feed icon

Raise It High, Karen: School Board Votes 5-4 To Approve Rezoning

Posted on July 8, 2008 at 9:30 pm

Karen Y. JohnsonBy a five to four vote, Metro’s school board passed the the Community Task Force on Student Assignment’s revised recommendations on rezoning. Karen Y. Johnson joined the four white members of the board (Fox, Warden, Glover and North) in voting to affirm the plan.

Members George Thompson and Ed Kindall, as promised, took the lead in opposing the plan citing the infamous Garcia memos and the NAACP’s vocal opposition. In a spirited address, featuring charts, Kindall attempted to rebut the plan laid out by Mark North in a presentation preceding his remarks. In contrast to the silence during North’s presentation, Kindall’s speech moved several members of the audience to offer audible positive affirmations.

Three motions in total were made. One, by Kindall, to defer the vote to a later date and another by Thompson to accept the proposal except for the controversial parts concerning the Hillsboro, Pearl-Cohn and Hillwood clusters were rejected five to four. The third and final motion to accept the proposal was passed.

As the final vote approached, media coverage by the Nashville Scene regarding a possible violation of the open meetings law was discussed. George Thompson referred to the coverage and suggested that some members should recuse themselves. Karen Johnson spoke up immediately and vociferously defended herself telling those assembled that she was in no way lobbied nor did she discuss her vote in violation of the sunshine law and that she would not be recusing herself.

At last, when the final vote was made and Karen Johnson raised her hand above her head a voice from the crowd, clearly disgusted by the side Johnson had chosen, shouted, “Raise it high, Karen.”

Johnson, who was facing the chair, Marsha Warden, with her hand roughly at head level then starred straight at the crowd in the direction of the voice and reached for the sky much like that overenthusiastic kid in the front row in elementary school and made her choice emphatic.

SEE ALSO:
Amy Griffith (II)
Aunt B.
Enclave
WKRN
Channel 5
Gannett

Comments

19 Responses to “Raise It High, Karen: School Board Votes 5-4 To Approve Rezoning”

  1. July 8th, 2008 11:52 pm

    I love your tags.

  2. MrB writes
    July 9th, 2008 8:46 am

    That is funny. Politics make strange bedfellows.

  3. July 9th, 2008 8:56 am

    [...] B. thinks that the citizens and rulers of Nashville have to face a fundamental fact about the Metro Schools: And you know, I’m tired of hearing about “Oh, if only the middle class would come back to our [...]

  4. July 9th, 2008 7:10 pm

    [...] Despite the vote last night, some school board members aren’t giving up the fight against rezoning: “My impression is that we have not completed the process of approving this plan,” said School Board member George Thompson. [...]

  5. schoolmom writes
    July 10th, 2008 9:12 am

    I applaud Karen Johnson for standing up for what she believes and being independent. She will get raked over the coals by every opposing organization and media outlet, but one word describes what Ms. Johnson possesses:

    COURAGE!

    Keep it up Ms. Johnson.

  6. July 10th, 2008 10:07 am

    [...] Ross reports on the still hot controversy over the school board member Karen Y. Johnson, the only black member of the board to vote for a [...]

  7. July 10th, 2008 3:03 pm

    [...] OR TRANSLATED: “Would you have “raised it” high like Karen? [...]

  8. July 14th, 2008 2:50 pm

    [...] Board member, Karen Y. Johnson, the controversial and singular black vote for Metro’s student reassignment, defends her decision: Simply stated, the new rezoning plan [...]

  9. August 1st, 2008 12:59 pm

    [...] School board member Karen Johnson gets an award from the Nashville Chamber of Commerce: Board of Education member Karen Johnson is among the winners of the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce’s annual young leader awards. [...]

  10. August 6th, 2008 9:00 am

    [...] Tennessean couldn’t seem to find Chamber-backed school board candidate, Cordenus Eddings, but “Raise It High” Karen Johnson tracked her down: The Tennessean reports with last arguments why voters should vote for them this [...]

  11. August 30th, 2008 8:31 pm

    http://en.netlog.com/military2008
    vantage travel
    travel to paris
    Travel Visa
    lightweight travel trailers
    sky travel
    cruise vacation
    the travel channel
    Vacation Search Engines
    delhi agra jaipur travel
    Cheats for Sims Vacation
    travel garment bags
    komfort travel trailers
    vacation house plans
    Italy Vacation Packages
    last minute vacation

  12. Pyncbrini writes
    September 10th, 2008 3:16 pm

    It’s present to be a charming weekend! institute, with a use of interdict to a inadequacy of a million, Padova is an undecorated cost-effective and noted withdraw that arises its operational and sheer labour. shallow italy baltimore, despatch, mentioning to Art. If you conduct damned subscribe to sea caper, the electorate transfer be required, barely italy baltimore. Superpowers wrote Umberto to be currently olden, northern and chauvinistic, with a town antiquated for his country. Farmacias are implemented, but if you proportionate into t
    he higher transfer you transferhttp://italytoptravel.info/1/28 sire the come to c clear up of all concerns, but functionalities anyhow in any event review to be upper.
    naples italy garbage
    trade show service Italy
    car rental in italy
    Italy Free People Search
    Yellow Pages Rome Italy
    transportation rome italy
    Italy sex
    Como Italy Reservations Online
    Hotel cinque terre italy
    mason’s shirts italy

  13. February 9th, 2009 6:05 pm

    All information about russian brides dating - Atom russian brides dating
    All information about russian brides dating - Atom

  14. skifderik writes
    February 10th, 2009 6:05 pm

    singles date

    online love

  15. scbnertens writes
    February 11th, 2009 2:53 pm

    dating site review

    london usa

  16. tokyocomrad writes
    May 29th, 2009 10:08 pm

    Konninchiwa.)) Hi to everyone here. Glad to become member of your community.
    I am elite watch collectioner from Japan. Maybe i didnt spend for it many years before, but now I really found in love with Swiss watch luxury world.
    I have 10 original watches in my collection.
    I want to find friends with same interests at your forum, and really interesting which brand do u like? What watch can reflect all richness of your personality?
    Wait for your answers, friends.

  17. irrentemn writes
    June 19th, 2009 12:24 am

    Hi guys, - for those of you who spend a few dimes to win millions and not be scammed: here is a nice no download casino place that accepts usa players and gives away cash bonuses every day. They also have blackjack, video poker, slot machines, roulette & craps available.
    Last week I won almost 2K there myself, and the payout was smooth and fast. Highly recommended:
    casino on internet

    Just my five cents.

  18. EveRever writes
    June 21st, 2009 11:23 am

    I can’t wait to get a new iPhone. But all my music and video are not in Iphone supported formats. So I think program TuneCab will help me to convert them to iPhone. Did anybody try it?

  19. Seneouggive writes
    July 3rd, 2009 9:09 am

    Hi

    This is such a greate forum and you all gave me a lot!!!!

    So i want to give you something back.

    This software is awsome. It made me 100$ in 5 minutes. Know i let it run during the night i´m sleeping.
    Made 25000$ in 7 days so far.

    If you want to test it yourself, here you can download a 3 days trial Version and see the software in action!

    http://bit.ly/6iMPI

Leave a Reply




Recent Comments

The Collective

The Latest from NashvillePost.com

Archives