TOM ROGERS' PUBLIC
SCHOOL HISTORY
EMPLOYMENT: Tanque Verde
(AZ) supe; ran last fall as Libertarian
for Pima County (Tucson, AZ) supe
against Linda (Nova SE U Ed.D.)
Arzoumanian.  ALSO: Shelby Public
Schools supe (Shelby, Montana),
Nevada, Gadsden Elementary SD
supe (San Luis, AZ) and MS principal
(Somerton SD/Yuma County, AZ).
Taught English & computer skills to 1st,
2nd & 3rd graders in Thailand for
two years.  BOARD MEMBERSHIPS:
Yuma Union HS District; Somerton
School District.  OTHER:  school
custodian, school bus driver, sports
coach, teacher and school cafeteria
volunteer.
TUCSON, AZ (KOLD) - Agents
with the U.S. Immigration and
Customs enforcement arrested
Tanque Verde superintendent
Albert Thomas Rogers on
suspicion of child sexual
exploitation.   Rogers, 51,
contacted an undercover agent in
January about going on a trip to
Mexico that involved sexually
abusing children, agents said in a
press release. They made the
arrest Friday.  Rogers said in
conversations with undercover
agents that he wished to spend
"relaxation intimacy" -- including
anal and oral sex-- with teenage
boys, officials said.
In February, agents collected a
$50 deposit on the trip from
Rogers as well as a filled-out
reservation form in Yuma, Ariz.  
Rogers is currently employed as
the superintendent of Tanque
Verde Schools. He's also an
associate principal at Emily Gray
Junior High.  Authorities
with Tucson Police and
ICE agents are now in-
vestigating if any inap-
propriate incidences
with children took place
at the schools.  A crim-
inal complaint has been filed by
authorities on Rogers. No word
yet from school officials on what
happens to Rogers' job.
ICE agents began an undercover
sex tourism operation in Yuma,
Ariz. in 1997. Since then, agents
have arrested 43 suspects
including Rogers.

The investigation is part of 'Operation
Predator,' an ongoing inititative that
helps protect children.  Agents with
this operation encourage the public to
call 866-347-2423 if they suspect
children are being exploited. Suspected
predators can be reported to the
National Center for Missing and
Exploited Children at 800-843-5678 or
www.cybertipline.com.   (SOURCE--
TucsonCitizen.com - Brian White)
A multicounty grand jury
indictment unsealed Thursday
accuses a former state-employed
auditor with a gambling problem of
embezzling about $1.16 million
from the Commissioners of the Land
Office. Roger Q. Melson Jr., 55, of
Edmond is accused in 174 felony
counts of embezzling about $1.16
million in royalty, lease and other
payments intended for the
Commissioners of the Land Office
where he worked, and depositing
the checks in a personal account.

The Commissioners of the Land
Office is a state agency that
manages public lands set aside for
the financial benefit of Oklahoma’s
common schools. Melson worked
for the agency about 21 years. He
last served as director of audits for
the agency’s royalty audit division.

Billy Bock, Melson’s attorney, said
his client gambled away most of
the money.  Bock told the
Oklahoma County District Judge
Patricia Parrish that Melson has
been working as a night stocker and
doing part-time jobs in an effort to
help his family pay bills since he
lost his $67,300-a-year state job in
May.

At the request of state prosecutors,
Parrish set Melson’s bond at
$174,000 — $1,000 on each count.
He was led away in handcuffs after
the hearing. If convicted, he could
be sentenced up to 20 years on
each count.  

As part of his scheme to embezzle
funds, Melson created an entity
called Commissioner of the Land
Office and registered it with the
secretary of state’s office, the grand
jury alleged. Melson then set up a
personal bank account under the
name Roger Q. Melson Jr., doing
business as Commissioner of the
Land Office.  In addition to
auditing royalty payments, Melson
and most other Commissioners of
the Land Office employees worked
rotating shifts in the mail room.  
Three employees would work in the
mail room at a time — one on a
regular basis, and two would rotate
through, Assistant Attorney General
Joel-lyn McCormick said.  "Roger
would regularly volunteer,” she said.
Part of the job of mail room workers
was to separate checks that came
in and direct them to the financial
office, she said.  As director of
audits, Melson knew what payments
were likely to be audited by the
external auditor and was able to
divert those checks to himself,
McCormick said.


Scope of the scheme
Nearly 200 checks were taken, with
amounts ranging from less than
$200 to more than $42,000, the
grand jury alleged.  The scheme
allegedly went on almost five years
before it was detected in April,
McCormick said.  Someone noticed
the office had not received recent
payments from a particular
company.   When company
officials were asked about the
situation, they said they had paid
and were able to show proof. A
subsequent investigation led to
discovery of the scheme,
McCormick said.
O Joseph Lewis
Former Nitschmann Middle School
principal John Acerra has been
released from state prison....
Acerra was released May 26
from the state correctional facility
in Albion, Pa....Acerra was
scheduled to be released from
prison in February, but he had to
stay longer to complete a drug
rehabilitation program, officials
said.....Acerra is now under the
supervision of the Pennsylvania
Board of Parole and Probation.
...Acerra is under parole
conditions until February 2011,
officials said. He has developed
an approved home program, but
officials have declined to discuss
the details of that plan.  Acerra
was granted parole in November
after his first appearance before
the parole board....Acerra was
jailed in 2007 for selling drugs
from his middle school office. He
was busted in February 2007
after he sold drugs to a police
informant. Authorities found him
with three bags of methampheta-
mine and drug paraphernalia.  In
August 2007, Acerra pleaded
guilty to two counts of delivery of
crystal methamphetamine and one
count of possession with intent to
deliver methamphetamine.  The
arrest was the result of an
investigation in which Acerra sold
drugs as authorities watched.
After his arrest, Acerra quickly
resigned as Nitschmann principal,
ending a 28-year career with the
Bethlehem Area School District
that began as a teacher at Lincoln
Elementary School.
(SOURCE--LehighValleyLive.com)
Tom's ingenuity and
heart are good to keep in
mind whether you're
helping school board
candidates, or
persuading your district
to post its check register
online, or anything else
in our schools or your life.
(Posted 03.10.09)
AIPC is proving that
kids welcome
challenges and hard
work, and respect those
who expect a lot of them.
What's needed is less
money and laptops and
fun and more solid
ideas and adults willing
to act like adults. Liberal
social engineering
experiments have failed.
Time to go back to what
we know works.
Yolanda Larkin of Brownsboro ISD (left, standing)  facilitated this table's group
consensus statement regarding their Harvard experience at the "Raise Your Hand"
January 28, 2009 conference at the Austin Hilton.
Link: 2009 Texas Ethics Commission  
Edu-Lobbyists
Texas supe DanaMarable
Wire transfers have
been included in St.
Cloud ISD 742's check
register under two
superintendents; first,
Bruce Watkins, and now
Steve Jordahl.  Kevin
Januszewski has served
as the district's executive
director of business
services through both
administrations.

The wire transfers are
easy to find; not only are
they are clearly labeled
"WIRE" but also from the
months I've reviewed are
either at the beginning or
the ending of the register.

Another hats off:  the
district's April checks are
already online.

Here's the link:
SUPE SEARCHES
Why homegrown is
better than using
outside search firms
By Peyton Wolcott
Sat., Apr. 18, 2009 /7:30 am
-- for pressing
Antioch USD supe
Deborah Sims &
att'y Marleen Sacks
for public records
re AUSD elementary
teacher arrest
(child porn).
Following the money in
our vendor-driven schools
15 vendors & other special
money interest groups at
school meetings--know 'em?
The nation's 1st  & only daily conservative public education commentary   -   Solutions, not Fear
P E Y T O N   W O L C O T T

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one person, one question, one school at a time.
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Copyright 1999-2009 Peyton Wolcott

"Walk softly
and carry a big stick."
-- Teddy Roosevelt

"Trust but verify."
-- Ronald Reagan
Just because you can
doesn't mean you should.
H o w   w e   t a k e   b a c k   o u r   c h i l d r e n ' s    e d u c a t i o n:    o n e   p e r s o n ,  o n e   q u e s t i o n ,   o n e   s c h o o l   a t   a   t i m e.
n e w   c o m m e n t a r i e s
ERDI supe
Alton Frailey (Katy ISD /
Texas) versus public  
freedoms
First
They
Came

First they
came for the
communists,
and I did not
speak out --
because I was
not a
communist;

Then they
came for the
socialists, and
I did not
speak out --
because I was
not a socialist;

Then they
came for the
trade
unionists, and
I did not
speak out --
because I was
not a trade
unionist;

Then they
came for the
Jews, and I
did not speak
out --because
I was not a
Jew;

Then they
came for me --
and there was
no one left to
speak out for
me.

-- Pastor Martin
``Niemoeller
"Gloria from Luling" on
sidewalk outside
Walsh Anderson party at
Austin's Iron Cactus
with unnamed man who
was shy about  
revealing his name
(TASA Mid Winter, 2007 )
Soghra Najafpour (L) was
sentenced to death at age 13 for
the first time in Iran; she's now
31 -- more here.  Did principal
Robin E. Lowe (L)  mention
Soghra during her 'Islam 101'  
day May 22 at Friendswood  JH?  
Will she mention Soghra at her
new gig running Houston ISD's
Pershing MS?  Wouldn't that be a
step towards "raising [her
students'] awareness of the
culture" -- of the true culture -- in
Iran?  That perhaps Robin's
invited speakers from CAIR might
have forgotten to mention?  
Oops?
UPDATE:  As of today no
response yet from Robin to
telephone and email queries.
IRAN: Execution
Danger Alert
School News Quick Links
Jan.-Sept. 2008  here
Oct.-Nov. 2008  here
The American Superintendent
(Leonard Merrell) as Allan
Ramsay's King George III  
(Mixed-media collage by Peyton
Wolcott, Copyright 2008)
Wolcott
Peyton
June 2009 commentaries
6 SIMPLE SUGGESTIONS FOR SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENTS

1.  End discretionary spending.
Set an example for your staff; let them know you mean business about
running a tighter ship:  No trips, no conferences, no meals, no credit cards.  
If you want to learn more about something, use Google.  Do a webinar.  
Read a newsletter.   No golf games with vendors, ever.  No chauffeurs, no
rental cars.  Stay home, do your work and keep your nose clean.

2.  Reduce administrative costs.
Go through your administrative staff roster and cut every other job, starting
with getting rid of all PR and marketing.  No advisors, no consultants. Learn
how to really read a budget.  Put your check register and all wire transfers
online.

3.  Ethics.
No nepotism.  Let your wife and kids earn a living in a field other than
education.  No board members' spouses working in the district.  Conduct all
discussions with vendors and potential vendors in the open; invite your
public to watch and ask questions.  Throw away your contract and work
year by year.  Move your chair off the dais at board meetings.  You're not a
team member with your elected trustees.  You're not equal to them.  
They're your boss.

4.  No construction.  
If you're the rare district truly experiencing sufficient growth to justify
building new schools, splinter off that population and let them start their
own new school district or charter school.  They might be able to take over
an abandoned church or office building for much less than the Taj Mahal
you had in mind.

5.  Back-to-basics curriculum.
Math table (1st grade: add, 2nd grade: subtract, 3rd grade multiply, 4th
grade divide) daily drill.  You made sure your own kids learned the basics
at home or with tutors; why shouldn't all children have that same
opportunity?  Ditto for phonics.  Classical literature.  History, not social
studies.  No more block scheduling.  Daily P.E. for all. Emphasize individual
effort and accomplishment.

6.  Attitude.  
You're a public servant, not a Third World dictator. Practice humility and
gratitude.  Remember when your employees laugh at your jokes or tell you
you're cool or vendors marvel at your every utterance that they're all
sucking up to you.  Remember why you got into education to begin with.  
Sell your house in the gated community and buy one in the middle of a real
subdivision like your average parents and taxpayers can afford.  Let
yourself be driven not by the latest platitude you picked up at the latest
education conference but by the same wonderful noble desire to educate
kids that got you into this field.
b e s t   
p r a c t i c e s
s c h o o l   n e w s   q u i c k   l i n k s
More "Best Practices"
here.
U.S. FEDERAL TAXPAYER DOLLARS
TO  DISD
2000-2007
2000-2001   $   121,951,145
2001-2002   $   137,745,786
2002-2003   $   169,103,740
2003-2004   $   188,618,903
2004-2005   $   188,838,330
2005-2006   $   215,068,567
2006-2007   $   217,970,686
TOTAL        $1,239,297,157
TEXAS TAXPAYER
DOLLARS TO DISD
2000-2007
2000-2001   $   204,116,731
2001-2002   $   180,097,229
2002-2003   $   254,465,426
2003-2004   $   199,905,502
2004-2005   $   199,940,243
2005-2006   $   198,907,113
2006-2007   $   305,839,277
TOTAL         $1,543,271,521
Texas and U.S. taxpayers have sent
almost $3 billion
to Dallas ISD since 2000
When I first saw the headline
yesterday morning that Illinois
Governor Rod Blagojevich had
just been arrested along with
his chief of staff, John F.
Harris, on charges of among
other things trying to sell
Barack Obama's U.S. Senate
seat, my first reaction was
probably not that different from
yours, "Oh.  Illinois."

You know, as in the 3 R's:  
prior governor George Ryan,
former Congressman Dan  
Rostenkowski,  and long-time
Obama supporter Tony Rezko.  
As in, to quote Matt Drudge,
"Crook County."  As in,
"Chicago,
Arne Duncan (L) and Rod "Even My
Hair's For Sale"  Blagojevich (R)     
(GRAPHIC IMAGE--Peyton Wolcott)
What's Arne Duncan's track
record on financial
transparency?
Given that getting rid of
corruption in public education
must be job one for the next
US DOE secretary, and given
that Chicago Public Schools
CEO Arne Duncan has deep
ties to Chi-Land (he's from
there), and given also that
he's a front runner for the
post, a good question to ask
is, "How transparent has Arne
been during his tenure as
supe of Chicago schools?"  
Meaning, how much has he
opened up specific-dollar
CPS actual financials to the
public in the cheapest,
easiest and fastest way
possible, by putting checks
online?  No pie charts, no
percentages, no aggregates,
but real checks-to?

When I went looking on
Chicago Schools' website
and couldn't find their checks,
I called the CPS PR
department and asked
whether Arne had made any
plans to put their check
register online.  After
explaining to the fellow with
whom I spoke what a check
register was, he said he'd
look into it and get back to
me.  Shouldn't be that hard;
even though Florida's
Miami-Dade County Public
Schools has fewer students,
if we can believe Chicago
Public Schools accounting
over Miami's M-DCPS spent a
lot more money last year, $6.7
billion for all expenditures, all
funds as opposed to the $4.6
bilion CPS will admit to.  I
sent the PR guy a helpful link
to Miami's check register so
Arne could see for himself.   

Oh, wait!  Miami-Dade's check
register is online because
Marta Perez, an elected
trustee, pushed for it last year
-- but all seven Chicago
Public Schools trustees are
appointed by Mayor Daley.  
D'ya think they'd risk losing
their appointments by
pushing for financial
transparency with a Chicago
mayor who controls all of
Chicago public ed?  

No response yet from CPS
Perhaps that was the famous
"I'll get back to you when Hell
freezes over" time frame.  Or,
maybe what the CPS PR guy
really meant was, "It's a long
way to Tipperary which is
where we hid the check
register and when we get it
cleaned up I'll get back to
you."  In any event, at press
time there was still no
response from Chi-Land
Schools about Arne's
intention (or not) to put their
check register online.

Here's hoping Mayor Daley
will let Arne put CPS checks
online whether or not Arne
makes US DOE secretary;
specific-dollar transparency in
the form of online check
registers is a terrific way for
honest Illinois administrators
and politicians to separate
themselves from  the
Blagojevich / 3R's crowd.
Corruption Capital" and the
"Chicago Machine."   As in,
apparently anything goes in
Chi-Land and surrounds that's
not nailed down.  

Graft, graft everywhere and
not a drop to drink
Chicago's suburbs have not
been immune from graft and
corruption.  It was just over
three years ago -- a year after
Gov. Blagojevich appointed
Thomas Ryan, then-supe of
Community Consolidated
School District 168 in Sauk
Village (a half-hour south of
Chicago) to a task force of
school administrators to help
shape Blagojevich's new
Department of Education --
that investigators raided
Ryan's home and hauled off a
(L) Thomas Ryan (center) in his garage.  
(R) Investigator carrying laundry basket
filled with cash.  (PHOTOS--Southtown Star)
laundry basket filled with cash,
ten years of financial records,
computers and a collapsible
metal billy club.  Ryan was
eventually indicted, tried and
sent to a minimal-security
prison where, presumably
without the asp, he served only
a few years of his eight-year
sentence.
SAUK VILLAGE SCHOOLS:
Role played by investigative
journalists
A shout out to the Daily
Southtown:  The Illinois State
Attorney only began looking
into Sauk Village schools'
finances after The Daily
Southtown published stories
by reporters Linda Lutton and
Kati Phillip regarding
questionable payments
made to Thomas Ryan, his
family and school district
vendors.
_______________________
And earlier this year it was
reported that "former
Hoover-Schrum Elementary
District 157 administrator
Rosemary Hendricks was
paid as superintendent for
the Calumet City school
system and another
suburban Cook County
school district."  Two months
ago, the suburban Cook
County district, Bellwood SD
88, accepted Hendricks'
resignation and appointed an
interim supe.  (SOURCES--Joan
Carreon/ Northwestern Indiana Times;
David Pollard/Proviso Herald; and
Proviso Insider Blogspot)
While a former Chicago Public
School manager remained
jailed on felony theft charges
Tuesday, the high school that
entrusted her with its finances
is struggling to recover from a
loss of nearly half a million
dollars.  Marilyn
Jenkins-Evans, 47, was
ordered held on $200,000 bail
by Criminal Court Judge
Thomas Hennelly, a day after
Closer to home, Tracy
Dell'Angela and Jeff Coen of  
the Chicago Tribune reported
on something that occurred
on Arne Duncan's watch as
CEO at Chicago Public
Schools:
Marilyn Jenkins-Evans 2006 mug shot
she was arrested on
allegations that she stole
$457,000 from Simeon Career
Academy High School, where
she once worked as business
manager.  Investigators
alleged that she wrote herself
319 checks, forged the former
principal's signature and
deposited them in her
personal accounts over more
than five years at the school.  
"How is this school going to
recoup that money?" asked the
interim principal of the South
Side school, Leonard
Kenebrew. "That's $90,000 a
year for five years. That could
have been novels. Or
microscopes. Or training for
the teachers. Or field trips for
the students. It's so
depressing."
Public school checks now online in 31 states!  Total,USA:  463 districts!  311 in Texas!
U.S. school district
check registers online
A-L (Alabama to Kentucky)
M-Z (Michigan to Wyoming)
Texas school district
check registers online
A-L (Agua Dulce to Luling)
M-Z   (Mabank to Zapata)
Terms & Conditions
Sorry to have to include this;  some
groups--God bless them--have copied my
research and published it as their own.
Robin Hood & 22 'equity'
failures: MALDEF's 22
Edgewood districts cost
Texans billions in failed
academics & extravagance.
How to persuade
your district:
The friendly approach
works best--take the
Golden Rule with you
when asking your schools
to post their checks.
Testimonials  (issues & concerns).
Are there enough degrees
of separation between
Arne and Blagojevich for
Arne to be the next
US DOE secretary?
By Peyton Wolcott
Wednesday,  December 10, 2008 /
12:02 a.m. - Updated Wednesday,
December 10, 2008 / 9:59 a.m.
CHECK REGISTERS
Dec.2008-Jan.2009   here
Feb. - Mar. 2009   here
April - May 2009   here
June - July 2009   here
Raise Your Hand Texas
816 Congress Ave Suite 990  Austin, TX
78701

Ratliff, William R.   (00020737)
P.O. Box 1218  Mt. Pleasant, TX 75456
$25,000 - $49.999.99

Raise Your Hand
327 Congress Suite 450  Austin, TX
78701

Erben, Randall H.   (00013689)
807 Brazos Suite 402 Austin, TX 78701
50,000 - $99,999.99

Wakefield, Kakhi H.  (00062269)
807 Brazos Street Suite 402 Austin, TX
78701
Less Than $10,000.00

Yarbrough, Brian G.   (00037475)
807 Brazos Suite 402  Austin, TX 78701
Less Than $10,000.00
Ratliff II, Shannon H. (00050870)
(512)494-3656 -  Bracewell & Giuliani LLP
111 Congress Avenue Suite 2300 Austin, TX
78701

Long-time school law attorneys:  
Bracewell & Giuliani  LLP
111 Congress Avenue Suite 2300  Austin, TX
78701-4304
Less Than $10,000.00

Active school tech vendors:
Cisco Systems Inc.
12515 Research Blvd. Building 2  Austin, TX
78759
$50,000 - $99,999.99

City of Carrollton
1945 E. Jackson Road  Carrollton, TX 75006
$50,000 - $99,999.99

Invenergy Wind Development LLC
1400 S. Congress Avenue Suite B-330  Austin,
TX 78704
$50,000 - $99,999.99

Not in good standing as of Jan. 28, 2009
with Texas Comptroller:
The Corporation for Texas
Regionalism
1305 San Antonio Street  Austin, TX 78701
$50,000 - $99,999.99

Heaven forbid that the Ratliff's wouldn't
get some of the taxpayer bank bailout
money:
Wachovia Corporation
150 Fayetteville Street Mall Suite 600  Raleigh,
NC 27601
$50,000 - $99,999.99
RATLIFF LOBBYISTS
Raise Your Hand for Public
Schools/Raise Your Hand Texas
816 Congress Suite 990  Austin, TX
78701

Anderson, David D.   (00053708)  823
Congress Suite 900 Austin, TX 78701
$25,000 - $49.999.99

Jones, Neal T. Jr.   (00013745)  823
Congress Suite 900 Austin, TX 78701
Less Than $10,000.00

Raise Your Hand for Public
Schools
PO Box 302183  Austin, TX 78730

All "less than $10,000":  
Eschberger, Brenda   (00029854)
919 Congress Avenue Suite 950  Austin,
TX 78701

Girard, Charles H.   (00058717)
504 West 14th Street  Austin, TX 78701

Johnson, Michael J.   (00055885)
919 Congress Avenue Suite 950  Austin,
TX 78701

Kelley, Russell T.   (00013737)
919 Congress Avenue Suite 950  Austin,
TX 78701

Kemptner, Sara   (00057952)
919 Congress Avenue Suite 950  Austin,
TX 78701

McGarah, Carol   (00051437)
919 Congress Avenue Suite 950  Austin,
TX 78701

McGarry, Mignon   (00012905)
504 West 14th Street  Austin, TX 78701

Sabo, Jason T.   (00052402)
1122 Colorado Street Suite 102  Austin,
TX 78701

Waldon, Barbara   (00057030)
919 Congress Avenue Suite 950  Austin,
TX 78701
Ratliff, William R.  (00020737)
(903)572-1846         P.O. Box 1218  Mt.
Pleasant, TX 75456

Such a sweet deal!  Found "Raise Your
Hand Texas" then make more than the
average Texan's salary from this alone:
Raise Your Hand Texas
816 Congress Ave Suite 990  Austin, TX 78701
$25,000 - $49.999.99
RAISE YOUR HAND ENTITIES/LOBBYISTS
[Raise Your Hand director]
Bull, Blaine H.  (00012158)
(512)744-0044        327 Congress
Ave. Suite 450 Austin, TX 78701

CHRISTUS Health
4109 Carmel Mountain  McKinney, TX
75070
$25,000 - $49.999.99

Texas Border Coalition
901 Business Park Dr. Suite 200  
Mission, TX 78572
$10,000 - $24,999.99

Texas Employers for Immigration
1209 Nueces Street  Austin, TX 78701
$10,000 - $24,999.99
Leonard Merrell Center
Katy ISD, Texas (PHOTO--Peyton Wolcott)
S-t-r-a-t-e-g-e-r-y
Tom Harmon
"Running
the Rapids"
We are entering
serious and dangerous
times in America in
which we can, must and
will prevail.   As with
other similar periods
throughout history it will
help to be agile of mind
and fleet of foot.

This account of
University of Michigan
football great Tom
Harmon first describes
his use of his old UM
"Shoot the Rapids"
strategy on the gridiron
which he handily
adapted first while in the
air as a World War II
fighter pilot then as a
downed and seriously  
injured soldier escaping
to safety from behind
enemy lines.
Tom Harmon
(Photo courtesy U-M
Bentley Historical Library)
One of the challenges faced
by OneBraveNewWorld
Baccalaureate ("OBNWB") has
been the charge by many
parents that they were teach-
ing students "fuzzy" or "Rain-
forest" math, with too few
pertinent examples from real life
problems everyday people face
in their ordinary lives.
SPECIAL TO MY READERS
Sneak peek: sample math
problems from 'Real World
Math' by OneBraveNewWorld
Baccalaureate
By Peyton Wolcott
Thu., Mar. 26, 2009/6:31 pm
Real life people, real-life problems
for real-life students
to help solve: President Barack
Obama (L); White House Chief of
Staff Rahm Emanuel (R).
REAL WORLD MATH
PROBLEM #44:
President Obama's brother
Malik in Kenya has come
down with cholera.
PHOTO CREDITS: Problem 44,
Boniface Mwangi/Bloomberg
Orange County
Weekly: Capistrano
USD supe
Woody Carter at
edu-conference spa
America, so glad you're finding this website useful!  #1 on both Google & Yahoo of 256,000,000 results!  Keywords: online check registers public school district  [as of May 2009]
Spring is in the air and superintendent resignation season has officially begun.  

Nowhere else in the land does hope spring more eternal than in the collective bosom of school boards across America whose
superintendents have just quit.  Trustees think to themselves privately or together with all the positive affirmation of the old
Soviet five-year plan, "This next one, we'll get a winner this time!"  -- and promptly call a superintendent search firm, thereby
dashing any real possibility that they will get anything different let alone better than what they've just gotten rid of.
CONTRA COSTA TIMES (CA)
Congratulations to
Craig Lazzeretti --
By Peyton Wolcott
Mon., Apr. 27, 2009/1:00 am
Antioch supe & 2005 Broad
Inst. grad Deborah Sims (L),
attorney Marleen Sacks (R)
The timeline below
reflects the Contra Costa
Times' coverage of events
since the February 10
arrest of Carmen Dragon
Elementary music
teacher, James Carlile.
TIMELINE
Apr 25, 2009:  Antioch
school district hides
information on child porn case
Mar 16:  Law firm to look into
district's handling of child
porn case.  Live coverage:
Antioch school board
approves independent inquiry
into child porn case
Mar 13:  Live coverage
Monday: Antioch school
board meeting on child porn
case
Mar 12:  Antioch school
board considers inquiry into
child porn case
Mar 11:  Dr. Deborah Sims:
AUSD answers questions
regarding porn case
Feb 25:  Antioch school
trustees ask for timeline on
pornography incident
Antioch police unsure
whether child pornography
was viewed during school
hours
Feb 23:  Antioch police,
school officials hold second
parent meeting about
teacher's child porn arrest.  
Antioch district, police to talk
with parents tonight about
music teacher's arrest.  
Editorial: Antioch community
deserves complete
explanation of teacher's
arrest
Feb 20:  Document: Carmen
Dragon Elementary letter to
parents.  Contradictions arise
in accounts of Antioch child
pornography investigation
Feb 19:  Press release:
Antioch teacher arrested on
child porn charges.  Music
teacher arrested in Antioch
child porn investigation
James Carlile (APD mug shot)
More here regarding
James Carlile's arrest
from The Times:
ANTIOCH — An elementary
school music teacher has been
arrested after an investigation
found he downloaded "significant
amounts" of child pornography
onto his work computer, police
said.
James Carlile, 52, a teacher at
Carmen Dragon Elementary
School, was arrested Feb. 10, a
week after the pictures depicting
naked children were first brought
to the attention of Antioch police,
said Investigations Lt. Leonard
Orman.
Inappropriate materials were
discovered Jan. 15 by school
computer technicians servicing
Carlile's work terminal, said
Deidra Powell-Williams,
spokeswoman for the Antioch
Unified School District. Police
and Powell-Williams said Carlile
had told technicians he was
having trouble accessing
specific Web sites. Carlile has
been on paid administrative
leave from the school since the
discovery, Powell-Williams said.
A forensic computer specialist
determined that Carlile was the
only person who had access to
the terminal when the illegal
photos were downloaded,
according to police. Orman said
there is no indication so far that
any of the photos depicted
students at the school.
Carlile was arrested at a boat in
Antioch where he resides during
the school week, Orman said.
On Feb. 11, Antioch police and
sheriff's deputies from Calaveras
County searched his Valley
Springs home — where he
keeps a permanent residence —
and seized at least one
computer, which is currently
being examined.
Carlile posted $10,000 bail.
The rest of the math
problem preview is here.
Craig Lazzeretti
CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOLS (IL)
For those of you who
think concentrating
more power and
money (President
Obama's $368+ million
to Chicago Public
Schools) at the top
and that nationalizing
our public schools are
good ideas . . . .
By Peyton Wolcott
Sunday, May 3, 2009 / 3:34 p.m.
Last week Andres Durbak,
for almost a decade the top
cop at Chicago Public
Schools, resigned quietly,
paving the way for the
appointment of First Lady
Michelle Obama's cousin,
Michael Shields.   

Anyone else wonder how
Andres came to resign so
suddenly?  

Did Mr. Obama's $368
million-plus stimulus check
to CPS have any influence?

Was there a conversation,
did it go something like the
one above?  
"Michelle & Andres have a talk"
by Peyton Wolcott
Michael Shields
Hats off,
St. Cloud ISD (MN)
Wire transfers included
in online check registers
May 7, 2009
(L) Bruce Watkins,
Steve Jordahl
St. Cloud's Apollo HS (above);
Lincoln ES (below)
Austin
American-Statesman
Investigative
Journalism
May 10, 2009
Fred Zipp
As the newspaper
business declines,
editors are having to
make increasingly tough
decisions about what
they can and cannot
cover.  Hats off to Austin
American-Statesman
editor Fred Zipp, whose
reporter Laua Heinauer
is following up on the
kind of story best
covered by big-city
dailies, including an
AAS' follow-up editorial
this morning.
New Austin ISD supe
Meria Carstarphe
At issue is $16,000 in
consulting payments to
Austin ISD's new
superintendent Meria
Carstarphen, who is still
a full-time employee of
St. Paul Public Schools
until June 30.

Further, as today's
editorial pointed out, part
of Austin ISD's  
"moonlight madness" is
that the behind-closed-
doors AISD board
discussion about the
consulting fees -- which
AAS estimates may
reach $50,000 by June 1
-- involves money which
the district is very short
of these days.  As
today's AAS editorial
points out,   "To balance
the 2008-09 budget, the
district has had to use
its reserves, and raise
taxes on local property
taxpayers."  Further AISD
still has not produced
their side contract about
the consulting.  

Good job.
Looking for older commentaries?

Try here, see if you can find what you're looking
for; if not, try Googling whatever it is in quotes
along with my name in quotes, like this:
"embezzlement" "school" "peyton wolcott"
As of June 1, 2009,
there were 290 reports to choose from.

Thank you for reading, and thank you for your
interest in our schools and our schoolchildren.
Texas Hill Country - Mesquite and Wildflowers
Boerne
re m o r e   q u i c k   l i n k s
05.29.09
Dallas Morning News
& Dallas.org
++++
Live blogging
Dallas ISD school board
meetings (May 30, 2009)
Dallas residents are
blessed to have not one
but two reliable news
sources offering live
blogging at school board
meetings.  The Dallas
Morning News is the city's
newspaper of record, and
Dallas.org is the brainchild
of tech executive Allen
Gwinn (above right).  
Here's Allen's blog from last
night's DISD board meeting.
And here's the blogging
from DMN's Tawnell Hobbs
(above left) and Holly
Hacker.
Portable building-Dallas ISD
(PHOTO--Dallas.org)
FACT OF THE WEEK:  Despite telling a Michigan judge he had only $6 left each month after
making payments on $1 million restitution, plus rent and car leases, former Detroit mayor
Kwame Kilpatrick has somehow moved into a $1.19 million Southlake (Forbes "richest
neighborhood in U.S."), Texas house owned by his new boss & DPS vendor Jim Carlisle.
FAQ    +     ARCHIVES     +      FOLLOW THE MONEY    +   CHECK REGISTER INFO   +   STATE & LOCAL    +     GOVERNANCE     +  VENDORS/LOBBYISTS
"Raise Your Hand"
from Charles (HEB) Butt - Texas
Ben Chavis
+++++++
American Indian  
Charters
Oakland  (CA)
May 31, 2009
How is Ben Chavis'
school succeeding
where others, including
charters, with the same
98% free-and-reduced
lunch markers, fail?  
Michael Landsberg
takes a closer look in
today's LA Times.

As veteran educational
leader Donna Garner
points out,  the secrets
to AIPC's success
are the same ones
traditional classroom
teachers have known to
succeed for decades:  
o  Strict discipline
o  No excuses for missing
ooschool
o  No technology
o  Lots of oral recitation
o  Direct instruction
o  Homework
o  90 minutes each for
ooEnglish and math
o  Class time management
o  Strict teachers
o  No multicultural
oocelebrations
o  A well-educated faculty
ooteaching core curriculum
o  No social promotion
o  No class interruptions
Ben Chavis (C) with students
FACT OF THE WEEK SOURCE:  The Washington Post.
Paul D'Ambrosio
Online Gov't Records
DataUniverse.com
Asbury Park Press
(NJ)
Posted June 5, 2009
Paul D'Ambrosio
While "New Jersey"
doesn't spring to mind for
most of us when we're
discussing state and local
transparency, perhaps it
should.

Award-winning investiga-
tive editor/reporter Paul
D'Ambrosio of Asbury Park
Press has developed and
posted a virtual treasure
trove of governmental
records at
DataUniverse.com that I'm
hoping other newspapers
will emulate.  One, greater
online transparency for
governmental records is a
good thing, and two, user
clicks help generate ad
revenue for newspapers at
a time when all new
revenue streams are
important to their survival.

A genuine public service,
DataUniverse.com is used
by government employees,
which is how I found out
about it; I'd contacted a
New Jersey county office
for information regarding
property records in
connection with something
I'm investigating and the
clerk referred me to
DataUniverse; "We use it
ourselves to look stuff up,"
she said.

Here's a peek at some of
the public records online at
DataUniverse:
_______
* Selden Ring Award for
Investigative Reporting,
the Farfel Prize for
Excellence in
Investigative Reporting,
the National Headliner
Award for Public Service,
the Associated Press
Managing Editors'
Award for Public Service,
the Clark Mollenhoff
Memorial Award for
Investigative Reporting,
three National Press
Club awards for
consumer journalism,
and nearly two dozen
other national writing
awards.
EDUCATION
New Jersey &
Pennsylvania

New Jersey Public School
Teachers . . . New Jersey
Public School Administrators'
Benefits and Pay for 2007/08
. . . School Report Cards . . .
SAT Results. . . District Per
Pupil Spending . . .
Pennsylvania Public School
Teachers . . . School Bus
Inspection Reports &  
Statistics . . . Public School
Teachers . . . New Jersey  
Government Retirees . . .
Public Sector Contracts
Other Gannett newspa-
pers papers developing
similar local resources:
Rochester, Cincinnati,
Des Moines and Phoenix.
BETHLEHEM AREA SD (PA)
WHERE ARE THEY NOW
UPDATE:  John Acerra
& Joseph Lewis
By Peyton Wolcott
Wed., June 10, 2009 / 3:52 am
Joseph retired recently from
Bethlehem schools and has
already landed a new gig as
"Director of Graduate Educa-
tion Certification Programs"
at Bethlehem's Moravian
College.  While last month's
press release does not
mention whether or not
Joseph will be recommend-
ing that educators be tested
for drugs, it does mention his
Ed.D. from Florida's Nova
Southeastern University, the
ERDI sponsor which awards
long-distance doctorates
based on work experience
practicums rather than writing
lengthy dissertations.
John Acerra (L) in 2007.
(PHOTO--Ken White/Express Times)
"Middle School
Principal* Arrested On
Drug Charges -- Found
Naked Watching Porno
In His School Office"
Remember the headlines
that shocked the nation when
John Acerra was arrested two
years ago during Joseph
Lewis's tenure as Bethlehem
supe?
John Acerra (L) and Joseph Lewis
Meanwhile, John, who was
arrested for dealing meth from
his school office, has already
been released from prison
and is at a halfway house.
OJohn Acerra
REMEMBER THIS?
Check out these new pages:
Key West (FL)   Peyton's art gallery
Dave Stead
Minnesota State High
School League
++++
Curtailing student travel
To read the entire
Star Tribune article,
please copy and
paste this URL:
/www.startribune.com/sports
/preps/47230212.html?elr=K
ArksLckD8EQDUoaEyqyP4
O:DW3ckUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aU
LPQL7PQLanchO7DiUsT
Completing a laundry list
of actions intended to
save money for schools
and families, the
Minnesota State High
School League board of
directors took some
sweeping measures
Monday. They ranged
from banning lengthy
out-of-state travel to
cutting back on
double-elimination
postseason
tournaments to limits on
scrimmages and
jamborees.   The biggest
and most potentially
contentious move was a
travel limit that takes
effect next fall. Teams
will be allowed to travel
to the states and
provinces bordering
Minnesota, but no other
round trips of more than
600 miles will be
allowed.
Dave Stead, MSHSL
executive director, has
taken a prudent step
given the state of the
economy by outlawing
student athlete travel:
US DEP'T OF EDUCATION
Is US DOE secretary
Arne Duncan a
white-hat cowboy or --
By Peyton Wolcott
Friday, June 19, 2009 - 12:34 a.m.
Developing  . . .
Police in Tampa, Florida arrested
Jill Manville last week on a
misdemeanor petit theft charge for
allegedly stealing from an area
Wal-Mart on June 8.  According to
police, she took the bar codes off
of three inexpensive items and put
them on three more expensive
items.  She then allegedly went
through the check out line and
paid $18 for merchandise valued
at $187.  Police say Manville
planned to later return the items
for cash.   When officers arrested
her, she reportedly told them she
was destitute and needed money
to fix her car.

Manville, 43,  is currently on
probation following her conviction
last year for stealing from the
Loveland School District.  She is
currently living in Venice, Florida
under a community control
agreement resulting from a plea
deal she made after that
conviction.  The Ohio Auditor's
Office said Manville stole nearly
$60,000 from the school district
and used the money for personal
expenses.  The state auditor later
ordered Manville to repay the
money.  Manville resigned from
her post as treasurer of the
Loveland School District in
January 2008 after holding the
position for nine years.  Florida
court records show her as
currently unemployed....As of
Thursday morning, public records
show her as still being
incarcerated in Florida.  (WCPO)
Jill Manville at left in Florida mug
shot; at right during her 9 years as
Ohio's Loveland SD treasurer
LOVELAND SD (OH)
Former school treasurer
(on probation for stealing
$60K in Ohio schools)
arrested at Florida
Wal-Mart on new charges
By Peyton Wolcott
Thur., June 18, 2009/2:26 pm
Jill Manville, former $113K-per-
year treasurer at Ohio's Loveland
school system, reportedly told
police in Florida destitution and car
repairs were her reason for
substituting bar codes on three
items at the Tampa Wal-Mart in
order to exchange them for more
cash at a later date.
The human component
There may be more to this
story, why Jill moved to Florida.
If this is the same Jill Manville,
think of the problems and shame
Jill and her family could have been
saved had her superintendent
Kevin Boys and the Loveland SD
school board been paying more
attention all along and TIGHTENED
INTERNAL CONTROLS back when
the first $60 disappeared rather
than letting it reach $60,000.
* From The Morning Call
Here's what's confusing
about administrator awards
such as AASA "Superintendent of
the Year" or equivalent state titles:
 During the time Jill was embez-
zling the $60K from Loveland
taxpayers, her superintendent,
Kevin Boys, received the 2006
Buckeye Ass'n of School Admini-
strators Exemplary Leadership
Award for 2006.  Based on what?
 Jill's embezzlement was below a
mythical $75K threshold?  Such
awards as AASA or Buckeye's
never come with points or quanti-
tative explanations or rationales.
Who among Loveland's "Team
O'Six" should have been watching
the taxpayer tax till if not supe Kevin
Boys (R)? (PHOTO--D.Miller/Loveland Mag.)
SCHOOL LAND TRUST OFC. (OK)
Where was Roger Melson's
boss Clifton Scott while Roger
was allegedly embezzling $1.1
mil from taxpayers to support
his gambling habit?
By Peyton Wolcott
Sat., June 20, 2009 / 7:03 pm
Roger Q. Melson, Jr. (L) with
attorney Billy Bock
(PHOTO--Jim Beckel/NewsOK.com)
From Randy Ellis at The
Oklahoman:
Sandy Garrett, OK' s elected
state supe, oversees this office.
The Yuma Sun has published
the following reader comment:
"'In 1999, Rogers resigned
from the Gadsden district,
saying he would be moving to
Thailand to operate a
maintenance and cleaning
service, according to a story
published at the time in The
Yuma Sun.'  Yeah, Im sure that
is what he was going to
Thailand for. Thailand isnt
known for their child sex trade
or anything."    

More here and here.
Tom Rogers (YumaCounty mug shot)
QUESTION:  Did the Tanque
Verde board query Tom re
"Thailand" and "single man"
and "hopping around multiple
U.S. states for work"?
TANQUE VERDE USD (AZ)
AZ grand jury
indicts Tanque
Verde supe Tom Rogers
has resigned from his Yuma,
Arizona jail cell.  
By Peyton Wolcott
Friday, June 26, 2009 / 9:10 p.m.
Tanque Verde supe Tom
Rogers, who resigned from
his Yuma jail cell earlier this
week, "has been indicted by a
federal grand jury for
allegedly attempting to travel to
Mexico to engage in illicit
sexual conduct with a minor.  If
convicted [he] could face a
maximum prison sentence of
30 years, a fine of $250,000, or
both."  (SOURCE--Associated Press)
ARIZONA SUPE UPDATE:  
Called a 'flight risk' & a
'danger,' Tucson's Tom
Rogers has been denied bail
on Mexico child sex tour
charges until Aug. 4 trial
date; Tanque Verde side gig:
7th grade global awareness
class.  (PHOTO--TucsonCitizen.com)
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Dallas, Detroit, double
dipping and a date
By Peyton Wolcott
Mon., June 29, 2009 / 12:34 a.m. - Updated Thur., July 2, 2009 / 12:34 a.m.
FLORIDA KEYS SUPE
UPDATE:  Randy Acevedo's
(L) wife Monique (R) requests
public defender re $180K
stealing charges, cites $234K
debt.
California's Antioch schools
say goodbye to supe Deborah
Sims--and to the Broad
Foundation, with Broad's
loyalties once again going to
its supes, not to schools.
A small news item about not Dallas or Detroit but a much-
smaller third district -- Michigan's Van Dyke Public Schools
where a possible six-year six-figure embezzlement by a
secretary beginning in 2003 is only now being investigated --
caught my attention over the weekend and  Tolstoy came to
mind.
Tolstoy begins Anna Karenina so memorably:   "All happy
families are alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own
way."
Dallas mayor Tom Leppert (L) with Dallas ISD supe Mike Hinojosa (R)   
(IMAGE--Peyton Wolcott)
So too with public schools.  While those which are run well
share common characteristics -- diciplined financial and
academic leadership including oversight, tight internal
controls, broad-based community support, an aura of
transparency and friendliness -- those experiencing academic
and financial troubles are unique in their own way.


Developing . . . .
GOOD QUESTION:   Will the U.S. Senate call Jeff
Deskovic and firefighter Frank Ricci -- both wronged
by Sonia Sotomayor -- as witnesses?
AUSTIN ISD (TX) First the OAG,
now a lawsuit--and new AISD
supe Meria Carstarphen hasn't
even officially started yet.  Do
her prior lackluster results
warrant all this trouble?
PITTSTON AREA SD (PA)
Despite agreeing to
being fired for cause,
exiting PASD supe
caught in FBI probe still
gets sick- and vacation-
day payout dollars
By Peyton Wolcott
Tue., June 30, 2009/2:30 pm
Ross Scarantino
(PHOTO--Scranton Times)
But, wait!  There's another big
'despite' to events this week
involving long-time Pittston
Area School District supe
Ross Scarantino's exit
employment status:   
Scarantino was the only
person from the Pittston
Area School District charged
in the FBI’s probe of Luzerne
County school districts and
faces a maximum penalty of
10 years in prison and up to
a $250,000 fine.  (SOURCE--
Times-Leader)
Perhaps Ross got the
board's sympathy vote for
spending his entire 42-year
work career at PASD.

Whatever the reason, when
school boards across
American continue to blindly
agree to school administrator
association-produced
employment contracts, we're
going to continue to have
situations where even
superintendents who have
been found guilty of violating
the laws of our land receive
cash payouts on their way out
the door.
We're also going to
continue to have
situations where school
boards not paying sufficient
attention to the tax dollars
entrusted to them want to put
the embarrassing and self-
incriminating past behind
them and move forward.  

In fact, in the immortal words
of PASD board member Bob
Linskey, “I feel everything is
behind us now.  We have a
new superintendent. …We
are ready to move forward
beginning with the next
school year to make Pittston
Area the best school district it
can be."  Dare we add, the
best school district in the
state?  On the planet?
Bob Linskey
(PHOTO--Pittston Politics)
Pittston HS athletics -1924
(PHOTOS--FamilyImages.com)
Van Dyke (MI) school board
06.30.09/Lancaster ISD school
board chooses Sealy's Pamela
Morris as new supe; she'll be
their 3rd supe in 3 years, after
Larry Lewis and interim Dana
Marable who was not offered
the top job.
(IL) State Att'y removes boxes
from Cook County supe Chas.
Flowers' office.