PUTTING THE "HIGH" IN HIGH SCHOOL

     I received this story yesterday from my bud, Rickeroo Dunn, who says he thought of me right away after reading the story, so he had to share. I'm not sure if that's a compliment or an insult. Regardless, thank you for this story, Rick! I mean who doesn't love a story about our educators and who doesn't love a good story out of where else? Florida! 

     This is Palm Springs, Florida, charter school principal Krista Morton. She was caught smoking pot with one of her students while her shirt was unbuttoned last week in a school parking lot. This isn't the first time she's flunked as a school leader either. Is it me or does she look like Carol Burnett?

     Anyway, years before this Mavericks High School principal's embarrassing bust, she led another charter school on the other side of the state in Bradenton, Florida, that was investigated for not meeting educational standards. At that school, the Richard Millburn Academy, students were graduating without meeting their requirements, grades were regularly misreported and students were given word searches and puzzles in place of actual work. Well, that explains why Florida is as dumb as they are and most of my stories come out of Florida. They can't read or write! So, they commit crimes! Look who they have to look up to. 

     Morton left months after the 2011 investigation and it's still unclear if she chose to leave or she was forced out. Millburn Academy was shut down by the end of that year. Morton was then hired at Palm Spring's Mavericks in 2012, and that school is now showing a decline in student performance.

      So, Morton, 45, was arrested after she was caught in the back seat of a car with an 18-year-old student. When police arrived, they saw Morton's shirt was unbuttoned, "exposing her shoulders and part of her chest." Moron told police she was just friends with the student, and just trying to get to know him a little better. But the student told the police she was his principal. Police could smell marijuana while talking to the two. The principal told authorities marijuana had been smoked, but would not say she had smoked any. Both were charged with possession of marijuana and Morton was released from jail last Thursday. The student remains in the can on $1000 bail, which I feel the Morton should pay since she got him into this mess.

     Morton was suspended immediately after her arrest. The CEO of the private company that manages Maverick charter schools wouldn't say why Morton was hired after her questionable exit from Millburn. She only said, "It's an unfortunate circumstance." Wow! All I know is that this explains a lot when it comes to the education in Florida, which baffles me because some of the best colleges are in Florida. I guess it is what it is. It's just sad to see someone with a prominent position in a school system act like this. My principals were always old and crotchety and would have never been caught doing anything like this. I still can't get over the resemblance to Carol Burnett.