School Board Chair Ann Murray Punishes School Critics
BY BUDDY NEVINS
It has only taken a week or so for me to realize why the Broward Schools believe they need a new six-figure PR mouthpiece: The new School Board chairwoman stepped in it before the end of her first month.
Ann Murray: Dumps Two Critics
Chair Ann Murray — she already had a checkered history of using the “N” word to describe blacks when she was appointed in November — has dumped two members of the volunteer Diversity Committee because they criticized the system.
James Sparks and Catherine Kim Owens had the nerve to point out that Hallandale High School was falling apart and the school system was doing nothing about it. The majority of students at Hallandale High are black.
Murray, of course, denied her failure to reappoint Sparks and Owens was payback for their criticism. She told the Browardbulldog.org that it was time for others to serve.
Ann, your nose is growing! It is clearly revenge.
This is illustrative of why the school bureaucracy is embracing the idea of hiring a PR spokesperson while cutting services in the classrooms.
Board members, and apparently the new Superintendent Robert Runcie, don’t want to hear any criticism. They want to spin. They want to paper over. They want to hide.
God forbid, anybody tells them the truth!
Two Broward citizens and volunteers had told the Board that a high school was crumbling. I think they deserve a medal. Murray’s answer is to attempt to silence them.
James Sparks and Catherine Kim Owens have a goal. They are trying to make our schools better. They are not going to be silent.
And there is nothing a high-paid PR person or Murray can do about it.
December 6th, 2011 at 11:06 am
They never learn. Murray should have never been reelected. She is a bigot. Did that figure into her reaction to Sparks and Owens since both are black?
December 6th, 2011 at 11:44 am
School board and new Superintendent are asking us , Broward taxpayers ,to protect their image with a high paid PR person while failing most young kids- specifically those in the chair’s district . This is unacceptable Mr Runcie , you came here knowing this district is a mess, lets not pave your way our with good PR, we had that- now we need solutions , we have failed generations after generations . No PR no BS on taxpayers !
December 6th, 2011 at 12:06 pm
And the ENTIRE Board voted for Murray as Chair when she cares nothing about minorities and blacks…her record is clear. I WISH AT LEAST ONE BOARD MEMBER WOULD HAVE HAD COURAGE TO VOTE AGAINST HER AS CHAIR!!!
December 6th, 2011 at 12:24 pm
Just get rid of that hypocritical, corrupt do-nothing racist!
December 6th, 2011 at 12:36 pm
I saw Murray on TV with Runcie and Ben Williams. How can those two black man sit with a racist? This act by her is more racism.
December 6th, 2011 at 2:04 pm
my experience in coaching at the high school level is that racism works both ways…that said to dump on volunteers is nuts
December 6th, 2011 at 2:11 pm
Bartleman voted against Murray as Chair
December 6th, 2011 at 2:16 pm
Didn’t I recently read an article on this site about how the county commission fought over the meaningless position of vice mayor? How does making the vice chair the chair equate?
December 6th, 2011 at 3:59 pm
It seems like some of these folks follow the old adage, “the way to get along is to go along”. It is very disappointing that some of the School Board and now this new administration are destined to fall into the same trap that others have followed. Waste and inefficiency was the history and now appears to be the future.
December 6th, 2011 at 7:01 pm
The democrats in Broward are racists to the core – always have been – always will be. No difference between the days of the civil rights struggle against the democrats and the struggle against the current democrats.
Broward gets what it deserves.
December 6th, 2011 at 7:08 pm
This is nothing new. The district has tried to curb free speech at PTAs. We are told that “we can’t do that because it would upset the Board.” It is time the Board listened to parents, not dictate to them.
December 6th, 2011 at 7:11 pm
I do not know if mrs. murray is a rascist or not but she is clearly a vindictive and self serving person more worried about her standing on the borad than the wellfare of the kids she is supposed to be educating it is clearly time for this women to go
December 7th, 2011 at 9:18 am
Highly paid PR rep. equals Spin, in my opinion the last thing our parents students and teachers need is the smoke and mirrors’ spin doctors create. What we need are bragging rights that we earn with leadership, integrity, and innovation. We must create platforms to bring Broward students into a rocky economic climate with pride in their personal achievements and confidence in their future. Every dollar the School Board has needs to be invested in educating our children not making sure we have great press, making sure we earn it!
December 7th, 2011 at 11:56 am
It is a great loss to our schools and our students in Hallandale Beach that Catherine Kim Owens was not reappointed to her volunteer Diversity Committee position. She worked very hard for our schools and deserved a better treatment for her efforts. We will remember our never to be around school board member, Ms. Ann Murray, during her next election.
December 7th, 2011 at 4:35 pm
It stands to reason Bd.Memeber Murray wants to put people in these appointments that she feels comfortable w/. As far as the remarks she made and the N word reference , tes was in very poor taste, but she did apologize and I think she felt bad. Bottom line Mrs.murray a bigot no way. I hope that she does support Mr.runcie in his quest for a PIO Officer.Obviously its warranted/justified.
December 7th, 2011 at 11:45 pm
There are many more racists in the KCW building than Ann Murray. Get rid of those first.
December 7th, 2011 at 11:53 pm
Murray may take this opportunity to get rid of Marchetti and his gang.