During the public comments portion of their March 18 regular meeting, Union County Board of Education members heard from three speakers, all of whom shared glowing remarks about the work being done at Union County Schools under the leadership of Superintendent John Hill.
School Custodial Supervisor Mark Hughes, who is going on 26 years with the district, delivered an impassioned defense of Hill in regard to allegations leveled against the superintendent by parents speaking publicly in the January and February open School Board meetings.
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“Over the last few months, as you know, there’s been several people come up here and talking about John Hill and all this stuff about him, and I’m going to tell you tonight what I know about John Hill,” Hughes began after greeting the board.
Given his lengthy career in the system, Hughes said he has had the privilege of working with Hill “since he was a teacher, a principal and a superintendent.”
“And all the things that’s been said about him, I have never seen that side of John Hill,” Hughes said. “Never have I seen it, and I’ve worked with him hand-in-hand for many years.
“There has been countless amount of kids in the Alternative School where I worked for probably about 15 years of my 25, and because of John Hill, those kids are somebody now that were going to go to jail or go to juvenile.
“And because of John Hill and his love for children, they are somebody today. So, what I’ve got to say about John Hill is good. He’s very passionate about his job and about the children here and about the school, and he has high standards for us as employees.”
Hughes said that Hill’s passion for students and the schools is why the superintendent has set such high standards for employees, in that “he expects us to be here.”
“And if we’re not there, we’re going to get a butt-chewing,” Hughes said. “I’ve had several of them, and it kept me where I needed to be. And because of John Hill, I’m a better employee, and I’ve got in the position that I am because of his leadership throughout the years.
“So, I just want the community to know, I want you to know that John Hill is not the person that you have heard from countless other people.
“This man is a blessing to the School System, and I can’t say enough about him. He’s a good guy, and he’s a personal friend of mine. And I’m not up here saying that because he’s a personal friend of mine; it’s because I have seen what the man has done over my 25 years.
“So, I want you to take that into consideration with all this other garbage you hear, because I consider it garbage, because the man is not the man that’s been set out.”
“And I know it’s probably against the rules,” Hughes continued, turning then to point at and address North Georgia News Editor Shawn Jarrard, who was sitting in the audience at the time and authored this article. “But Mr. Newspaper Guy, you have my permission to put everything I said in that newspaper, just because some of it’s not in there.”
Hughes returned his attention to the School Board to conclude his defense of Superintendent Hill.
“It doesn’t even get in the newspaper how good this guy is,” Hughes said. “This is a good guy. And you know that – you hired him. You know he’s a good guy. But I’m here to stand up (as) somebody that has worked with him for 25 years. This is a good man. So, whatever people are saying out in the community, it’s not true.”
Parent James Shubert was next to give public comments, focusing his remarks on “the appreciation he has for the School System.”
“Everything I wanted to say is, basically, y’all just displayed it here tonight with all of the awards and everything y’all have done,” Shubert said, referring to the regular meeting business that featured success after success at Union County Schools.
“I’ve been coming to this School System my whole life,” Shubert continued. “I don’t even personally know Mr. Hill, but I do know several of y’all, and I’ve been up here for a long time.
“And I know that y’all have our children’s backs. I know that when my son steps on that school bus every single day, he’s safe. I have no issues on whether he’s safe or whether y’all or the staff is doing him right or wrong.
“I know that he is safe, and I know that, every single day, y’all work hard taking care of our kids. And I just wanted to let y’all know that I appreciate that from the bottom of my heart.
“I’m not going to stand here and keep y’all too long, but I think y’all do an amazing job, and I just wanted to say thank you from the bottom of my heart, and my son appreciates it, too.”
Rounding out the public comment period was former Union County Elementary School Principal Trish Cook, who retired in 2018. Cook spoke “in support of the new Elementary School,” and she also praised the educational excellence that has continued in her stead and Hill’s leadership.
“I want to tell you thank you,” Cook said to board members. “I know it’s School Board Appreciation Week, and I want to say thank you for all you’ve done for me, students, faculty. But I’ve got to tell you a little story.
“I pulled up to the Elementary School a few years ago, and there was this fabulous security fence around the sidewalk. And I just almost cried, because that has been a concern for a long time.
“Thank you for making sure that happened, John Hill. Thank you, Mr. B (UCES Principal Jerry Bavero). Thank you, School Board. That was so needed.
“Well, time rocks on, and I see the blueprints for the new Elementary School – thank you. And I wasn’t going to say this, but I feel kind of comfortable, so I’m going to.
“I have a middle child; I don’t know if any of you are middle children, but having been a principal of an elementary school, who are the ‘middle children’ of the School System – when I saw that wonderful new Elementary School in those plans, I was just like, ‘Yes!’
“And I just had to thank God right then. And that happened because you pushed it, and because we as a community voted for the (E-SPLOST funds that Board Member Janna Akins) talked about tonight. Thank you so much for all you do. I really appreciate it.
“There’s other things that are done that the community sees that I don’t know if anyone ever tells you about. But one thing is that house that the construction (classroom) builds. And we all see that every time we ride by there. That is so totally awesome.
“And the day that house goes to its final destination, the community stops so it can get down the four-lane. Now that’s fabulous. That’s because we have a new leader; we have a leader in our system who lets the faculty have creativity in instruction.
“We saw that tonight with everything (Athletic Director Mandy Hunter) told us about, with all these teachers – they’ve been allowed to be creative in their classrooms. Not every system gets that.”
Cook went on to personally thank Superintendent Hill “for all you’ve done,” and as she was about to tell “one more story, about John and Mark,” her three minutes of allotted speaking time ran out.
All three commenters were well received in the meeting, earning applause at the end of their statements, with the loudest response going to career educator Cook, who served 28 years at Union County Schools before she retired.
Two other speakers signed up the required 24 hours in advance of the meeting but were not apparently in attendance: Naveela Philbeck, to speak “in support of inclusivity at UCS”; and Roy Wright “in support of the positive impact of the Union County School System on his children in a short amount of time.”
As previously reported, Philbeck is a parent in the schools who has publicly accused the superintendent of trying to get her fired from her job for reporting alleged teacher discrimination against her young daughters.
Coverage of the School Board’s regular meeting business from March 18 appears in a separate article in this week’s newspaper.
