News-Record.com

Should he go? Yes. Why? Because if you look past the smoke and mirrors that make Guilford County seem so fantastic, you would see principals who have their feet held to the fire over too many students in ISS or OSS. You would find classrooms with students who are wickedly disruptive everyday and are left in those classes because we "can't raise the numbers." You would find these disruptive children being given ISS for 1 class period (usually Encore classes) so that they do not have to count it as a day of ISS, and are allowed to return to core classes where the teachers are not even able to teacher for the disruption. You would find teachers who call the office repeatidly for assistance only to find that no one answers and no one comes. You would find students who make it very clear that "no one can tell them what to do" and that there are no consequences for them. You would find increasing gang activity at the middle schools and the high schools...no tolerance? Hardly...it is all about the numbers and making things look better than they are. Let him go...Godspeed. We need a no tolerance school system and allow those students who want to learn to flourish instead of trying to learn through chaos. This is not an isolated incident at one school. It is happening at every school...ask the teachers.

Get rid of the bum! He has put a feather in his cap by destroying the morale of most teachers and staff. He may have achieved milestones, but he has caused many teachers to question whether or not they can put up with the demands being placed on them. Many teachers I talk to are in their classes by 7AM and stay daily until 5PM. No wonder they are burned out!

See: http://erikhuey.wordpress.com/2007/12/11/grier-goes-ga-ga-over-san-diego-interview/

I will not lose sleep if he goes. But let's look at this as an opportunity for Guilford County's renaissance of its public schools. With new leadership at the top spot, combined with new leadership on the school board next year, change is inevitable.

E.C.

I think he needs to go, but not to San Diego....I am from that area and the schools are great...they don't know what they are asking for...he is just going to ruin what they have like he has done here..

Let him go and wish him the best of luck. I was absolutely sick to my stomach when I heard that he was given superintendent of the year. Are you serious? When parents who can afford it are pulling their kids out of public schools in droves due to the lack of discipline, there is a problem. When teachers are not supported by the administration, there is a problem. For a good example of the type of support our teachers are getting in Guilford County, look at the two recent incidents at local high schools. Amazingly everyone knew what the teacher "did" to the student, but no one remembers what led up to the incident. No one stood up for the teachers! I refust to believe these teachers acted this way just for fun. You can only push people so far before they push back. But, you say they should be above that, right? Teachers are walking out of the classroom everyday because they have risen about it for the last time. Children whose parents teach them to behave and respect authority are being hurt by parents that do not care and do not get involved in their children's life. You say you can't afford to take time away from work and get involved? You can't affort not to get involved. Wake up parents, we are raising our future and it's not looking very bright. Terry Grier is just the tip of the ice berg, but we have to start somewhere. Take his salary and put some mobile classrooms at the new schools "he" just finished building. They are already out of room. Hearing specialist teachers are having to work with students in loud noisy work rooms. Now is that what you would call progress?

Mexican families are already heading back accross the border based on this news.

Guilford County will have no such luck. If San Diego has 50 final canidates, 49 of them would be better choices than Grier. Herbert Garth has it right when he says there is too much experimentation and "Programs Du Jour" within the district. Accolades & academic fads don't teach children, caring adults/teachers/communities that can focus on teaching do. GCS needs someone who will focus on the classroom day to day needs and provide stability.

Increasing numbers of children in schools with bad behavior is a nationwide problem, if you bothered to take your heads out of the sands of Guilford County. It stems from bad parenting, not bad superintendents. What do you guys want him to do, spend and hour a day in every home of those 71,000 students making sure parents are doing their jobs?? Get a grip. Most of you are just mad because, at some point, he instituted change that in one way or another rubbed you wrong. Which in good ol' Guilford breaks the first commandment: "Thou shalt not progress past the ways of thou ancestors". Guilford County, you are a joke. Your anti-progressive attitudes are a joke. Your county commissioners are a BIG joke. The world is laughing at you. Haha, sad. If I were him, I'd take the job just o get away from you all.

i hope he stays. what person with any type of appropriate credentials would be willing to enter a district this negative? all of the badmouthing will be our downfall.

REALLY OBSERVANT?? You're most likely his wife or one of his kids. He has no followers, so we're safe there.

Spend time in homes with parents?? HAHAHAAA!~ He couldn't care LESS, one cannot even get an answer back from him on the phone!

The only thing that's PROGRESSING with Mr. Grier is his PAYCHECK! Out of YOUR taxes!

Look around, you're definitely in the minority here.

If I weren't fearful that he would stay here, I would begin a campaign to contact the San Diego School District and be sure they know they should run screaming from this man!

The traditional schools in this district are terrifying at best and if you listen to the instructors and students who actually WANT an education, you would find that there is no pleasure in education in this school district.

This district is a nightmare. Terry Grier is a huge joke and I have my own ideas as to exactly why he's leaving.

I don't know who you are and don't care, but if you aren't Terry Grier himself or one of his family members, I can't imagine who you WOULD BE!

I hope Terry "GangFest" Grier leave alright, but I certainly don't wish him upon ANY other school district here or anywhere else in the world.

I do hope that someone in San Diego has the brains to carefully research the REALITY of what damage this man has done here.

I doubt we would be so lucky to get him out. We REALLY need to work hard to get him out ourselves anyway! His is an elected position, I can't even imagine how he's stayed this long. Politics of course is the answer to that question.

Perhaps someone should create a collage of the madness and insanity that has occured since he was put in office and send it to all of the school districts in the country.

Then when he's finally voted OUT in Guilford County, he can finally have to live like everyone else.

By the way... does anyone know if Terry Grier has EVER had children in this amazing wonderful school district he's created????

Utterly Disgusted,

I am a PRODUCT of this school system both before and after Grier's arrival, which puts me in a much greater position to have a relevant opinion than you. And yes, I am doing fine with both an undergraduate and a graduate degree. What a bad, bad system... Go take a nap and raise your kids. If your kids aren't getting what you want them to out of their education, maybe you should start your criticisms in-house. How much time did they spend doing homework last night? How much watching TV? The people who get the angriest are usually the ones whose toes were stepped on.

Let Terry go....we can find someone easily for less money to do a better job than Grier. As the signs said " let's get Terry out of here."

Dr Grier will be sorely missed if he goes but if he has talked about leaving twice then the BOE should let him go and not offer any more benefits or raises to keep him.

Thats just not good practice

UD: actually, the superintendent's position is an appointed one in Guilford County, not elected. He is not elected by the public.

He is on contract, which has been extended multiple times. We elect school board members, who in turn, appoint the superintendent. The superintendent works for the school board. The Board is his boss.

That's why it is so important to register and vote next year for new leadership for our school board. There are six seats up for grabs: Kearns (at-large), Garrett, Quick, Sharpe, Cooke, and Childs. Garrett and Quick will probably run again. I'm running for the Kearns seat. I would be surprised if Childs and Cooke run again. I'm not sure about Sharpe.

Keep in mind that Dr. Grier is a very smart man. Most of the things people blame him for could have been fixed if the BOE had taken a proactive role in education. The BOE never gave him any direction, so he worked on what he thought was important. The education system in Guilford Co. will not get much better untill we have a BOE that wants to be part of the soluntion. They now are in denial and can see nothing. Achievements levels have gone down under Grier, but he has convinced the BOE and others that they have gone up. Keep in mind, if Dr. Grier leaves, the district will be in limbo for a year. This BOE has never worked fast in hiring a Supt. If Dr. Grier leaves, expect the BOE to hire a consulting firm that will bring in another Grier look-alike. The BOE will give too much attention to a national search and not enough to proves performers right here in NC. Also, in the past, the BOE has let the new Supt. write his own contract with whatever he wanted in it. (Like a new car every year.) This needs to stop. We might be able to get a better Supt. for 150k than for 225k. Expect the consultants to tell the BOE that they must pay 225 or we will not get anybody good. I can hear it now.

Utterly disgusted's most recent comment has been deleted. We expect this forum to be a place for discussion and debate about the topic at hand rather than abusing people who disagree with you.

Joe, if they're wise, they will let the search hold until after the election. There's a method to my madness.

I will not support any consultants. Joe's right...there's plenty of homegrown talent right here in NC. Dr. Martin from Winston-Salem, Donald Andrews from Randolph County, are two we could start courting. And he's also right when he says we could do a lot more with a lot less. I think it is also terrible practice to have a supt. write their own contract, and I would not support that either.

My post has been deleted??? Imagine that! But Observant is allowed to insult parents?

Ask me if I'm surprised.

Joe, I think the Board needs to appoint you to the post.

Hands down, game over.

BTW, Joe, the man's not that smart.

Go to my blog and type "Kiser" in the search bar. I reported back in February on my blog that Grier made some disparaging remarks when he appointed Sharon McCants as Kiser Middle School's principal. He told McCants that he was inheriting a staff that "didn't believe black kids could learn." This was corroborated by several teachers and staff, many of whom are supporting my campaign. He also, according to published reports, walked out of a state assistance team meeting at Andrews H.S.

This is your superintendent of the year.

I know people may laugh, but I believed Dr. Grier when he said that he suddenly was "visited" with the thought that he had a moral imperative to return immediately from the Charlotte interview to continue his true calling of educating our children in GC. This man is not going anywhere.

Now I know all you cynical Grier bad-mouthers out there are going to say that, depending on the quality of the competition out there in SD-CA for the super's job, that the angel who visited Grier In Charlotte, may decide to spend the day at the beach instead.

Just remember this holiday season: Whenever a bell rings, an angel gets their wings.

Goodbye Grier. Don't let the door hit ya where the good Lord split ya.

Gonna find a little place out on the coast
Where the California girls are really the most.

They swim, and I'll swim
They twist, and I'll twist
They walk, that walk
They talk, that talk

And they're out there having fun
In that warm California sun

I hate to do this to the Beverly Hillbillies, but….

Come and listen to a story bout a man named Grier,
And the masses all were yellin, Let’s get him outta here.
And then one day come some California fools,
Who said, We think he’d be good for our San Diego schools.

Well, the next thing you know Grier’s gettin congratulations,
Got Superintendent of the Year for lowerin educations.
If they want him out west, we'll help him pack the truck,
We should get a lot more for the taxpayer’s hard earned bucks.

Now the school board says they’re pleased with the job that Grier’s doin,
But folks round here can see that it’s really us he’s screwin.
Don’t know how we’ll survive if he ever finally leaves,
But I’m tellin ya right now I don’t think anyone will grieve.

hahahaa! Mike Stone. Perfect.

I moved here 6 years ago from San Deigo. It's been the most horrible experience of my life and finally, I've managed to scratch my way out of this maddening place, even threatened to quit my job and would have, had my employers refused to transfer me back home.

My children have been harassed, bullied, pushed around by gang members at bus stops, I can't even let them ride the bus, they may not make it to school- The teachers hate their jobs and now I see this rag is dropping posts when someone is wise enough to tell the truth.

Is this state actually in America? Or have I been drop kicked into some backwood alter existence?

My wife and I did everything we could to be "OK" here, but just the school board and the rest of the jesters on the court have made it impossible to live a decent life and believe that our children will actually survive.

Fortunately, we all have plane tickets to leave this place over the Christmas holiday...we've hired 2 men and a truck and our belongings will be out before we are! I've never been so grateful for anything in my life! Scotty is beaming us up!

So here's the deal... when we get back to San Diego, we will hot foot it to the first school board meeting we can after the holidays and we will happily let all of our friends and school board members just exactly what this idiot has done in Guilford County NC.

Sorry to all of you were salavating and thinking you would finally see then end.. but we won't want him there either!

I've already started making phone calls to everyone I know and sending every one I know link after link of the truth of this place!

Just my luck that I am attempting to run screaming from this twilight zone and the producer is following us!

I feel sorry for anyone who has to stay in this dump where people's opinions aren't allowed and a King and court jesters run the show. This is the scariest place I've ever been in my life and I assure anyone here, I will darn sure be sure that as many people I can possibly reach across this country know exactly what the deal is here.

I was fooled once, shame on me, but I won't be fooled twice and I'll be certain no one in my school district, again to be, won't be fooled either.

I hope all of you stand up and get rid of the school board, Terry Grier ... the whole catasrophe! I tried to help while I was here, many have, I know that.

And as for the Observer or whatever it is. You're completely out of your mind to talk to the very people who support your sorry livelyhood- Parents.. personally, I'm horribly insulted. But then... it's people like you that pushed me right over the edge.

You won't see another penny of my tax dollars. It's a nice consolation prize.

Transplant,

OMG...If Grier takes the job in San Diego just when you decided to move back there, you would win the prize for the WORST LUCK EVER!!

Grasshopper,
I will not under any circumstances, allow this to happen. If I have to stand up on top of tall buildings and scream, threaten suicide, whatever it takes...

The people of San Diego will KNOW what this man is all about. I've already made calls to be certain that they look at the other side of the carefully orchestrated parent interviews they allowed. Now it's time to hear the REAL story.

I'm clipping articles, sending links, calling all of the people I know personally within the educational system. This will not happen.

Now they will know the truth! Hey I may just send them a link to this blog! As a matter of fact, I will copy it now in case they delete these posts! Obviously on planet Greensboro, censorship is completely acceptable.

SD Transplant, I don't know why you would talk about censorship here. You certainly haven't been censored, although I have deleted multiple posts of the same comment. Strong opinions are OK; personal attacks of other commenters are not. That's not censorship. That's respecting others.

And that's why I deleted Diane's comment.

John,
I saw the posts you deleted. It's all true. Truth isn't much acceptable by those who bow to the wonder of Terry Grier. Sorry you had to poke that button to delete that post, if you were in a position to pay for a better server that may not happen.

OOOH Diane! haha! You're next in line to to go! God forbid you would be honest, and lookie, Observant's insulting post offensive to parents is allowed to remain! I guess in the world according to John, that's considered "respectful".

Again, personally abusing other commenters by calling them names is not only disrespectful but it violates our terms of service. If you want to do that, go elsewhere.

John,
Yip. Perfectly Greensboro. Could it be that YOU are Observant? I think just mayyyybeeee.

Good luck to ya pal. Rot with the rest of them, I'm outta here.

Trust me when I say Terry Grier will never make it to San Diego.

Ohhhh, John?

"Truth: the most deadly weapon ever discovered by humanity. Capable of destroying entire perceptual sets, cultures, and realities. Outlawed by all governments everywhere. Possession is normally punishable by death.-- John Gilmore"

But then again, you probably voted for Bush. lololol

APPLAUDING DIANE!

Need anyone say more?