During his latest infomercial pumping up the Macon Miracle, Bibb County School Superintendent Romain Dallemand told a crowd at the Macon Rotary Club that he had 'always decided' to pay for his trip to Belgium, and said that local reporters who brought it out, that would be me,  are 'creating sensationalism'.  No doctor....We are  holding you accountable like Cheryl Coryea did when you bought a $5000 desk in Rochester then hid it off of the school district's property.  The difference is you can't fire me.  Too bad.,...I'd nail you for $300,000 too, like she did when she settled out of court. 

You sir are covering your arse and no one except for your toadies are falling for it.  If you planned on paying for it all along, why didn't you just say so to begin with? 

Thanks to WeArePolitics own Scott Serafy for showing us just how Dr. Dallemand is really using our money.

I'd like to thank a 'Curious' reader of WeArePolitics for introducing me to a man who very well could have been separated at birth from Bibb County Superintendent of Schools Romain Dallemand:  Dr. Charles Hopson, formerly of the Pulaski County Arkansas Special School District, which is right outside of Little Rock.

See if any of these things sound familiar:

Hopson was hired into the school system in July, 2010 coming with very little experience.  (He actually has a bit more than the dear doctor serving as a Middle School Principal for eight years, a High School Principal for five years and a year in administrative roles, all in the Portland, Oregon School System. 

"Hitting the ground running", Hopson introduced the district to Glenn Singleton's methods employed in "Courageous Conversation".  (See these letters of referral.)

In another ground-breaking move, Hopson introduced the Confucius Institute to the district and announced that Mandarin Chinese will be taught.

A local reporter files a complaint against Dr. Hopson for failure to release information.  It's apparent something is being hidden.

A legislative Joint Auditing Team recommends "that the state remove the school board out of frustration that officials have not adequately addressed long-standing audit findings and that the district chronically lacks sufficient internal controls to properly manage its finances."  (See link above.)

A Whistleblower, June Elliott, files suit against Dr. Hopson, claiming irregular hiring practices.

June 20, 2011, the Arkansas Board of Education abolishes and disolves the Pulaski County Special School District and fires Hopson because of irregularities in audits and accounting practices.

Hopson in return files a $500,000 suit against the District.
 
So....Any of this sounding familiar?  Will this be the future of the Bibb County Board of Education and Dr. Dallemand?  It took a little over a year in Arkansas...How long will it take in Macon?

I just recieved confirmation from the Bibb Coutny BOE  that Bibb County School Superintendent Romain Dallemand is in Belleview, Michigan.   Dallemand is part of a five-member team that is part of a meeting called a "District Qar Visit".  Qar means Quality Review Team and will be making recommendations on how to improve the Van Buren School District located in Belleview. 

As I understand it, this is a professional courtesy extended and not a mandatory trip, and while I agree that our local leaders should exhibit a 'team player' attitude with other districts, I ask should we not get our own house in order first?  If it were only this trip, I'd be patting Dr. Dallemand on the back.  But add this to the various other trips he's made since his hiring, and I'd say it's very unneccesary at this point.   

I quite honestly don't know how Dr. Dallemand will be able to adjust to such primitive conditions.  In the news article below from The Belleville Independent, it states:

"They’ll eat in their hotel and Kullis (Special Services Supervisor Diane Kullis)  has prepared carryout menus from local restaurants, so they can order and school representatives can pick up and bring the meals to the hotel. The team will continue working into the evening and start again early on Tuesday. They will split up in order to visit six different schools."

Please see the link here that explains what he will be doing: http://www.thebellevilleindependent.com/modules.php?name=News&file=print&sid=524

WeArePolitics has learned through  unconfirmed yet highly reliable sources, that Bibb County School Superintendent is gaining some more frequent flyer miles and is traveling outside the district yet again.  I've attemtped to contact the school district through email and phone call and have not received a confirmation nor denial yet.

As you all remember, Dr. Dallemand just returned from a trip to Ghent, Belgium.  Ok...He paid for that himself after the stink raised by taxpayers after WeArePolitics uncovered his plans.  Where in the world can he be off to this time???    I will certainly let you know when this is confirmed and where the good doctor has traveled to this time.  

It was just confirmed to me that there is in fact a brand new Macon Miracle plan that is already being implemented within the Bibb County School System.  The first day of implementation was yesterday during the "Teacher's Planning Day".  The details are very sketchy at this point, but I can confirm that on page 27 of the plan it states:

Action Step 2:

"Provide opportunites for teachers and administrators to conduct informal peer observations of classrooms using data recording devices." (Emphasis added.)

Read between the lines people!  This flatly states that teachers and administrators will have the authority to SPY on their peers, and it is sanctioned by the Superintendent of Schools! 

In the past I have with tongue firmly planted on cheek, called Dr. Dallemand "Papa Doc", as a lot of people do in the system as well as they did in Rochester, but now the comparisons to former Haitian President François Duvalier are becoming more and more real if you compare his dictatorial powers.  (Duvalier was elected in a rigged election and kept his power intact by intimidation and changing the Constitution of Haiti to make him 'President For Life', a title he kept until his death in 1971.)  Our friend Dr. Dallemand is now running our school system in much of the same way. 

As a result of several complaints, WeArePolitics being the first, to Attorney General Sam Olens' office about late and missing Open Records requests, the Macon Telegraph is reporting that on May 2nd the Attorney General's office will have representatives in Macon to hold a forum to discuss the to go over the Open Records laws.

As I have shown on several occassions, the last being information withheld about Dr. Dallemand's trip to Belgium, the Bibb BOE has done just about everything possible to stonewall Open Records requests.  In fairness to Randy H0ward, the attorney for the Bibb BOE, he has been a lot more responsive to my requests since he received a letter from the Attorney General saying that they would act as mediators in my behalf.   Folks, this is a monumental first step in getting this entire school system investigated!

Please read the Telegraph story here and PLEASE show up at the May 2nd event:
http://www.macon.com/2012/04/27/2005839/complaints-about-bibb-county-school.html#storylink=rss#wgt=rss

The Great Belgium Waffle....Much Ado About Nothing....Diddly-squat.....Nada....Zilch....or my personal favorite, Bupkis mit Kuduchas....(Google the definition...)...All of these sayings could be the title of the presentation that Dr. Romain Dallemand and his traveling band will be giving in Ghent on the 27th rather than the actual title:  "The Macon Miracle: Connecting Strengths, Reinventing Education, Helping Children Flourish".
Let's look at the myths that have been presented about this trip:

MYTH#1:  The presentation given by Dr. Dallemand and company is more about the 'summit' meetings and grand rollout give at the Macon Centreplex than the actual plan itself.

REALITY:  See the email below where the arrow points...The World Appreciative Inquiry Conference has asked that this be more about the 'positive education' than that of the 'aspects of the summit.'  The Conference is less concerned about the pomp and circumstance and more about the substance....

MYTH#2:  The Bibb County Board of Education was 'invited' to attend the 2012 WAIC.

REALITY:  The group led by Kathy Becker called The Center for Appreciative Inquiry took it upon themselves to apply for this boondoggle.  It took several emails and over a week for anyone from the Bibb BOE to even respond to them.  See the emails again...

MYTH#3:  The cost of the Belgium trip will only be about $3000 per person or a total of $9000.

REALITY:  The cost will most likely be closer to $5000 per person.  See the breakdown here.

MYTH #4:  The biggest myth of this complete waste of taxpayers money is the fact that this will actually help students in the Bibb County School System.  I have to ask if this was such a high honor, why didn't Dr. Dallemand have a press conference touting this when it was learned that he would be going?  If this was such a high honor, why was it denied by the attorney for the Bibb BOE that a trip was even scheduled, but only 'talked about'?   Why did it take two open records request and actually finding out through a third party source that Dallemand, Griffin-Zeibart and Godfrey were even going?

REALITY:  This is only a resume' builder for the good doctor who has shown he has the transparancy of a bag of manure....

While Dr. Dallemand, Judy Godfrey and Susanne Griffin-Zeibart, also known as "Papa Doc and The Miracles" are globetrotting into Belgium, local citizen Angel Giddens Caldwell has been posting the truth about the Macon Miracle on the web in hopes that people from across the world would see this for the farce that it is. She has posted this on the Axiom News website as well as on the World Apprciative Inquiry Conference site....Enjoy and pass it on!

 I would like to address a couple of issues with the way the Strategic Planning process here in Bibb County has been portrayed in light of Appreciative Inquiry. First, the term "Appreciative Inquiry" was never mentioned in this community prior to the announcement that our superintendent, Romain Dallemand, is travelling to Belgium to speak at WAIC2012. No one was told that this was a grand new way to effect change and that we were going to try it here. In retrospect, it feels like an experiment conducted without the consent of the subjects.

The Strategic Planning sessions were mandatory for teachers. They were forced to ride school buses to the convention center, they were forced (yes, forced, told they could not even bring their own lunches) to pay $10 for boxed lunches with stale sandwiches and hot sodas, and they were made to work overtime without compensation. After suffering this insult twice, teachers were shocked when they saw the Macon Miracle plan in writing because they could hardly recognize anything in it.

The majority of what was included in the Macon Miracle is identical to what was presented by Dr. Dallemand at his previous job in Rochester, MN, with some notable exceptions, including mandatory Mandarin Chinese, dormitories for students in need, reconfiguration of grade levels and closing of schools with resultant reduction in work force, and many others. Not one of the teachers in attendance heard anything about any of these items in the plan until it was released four months after the last planning session. The major outcry from teachers is, "We did not write this! Stop telling people we did!" Unfortunately, most of them are too afraid for their jobs to actually speak to the media.

Dr. Dallemand is a self-promoting spin doctor who is trying to use our community as a stepping stone to bigger and better things. He is creating an environment of fear and chaos in the process. He has never published a paper in a scholarly journal, and even his doctoral dissertation is only 25 pages long. He is not "the man with the plan". He is simply the face of the plan. Do not be fooled by his grandiose self-image. There is no substance.

PLEASE feel free to leave your own comment at : http://www.axiomnews.ca/node/2550

UPDATE 9:42 AM:  When I received the statement below from Randy Howard, I asked for clarification just in case I was reading it incorrectly and also leaving absolutely NO room for doubt.  I asked:

"So to clarify:  Dr. Dallemand, Susanne Griffin-Ziebart and Judy Godfrey are traveling to Ghent, Belgium for educational purposes and to discuss the Macon Miracle.  Their registration fees have been paid for by the Bibb BOE but they are paying their own expenses and will be reimbursed for eligible expenses upon submission of their reciepts.  And none of them are being paid for giving the presentation, except their salaries as Bibb County BOE employees.  Is that all correct sir?"

Mr Howard responded:  "You are correct."

As reported this morning by Kenny Burgamy on 'The Kenny B and Charles E Show on Fox 24', I have indeed recieved confirmation that Dr. Romain Dallemand will be traveling to Ghent, Belgium and that the trip will be paid for by Bibb County taxpayers.  In his statement, Mr. Howard wrote:

"After speaking to our accounting dept, accounting has paid the registration fee for a trip to Ghent, Belgium.  I am getting the proof of payment for the registration cost and will send to you.  The purpose of the trip is for educational purposes and to share and discuss "The Macon Miracle" with educators worldwide.  There are no documents pertaining to travel expenses and transportation in the possession of Bibb County School District.  To the extent a trip is taken, reimbursement will be sought for all eligible expenses from the Bibb County School District.  No one from the school district is being paid for giving any presentation."

Dr. Dallemand will be traveling with Susanne Griffin-Zeibart as well as Dr. Judy Godfrey, according to the 2012 World Appreciative Inquiry Conference website,  at our expense.  This leads to several questions:

1.  Why is this trip necessary "for educational purposes"?

2.  Why are these three discussing a plan that has yet to be implemented, proven or even paid for yet?

3.  What benefit will this give to anyone beside Dr. Dallemand and his own self-promotion?

4.  Why are we having to pay for this?

5. Will this trip help the children of the Bibb County School System?

6.  Will the Macon Telegraph and other Middle Georgia news outlets now pick up this story that I broke last Friday?

Not only should I be asking these questions, but every taxpayer in Bibb County should be.  I've sent Dr. Dallemand a link to my first article and asked him  to respond but I'm not holding my breath waiting for an answer, though I do in fact promise to print any rebuttal he would chose to share with us.