't like it 0:02:49.700 --> 0:02:51.490 when we don't get credit for all the stuff that 0:02:51.500 --> 0:02:56.030 we're breaking. Whether it's me, Mark Garrison, whomever. I don't 0:02:56.070 --> 0:02:59.590 like it. It actually kind of pisses me off. But anyways, 0:03:00.310 --> 0:03:05.490 because that's just common courtesy. We have confirmed WBT first reported. 0:03:06.290 --> 0:03:09.790 But that's generally how it goes. But anyways, I digress. 0:03:10.780 --> 0:03:14.850 But I told you guys last night that... While I 0:03:14.880 --> 0:03:18.120 was talking about the major, major, major conflict of interest 0:03:18.240 --> 0:03:21.560 interest going on with CMS, the major conflict of interest 0:03:22.560 --> 0:03:27.320 that with the investigation from the North Carolina state school 0:03:27.340 --> 0:03:30.980 board and the North Carolina state superintendent, otherwise known as 0:03:31.000 --> 0:03:35.520 N C D P I North Carolina department of public instruction, 0:03:36.040 --> 0:03:39.700 N C D P I at least three people with 0:03:40.300 --> 0:03:46.820 big time ties, family ties personal ties, employment ties, friendly 0:03:46.880 --> 0:03:51.980 ties to CMS. School board chair, the superintendent, and the 0:03:52.040 --> 0:03:55.570 chief academic officer are either related to people at CMS, 0:03:56.490 --> 0:03:59.490 like the superintendent, or used to be on the school board, 0:03:59.650 --> 0:04:02.330 or used to work for CMS, like as the COO, 0:04:02.390 --> 0:04:06.090 the attorney, and the deputy superintendent, basically number two in charge. 0:04:07.860 --> 0:04:10.120 But I also told you last night that Melissa Balknight, 0:04:11.310 --> 0:04:14.089 When I broke the story, I don't know, a couple 0:04:14.130 --> 0:04:16.650 months ago, a month and a half ago, that she 0:04:16.710 --> 0:04:20.470 was retiring October, yeah, January 1st. I broke that story 0:04:20.910 --> 0:04:25.620 that she was retiring January 1st. But she's been named, 0:04:25.660 --> 0:04:29.830 and I said last night, she's acting superintendent. And I, 0:04:30.279 --> 0:04:34.520 you know, there's a high, high, high probability she's going 0:04:34.550 --> 0:04:38.390 to be named interim superintendent. Way, way more likely than not. 0:04:38.960 --> 0:04:42.310 And I said it's a very, very high probability she's 0:04:42.350 --> 0:04:45.530 going to be acting, you know, named interim superintendent, have 0:04:45.750 --> 0:04:50.589 acting removed, and put the term interim superintendent. So here's 0:04:50.630 --> 0:04:52.540 how this works, and here's why it's happening, and here's 0:04:52.560 --> 0:04:57.219 why it's important. So Melissa Bognight was Crystal Hill's number two, 0:04:58.040 --> 0:05:01.280 one of Crystal Hill's very first tires. She came from 0:05:01.320 --> 0:05:08.080 Gaston County. They are BFFs. They're friends, whatever. So Melissa 0:05:08.120 --> 0:05:10.380 was number two when Crystal Hill got this by, by 0:05:10.400 --> 0:05:14.730 the way. So the first six months, nine months that 0:05:14.810 --> 0:05:19.250 Crystal was in office as superintendent, many people would tell 0:05:19.270 --> 0:05:22.670 you from the inside that were privy to the conversations 0:05:22.790 --> 0:05:27.690 and the meetings that basically Melissa was running CMS and 0:05:28.250 --> 0:05:30.450 she would tell a crystal, you probably need to do 0:05:30.490 --> 0:05:32.750 this crystal. You should probably do that. You should do this. 0:05:32.770 --> 0:05:33.330 You should do that. 0:05:33.710 --> 0:05:33.870 No. 0:05:33.910 --> 0:05:36.960 Yes. On occasion, crystal. refuted and said, no, I like 0:05:36.980 --> 0:05:39.480 things this way, whatever. But basically from everything that I 0:05:39.500 --> 0:05:43.460 was told, that for the longest time, Melissa was running CMS, 0:05:43.520 --> 0:05:48.150 at least in the early stages of Crystal's tenure. But 0:05:48.210 --> 0:05:52.130 then Crystal gets suspended as they're trying to find a 0:05:52.150 --> 0:05:54.320 ways to the school board spending $ 370, 000, $ 380, 000, whatever it was, 0:05:54.830 --> 0:05:56.589 trying to find ways to fire Crystal so they wouldn't 0:05:56.630 --> 0:05:58.250 have to pay another $ 300, 000 payout. 0:05:58.250 --> 0:05:58.450 $ 340, 000. 0:05:58.310 --> 0:06:11.219 Yeah, that failed miserably. But so Melissa Balknight was the 0:06:11.460 --> 0:06:14.200 acting superintendent while Krista Hill was suspended. Then Krista Hill 0:06:14.220 --> 0:06:17.210 came back and then she was ceremoniously fired short term 0:06:17.490 --> 0:06:21.070 or short period later. So that once again made Melissa 0:06:21.130 --> 0:06:27.630 Balknight the acting superintendent until they can find an interim. Now, 0:06:28.610 --> 0:06:34.039 the last time they hired an interim, that gentleman is 0:06:34.500 --> 0:06:37.330 very familiar with CMS and His name is Hugh Hadeball. 0:06:38.010 --> 0:06:42.170 Very nice gentleman. Super nice guy. He was literally on 0:06:42.210 --> 0:06:44.930 the job for two and a half, three months. And 0:06:44.950 --> 0:06:49.750 he said, I want out. I want out. I'm done. 0:06:50.390 --> 0:06:53.710 I cannot deal with all of this craziness. I cannot 0:06:53.750 --> 0:06:59.180 deal with it. I'm out. And so guess what? He's like, 0:06:59.420 --> 0:07:01.100 and they talked him into staying. He's like, for the 0:07:01.160 --> 0:07:05.700 love of God, please stay as interim superintendent. Just through 0:07:05.720 --> 0:07:10.180 the first semester. He wanted out in September. School started 0:07:10.240 --> 0:07:13.400 at the end of August. By late September, he was like, 0:07:13.580 --> 0:07:16.160 I'm out. I'm done. And they begged him, and they 0:07:16.240 --> 0:07:19.940 agreed to stay through December. And then he was out, 0:07:20.000 --> 0:07:25.570 and then Crystal Hill got interim, and then later full-time superintendent. Well, 0:07:26.670 --> 0:07:30.110 they don't have a Hugh Haddaball this time. Nobody wants 0:07:30.170 --> 0:07:33.420 that job with all the investigations going on and the 0:07:33.460 --> 0:07:36.680 disaster that is CMS, the disaster that is the CMS 0:07:36.700 --> 0:07:38.640 school board. By the way, that school board has been 0:07:38.660 --> 0:07:43.620 a disaster since I've been working at WBT starting in 2018. 0:07:43.940 --> 0:07:47.240 And I'm sure it goes back way before then. So 0:07:48.500 --> 0:07:53.630 nobody wanted the job. So Melissa Bognight pretty much had 0:07:53.670 --> 0:07:58.640 CMS over a barrel. I've already announced my retirement come 0:07:58.700 --> 0:08:02.540 January 1st. You have nobody that you can go to, 0:08:03.740 --> 0:08:07.160 nobody that knows schools, nobody that knows CMS. And in 0:08:07.200 --> 0:08:11.200 the middle of this craziness, yeah, good luck finding somebody. 0:08:12.660 --> 0:08:15.660 So they had a closed meeting not long ago, a 0:08:16.000 --> 0:08:17.340 couple weeks ago, a week and a half ago, two 0:08:17.360 --> 0:08:22.850 weeks ago, whatever it was. And the attorney was given 0:08:22.890 --> 0:08:28.380 the power to start negotiating. When Melissa had all the leverage. 0:08:29.240 --> 0:08:34.520 So Melissa probably got anywhere from a $ 50, 000 raise to 0:08:34.580 --> 0:08:40.090 maybe an $ 80, 000 raise. Like somewhere in between. And the 0:08:40.130 --> 0:08:44.590 numbers will eventually come out. Because, I'm sorry, you were 0:08:44.630 --> 0:08:49.830 paying Crystal $ 340, 000? Yeah, I'm getting at least $ 300, 000. Who 0:08:49.870 --> 0:08:53.170 else you got? Who else do you have? You got 0:08:53.250 --> 0:08:57.110 nobody and you're completely in turmoil and upside down as 0:08:57.170 --> 0:09:01.189 a district. You are the laughingstock of the state and 0:09:01.530 --> 0:09:06.310 pretty much the Southeast. So, but I told you last 0:09:06.390 --> 0:09:10.850 night that Melissa Bognight almost guaranteed would be the new 0:09:11.070 --> 0:09:15.700 interim superintendent and CMS came out this morning and announced 0:09:16.200 --> 0:09:20.590 that indeed Melissa Bognight would indeed be the new interim 0:09:20.630 --> 0:09:24.390 superintendent and will stay on until they actually find a 0:09:24.570 --> 0:09:29.709 new superintendent. Now, that means the school board, which I 0:09:29.750 --> 0:09:31.720 don't know how you allow this school board to hire 0:09:31.740 --> 0:09:34.819 a superintendent considering the last two that they've hired. So 0:09:34.940 --> 0:09:36.660 I don't know if the state can get involved. I 0:09:36.679 --> 0:09:40.040 don't know if NCDPI can get involved. The state school 0:09:40.059 --> 0:09:42.900 board can get involved to make sure things are done 0:09:43.210 --> 0:09:48.360 and they actually hire someone decent. But if I'm a superintendent, yeah, 0:09:48.400 --> 0:09:50.980 the money looks good and you're going to get $ 300, 000 0:09:50.500 --> 0:09:55.230 a year. Would you come here? They change superintendents more 0:09:55.260 --> 0:10:02.420 than I change underwear. I mean, it is non-stop. So 0:10:03.040 --> 0:10:04.420 I don't know what they're going to do, but Melissa 0:10:04.440 --> 0:10:07.400 block night is on and, you know, she's agreed to 0:10:07.420 --> 0:10:09.459 stay on. And it's nice when you get, you know, 0:10:09.559 --> 0:10:15.380 an extra $ 5, 000, $ 6, 000 a month raise for the, in 0:10:15.400 --> 0:10:16.820 the short term, you know, it could be the next 0:10:17.760 --> 0:10:21.740 six months, eight months, whatever. 10 months, but they, she 0:10:21.760 --> 0:10:26.360 will stay on until they fire. They find a new superintendent. 0:10:27.820 --> 0:10:29.400 And I told you last night, that's what was going 0:10:29.420 --> 0:10:32.190 to happen. And then CMS announced it this morning. So 0:10:32.929 --> 0:10:35.089 a lot going on with CMS. And by the way, 0:10:35.250 --> 0:10:37.670 this is not over. We're going to talk about Mecklenburg 0:10:37.690 --> 0:10:40.809 County in a little bit and its relationship with CMS. 0:10:41.850 --> 0:10:45.609 And then a person that was sentenced to a sentence 0:10:45.670 --> 0:10:50.020 by federal courts in, uh, obstruction of ice. And it's 0:10:50.040 --> 0:10:52.000 a very interesting sentence. And we'll talk about that as well. 0:11:02.490 --> 0:11:04.829 Welcome back to Breaking with Brett Jensen here on this 0:11:04.910 --> 0:11:08.230 absolutely stunningly gorgeous Thursday night edition. We're going up till 0:11:08.290 --> 0:11:12.079 seven o'clock. Okay. So you guys heard me talk extensively 0:11:12.220 --> 0:11:17.740 last night about a special occurrence that has taken place 0:11:17.780 --> 0:11:20.949 this weekend. And I know that you may be at 0:11:21.030 --> 0:11:24.990 dinner with the family and the kids. Don't care. Again, 0:11:25.010 --> 0:11:27.070 like I said last night, that's why God invented cell 0:11:27.090 --> 0:11:30.870 phones and earbuds, because now you can listen and stream 0:11:31.330 --> 0:11:35.390 Mark Garrison and myself Saturday night live at 6 o'clock 0:11:35.510 --> 0:11:38.820 on our Facebook page. And Mark Garrison is joining us now. And, Mark, 0:11:38.880 --> 0:11:42.040 here's my favorite thing. I talked about it extensively last night, 0:11:42.320 --> 0:11:44.480 about you and I doing this. And here's my favorite thing, Mark. Yeah, 0:11:44.500 --> 0:11:44.960 this will be fun. 0:11:45.020 --> 0:11:47.839 You and I did it three years ago together, I think. 0:11:48.500 --> 0:11:53.099 We absolutely did. And I remember you and I doing it, 0:11:53.600 --> 0:11:55.670 and Pete Gallagher asked us in the middle of it, 0:11:56.100 --> 0:11:57.339 what's your favorite pizza place? 0:11:58.980 --> 0:12:01.070 I'd forgotten about that, yeah. 0:12:01.250 --> 0:12:05.790 But I love this because the amount of preparation that 0:12:05.850 --> 0:12:09.730 goes into that, there's more preparation into tying our shoelaces 0:12:09.809 --> 0:12:12.050 than there is going into this thing Saturday night. 0:12:12.770 --> 0:12:14.460 By the time you and I sit down to do 0:12:14.500 --> 0:12:16.699 this Saturday night, we will have not talked about it 0:12:16.940 --> 0:12:17.280 at all. 0:12:18.360 --> 0:12:20.969 No, at all, period. And that's what I think is 0:12:21.170 --> 0:12:24.210 awesome about it. And I was like, okay, Mark Garrison, 0:12:24.550 --> 0:12:27.929 Mark and I talk behind the curtain a little bit. Seriously, 0:12:28.090 --> 0:12:30.510 anywhere from two to five times a day. Like it 0:12:30.630 --> 0:12:33.270 is every day we speak about a lot of different 0:12:33.290 --> 0:12:36.820 things going on. And personally, but, you know, obviously mostly 0:12:37.059 --> 0:12:40.620 work-wise or whatever. And when we lead up to this 0:12:40.700 --> 0:12:43.980 on Saturday night, nope, we will have no communication. 0:12:44.000 --> 0:12:47.300 We're not talking on Saturday. Well, see, that's what will 0:12:47.330 --> 0:12:50.350 make it fun. We'll just see what comes. 0:12:50.210 --> 0:12:53.370 Of it, right? Now, I hope more than 25 people 0:12:53.429 --> 0:12:55.110 join us because it is a Saturday night, so I 0:12:55.130 --> 0:12:56.620 hope more than 25 people join us. 0:12:56.730 --> 0:12:59.670 Yes, we've argued with management about doing it on Saturday night, 0:12:59.730 --> 0:13:01.069 but we lost, so. 0:13:00.830 --> 0:13:05.670 There you go. Yes, including last year. I'm right there 0:13:05.690 --> 0:13:08.270 with you. But here's the thing for all the listeners. 0:13:08.390 --> 0:13:10.050 It will be on our Facebook page, so you can 0:13:10.090 --> 0:13:12.219 go back and re-watch it. You just won't get to 0:13:12.320 --> 0:13:14.790 ask me and Mark anything. questions in real time. Oh, 0:13:14.809 --> 0:13:18.550 do we keep that up in perpetuity? I didn't know that. Well, 0:13:18.580 --> 0:13:20.460 I know it's on our Facebook page, so yeah, I 0:13:20.540 --> 0:13:22.920 think it's there in perpetuity. I think they're all there 0:13:22.960 --> 0:13:25.100 on our Facebook page from last year and the years before, 0:13:25.200 --> 0:13:25.580 I think. 0:13:26.760 --> 0:13:29.460 But if you log in between 6 and 7 on 0:13:29.520 --> 0:13:31.940 Saturday night, you can ask me the truth about Brett 0:13:31.960 --> 0:13:32.990 Jensen and I'll tell you. 0:13:35.790 --> 0:13:39.069 Mark, I know where you live. Be careful. Yeah, you'll 0:13:39.090 --> 0:13:43.010 be in the South Park newsroom. That's a Actually, I 0:13:43.170 --> 0:13:45.830 actually don't know where I'm going to be. You should 0:13:45.890 --> 0:13:47.470 be out on a date and do it. That would 0:13:47.510 --> 0:13:50.000 be fun. Well, I know that would actually be funny. 0:13:50.120 --> 0:13:52.410 It would? You could impress that girl. A couple times 0:13:52.429 --> 0:13:55.780 I did it on my patio. The times that you 0:13:55.820 --> 0:13:57.260 and I did it, I did it on my patio. 0:13:57.679 --> 0:14:00.280 And then two years ago, Bo and I did it 0:14:00.500 --> 0:14:03.020 on my rooftop. He came over to where I live. 0:14:03.280 --> 0:14:03.540 Oh, dang. 0:14:03.620 --> 0:14:06.179 And we did it on my rooftop. And then last year, 0:14:06.220 --> 0:14:09.000 I was in a hotel in Wilmington, and Vince Coakley, 0:14:09.040 --> 0:14:11.370 who's the most mysterious man in Charlotte, the two of 0:14:11.420 --> 0:14:12.689 us did it while I was in a hotel room 0:14:12.710 --> 0:14:15.330 in Wilmington. That would actually be funny, Mark, if I 0:14:15.450 --> 0:14:17.869 did it from, like, a restaurant. That would be hysterical. Oh, 0:14:17.870 --> 0:14:18.550 I think so, too. 0:14:18.610 --> 0:14:21.100 Yeah, and everybody around you would be looking at you like, sir, 0:14:21.120 --> 0:14:22.880 would you pipe down? We're trying to have dinner here. 0:14:23.880 --> 0:14:26.800 And I'm too busy laughing because of something that you said, 0:14:26.840 --> 0:14:31.920 and everyone's looking at me weird. What's that? Well, actually, 0:14:32.000 --> 0:14:34.960 I like it so the people understand what's going on 0:14:35.140 --> 0:14:38.300 this weekend. You and I will be together. I believe 0:14:38.340 --> 0:14:40.560 this is our third time together out of five years 0:14:40.580 --> 0:14:44.540 that we will be joining together on Talktoberfest. Yep. 0:14:44.740 --> 0:14:47.520 I think it'll be fun. I mean, you know, if 0:14:47.560 --> 0:14:50.100 we have to do it, you may as well be there, too, listeners. 0:14:50.800 --> 0:14:53.620 Just log into Facebook and ask us anything you want 0:14:53.640 --> 0:14:54.080 to ask us. 0:14:55.000 --> 0:14:58.570 That's right. Thank you for saying that because— If we 0:14:58.610 --> 0:15:03.489 have to do it, you have to do it. Now, 0:15:03.530 --> 0:15:06.330 there's a winning invitation, right? Well, but I mean, it's 0:15:06.350 --> 0:15:09.010 a Saturday night. So if we have to be there 0:15:09.030 --> 0:15:10.430 from 6 to 7, it's Saturday night. You have to 0:15:10.470 --> 0:15:13.690 be there, too. That's right. That's why God invented iPhones 0:15:13.790 --> 0:15:16.050 and earbuds, so you can be at a restaurant while 0:15:16.090 --> 0:15:19.070 watching and listening and not disturb anyone else, even if 0:15:19.110 --> 0:15:20.510 you're at a restaurant. Exactly. 0:15:20.830 --> 0:15:22.330 But I still like the idea of you doing it 0:15:22.350 --> 0:15:23.970 from a date, and we'll just see who you're dating. 0:15:25.230 --> 0:15:29.180 Yeah, I promise you. I don't care if I'm out 0:15:29.260 --> 0:15:31.840 with Cindy Crawford. No one would see the person I'm 0:15:31.880 --> 0:15:35.820 out with. I promise you that. I promise you that. 0:15:36.400 --> 0:15:40.470 That's burned me way too many times already. Well, tell her. 0:15:40.760 --> 0:15:42.690 All right. Well, Mark, I want you to think between 0:15:42.750 --> 0:15:46.170 now and Saturday, one big time question, like one really 0:15:46.310 --> 0:15:49.230 unique question. For you? And I will think of one 0:15:49.370 --> 0:15:51.770 really unique question that has absolutely nothing to do with 0:15:51.810 --> 0:15:55.100 news for you. All right. I want nothing that has 0:15:55.120 --> 0:15:58.020 to do with news or our jobs. I want just 0:15:58.040 --> 0:16:02.800 a very unique question. So we got until Saturday at 0:16:02.800 --> 0:16:05.280 6 o'clock. All right, I'll work on it. I'll work 0:16:05.320 --> 0:16:05.500 on it. 0:16:05.680 --> 0:16:11.970 Welcome back to Shaw's News Talk, 107.9 FM. Brett Jensen 0:16:12.010 --> 0:16:15.710 here with you on this special Thursday night edition of 0:16:15.750 --> 0:16:18.470 Breaking with Brett Jensen on this gorgeous night. We're going 0:16:18.490 --> 0:16:20.450 up to 7 o'clock tonight like we always do. By 0:16:20.470 --> 0:16:22.560 the way, you've got the Carolina Coaches Show coming up. 0:16:23.140 --> 0:16:23.960 at seven o'clock. 0:16:24.140 --> 0:16:24.420 All right. 0:16:25.110 --> 0:16:28.609 So Mecklenburg County commissioners really haven't spoken much about the 0:16:28.650 --> 0:16:32.330 Mecklenburg County commissioners in terms of what it means with CMS. 0:16:32.530 --> 0:16:34.680 And we know there are some things going on and 0:16:34.700 --> 0:16:38.720 there were some relationships between Mecklenburg County commissioners and the 0:16:38.760 --> 0:16:41.780 CMS school board. We know that. And Rocky McGregor, we 0:16:41.840 --> 0:16:44.520 know that as well. And from everything that I'm hearing, 0:16:44.890 --> 0:16:47.670 there are some people pretty nervous with the county commissioners. 0:16:47.870 --> 0:16:50.270 That's what I'm hearing. Now, I don't know if they 0:16:50.310 --> 0:16:52.950 have reason to be nervous, but I'm hearing that they are, 0:16:52.970 --> 0:16:55.920 or at least a couple of them are somewhat nervous 0:16:55.940 --> 0:16:59.680 because of prior relationships with Rocky McGregor. But with that 0:16:59.720 --> 0:17:03.020 being said, They voted the other night not to really 0:17:03.120 --> 0:17:07.540 dive deep into any of the financials yet concerning CMS 0:17:07.600 --> 0:17:09.940 and the money that they're giving CMS. So I want 0:17:09.980 --> 0:17:12.190 you to hear this report first from Queen City News, 0:17:12.550 --> 0:17:14.409 and then we'll discuss some of the things that are 0:17:14.450 --> 0:17:16.609 going on as well. So first of all, here's that 0:17:16.670 --> 0:17:18.709 report from Queen City News. Well, as the. 0:17:18.710 --> 0:17:22.080 CMS fallout continues, many now are wondering what oversight role 0:17:22.119 --> 0:17:25.740 Mecklenburg County plays in all of this. The county gives 0:17:25.820 --> 0:17:30.020 more than $ 900 million taxpayer dollars to help fund the district. 0:17:30.520 --> 0:17:32.859 And Queen City News reporter Matt Stell now explains the 0:17:32.900 --> 0:17:36.980 relationship between the two and why commissioners do not have 0:17:37.050 --> 0:17:39.490 as much power in the situation as many would assume. 0:17:40.500 --> 0:17:43.459 Have no control over what CMS spends their money on. 0:17:43.800 --> 0:17:45.790 They hand us a budget. This is what they want. 0:17:46.270 --> 0:17:47.169 We accommodate it. 0:17:47.750 --> 0:17:49.730 But once it's gone, it's gone. 0:17:49.930 --> 0:17:53.429 With the FBI, SBI, State Auditor's Office, and the Department 0:17:53.450 --> 0:17:58.190 of Public Instruction all now investigating Charlotte-Mecklenburg schools over alleged 0:17:58.310 --> 0:18:03.419 financial irregularities, the relationship between CMS and Mecklenburg County is 0:18:03.480 --> 0:18:07.320 back under the spotlight. County Commissioner Laura Meyer says state 0:18:07.359 --> 0:18:10.540 law still limits county power, even though the county cuts 0:18:10.619 --> 0:18:11.080 the check. 0:18:11.460 --> 0:18:14.060 That doesn't mean we can say, hold on, we're going 0:18:14.080 --> 0:18:15.900 to call back money. We can't call back money. 0:18:16.400 --> 0:18:19.950 Just before her firing last month, former CMS superintendent Dr. 0:18:20.010 --> 0:18:23.590 Crystal Hill emailed county manager Mike Bryant, telling him that 0:18:23.630 --> 0:18:26.630 she believed more than $ 300 million of county money was 0:18:26.690 --> 0:18:31.390 being mismanaged. During Tuesday's meeting, Bryant recommended commissioners wait until 0:18:31.410 --> 0:18:34.820 the investigations are finished before the county takes any action. 0:18:35.020 --> 0:18:35.760 Respectfully. 0:18:36.540 --> 0:18:39.520 Given all of the uncertainty with CMS at this moment, 0:18:40.020 --> 0:18:44.520 I have more confidence and credibility in information that I 0:18:44.540 --> 0:18:49.440 will receive from the state auditor's office, DPI, and SBI 0:18:50.010 --> 0:18:55.030 than simply requesting financial information from our CMS colleagues. 0:18:55.690 --> 0:18:58.689 But some commissioners, like former CMS board chair Arthur Griffin, 0:18:59.030 --> 0:19:02.100 believe county taxpayers deserve answers now, not later. 0:19:02.490 --> 0:19:03.800 We do have that authority. 0:19:05.900 --> 0:19:08.240 To review the records, at least in a very limited way. 0:19:08.760 --> 0:19:11.620 We have a tremendous challenge, not only to make sure 0:19:11.680 --> 0:19:14.879 that your I's are dotted and T's are crossed, but 0:19:14.940 --> 0:19:16.440 how do we save the school system? 0:19:16.880 --> 0:19:19.790 But a motion to request financial records from CMS failed 0:19:19.810 --> 0:19:21.910 to get a majority. Meyer was one of the four 0:19:21.950 --> 0:19:24.950 commissioners that agreed with Bryant on waiting to see what 0:19:24.990 --> 0:19:27.270 all those investigations might uncover first. 0:19:27.869 --> 0:19:34.170 If, indeed, there were illegal happenings with county money, with 0:19:34.490 --> 0:19:36.250 taxpayer money, it disgusts me. 0:19:36.930 --> 0:19:39.040 In Charlotte, Matt Stell, Queen City News. 0:19:40.060 --> 0:19:42.960 Well, depending on the outcome of those investigations, commissioners now 0:19:43.020 --> 0:19:46.130 could decide to change how much they budget for CMS 0:19:46.150 --> 0:19:48.510 so they can also consider forming a committee that would 0:19:48.690 --> 0:19:49.850 monitor the district's finances. 0:19:52.420 --> 0:19:55.260 Okay, I sort of get it why they're waiting. Like, 0:19:55.280 --> 0:19:57.679 at first people are like, oh my gosh, look at 0:19:57.700 --> 0:20:01.030 the county commissioners in bed and trying to cover things up. Well, 0:20:01.109 --> 0:20:04.390 here's the thing. They really can't do much right now. 0:20:04.570 --> 0:20:07.070 I mean, they really can't. They need to wait. And they, 0:20:07.109 --> 0:20:10.619 you know, it's funny. You know, they mentioned NCDPI and 0:20:10.640 --> 0:20:13.780 the state school board's investigation. They mentioned the state auditors 0:20:13.840 --> 0:20:16.590 and they mentioned the SBI. They didn't mention the FBI 0:20:16.609 --> 0:20:20.250 and the DOJ. They kind of left that part out. But, 0:20:20.690 --> 0:20:24.010 you know, again, there's a lot going on here and 0:20:24.070 --> 0:20:26.669 they're going to have special access, not the county commissioners, 0:20:26.710 --> 0:20:28.590 but all the people doing the investigation are going to 0:20:28.609 --> 0:20:32.709 have special access to records. and banking accounts and checking 0:20:32.770 --> 0:20:38.060 accounts and savings accounts and investments from personal standpoints and 0:20:38.430 --> 0:20:42.220 just a lot going on that the county commissioners do 0:20:42.300 --> 0:20:45.639 not have access to. And you heard Laura Meyer say 0:20:45.660 --> 0:20:47.820 the one thing that she's 100% correct on. And I'll 0:20:47.859 --> 0:20:51.119 remember this like distinctly a few years ago when the 0:20:51.160 --> 0:20:55.030 county commissioners got into a big, you know, back and 0:20:55.130 --> 0:20:58.210 forth with the CMS school board because CMS wanted way, way, 0:20:58.250 --> 0:21:02.859 way more money. This is when Ernest Winston was the superintendent, 0:21:03.380 --> 0:21:06.600 and Elise Dashew was the chair. And most of the 0:21:06.640 --> 0:21:09.280 county commissioners and the county manager, Dina Dury, were like, 0:21:09.560 --> 0:21:13.340 we're not giving you all this money. You're not spending 0:21:13.380 --> 0:21:17.409 it wisely. The test scores aren't very good. You've had 0:21:17.410 --> 0:21:21.270 30 guns at school in a year. What are you doing? 0:21:21.650 --> 0:21:23.290 And we're not going to give you money unless we 0:21:23.369 --> 0:21:27.350 see your budget and how you're going to allocate these funds. 0:21:27.530 --> 0:21:29.550 And then one of the arguments that CMS said was, 0:21:30.240 --> 0:21:32.780 We don't have to give you the budget. We don't 0:21:33.080 --> 0:21:35.530 have to show you in terms of like how things 0:21:35.550 --> 0:21:37.929 are going to be allocated. We don't have to show you. 0:21:38.030 --> 0:21:40.429 Once you give it to us, you know what? We 0:21:40.470 --> 0:21:42.990 can do with it what we want. We get the 0:21:43.060 --> 0:21:45.879 check and then we disperse it how we feel fit 0:21:46.200 --> 0:21:49.440 or feel free to, you know, feel free to put 0:21:49.460 --> 0:21:52.690 it out there. Easy for me to say. So she's 0:21:52.730 --> 0:21:54.350 right in that. Like, they don't have to. And that 0:21:54.390 --> 0:21:57.210 was a big thing. And then the CMS school board 0:21:57.609 --> 0:22:00.590 tried to sue the county manager or sued the county. 0:22:00.710 --> 0:22:02.840 And it was a whole thing. And they went to mediation. 0:22:03.460 --> 0:22:05.320 And it just, it did not go well. And both 0:22:05.340 --> 0:22:08.619 sides look like a bunch. I mean, honestly, I understand 0:22:08.660 --> 0:22:12.300 why the county did what they did. Because CMS, as 0:22:12.340 --> 0:22:16.720 we know, has been a disaster for about 15 years. 0:22:17.170 --> 0:22:21.149 Minimum has been a disaster for about 15 years. And 0:22:21.190 --> 0:22:25.190 that's why you heard David Wallace, who is a state 0:22:25.230 --> 0:22:28.100 representative out of Union County. He was on the show, what, 0:22:28.180 --> 0:22:30.580 Monday night, Tuesday night, whatever night it was. I lose track. 0:22:30.960 --> 0:22:33.980 Talking about how, hey, he's the chair of the education 0:22:34.000 --> 0:22:36.160 committee up in Raleigh for the House side up in Raleigh. 0:22:36.540 --> 0:22:39.159 And talking about, hey, yeah, financially, we may take it 0:22:39.220 --> 0:22:41.850 over and appoint someone to deal with all their finances. 0:22:42.250 --> 0:22:44.470 And yeah, we're going to seriously look into breaking up 0:22:44.510 --> 0:22:48.340 CMS because it's such a disaster. And it has been 0:22:48.380 --> 0:22:51.200 a disaster for a very, very long time. And like 0:22:51.240 --> 0:22:54.369 I said, I went down saying that I've said this many, many, 0:22:54.380 --> 0:22:57.810 many times. Elise Dashew may go down as the worst 0:22:57.830 --> 0:23:02.389 school board chair in the history of CMS. Every major decision, 0:23:02.890 --> 0:23:06.520 she screwed the pooch and then was getting all woke 0:23:06.600 --> 0:23:08.659 on a lot of things and thought everyone was going 0:23:08.700 --> 0:23:12.619