Northside ISD
employee parking
Sandy Kress (above
and below) with final
CCRT presentation
                                                    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     COPYRIGHT 1999-2008  PEYTON WOLCOTT   
P E Y T O N   W O L C O T T
Conservative Commentary - Archives (November 2007)

How we take back our children's education:
one person, one question, one school at a time.
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(Source for names of
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Roster
DEVELOPING . . . .   
o Joe Wise resigns in Florida . . .
o Track shoes lose to PR in
       Pasadena USD . . .
o Beth-meth principal John
       Acerra's boss Joe Lewis . . .
o Surprise! Administrators
       continue to be surprised
       when their employees steal.
Portland, Maine schools'
surprise $2.5 mil budget
deficit result:  Supe, CFO exit
By Peyton Wolcott
Friday, October 19, 2007 - 2:30 p.m.
2006
OCT. 6: City auditors issue a
report highlighting problems in
the School Department's
accounting that "lends itself to
errors going unnoticed."

2007
MAY 3: City councilors learn that
school officials failed to cut
$500,000 from $82 million
2006-07 school budget as
ordered.  The money was used to
hire 25 additional people.
MAY 4: Superintendent Mary Jo
O'Connor says she instituted
spending controls in February and
expects the budget to show
$500,000 reduction by June 30.
MAY 9: Paul Colpitts, city financial
administrator, notifies School
Finance Director Richard Paulson
of an anticipated $2.4 million
deficit in the 2006-07 budget.
JULY 10: O'Connor announces
school department overspent
budget that ended June 30 by
$1.7 million. She calls it
"regrettable but unavoidable."
JULY 13: School officials warn
that the 2006-07 budget deficit
may climb as high as $2.5 million
when auditors complete their
review this fall.
JULY 17: City and school officials
plan to reconcile deficit through
the city's reserve fund and to
institute new budget review
process.
JULY 25: School Committee
holds executive session in wake
of deficit announcement.
JULY 30: Paulson resigns;
Portland Press Herald/Maine
Sunday Telegram asks judge to
order release of budget-related
documents from executive
session.
AUG. 1: O'Connor and City
Manager Joseph Gray Jr. agree to
have city staff oversee school
finances, at least for short term.
AUG 9: School Committee hires
lawyer Bryan Dench, of Skelton
Taintor & Abbott in Auburn, to
investigate causes of deficit.
AUG. 21: Judge rules that parts of
July 25 executive session were
illegal and orders school officials
to release budget-related
documents.
AUG. 29: O'Connor resigns; city
finance officials say school deficit
is at least $1.7 million, but they're
still figuring out grant spending.
SEPT. 5: Dench's report attributes
deficit to giving raises and hiring
people not budgeted for; levels
blame on O'Connor, Paulson and
School Committee.
SEPT. 6: School Committee
appeals judge's decision on July
25 executive session.
SEPT. 19: School Committee
names Jeanne Whynot-Vickers,
assistant superintendent, to
replace O'Connor on interim
basis.
So often it seems that when school districts
are well run, they are run well in most
areas; not surprisingly, those districts in the
news for negative reasons gener-
ally seem to have problems in other areas
also.  Portland's public schools are no
exception.
Then-Portland supe Mary Jo
O'Connor explaining her plan for
the district's financial recovery
to school committee at Aug. 7,
2007 board meeting
(PHOTO--Gregory
Rec/Portland Press Herald)
Citizens were first alerted to
problems with Portland schools'
budget a year ago when "city
auditors issue a report
highlighting problems in the
School Department's accounting
that 'lends itself to errors going
unnoticed.' "
(SOURCE--Portland
Press Herald)    
Among the triggers:
 loss of a Gates foundation
"expeditionary learning" grant.

A $2.5 million budget shortfall is
never welcome news; for a
district whose overall budget is
only in the $82 mil annual range,
such a shortfall means realistic
talk about tough decisions.

Instead, in August then-Portland
supe Mary Jo O'Connor offered
her board the following as part of
her restructuring plan, its wording
couched in what appears to be
too much edu-speak and not
enough delineating who's-
responsible-for-what:
"It is my core competency, under
the direction of the School Com-
mittee, to articulate educational
policy, design programs and
educational infrastructures to
implement this policy, and the
allocation of resources to
manage educational programs
and infrastructures," O'Connor
read from her plan . . . . After the
meeting, O'Connor said that she
did not intend to exclude financial
management duties from her
"core competencies."  
(SOURCE--
Kelley Bouchard/Portland Press Herald)
After the meeting, at which no
public comment was allowed,
O'Connor said she used " 'comp-
etencies'  to mean duties or
responsibilities....City Councilors
James Cohen and Edward
Suslovic attended the meeting but
were not included in the
discussion.   Afterward, they said
they were surprised that no city
finance officials were invited to
the workshop or asked for their
input in O'Connor's plan. They
said that kind of collaboration is
necessary in light of the city's
current oversight of school
finances and the pending
consolidation of the city and
school finance offices.  Cohen
described O'Connor's plan as
vague and lacking steps to
address the deficit."  
 
(SOURCE--Kelley Bouchard/PPH)

Here's a comprehensive timeline
compiled by the Portland Press
Herald; note that CFO Paulson
resigned July 30 and supe
O'Connor resigned August 29.   
Also of note:  The :
Hats off to the Portland Press
Herald for their extensive
coverage of the budget issue;
more
here
Jeanne Whynot-Vickers;
Like Mary Jo O'Connor, Portland's new
supe  has academic, not financial,
background
Heads up to grassroots
school reform activists:
Be smart, be effective
By Peyton Wolcott
Wednesday, November 7, 2007 -  3:07 a.m.
Just because you
can
doesn't mean you
should.
Meet Portland, Maine
school board member
"Zen-Ben" "Renaissance
Man" Ben Meiklejohn
By Peyton Wolcott
Sunday, Nov. 4, 2007 - 10:00 a.m.
Remember John Kerry's "I voted
for the war before I voted against
it"?  Last month, when he voted
against contraceptives for Portland
middle schoolers, Maine house
painter/musician Ben Meiklejohn
said "that he would have
supported the measure if his vote
had been necessary to ensure
passage."  
(SOURCE--Kelley Bouchard/
Portland Press-Herald)
Benjamin J. Meiklejohn
I have a wide variety of interests and as I
journey through life, I continue to get
excited and inspired by the new things I
learn.  I am a musician, politician, writer,
and recently a web designer, and have
been described my my friends as a "21st
Century Rennaissance Man".  I've been
known as "Zen Ben" since college when
I apparently would say just the right thing
at just the right time.
Most parents and taxpayers are
rational beings whose lives work
because we operate in them
rationally.

When we experience a
precipitating incident which
warrants our dealing with our
local school districts,
unfortunately most of us generally
approach them armed with facts
and the same rational thinking
that enables us to pay for our
houses and cars and the property
taxes that pay for our local
schools.   Generally this is our
first mistake.  

If we compound our mistake by
also being angry, we might as
well go stand in front of the
administration building and shake
a big bag filled with rattlesnakes --
it's no good to act surprised when
the rattlesnakes react by hissing
and trying to bite us.

Watching pushback from schools,
especially here in Texas, escalate
over the past few years
(more at
right)
leaves me troubled; I believe
based on my own experiences
and observation of others' that
many of the difficulties parents
and taxpayers are experiencing
can be avoided by changing our
approach.
A special heads-up to
citizen journalists,
bloggers

The Internet is a tremendous gift.  
We've seen changes here in
Texas public education in the
past five years which I do not
believe would have been
possible without the Internet.  

Many parents and taxpayers are
finding themselves pressed into
service as citizen journalists who
have no formal journalism
background.  Most often, it is
these well-intentioned folks who
appear to be getting into the most
trouble.  We've seen here in
Texas in the past two years alone
one SLAPP suit filed and another
on the way, plus an
amicus
curiae
by a third district.  Worse,
we've had onerous anti-sunshine
legislation encumbered on all of
us as a result during this past
Lege.

Citizen journalism 101:
How to change
rattlesnakes
into teddy bears
It starts with changing our
mindset.  After trying rational
thinking, facts and figures, reports
and studies with our local
administrators, all to no avail, I
realized a new way of doing things
was necessary.

Because of my experiences over
the years as a volunteer
organizing other volunteers for
charity fund raisers, it was a
natural next step for me to
organize friends into a group.
1.  No adjectives.  They tend to be
inflammatory.

2.  Ask questions rather than
make accusations.

3.  Be very sure of your facts
before publishing -- have a paper
record in hand.  Wishing doesn't
make it so.

4.  Give your opponents an
opportunity to respond.
 Note in
your blog that your  phone calls to
the district were not returned, etc.  
Ask the person about whom
you're writing if they disagree with
any facts you're publishing and if
so and can they please provide a
paper record or some such
supporting their factual
disagreement.
Parisian ladies
knitting at the guillotine
5.  Who are you?  Put your photo
and your goals on your home
page along with an easily
accessible email address.  One
site I looked at recently posted
email addresses for all of the
school district's trustees and top
administrators -- then made
visitors to the site fill out an
obnoxious form in order to send
an email to the site.  What's good
for the goose is good for the
gander.  A group in another state
prides itself on its integrity -- yet
operates completely anonymously
whereas the people the group
attacks (constantly) have all been
willing at some point to come
forward with their names and
contact information.  

6.  Mind your manners.   Attribute
everything, and properly.   

7.  Curb your anger.  Anger's a
funny emotion.  It permeates
everything we do, renders our
best-intentioned work useless,
and leaves us worn out.   If your
administration's done something
truly outrageous, sleep on it before
posting an angry response.  
Remember:  In order to
accomplish anything you're going
to have to organize however small
a group which means being
positive enough in your approach
and outlook that people will be
drawn to you and your cause.  
Negativity repels.  Positive
enthusiasm is a magnet.

8.  No community comments.   
Several reasons.  You may run hot
for a while but when things start
winding down and your local
administrators see (0) comments
again and again they will assume
you have no community support.   
Also, a lot of anonymous venting
can occur.  Let your local
newspaper handle this -- they can
afford lawyers -- or talk to each
other in the parking lot of your local
barbeque joint or over the produce
section at the grocery store.  
Venting is a form of gossip, and
may or may not support your goal.  
Anything that takes away from your
goal is a distraction and to be
avoided.

9.  Be nice.  People will like you
more and you'll sleep better at
night.

10.  Be friendly.  Treat your
administrators and/or board
members and/or any other
opposition as you'd like to be
treated.  I didn't make this up; it's
called "The Golden Rule."
Rattlesnake (L), Teddy
bear
(PHOTO--Steiff)
Your good name
The name of your group is more
important than you can imagine.  I
do not recommend including any
of the following in your name:  
Watchdogs, Concerned (as in
"Concerned Citizens of
Clearwater"), Watch (as in "We're
watching you and we're never
going to be happy with anything
you do").   "Accountability" and
"responsible" are also good ones
to avoid.  Same for "taxes" and
"taxpayers."   Better to choose an
innocuous name that your district
can't slam you on for being
negative, something like  
"Friends of Clearwater Schools."  
Your district will learn what you're
about soon enough.

Here's something that I had a
very hard time accepting:  While a
few people will give you a
thumbs-up for your negative
campaigns, most people want to
associate with something they
perceive as being positive and
will run from anything they
perceive as being negative.
Think of the scene from the
musical, "Oklahoma!" in which
Curley gives up his horse and his
saddle -- everything he owns -- in
order to buy Miss Laurey's box
dinner.   "It's for the new
schoolhouse," says the
auctioneer.

We all love being part of
something larger than ourselves,
some greater good.  

In order to accomplish anything,
you're going to have to have
broad-based community support,
and this only occurs with positive
goals and campaigns.
Pick a goal, any goal
Find a goal you and your small
group can agree on, and distill it
into one sentence.  This is useful
because when reporters come
calling you'll already have your
sound byte ready.

Your goal should be important to
you and your group and your
community and one you can
easily and quickly accomplish in
a short period--two or three
months and no more than six.

If you're not sure where to begin --
the list is
so long -- or can't agree
among yourselves, a good first
goal might be to ask your school
district to post its check register
online if it hasn't already.  (How to
here)  It's an easy, quick goal.

Think of yourselves more as
guerrillas than Rotary.  No fixed
meetings every Tuesday, no
announcing how many members
you have or who they are, no lists
of members, no lapel pins.  
Instead of meeting at meetings,
communicate via email and
phone.

When you accomplish your goal,
your community will sit up and
take note, favorably.   Then
disband and take a breather for a
while until you figure out what you
want to accomplish next.  Your
next goal will likely mean different
participants because not
everyone will be interested in
participating in everything.

One more thing about
goals
Many times we want to start big
and large, at the state level.

Better to
start small, start
simple, start local.
  Prove that
your idea can work locally and
others will pick up on it, copy it.  
This is how ideas spread.
Oklahoma movie poster
1.  You can be angry and upset
-- however righteously so --
OR you can be effective.  You
can't be both.

2.  
Using a carrot is more
effective than using a stick.
 
Think about it.  Would you
rather have someone come after
you with a carrot or with a
stick?  Don't you become
defensive when somebody
shakes a big stick at you?

3.  Our school districts --
including administrators, board
members and those profiting
from friendly relations with
them -- may say they want
more parental involvement.  For
some of them this is true.  For
too many others, what they
mean by parental involvement is
"Come write checks and say
nice things about us and don't
question anything we say or
do."  

4.  Our school districts may say
they want to improve; here
again, some really do want to
hear from us; for many others,
they don't really welcome your
helpful suggestions even when
you know you're right and
they're wrong.  As my wise
school board trustee friend told
me years ago:  "When you
criticize them, you're calling
their baby ' ugly.' "  Your
administrators and trustees and
their minions will take your
factual comments and questions
personally and attack you
personally in response.

5.  
Our public schools are
essentially socialist models
and their engine and currency
is the realm of emotions and
people skills.

6.  The world of public
education is a world of
feelings.
 Think about how
often you've sat through a
superintendent's budget
presentation to his/her board
and/or the community and at the
end the supe says, "I feel good
about this budget."  
For many of us who live in the
rational world we're not much
interested in our supe's feelings
about the budget.  We want to
know that based on his expertise
with budgets (too often, too
little) he has presented a budget
which will make ends meet.
When you talk with educators,
talk about your
feelings about a
topic rather than your
thoughts
about a topic.

7.  In any endeavor, it's always
a good idea to
consider your
opponent.  
Really look at them.  
If the product your company
produces is packaged ice, you're
not going to head north to
Alaska to sell it.  No matter how
nice you are, they're not going
to be interested up there.  
Along these lines, keep in mind
that
most school districts
today are well-oiled
(with your
tax dollars)
PR machines.  The
average parent wading in to
engage with them armed with
facts lubricated by some degree
of righteous indignation stands
little or no chance of winning.  
It is like watching lambs
marching into the
slaughterhouse.  
Further, public schools are
generally the largest budgets in
our counties; for this reason
they have access to resources
such as money and legal help.  
IMPORTANT:  Because your
schools can dominate any
playing field available to them,
you must pick and choose a
different playing field.  
Emotions win over facts every
time.  No matter how well
prepared your spreadsheet is --
you Spreadsheet Dads know
who you are -- if you do not
have some compelling facts to
present to your community,
facts which will grip their
imaginations and hearts, your
spreadsheet will accomplish little.


8.  No matter how powerful you
may be in your world, your
work arena,
school is a
different arena.
 You're
playing on someone else's turf
and it behooves you to pay
attention to how they play the
game.  Your rules don't work in
their arena.   The sooner and
better you can master their rules
including their jargon the sooner
you can be effective.  

9.
The broader your base, the
broader your focus,
the more
you want to serve rather than
get (get something for yourself
and/or your family -- or get
even) the more likely you are to
succeed in your goal of helping
your district.

10.  Let go of the idea you're a
victim or you've been wronged.  
Both will hinder your efforts.  
Austin, Texas courtroom:
Lake Travis ISD SLAPP suit;
plaintiff's attorneys (L) and
defense (R).
"Walk softly
and carry a big
stick."
-- Teddy Roosevelt

"Trust but verify."
-- Ronald Reagan
Imagine, all of this in one very
modest person who appears to
have spent his entire adult life
attending school.
Time for another
random round-up
By Peyton Wolcott
Friday, November 9, 2007 - 12:07 a.m.
Gambling on not getting caught?
ILLINOIS SCHOOL BOARD PREZ
Barb Mende
"Gavin Elementary District 37
board President Barbara Mende
has been charged with official
misconduct and felony theft.
Mende, 36, was charged Thursday
with official misconduct by the
Illinois attorney general's office
after she was accused of splitting
a $13,000 moving contract in two
to avoid competitive bidding.  In
addition, the Lake County state's
attorney's office charged Mende
with felony theft because she is
accused of padding her paycheck
while working in the payroll
department of the Lake County
Fairgrounds....[Judge Potkonjak]
also barred her from any type of
gambling, which [state's attorney's
office investigator Lou Archbold]  
said is where the money taken
from the fair board is believed to
have been spent."  
(SOURCE-- Tony
Gordon, Lee Filas/Chicago Daily Herald)
Why didn't San Antonio ISD's
Duron, 3 other SA-area supes put
their check registers online?
TEXAS TAXPAYERS REJECT TAX HIKES
Robert Duron
"Voters in four area school
districts sent a clear message
Tuesday, shooting down efforts to
raise their property tax rates
above a state-mandated limit and
delivering a victory to anti-tax
activists.  ' I think the districts tried
to mislead the voters and that
never works out well,' said Bob
Martin, president of the
Homeowner-Taxpayer
Association of Bexar County and
a vehement opponent of the  
proposed tax rate.  'They were
calling a tax hike a rollback, which
wasn't true.' "  Only Edgewood
ISD voters approved the tax hike.  
(SOURCE--Jenny LaCoste-Caputo, Michelle
De La Rosa/San Antonio Express-News)
Trip down recent Memory Lane:
Anyone know where Randall Crane
is now?
OHIO COACH-STUDENT-SEX
Randall Crane (PHOTO/WKYC)
Akron didn't look very hard at
Randall Crane when he applied
for employment ten years ago;
Manchester, his old district, didn't
disclose much.

In Manchester's files for Crane:
"A lengthy investigation of Crane
on accusations of inappropriate
behavior:  ' too much touching of
girls...too much like boyfriend/
girlfriend...taking girls into rooms
with the door closed."  When he
left Manchester, he signed this:  
"I will never be with a female
student alone...I will not touch
any students" and agreeing to
resign."

What Manchester sent to Akron:
"Two glowing letters of
recommendation--one each from
the same superintendent and
principal who investigated crane
and forced him out.  They
included statements about
Crane's 'outgoing personality'
with the principal writing 'I would
not hesitate to hire Mr. Crane
again. ' "

Then-Manchester supe Marco
Burnette defended the
discrepancy thusly:  "It's a tough
situation to be in. You don't want
to pass problems on to other
schools, but at the same time
you weigh that against what you
can say that causes litigation for
your school too. You know how
people are."  
(SOURCE--KKYC)

People being how they are,
anybody out there keeping track
of Randall Crane?  He was last
in the news in June 2006.
QUESTION #1:  Should public school administrators be allowed
to hire their relatives?  If so, to what degree of consanguinity?
Feb. 16, 2005: Morningstar Academy
teacher Bobby Kennedy allegedly kisses
a 15-year-old student in his classroom,
according to the girl’s testimony to police.
Feb. 19, 2005: Bobby Kennedy allegedly
kisses and touches the same student
while in a janitor’s closet. Shortly after,
Morningstar principal Carolyn Kennedy
calls the girl into her office, where the girl
tries to tell her about the incidents involving
her son and employee, Bobby Kennedy.
Late April 2005: Bobby Kennedy
allegedly asks a 14-year-old girl to take
pictures of herself naked in the bathroom.
May 6, 2005: Bobby Kennedy allegedly
asks two girls to take pictures of
themselves naked. He later admits to
showing pictures of naked adults on his
cell phone to others in his class.
May 9, 2005: A Morningstar student tells
police that she was molested by Bobby
Kennedy. May 10, 2005: Apache Junction
police arrest Bobby Kennedy. Search
warrant is issued and property seized from
Morningstar and Bobby Kennedy’s house.
Aug. 11, 2005: Bobby Kennedy is
indicted on 22 counts, including furnishing
obscene materials to a minor, aggravated
assault, child molestation and sexual
abuse.
Aug. 23, 2005: Last court appearance by
Bobby Kennedy. He disappears afterward.
Jan. 26, 2006: Carolyn Kennedy indicted.
June 28, 2006: Carolyn Kennedy agrees
to plead no contest to charges of failing to
report abuse of a minor.
Aug. 15, 2006: Carolyn Kennedy
sentenced in Pinal County Superior Court
to two years probation, community
service and 90 days in jail (deferred).
 
(Ibid.)
From top right:  mom/principal  Carolyn Kennedy's
mug shot, son/teacher Bobby Kennedy mug shot (in
Morningstar Academy "MSA" polo shirt;
Morningstar Academy in Apache Junction, Arizona
(PHOTO/Tim Hacker-- Tribune)
THE OTHER KENNEDY'S
'Last year, Morningstar
Academy principal Carolyn
Kennedy was sentenced for
failing to report the abuse of
one of her students.  The
charges stemmed from
allegations that her son, Bobby
Kennedy, a teacher at
Morningstar and a youth
pastor, had molested teenage
girls in his class.  Today,
Bobby Kennedy, 29, is on the
run from police and listed by
Apache Junction police as one
of their 'Most Wanted.'  And
Carolyn Kennedy, 53, who
police say attempted to protect
her son and conceal the abuse
allegations, is still in charge of
the Apache Junction charter
school."
(SOURCE--Krystal Marceau,
Andrea Natekar, East Valley Tribune)
"Bobby Kennedy admitted to police during an
interview shortly before his arrest that he hesitated to
tell his boss about one of the incidents—which he said
was initiated by the girl—because it was his mother.  'I
knew I should (have) went to my mom and tell her . . .
But, maybe if it would have been another boss it would
have been easier . . .  somebody, you know, I wasn’t
related to and stuff,' he told police."
 (Ibid.)
Five years ago a
situation occurred
in Marble Falls
ISD (an hour
northwest of
Austin) involving
fourth-grade boys
who allegedly had
QUESTION #2:  What
repercussions if any are
there for administrators
regarding the reporting of
sexual abuse of students
on a public school
campus?
Dana Marable
oral sex in an elementary
classroom while the teacher was
in the room.  The resulting
notoriety was such that CNN
came to town.

Troubling as the incident itself
was, local citizens, including at
least one parent of an abused
boy, questioned the manner and
timing of then-superintendent
Dana Marable's (later of Longview
ISD and now interim at Temple
ISD where she has succeeded
Beto Gonzalez who is now
assistant supe in Brownsville
ISD) reporting of the abuse to  
authorities.  

According to the Austin American-
Statesman on March 26, 2002:
Why was Carolyn Kennedy allowed
to stay on at Morningstar as principal?

State oversight
As it turns out,  the Arizona Board of Education
says it has no jurisdiction.  Charles Easaw, the
chief investigator for the state BOE, said he could
have investigated the matter if Carolyn Kennedy
had a teaching certificate, as principals in district
schools are required to have.   “ 'Once we received
a report that a teacher or administrator had failed
to report child abuse, we typically will open an
investigation to look into the matter, simply
because our greatest concern is protecting kids in
school,'  Easaw said.  But state certification is not a
requirement for administrators at all charter
schools, and Carolyn Kennedy wasn’t certified....
Meanwhile, the state Charter School Board said it
can’t take action because Carolyn Kennedy’s
crime—failing to report abuse, physical injury or
neglect—was not listed on a set of criteria
designed to deny a fingerprint clearance card,
which is required for state employees who work
with children.  
"A child in the class told the teacher about
the sex acts March 7, two days before
spring break. The boys were suspended
March 8. When they returned from spring
break March 18, they were placed in
alternative education. Police said they
learned about the incident March 18.
School officials said they notified authorities
March 8, in compliance with a Texas law
requiring that abuse incidents be reported
within 48 hours."
Unfortunately, district officials
were unable to produce
documentation substantiating
the district's claims that the
reporting first occurred March 8,
2002; at the end of the day, the
only official record available is
the Marble Falls Police
Department's verification that the
incident was first reported to
them on March 18.

Interestingly, Marable
participated the following year in
a seminar at the TASB/TASA
convention in Dallas
43rd Annual TASB/TASA
Convention
Dallas  - September 19–22, 2003
48 Hours or Jail:  The Child Abuse
Reporting Statute C154
Presenters: Holly B. Wardell, attorney,
Schwartz & Eichelbaum, P.C.; and
Dana
Marable, superintendent, Longview ISD
-
If you think you understand your state
reporting requirements, think again. Pulling
examples straight from the headlines, this
session explores the statutory definitions of
“abuse” and "neglect” and
reveals just
how far-reaching the obligation to
report is and the implications for
educators who fail to report.
Be prepared
when the media comes around asking for an
interview! (
SBEC #4)
Dana Marable (far left) sitting on trustees'
dais at Sept. 2006  Longview ISD school
board meeting at which she resigned
(PHOTO--KLTV)
"Police are investigating allegations that
five fourth-grade boys performed oral sex
on one another during class at least twice
at Marble Falls Elementary School.
School officials confirm that the incidents
took place and that they are treating the
acts as lewd behavior. The boys were
suspended for a day, have been put in
alternative classes for 10 days and will
receive counseling, said Superintendent
Dana Marable.
'It was a dare,' Marable said.
However, at least one mother, who asked
not to be identified to protect her son's
identity, said the acts were done under
threat.       
'My boy didn't want to, and the other boys
threatened him if he didn't,' she said."  
(SOURCE--Janet Jacobs, Jonathan
Osborne/AustinAmerican-Statesman)
Side issues within the community
were how often the incidents had
actually occurred, and how and
when the district's chief
administrator--Marable--had
reported the incident to authorities.
11.12.07 NOTE:  Questions regarding
the foregoing issues, plus others, were sent
to Dana Marable for her response, which
she has today indicated is forthcoming.
MORNINGSTAR ABUSE
ALLEGATIONS TIMELINE
Is Arizona's Carolyn Kennedy alone?

Hardly.   "Across the country, there have been similar cases of principals going to
court after they failed to report abuse.  Just last month, a high school principal in
Connecticut was placed on administrative leave after being summoned to court over
allegations he failed to report students’ claims of sexual abuse against a school
suspension monitor.  Valerie Reicheg, a board member of a national victims network
that fights school abuse, said someone who fails to report neglect or abuse should
'definitely not' remain in a school leadership position.  'The principal is in a position of
authority to protect the children,' said Reicheg, who works for the New York-based
Survivors of Educator Sexual Abuse and Misconduct Emerge.  'She’s there to make it
safe for students.' ”  
(Ibid.)
Carolyn Kennedy's view
When Carolyn Kennedy was indicted on charges of failing to report child abuse, "she
insisted to police that the school simply had some 'problem girls.'    Carolyn Kennedy
maintained she was unaware of any conduct issues involving her son, according to
court records. She reached an agreement with prosecutors that allowed her to plead
'no contest' to a misdemeanor instead of going to court to fight felony charges."
 
(SOURCE--Jill Jones/Apache Junction)
Morningstar changes policy
"The charter school’s change in policy entitled Personnel Policy upon Criminal
Indictment allows for an indicted employee to be placed on administrative leave
and/or removed pursuant to Arizona Revised Statues provisions. It also spells out the
requirements for notification of the governing board should charges be filed against
an employee."
 (Ibid.)
brushes with the law are concerned.  "On Tuesday September 4th 2007, Tad
Honeycutt and Charles Steven Cox were arrested after being indicted by a special
grand jury for their alleged roles in the collapse of the California Charter Academy....
Cox could serve 64 years.  Mr. Cox along with Mr. Honeycutt have been indicted on a
total of 147 counts. Some of the counts include misappropriation of public funds and
grand theft.  Cox's bail has been set at $1 million dollars [and] law enforcement
officials have also frozen their assets.  "Mr. Cox's private corporate American Express
charges were questionably reviewed by auditors from 2001 to 2003...Auditors stated
he had spent a total of $712, 813."  
(SOURCE--Wikipedia)  
Following up with Steve Cox
In September "Arizona State Board for Charter Schools refused...to allow a
charter-school company to change its name after its owner was indicted on
felony-theft charges in California.   C. Steven Cox owns Educational Administrative
Services, which operates Morningstar Academy, an elementary school, in Apache
Junction.

"Cox was indicted Sept. 4 in San Bernardino on 56 felony counts of misappropriation
of funds and 56 felony counts of grand theft while operating the now-defunct
California Charter Academy, run by the for-profit Educational Administrative Services.
Cox was indicted along with a Hesperia City Council member, and both pleaded not
guilty.   California shut down the school in 2004 after auditors found that the owners
had drained the school's coffers of millions of dollars to provide high executive
salaries and perks and give questionable contracts to friends and family members.
Arizona agreed to sign a contract with Cox in 2003 to open the Apache Junction
elementary charter school.  

"The Arizona State Board for Charter Schools on Monday tabled a request to allow
Educational Administrative Services to change its name, citing the board's recent
suspension of Cox's fingerprint card pending the outcome of the indictments.   The
board will sit down with Cox to discuss reorganizing ownership of the school, said
DeAnna Rowe, the board's executive director."  
(SOURCE--Pat Kossan/The Arizona Republic)
Local oversight
According to Steve Cox of
Educational
Administrative Services
Corporation--holder of
the school's charter--
when this situation was
evolving in March 2006
he didn’t think it was
necessary to remove
Kennedy, whom he felt
was being “harassed” on
charges that “sounded
trumped up.”
(SOURCE--Jill
Jones/The Apach Junction-
Golden Coupon News)
However, as it turns out, Cox may have reasons of
his own to be lenient where others' foibles including
Steve Cox  (PHOTO--Rich
Pedroncelli/Associated Press)
QUESTION #3:  THE DELPHI TECHNIQUE.
Who is David Conley and did he use the Delphi technique in the course of his
official capacity while facilitating the Vertical Teams College Readiness Project
(VTCRP) for the Commission for College Ready Texas' drafting of the English
Language Arts and Reading standards for the new Texas standards (Texas
Essential Knowledge & Skills)?
ANSWER #3:  11.16.07 UPDATE:  Responses have been
received from David Conley and we are exchanging emails regarding his use or
non-use of the Delphi method/technique in facilitating the work of the vertical
teams. of cause for particular concern to many conservatives around the U.S. is
Conley's
listing on his website  of his expertise with Delphi, given the
negative impact use of Delphi had on the 1997 TEKS (see educator Donna
Garner's comments below right).  Although he has stated he did not use the
Delphi method, there are several outstanding questions (see above) regarding
what appears to be Delphi in different clothing, the "nested professional judgment
model."   
What's Delphi?  More here.
Dave, have a few
questions I'm hoping you
can help me with
regarding EPIC and the
Vertical Teams College
Readiness Project
(VTCRP) and the
Commission for a
College Ready Texas
(CCRT).

(2)  DOCTORAL
DISSERTATION
Looking at your extensive
CV am unable to find the
title of your doctoral
dissertation.  What might
that be and would it be
possible for you to send
me a copy?
RESPONSE:
Conley, D. T. (1986).
Certificated Personnel Evaluation
in Colorado: A Policy Study of
Practices and Perceptions at the
Time of the Implementation
of the Certificated Personnel
Performance Evaluation Act
(H.B. 1338).  Unpublished.
Unpublished doctoral
dissertation, University of
Colorado, Boulder.


(3)  ENGAGEMENT:
What is the approximate
total for the amount of
fees charged by
you/EPIC through the
end of 2007 for your
participation in the
above-named  projects?  
Expenses?  Is
your/EPIC's participation
limited to the VTCRP?  
Did you follow the RFP
process or were your
services solicited by
Shirley Neeley and/or
Ray Paredes and/or
someone else and if so
who might that be and
under what
circumstances?
RESPONSE:  David Conley
has asked me to obtain this
information from the THECB,
which I contacted yesterday.

(4)  DELPHI
Your website mentions
that your "methodological
strengths include . . .
Delphi processes
(convergent
consensus)."  Please
describe how you have
used the Delphi
technique in your work
with the VTCRP including
any contact with CCRT.
RESPONSE:  David Conley
states that he did not use the
Delphi method in his work with
the vertical teams.
Lone Star Education Conf.
Educator Donna Garner -
Austin, Texas / Dec. 2000

It was "consensus building"
that massaged and shaped the
Texas English / Language Arts/
Reading (ELAR) into the "mush"
that today is known as the Texas
Essential Knowledge and Skills
(TEKS).

When I was first appointed in
the summer of 1995 to serve on
the Texas Essential Knowledge
and Skills (TEKS) writing team
for English / Language Arts /
Reading (ELAR), I was naive
enough to believe that the way to
deal with a national education
crisis would be to do what the
health community does when a
national health crisis occurs.
Experts and practitioners are
brought together to discuss the
problems in the field and to
study the latest research. A
protocol is adopted based upon
the research. The health
professionals are then
dispatched back to their
communities to implement the
protocol. Scientific
assessments are utilized to
track the results.

Did the writing team use this
approach? No. Instead a
professional consensus builder
and other specially trained
facilitators in the Delphi
Technique greeted us writing
team members at our August
1995 meeting. This technique
uses psychological
manipulation and peer pressure
to gain group conformity and
was pioneered by the Rand
Corporation. Many well-
documented articles have been
published which indicate that an
open, systematic, research-
based process did not occur in
Texas when the ELAR
standards were developed.
(Please go to http://www.edweek.org/
ew/vol-17/12texas.h17 to read the article
in Education Week entitled "Double
Standards" by Drew Lindsay.)
In fact,
the entire process was driven by
facilitators who made sure that
certain pre-determined
standards were produced --
standards which were filled with
education jargon, which were
written in grade clusters, and
which were full of performance-
based (e.g., constructivist,
project-driven) standards.

Since personnel with the
National Center for Education
and the Economy (NCEE), the
New Standards Project, and the
Chief State School Officers all
helped to orchestrate the TEKS
process, it is no surprise that
our ELAR/TEKS standards look
mysteriously like most of the
other states' broadly worded
standards.
"The Delphi Technique
in Texas"
by Donna Garner
December 13, 2004

When the Texas
Education Agency
orchestrated the writing
of the public school
curriculum standards
(Texas Essential
Knowledge and Skills --
TEKS -- adopted in July
1997), the Delphi
Technique was used on
the writing team
members.  I, as one of
the writing team
members for the
English / Language Arts
/ Reading (ELAR)
standards, experienced
the Delphi Technique
up-close and personal.

The Texas Education
Agency (TEA) staff was
trained in the Delphi
Technique by the
National Center on
Education and the
Economy (NCEE) at a
pricetag of $1.5M.  The
Texas State Board of
Education never
approved the large
expenditure by the TEA
to NCEE.  

A professional
consensus-builder from
Washington, D. C. was
hired to manipulate our
English / Language Arts
/ Reading writing team.
Representatives from
the Chief State School
Officers were brought in
to our meetings, plus
there were other various
and sundry individuals
at every table -- to the
right of us, to the left of
us, all around us.  We
never really knew who
these people were, but
they would hardly let us
go to the bathroom by
ourselves.

The "lightning rods"
(such as myself) were
immediately located,
and we were put
through various
psychological
strategies.  First, the
facilitators tried
appealing to our egos.  
When that didn't work,
they tried peer pressure.
 Then we were labeled
as "the bad guys" and
were treated with
disdain and downright
antipathy.  Soon the
other writing team
members didn't want to
be around us because
we were considered the
troublemakers.
QUERIES SENT TO
DAVID CONLEY
NOV. 6-14, 2007:
SHADES OF 1995-97:  WHY A FACILITATOR'S USE OF THE DELPHI
TECHNIQUE WOULD BE CAUSE FOR ALARM AMONG TEXANS
Some basic things to
think about:
Delphi method / technique and "synthesis"
By Peyton Wolcott
Monday, November 19, 2007 - 9:01 a.m.

When David Conley stated in our correspondence that neither he nor his staff used
the Delphi technique with the vertical teams, because he features information
regarding his use of the Delphi method on his website I asked what he/they used
instead.

In the course of describing the "nested professional judgment method" (when you
Google this there are no hits) David included the word "synthesis," which is when
alarms went off for me; as one example, when you Google the "synthethis Delphi
method" string, you get not zero but 290,000 hits.

Here is David Conley's further response this past Thursday, November 15, 2007: