Updated
Leon County Schools’ Communications Director, Chris Petley, has told TR that the pilot program referred to by the EDULOG CEO did not address the bus route component of the program. TR is continuing to investigate.
Original Story
An audio recording of a Leon County School Board (LCSB) Agenda Review meeting revealed that Jason Corbally, the CEO of EDULOG – the vendor hired to optimize the LCS bus system – recommended LCS implement a pilot program before a full roll-out of the new system.
An audio recording of a Leon County School Board (LCSB) Agenda Review meeting revealed that Jason Corbally, the CEO of EDULOG – the vendor hired to optimize the LCS bus system – recommended LCS implement a pilot program before a full roll-out of the new system.
At the May 13th, 2019 meeting, Corbally told Superintendant Hanna and LCSB members, ” Normally we see like a 2-3 month pilot. There’s no reason you couldn’t implement it full for the entire district I would say by January. I would spend the fall piloting making sure parents are bought in..” Hear Audio
Despite the recommendation made by EDULOG, LCS opted for full implementation of the bus system change on the first day of school in August. The roll-out was cancelled two days into the first week of school by Superintendent Hanna who called the implementation a “colossal failure.”
TR could find no vote after the May 13th meeting where the LCSB voted on the parameters of the new bus system implementation. In fact, it appears the EDULOG May 13th presentation was never given at a regular LCSB Tuesday meeting.
This new information was discovered after TR requested minutes of the May 13th, 2018 Agenda Review meeting. The minutes were limited to procedural information, however an audio tape of the meeting was subsequently loaded on the LCS website.
TR listened to the 40 minute presentation made by the CEO of EDULOG and then transcribed the section addressing the pilot program recommendation.
At 49 minutes and 50 seconds into the audio recording, after Mr. Corbally had provided information on the optimizing options available to LCS, LCSB member Rosanne Wood asked about the implementation:
Ms. Wood: “Are we talking about next school year once we approve these recommendations?”
Mr. Corbally: “What we see most often is you would pilot it at probably an elementary, middle school and high school to get the principals sorta familiar. Normally we see like a 2-3 month pilot. There’s no reason you couldn’t implement it full for the entire district I would say by January.
I would spend the fall piloting making sure parents are bought in. There is a big community engagement when you start telling parents that are gonna be (unaudible).” Hear Audio
TR is seeking answers to several questions.
What was the rational for not starting with a pilot program?
Which LCS official made the final decision to skip a pilot program?
Was the LCSB asked for input on this decision?
What parameters of the EDULOG implementation – if any – was the LCSB asked to vote on?
LCS Ignored Vendor Recommendation for Bus Pilot Program Before Full Roll-Out added by Steve Stewart on
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Edulag was hired during the former superintendents term and was approved by the school board members in office at that time. It has been paid several hundred thousand dollars — what have they done for our system to warrent that kind of money? It seems a thorough study of the purpose for which they were hired and the benefit to the children of Leon County should be made. By their own admission an employee of theirs sabotgoged the program. Who was behind the unnamed Edulag employees purposfully deleting the information? There is a lot of blame to be had but now it is time to find out the merits of the system, and a plan to go forward or not needs to be made. If the main concern is assessing blame then some of it goes back to the superintendent and board at the time the decision to contract with Edulag was made as well as the present parties involved.
Last week Chris Petley went on record saying Rocky Hanna was unaware of Mr Messer resigning, but, both Mr. Messer and his boss Janet Heath stated they both spoke with Rocky about the firing/forced resignation. Not only did they state they spoke with Rocky, they shared quotes from the conversation Mr. Petley you have no credibility.
Why would anyone think Chris Petley was truthful… Remember this Petleyism “Superintendent Hanna never admitted to being responsible for the circulation of the notebook,” Petley said.”. Hey Chris, Rocky admitted he sent the notebook to state and federal authorities and to all news outlets. Chris Petley, the details always win out no matter how you spin it.
Chris Petley is a mouthpiece for Rocky Hanna. Chris Petley continues to misdirect information at the request of Rocky Hanna. We all heard the same words, Chris Petley is misinterpreting the same words we heard, Leon Schools Superintendent Rocky Hanna and the board were told by Edulog of the impending failure, they did not listen. Chris Petley you can spin the words but not the facts.
So Mark, just wondering if you normally go by Jackie…..
I worked with Jackie pons – he is a sleaze of the first order.
We all know it is election time next year but y’all need to stop beating up on Rocky Hanna and look at the big picture….
It’s clear that from your statement, which attacks a person who has stated facts, comments that include facts (no matter how redundant) should remain at the forefront of the conversation rather than innuendo through name calling. Innuendo was the basis for the notebook developed by and circulated by Rocky Hanna. As a community we should have learned when the facts were out at it pertains to claims made by Rocky Hanna through his ghost writer signature “Concerned Citizens of Leon County” that anyone in this community that has use the quagmire of innuendo has no facts behind them to stake claims of injustice. I hope that you can remain civil in discourse, spirited in facts, refrain from innuendo, stay on point or connect the dots to make a point. The point that had been made over and over is that the ghost writer of the infamous notebook James “Rocky”Hanna by his own actions and admissions is unethical.
The big picture is that Rocky’s leadership has created so many problems it will take years to come back. The big picture is that there is rampant incompetence and corruption under Rocky Hanna’s leadership. The big picture is that it rises to the level of a crisis for LCS children and may warrant an intervention by the Governor. Rocky, the Board and their enablers need to step out of denial. Things are bad.
Please ask everyone you know to read this article, post a comment then contact the school board for any clarification. The school board and Hanna were told not to fully implement the new rider system, but they did not listen to the advise. Malfeasance.
I encourage all to watch the School Board meeting this Tuesday on Comcast or on-line. Pre-agenda may have been today but it is not televised. I bet the Board does not discuss any of these issues or directs any concerns to Hanna. It will be a love-fest about what a great start we had to begin school. If Hanna cries, he will get all hugs from our Board.
Rocky Hannah is an in competent buffoon. He can’t be shown the door fast enough for the kids of Leon county.
Thanks for your comments Jackie.
I hope folks are paying attention here. Alva Striplin has had her eyes on Rocky Hanna’s job. She and the other members of the LCSB have proved themselves dismal, thus far. She is as complicit as the rest.
Do not trust Alva! She got elected as a Republican and once she got elected switched to Democrat. However, I do believe she has shown more guts than the other Board Members. Rosanna Wood is the most liberal, hippy, untrustable member of the Board.
Don’t trust someone who went after a woman professionally for a personal ‘dust up’ on a golf course.
Because that will cost Money. They received an increased Budget this year. I want to see a major AUDIT for the School Board and the Schools to see where that Money has been going…..or NOT going because something is not right here.
The inaudible part sounds to me like
telling parents that are gonna be (unaudible). (reducing ridership)
Which I think he is referring to telling parents that their kids are going to walk 2 miles to school.
The fault lies with the school board. They are all incompetent and should be recalled.
We must cut off the head of the snake ASAP. Basically Hanna’s got to go. If Hanna has even 1/2 an ounce of integrity in his cold blooded reptile body he will tender his resignation today.
Steve Stewart can whip Alva and the rest of those slackers on the board in the first 5 minutes of his first staff meeting.
RUN STEVE RUN!!!
Uhhh…I ment to say verbally whip them into shape in the first five minutes.
From that point forward the entire board would function as a well oiled machine taking care of it’s duties in a fair, open, honest fiscally responsable manner.
Thankfully we stopped actually whipping slacker board members a few years back!!!
Didn’t Alava Striplin go on record as saying “we should have listened to the bus drivers?” News flash Alva, you should have listened to the speaker at the Agenda Prep Meeting who gave you fair warning of the upcoming debacle. Good thing Alva and Rocky are not bus drivers, both are asleep at the wheel.
Thank you Tallahassee Reports for exposing the incompetent malfeasance of Rocky Hanna and every board member. Governor Desantis how much more evidence do you to suspend these incompetent elected officials?
These officials should be charged with child endangerment. By the way, the Assistant Superintendents who are political appointees sat and listened to Edulog warn of the impending failure, they did nothing. They operated the phone banks speaking to upset parents, yet none of them were honest enough to tell the truth, they knew about the disaster before it happened the did nothing.
YES, Alava Striplin is on record as saying “we should have listened to the bus drivers?” BUT, the key words are “SHOULD HAVE”. SHE was also pushing this to go thru with out Testing it. It was 100% Voted on.
There’s got to be a method to remove Hanna from office ASAP. After reading the above article it is 100% clear that anyone advocating to “just wait for the next election” is an enabler of psycho Hanna’s dis-service to our childern and County.
I dont know if there is a method of citizen recall or if the County Commission can just fire Hanna.
But he needs to go and it needs to be soon.
It is a shame that the advice from the Edulog executive was not taken seriously.
Did a usual suspect campaign manager advise Mr Hanna that he needed a hat-trick to run on for the upcoming election cycle?
I believe Mr Joanas could have been standing in the way trying to prevent it and red flagging this up and down, but to no avail. The Rocky train would have steam rolled right over him.
The school board could have put a stop to it and asked more questions.
When the elected officials begin putting safety over their silly election campaign publicity stunts we may see some improvements. Another debacle right out of The Usual Suspects, Inc.
Change the title from LCS Ignored to Rocky Hanna Could Care Less About the Students and Families of Leon Schools. Thank you Steve Stewart for exposing the how unfit Rocky Hanna is as a Superintendent.
When Rocky meets with his leadership team I hope they see the man for who he is, a man that had to be sued to provide child support, a man that dated teachers he supervised, a man that cried at the podium to cover up his lack of attention to detail about busing issues that he was aware of, a man that sought to put another man in jail by lying to federal and state authorities as payback for taking him out of Leon High, a man that enacted an employee hit list, a man on mission with a vendetta. School board where are you? Is the school board still asleep, from the minutes at the meeting none of them cared at all to what was said. Rocky Hanna exposed for all to see, s man with a vendetta who is out to destroy Leon Schools from within.
Kathleen well stated! Bravo!
When I walk down the “Rocky” Road, a few questions come to mind based on Mark’s comments and what a few school employees have shared with us over the past few years. Did Gwen Graham help Rocky write the book because she hated Pons? Did Scott Maddox decide to run for Supt as a democrat so Rocky could run as an Independent so they could double up on Pons? Did former US District Pam Marsh decide to investigate Pons because she wanted Rocky to win and she could get a job with the School Board Law Firm, Ausley? I must stop thinking this “deep state” stuff. This Tallahasse and things do not happen like this in my home town. Am I awake? Boy, I need a drink!
Corruption knows no bounds. It happens everywhere–especially in this leftists infested town where only a few have historically been the decision makers.
Does rocky ignore TR requests for comments, interviews and answers? He is often quoted in the Democrat. Does he give preferential treatment to some media outlets? Just curious. He is paid by the taxpayers so he owes the community answers to these questions.
Rocky’s response to any questions from Tallahassee Reports would be “oh no you’ve caught me in a lie” “I didn’t mean to cover up the truth, I just didn’t mean to tell the truth”
You’re seeking comment from a man that acknowledged he was the father of a child and hid from his responsibility as a parent for 10 years until sued?
You’re asking for comment from a man who acknowledged to the school board attorney he gathered all the documents in his notebook, he had no knowledge of any wrong doing, yet he and his attorney at the time colluded to start an investigation that cost taxpayers $600,000.
You’re asking for response from a man who dated teachers when he was the principal covered up the bullying tactics he used to get her transferred with a monetary settlement?
I mean really do you think Rocky Hanna is going to openly an honestly ever give a comment?
This proves that Rocky Hanna is 100 percent responsible for the busing debacle. The school board is complicent in the failure of service to parents and students While teachers are the 46th lowest paid Rocky promotes his buddy Scott Hansen to a higher paid non student contact position. Rocky Hanna hid from child support for 10 years, he follows the same pattern hiding from responsibility on the busing debacle.