19 JAN 05: N-I-SAYERS

The Muscogee County School Board received stunning news Tuesday night: the entire district is now on the Georgia Education Department "Needs Improvement" list. Improvement? After those two votes for a one-cent sales tax, and all that construction, we STILL need improvement?

Before now Georgia education officials only put individual schools on the "Needs Improvement" list. Now entire districts are being listed - and Muscogee County is there. Maybe Russell County Judge Al Howard needs to come across the river, and threaten to recall the entire school board.

Schools and districts make the "Needs Improvement" list if they don't meet standards of "average yearly progress." And let's be honest here - Shaw High School didn't advance to the Georgia High School football finals.

The state progress report faults Muscogee County Schools in several areas. For one thing, middle school students didn't make the state standard for writing. If only today's rap stars did their rhymes in complete sentences, to provide some inspiration....

But perhaps the most puzzling note in the progress report is that Muscogee County missed the mark in math and English, among students with disabilities. Columbus may be doing as well with "special education" as it is with guest special prosecutors.

Muscogee County Superintendent John Phillips accepted the "Needs Improvement" report from the state - but he said large school districts with high numbers of disabled students are more likely to be marked down. An old answer comes to my mind for this - but desegregation wasn't popular in the South when it came to RACE.

And to think only a few weeks ago, Dr. John Phillips became a finalist for Georgia School Superintendent of the Year. Now he's overseeing an entire district which needs improvement - and perhaps he can understand how Dan Reeves felt the last couple of seasons, coaching the Atlanta Falcons.

Remember early last year, when the Ledger-Enquirer asked Muscogee County School Board members for their opinions of Dr. John Phillips? About half the members liked the Superintendent's performance, while about half said "no comment." How many now will say the "needs improvement" starts not at the bottom, but the top?

BLOG UPDATE: Not everyone in Columbus was impressed by Jesse Jackson's big civil rights march last weekend. The Friends of David Glisson web site has posted a statement, claiming high-ranking city government workers pressured lower staff members to attend. OK, so how many of Glisson's relatives were pressured to attend THAT march?

The F.O.G. (Friends of Glisson, you know) web master claims Columbus city policy is for employees NOT to participate in political or protest events, such as Jesse Jackson's march. Now this could get interesting - as the city personnel board may have to issue a blanket amnesty, and rehire Glisson with everybody else.

The F.O.G. web site goes on to accuse Columbus police of driving some of the protesters to and from last Saturday's march. If that's true, that IS a bit strange. You'd think a couple of the float drivers in the Unity Parade would have been willing to stick around awhile.

While David Glisson backers have their own site, have you noticed there isn't one for supporters of Kenneth Walker's family? Well, then again maybe they don't need one. They have Kaffie Sledge writing columns for the Ledger-Enquirer....

All this reminds me - Instant Message to Judge Greg Mathis: You have a daily TV show, right? Why don't you persuade Kenneth Walker's widow to take David Glisson to YOUR court? Maybe you could force him to pay for the daughter's dance lessons.

And did I read the Eufaula newspaper correctly - Eufaula's police chief is named Kenneth Walker? All Sheriff Ralph Johnson has to do is hire him as a top assistant. At least his department might feel better....

Meanwhile, a Muscogee County Sheriff's Deputy was slightly hurt Tuesday night in a four-car collision on Manchester Expressway. Hopefully civil rights leaders will commend the department today - because that unnamed deputy did NOT jump out with a gun and open fire on somebody.

Now some odds and ends from the last couple of days:

+ Superior Court Judge Bobby Peters wrote a letter to the Ledger-Enquirer, endorsing Mayor Bob Poydasheff for a second term. Already - 18 months before the primary?! Is Roxann Daniel planning to run against him?

+ Phenix City Mayor Jeff Hardin announced grant money has been received to build a soccer complex at an industrial park. So why build it out there? All sorts of level ground should become available, as downtown car lots close.

+ Two Phenix City residents filed a federal discrimination lawsuit against Waffle House. They claim as they waited for food in Cullman, Alabama, a customer screamed at them and declared they were not welcome. [True/AP] So are restaurants going to become like airports -- only with a "watch list" for weirdos to kick out?

+ The Columbus Catfish named Travis Barbery as their new manager. The reason for his hiring should be obvious. The team can make money selling advertising space on his uniform to barber shops.

COMING SOON: Things are missing at the mall, and we want to know why....

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