| 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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| Copyright 1999-2008 Peyton Wolcott |
| THE BIG PICTURE |
| THE NATIONAL SCHOOL DISTRICT HONOR ROLL ONLINE CHECKBOOKS 82 school districts! 6 states! $34.6 billion! How to ask your local school district Flyer History 1st Anniversary |
| CALIFORNIA Clovis USD - here ILLINOIS Carpentersville SD 300* Elgin U-46* Huntley CUSD 158* Naperville CUSD MICHIGAN Montrose CS - here MINNESOTA Milaca ISD St. Cloud ISD TEXAS** Allen ISD Alvarado ISD Anthony ISD Arlington ISD Bellville ISD Big Spring ISD Blackwell CISD Bremond ISD Center Point ISD Chester ISD China Spring ISD Comal ISD Conroe ISD* Corpus Christi ISD* Cypress-Fairbanks ISD* Dallas ISD Denison ISD Ector Co. ISD Electra ISD Franklin ISD Galena Park ISD Galveston ISD Grandfalls-Royalty ISD Greenville ISD Gunter ISD Hempstead ISD Highland ISD Holliday ISD Houston ISD* Hunt ISD Katy ISD Keller ISD* Kerrvile ISD Lackland ISD Lago Vista ISD* Leander ISD Leonard ISD Lovejoy ISD Lufkin ISD Madisonville ISD Malakoff ISD Marble Falls ISD Meadow ISD McKinney ISD Nederland ISD New Caney ISD Nordheim ISD North East ISD North Forest ISD Northside ISD No. Zulch ISD* Pasadena ISD Pearland ISD Quinlan ISD Richardson ISD Robert Lee ISD Roby CISD Round Rock ISD * Royce City ISD San Angelo ISD San Antonio ISD Schertz-Cibolo-U. City ISD South Texas ISD Spring Branch ISD * Teague ISD Texas City ISD Timpson ISD Tomball ISD Trent ISD Van Alstyne ISD Wharton ISD Wimberley ISD WISCONSIN Sun Prairie SD |
| COMMITTED El Paso ISD (TX) Harlandale ISD (TX) Miami-Dade CPS (FL) Somerset ISD (TX) Southside ISD (TX) Southwest ISD (TX) Temple ISD (TX) Ysleta ISD (TX) STATE DOE ONLINE Texas Education Agency MIDDLE EDU-LAYER St. Clair County RESA (MI) HONORABLE MENTION *** Michigan Intermediate School Districts WHERE PARENTS, TAXPAYERS, TRUSTEES ARE ASKING: Cedar Rapids PS (IA) ChippewaVall.SD(MI) Cleburne ISD (TX) Eanes ISD (TX) Lake Travis ISD (TX) Lancaster ISD (TX) LA USD (CA) Midway-Waco ISD (TX) New York CPS (NY) Omaha PS (NB) Rochester CS (MI) Santa Cruz CPS (AZ) Water Valley ISD (TX) Updated 11.27.07 ___________________ * No check numbers. ** Source for all Texas numbers: TEA PEIMS (most recently reported actuals, 2005-06) *** For online numbers including budgets, salaries, lobbying, PR, legal, autos, more. (Source for names of Texas districts: Houston Chronicle (6), San Antonio Express-News (6) ) |
| 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: |
| TODAY'S QUESTION (#4) FOR OUR TEXAS SBOE (AND PARENTS, TAXPAYERS) When is a 'nested professional judgment model' not the same Delphi technique used to warp the 1995-97 TEKS? By Peyton Wolcott Friday, Nov. 16, 2007 - 10:27 a.m. |
| SBOE chair Don McLeroy (R) of Bryan queries edu-vendor David Conley (L) regarding the scope of his work; below, SBOE member Gail Lowe of Lampasas and education commissioner Robert Scott listen. |
| Sometimes the biggest news at a Texas State Board of Education meeting is news that doesn't get reported at all; in the case of Wednesday afternoon's SBOE, it might well have been the fact that an unprecedented number of folks were listening online such that TEA's audio stream failed. This is good news, that so many people are interested right now in our SBOE. That reports are coming from legislators complaining that they couldn't hear makes this even more interesting. Although at the time it went down, edu-vendors Natasha Groetsch and Debra Craig from The College Board were presenting on standards for "college success," their comments framed within the larger context of a sales pitch to the SBOE -- "We want to be a piece of the puzzle" and "a part of the process if that's useful for Texas" -- the assumption by many is that the main interest was in a report by Oregon edu-vendor David Conley on the vertical teams he facilitated, followed by Commission for a College Ready Texas chair Sandy Kress' final report. Congratulations to TEA's audio staff including Rob Jacques for getting the meeting back online within an hour; Rob reports that their target is to have all of the SBOE's audio files from this week's meetings online by tomorrow morning; look for a link to "Archived audio files" at right here. |
| Answer: When a paid professional edu-vendor/facilitator hired by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board says it isn't. Ah. |
_________
| Continuing to ask questions, still looking / waiting for answers By Peyton Wolcott Updated Fri., Nov. 16, 2007 - 10:00 a.m. |
| A TEXTBOOK EXAMPLE FOR TRANSPARENCY SEEKERS ACROSS AMERICA San Antonio's triple crown: How 3 major school districts came to post their check registers online in 1 week By Peyton Wolcott Updated Tuesday, November 27, 2007 - 12:25 p.m. |
| Texas State Board of Education just says "NO!" to Everyday Math By Peyton Wolcott Monday, November 16, 2007 - 2:03 a.m. |
| Donna Garner has written what I believe is the most in-depth review published yet of Texas Auditor John Keel's report released Friday clearing Robert Scott of the allegations leveled against him anonymously earlier this year in TEA Inspector General Michael J. Donley's report. |
| Here's Donna Garner's bulletin distributed that night: |
| The Texas State Board of Education voted today not to place Everyday Math (Grade 3) on the conforming list or the non-conforming list. Then the SBOE voted to reject the book completely. This means that school districts in Texas cannot buy Everyday Math with a penny of state funding. Many math teachers at the secondary level blame Everyday Math for the fact that so many of their students do not know their four math functions [addition, subtraction, multiplication and division] to the automaticity [per TEA, "fluent processing of information that requires little effort or attention"] level; and these teachers believe it is Everyday Math which has led to widespread failure among math students at the secondary level, thus contributing to increasing numbers of dropouts. I am very proud of the Texas State Board of Education members who had the courage today to begin the process of taking our public schools back from the brink. |
| RECENT TEXAS EDU-LEADERSHIP TIMELINE Aug. 1, 2003 Deputy Education Commissioner Robert Scott named Interim Commissioner by Gov. Rick Perry. Jan. 12, 2004 Governor Rick Perry appoints then-supe Shirley Neeley as Texas Commissioner of Education; Robert Scott remains at TEA as Chief Deputy Commissioner (announcement below). Aug. 22, 2005 Gov. Perry signs EO 47 requiring all Texas public schools, using the NCEE formula, to spend at least 65% of their monies in the classroom. Neeley schedules meetings to invite Texas supes to dilute the formula. June 2006 First Dallas Morning- News coverage of "rampant" TAKS cheating. Jan. 2007 Gov. Perry does not reappoint Neeley to a second term. Feb. 2007 Deputy commissioner Scott puts TEA's check register online. Feb. 2007 Neeley launches internal inquiry based on anonymous internal complaints into TEA's contracting practices. June 15, 2007 Gov. Perry tells Shirley Neeley she won't be reappointed. June 15, 2007 TEA Inspector General Michael Donley's "final" report on TEA's contracting practices released; appears to target Scott. June 20, 2007 Shirley Neeley resigns effective July 1, 2007 June-October 2007 Rumors abound re Neeley's replacement, with President George Bush's friend, Texas edu-lawyer lobbyist Sandy Kress (called NCLB's architect), likely front-runner. Oct. 16, 2007 Gov. Perry appoints Robert Scott as Texas Commissioner of Education Nov. 16, 2007 Texas Auditor John Keel's office releases final report clearing Robert Scott. ___________________ Compiled 11.19.07 |
| Something significant happened Friday when the SBOE took a good, hard look at McGraw-Hill's Everyday Math product (below). |
| $19.95* |
| $8.50* |
| $52.12* |
| No need to de-mystify Singapore Math |
| * Prices as of 11.19.07 / Amazon |
| Read Donna Garner's full report here |
| Scenes from Wednesday's SBOE in Austin By Peyton Wolcott Monday, November 19, 2007 - 3:16 a.m. |
| EPIC's Dave Conley (top) discusses his use of the "nested professional judgment model" in facilitating vertical teams (more below); (R) Robert Scott welcomes Sandy Kress to SBOE; (below) THECB's Ray Paredes w/Conley |
| (L) SBOE member Gail Lowe (Lampasas) and Robert Scott listen; (below) Sandy Kress, waiting his turn to address SBOE as CCRT chair, during Natasha Groetsch's College Board presentation; (bottom) Conley and Paredes prepare to depart |
| The Vertical Team co-chairs ran each session, and they were free to establish how decisions were made within each team, but it seemed that they were relying on a kind of informal consensus process within each team most of the time in which all points of view were entertained and considered before any decision was made. The EPIC facilitators took notes, kept time, and helped to keep the group on task. They would also periodically make sure that all group members had been heard from. Because the Vertical Teams were charged with developing a draft and not a final version, the groups appeared to use formal decision making processes such as voting infrequently, and relied more on getting a sense of the group, including the concerns of each group member. Members indicated their general agreement or concerns, and the co-chairs then responded accordingly until the team was satisfied with the product at each stage. The EPIC role was to provide support for the process. The facilitators were responsible for convening, taking notes, asking clarifying questions, keeping time, and ensuring participation. |
| As this raises further questions, I will continue to follow up. |
| (Below) Two-shot panorama of the SBOE meeting Wednesday Nov. 14, 2007 Austin, Texas |
| SAN ANTONIO CHECK REGISTER TIMELINE Sept. 2005 At the request of citizens preferring to remain anonymous, I asked San Antonio's North East ISD super- intendent Richard Middleton about his expenses. Nov. 2005 I traveled to NEISD to view the expenses. May 5, 2006 John Folks, Northside ISD superintendent, tells 65% task force in Austin that he probably would not post his district's check register online. Aug. 2, 2006 Detainment by three armed Edgewood ISD police officers. Sept. 15, 2007 San Antonio Express- News publishes my editorial re advantages of districts' posting their check registers online. Sept.-Oct.-Nov. 2007 Behind-the-scenes discussions with San Antonio business leaders who spoke with their superintendents/board members. Nov. 12, 2007 SAEN publishes front- page story: Northside ISD has posted its check register online. Nov. 16, 2007 SAEN publishes story in Metro section re North East ISD also posting its check register online; includes status of all SA-area districts. San Antonio ISD comes online also that morning. Nov. 17, 2007 SAEN publishes editorial re transparency, mentioning school district online check registers. ____________ Compiled 11.20.07 Updated 11.26.07 |
| TEA INSPECTOR GENERAL'S REPORT UNSUBSTANTIATED Putting anonymous rumors, complaints to rest, time now to move forward By Peyton Wolcott Updated Monday, November 19, 2007 - 9:01 a.m. |
| Most folks' reaction to this news is disbelief and/or the assumption that while a transparency miracle might be possible in some mythical district far, far away, there's no hope for their own. "It's unbelievable here!," they tell me. "Our board is corrupt and the superintendent is the real power in the county; the average person can't do anything about it." And so on. |
| STEP 1: Background North East ISD Two years ago, NEISD residents asked me questions regarding superintendent Richard Middleton's expenses; for various reasons they were concerned about asking the questions themselves. Because San Antonio's close I filed a series of public records requests at the district in September and eventually received a response (greybar below left). |
| Edgewood ISD PR guy Mario Rios, EISD police officers August 2, 2006 |
| This caught my attention because Edgewood was the name district for a series of five so-called equity lawsuits which brought socialism to Texas public schools with the result that "property-rich" districts write large checks to "property-poor" districts. |
| Happy Thanksgiving |
| Thursday, November 22, 2007 Friends, here's wishing you and your family all the best as we celebrate this uniquely American holiday. Imagine, a country so wonderful that since its earliest beginnings we set aside an entire day to give thanks. Sometimes it's easy to forget, thanks to the miracle of the Internet, how disparate the climates are where we all live. Here in the beautiful Texas Hill Country we have fall color at this time of the year; here are our Bradford Flowering Pears at right, but from last year. They didn't get the Turning Color memo this year and instead the leaves went from green to brown and have mostly dropped by now. |
| This year's greater gift is having everyone home. Last night our first real blue norther came through and late this afternoon we'll light the first fire of the year in the fireplace. Somewhere in here football will be watched and goofy favorite family games will be played -- chickenfoot, three-thirteen. Children will play, women will talk, and there will be laughter. All that lies ahead. For now, it's early morning as I write this, time to head into the kitchen and make the coffee, turn on some classical music--Appalachian Spring--then start preparing our family meal; I love knowing that millions of women across America are all doing much the same thing right now. Brigades and legions of us are putting turkeys in the oven to roast, boiling water to start the giblet gravy in, getting the yams started, same menu every year; here in Southern regions, baking fresh cornbread for oven-pan dressing. Putting crudites on the table for a nominal dose of fresh veggies--and because my mom always did. Glorious. Sending blessings and gratitude to you all. You are America. Peyton |
| Although former Montrose, Michigan school bookkeeper Dana Bacon's sentencing last week brought to a close one chapter of the problems her $1.2 million embezzlement caused the district -- including firings and layoffs -- much is still on the table. There's the money itself. The district has recouped $200,000 thanks to an insurance policy, and more income is expected from the sale of Bacon's home and furnishings. Then there are practical considerations around the sentencing; white collar criminals occupy the same space in prison as murderers and child molesters; typically, the former are released well ahead of completion of their sentences. Finally come community issues of anger and betrayal of trust. As one correspondent put it, "Stealing from a school is about as low as you can go." The tenor of the community is reflected in this statement from Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton, who pointed out that the sentencing "will allow the community to receive restitution and will also punish Bacon for her actions": |
| FOLLOWING UP . . . . Dana Bacon (Montrose, MI $1.2 mil bookkeeper) By Peyton Wolcott Monday, November 26, 2007 - 2:03 a.m. |
| Dana Bacon (L) in court (SOURCE--ABC) |
| Genesee County Circuit Court Judge Geoffrey Neithercut sentenced Bacon to one year in jail, five years probation, and restitution for the money she stole. He noted that this meant Bacon would have to give up her home, property, paycheck, furniture and pension as part of the restitution requirement. While emphasizing that Bacon pleaded guilty to every single charge he issued against her with no plea bargain or sentence agreements, Prosecutor Leyton said that he understands the frustration some members of the community may feel about Bacon being sentenced to just a year in jail instead of a lengthy prison term. “$1.2 million is a lot of money, especially for a school district that had to lay off so many employees in the recent past due to tough economic times. Many people probably feel she deserves to go to prison for a very, very long time,” he said, noting that Michigan’s sentencing guidelines did not call for that. “However, Dana Bacon is not getting off scot-free. She will be incarcerated and she will be losing a lot of personal and real property along with other tangible assets,” he continued. “Her ability to work instead of serving a long time in prison will allow her to pay back more in restitution. Furthermore, her reputation in the community has been gravely damaged, probably beyond repair, and that is all part of the price she has to pay for her actions.” Along with her felony criminal convictions, Prosecutor Leyton noted that Bacon also faces civil litigation from the school district which could also be used to obtain full restitution from her over the course of many years. Bacon pleaded guilty to 10 felonies, including embezzlement and using a computer to commit a crime and uttering and publishing. An investigative report from the Montrose Township police showed that her embezzlement activities occurred between 1996 and 2005 with larger and larger amounts of money being taken over time, suggesting that Bacon appeared to become more confident that she could get away with it as time went on. “I have seen a lot of embezzlement cases as Prosecutor, especially in the last couple of years,” noted Prosecutor Leyton. “But the extent of Dana Bacon’s actions blows them all away. It’s just a very, very sad case for all involved,” he said. |
| FOLLOWING UP . . . . Larry Couch (Marble City, OK $500,000 supe) By Peyton Wolcott Monday, November 26, 2007 - 1:45 a.m. |
| Larry Couch |
| A contentious board meeting Tuesday night led to no action against Larry Couch, 55, who is charged in Sequoyah County District Court with a felony count of embezzlement. "All the resolutions concerning Larry Couch died," school board President Mary Cooksey said Wednesday. "One board member (Tim Farris) didn't even show up." Couch's preliminary hearing is set for Dec. 27. An ongoing audit by the state auditor and inspector's office shows approximately $500,000 was embezzled from the school, said spokeswoman Terri Watkins. The audit should be finished sometime next month. Marble City School, which is north of Sallisaw, has about 160 students enrolled in pre-kindergarten through the eighth grade. It is the only school in the district.... Couch has been on paid medical leave for most of the school year.... Cooksey said Couch is using his accumulated sick days and is under a doctor's care for his heart. (SOURCE--AP/Tulsa World) |
| Larry Couch (left), Limousin cattle breeder and also superintendent of a one-school district in rural Oklahoma is technically still on the job and collecting his $90,000 a year |
| paycheck while on sick leave. Meanwhile a state auditor investigation points towards a $500,000 rather than $100,000 loss for Marble City Schools as had earlier been reported: |
| Public records production at SA's NEISD (Nov. 2005) |
| If after massive transfusions of cash to Edgewood over two decades the district was still performing sub-par* academically, perhaps it was time to take a closer look at Edgewood, see what was up for myself. There was one other under-reported aspect of Robin Hood I have been unsuccessful in persuading my reporter friends to take a closer look at: "Rich" districts' generous checks to "poor" districts leave "rich" districts with no savings, while "poor" districts are entirely free to amass huge savings. Is this fair? Was this the intent of "equity"? |
| What is it with Edgewood ISD and dates? Mystery Edgewood ISD police report from 08.02.06 incident (below): top line unsigned, undated; Sgt. D. Newman was not present at incident. Above, undated untrue out-of-date "Recognized" sign on Edgewood ISD's front door (08.02.06) |
| Speaking of equity: For whom? For the most recently reported actuals (2005-06), Edgewood spent $10,994 per student, and thanks to the generous checks written to this "poor" district they were able to allocate 25.3% of their budget to their district savings account; here in Texas it's called a "fund balance." (Information from Texas Comptroller Susan Combs.) By contrast, San Antonio's wealthiest district, Alamo Heights ISD, sends off such a great portion of its property taxes that its fund balance allocation for the same, most recent reporting period was only 12.4%. Similarly, Northside ISD, another prosperous district, and the largest in the area, was only able to allocate 13.1%, and its neighbor, North East ISD, 15.2% -- all well short of Edgewood's remarkable ability to save. How big a hit are Robin Hood payments? Alamo Heights paid out $26.8 million during the most recent reported year (2005-06), 37.75% of its $71 million total receipts for all funds. . . . and has the money solved anything? After many years of robbing the rich to pay the poor, it's reasonable to ask what if anything has been accomplished. Academics: Alamo Heights and Edgewood are both Academically Acceptable, Texas' equivalent of "average." Finances: After the so-called equity transfers, where Alamo Heights is spending $9,560 per student; Edgewood is spending on average $1,434 more per student than Alamo Heights. |
| Edgewood ISD Surely for me being detained by three armed Edgewood ISD police officers on August 2, 2006 qualifies as one of the worst situations of my life. I'd traveled to San Antonio because the day before then-education commissioner Shirley Neeley had announced that Edgewood had dropped to Texas' scholastic cellar: Academically Unacceptable. |
| NEISD: $64 to view --- Excerpt from NEISD emails sent: Friday, Oct. 14, 2005: ... We estimate that it would take approximately 4 hours at the rate of $15.00 per hour for a total of $60.00 plus $0.10 per page for copies for a grand total of $64.00 to complete your request. Even though you have requested to inspect the documents, you must still pay $64.00 for the documents to be copied. |
| NEISD's response was basically a bill for $64, an illegal request at the time, result- ing from their having lumped my series of individual requests into one. A few months later, after we sorted this out with Hadas- sah Schloss, the Texas OAG cost rules administrator, I traveled to NEISD to view the records. |
| More interesting, as I was leaving the district's large administration building (the old Tesoro Petroleum corporate head- quarters), I noticed an NEISD employee loading those same banker's boxes into the trunk of her car (above) to return to another building. It seemed surprising that a superintendent would not store his same-year expenses in his or his secretary's desk in the same building; later, when I mentioned this to local business executives, they were equally surprised. |
| Interestingly, what the district produced (left) were banker's boxes in a rolling cart, with fuschia tags on pertinent pages. |
| NEISD 701 code expenses (2005) |
| having read a report published in a newsletter regarding a May 5, 2006 Austin meeting (called by then-Texas education commissioner Shirley Neeley to discuss diluting the stricter NCES formula Gov. Rick Perry called for in his executive order RP 47 moving Texas public schools towards 65% spending in the classroom); the report (excerpt at left) stated that when asked by the moderator whether NISD superintendent John Folks would fire a counselor rather than post NISD's check register online, "Dr. Folks looked straight at him and said a defiant ' Yes! ' ” |
| "Dr. Folks Says...Just Fire ‘Em!" Published by Ameri- cans for Prosperity (May 8, 2006) As Northside ISD superintendent, Dr. John Folks blustered to the podium at the TEA hearing on Friday, May 5th, the moderator jocularly stated that Dr. Folks was not a man to be cowed, even by legislators. Apparently, we were to be treated to a presentation by an independent thinker, one whose allegiance was to his strong principles, and one who was not afraid of calling a spade a spade. Certainly, Dr. Folks concurred with this flattering depiction of himself, and boldly stated that he was going to speak his mind. He began by railing against the Governor’s executive order which mandates that 65% of schools funds be used in the classroom (among other things). At this point, he asserted that counselors and librarians were critical to the educational process and the well-being of students. However, he emoted, that while they were an essential part of the educative process, he would be forced to fire them if the 65% rule was enacted with the NCES definition of “classroom instruction” kept pristine. Adam Jones, the moderator, asked him if he meant to indicate that he had no choice, as the mandate provided an option for those schools which did not meet the percentage in the phase in process. Such schools could simply post their check registers online and thus receive a waiver from meeting the standard. Faced with evidence clearly contesting his contention that he had no alterna-tives, Dr. Folks blustered some more and thrust the following gem into the room. He said that schools would be under such pressure by parents and the public to meet the standards that he would have no choice, in a defacto kind of way, but to fire counselors and librarians.The moderator, apparently endeavoring to make sure that he had not heard a misstatement in the heat of the moment, iterated that he wanted to make sure that he understood the Dr.’s position correctly. Adam said, “Are you saying that you would fire a counselor rather than post your check register online?” And Dr. Folks looked straight at him and said a defiant “Yes!” At this display, his education cohorts erupted into laudatory clapping while I tried to wrap my mind around the implications of his words.... |
| FOLKS: Any of the services that are outside that 65% [i.e., guidance counselors] could be negatively impacted when you have to shift a sum of money that may be close to $17 or $18 million in a large school district into that 65%. TEA MODERATOR: But you have an out [by posting NISD's checks online]. You don't have to shift it. Are you telling me the publicity would be worth laying off a counselor? . . . . FOLKS: Probably so. |
| Trouble is, this exchange never happened, or at least not as reported. It took some time to finally locate the tapes; this was during Shirley Neeley's time at the helm at TEA, back when Texas' DOE was less than responsive to queries from the public; this is not a reflection on any individual employees but rather underscores the importance of good leadership--yet another reason why I campaigned on behalf of deputy commissioner Robert Scott, who was appointed commissioner by Gov. Perry on October 16, 2007. Here's what John Folks actually said at the May 5, 2006 F.I.R.S.T. hearings in Austin: |
| Although later in the exchange Folks said he didn't object to check registers being posted, via a Northside ISD employee he said this past March that he had no plans to do so. |
| STEP 2: September 15, 2007 editorial By fall, many major Texas cities either had school district check registers online or had announced formal plans to do so: Houston, Dallas, El Paso/Ysleta, etc. But none in nearby San Antonio. I contacted my local paper, the San Antonio Express-News (bless them for home delivery ninety minutes away) in hopes I could inspire a story, as do many of us who are interested in improving our schools. Instead, they asked me to write an editorial, which they ran on Sunday, September 15, 2007. Nothing happened. No superintendents or trustees came forward with an announcement. STEP 3: Behind the scenes So it was time to go to Plan B, except there was none. Finally, I began calling on folks in San Antonio, asking them to contact their local superintendents and board members, emphasizing to them that any such contact be positive and encouraging, explaining that I've learned myself that our schools -- surprise, surprise -- respond more to a pleasant smile than when they're poked with a stick. (More below; see "Lessons Learned.") STEP 4: November 12, 2007 Imagine my delight to learn that Northside ISD had announced on the front page of the San Antonio Express-News that they'd posted their check register online. Commendably, the SAEN posted a follow-up story on November 16 -- North East ISD and San Antonio ISD both went online that day, although only NEISD was mentioned -- with a list of San Antonio-area districts and where they were in the process, then followed up with a nice mention on November 17 in an editorial. In my book, SAEN editor Bob Rivard (top right next column) has shown the nation how a local newspaper can have a positive impact. God bless them all. Everybody wins, everybody's happy. |
1. ATTITUDE Gee, you'd think I'd have figured this out long before now, that folks would prefer to be approached with a smile rather than with a stick. Many of us conservatives fall into this trap, taking a factual, logical approach when dealing with our public schools and being surprised when they react to our direct questions as though to a personal attack; too often, the response has been a series of personal attacks by the schools, resulting in unpleasantness which accomplishes nothing positive in our communities. A pleasant approach in which the other sides' feelings are acknowledged works much better. 2. ACCURACY We all -- conservative groups, citizen bloggers alike -- really do need to be very careful about what we publish, as with the case of our friends at Americans at Prosperity quoting a superintendent from memory rather than from audiotapes. Our memories really can play tricks on us; as one example, remember the old game, "Telegraph?" Kids would sit in a circle -- usually, as I recall, on rainy days in gym -- and someone would start by saying a sentence to the next person. By the time the circle completed, the sentence sounded nothing like it started. 3. ASKING QUESTIONS It's always a good thing to have a clear purpose behind our requests, and to involve our greater community in our asking questions. It's also good to be wary of hooking up with larger state and national groups whose agendas might be different from our own; often, they answer to a board of directors who pay their salaries, and while we as volunteers might be another entry in a field report for such groups in offices in another city or another state, at the end of the day we are living in our homes in our communities, and the people we are attacking whom we see at the grocery store and church we must somehow find a way to co-exist with peaceably if we are to effect any meaningful change. While anger and agitation may produce dramatic short-term wins, do those wins achieve anything long-term? |
| But did John Folks really say this? Answer: "No" |
| 11.26.07/Contacted AFP for comment. |
| When I got to Edgewood ISD on August 2, imagine my surprise to see a large "Recognized" sign on the administration building's front door. I was so surprised in fact that I took a photo of it, and another one inside the reception area which featured another large Recognized sign. The signage hardly seemed truth in advertising, given EISD's Academically Unacceptable status. Apparently superintendent Richard Bocanegra was not used to folks asking questions. For whatever reason, I soon found myself detained by three armed,uniformed Edgewood ISD police officers who insisted I wait for the district's PR guy. Remembering that EISD |
| police officers had recently been in the news for having shot a suspect they'd followed several blocks off campus, I complied with their request. More here and here |
| Here, then, is the background of two years' toiling in the San Antonio vineyards, a step-by-step guide to how Northside ISD, North East ISD and San Antonio ISD came to post their check registers online the same week, proof that the average person can do something. In addition to hopefully being a guide for how to do this. |
| in your own community, I also share this with you as yet another example of what we all know to be true: Even the worst of situations in this life can lead to greater good. |
| Northside ISD About the same time I was hearing from folks in NEISD, dis- gruntled taxpayers in nearby NISD ap- proached me about their own district, many troubled by |
| David Conley Educational Policy Improvement Center (EPIC) |
| Mario Rios, EISD police officers leaving scene, Aug. 2, 2006 |
| When his newspaper's Mexico City bureau chief, Philip True, was killed, Rivard led a highly visible challenge to the Mexican judicial system. He personally was instrumental in finding True's remains and has relentlessly sought to bring his killers to justice. |
| Robert Rivard, editor San Antonio Express-News |
| It's pretty safe to say Bob Rivard and I will never be political allies; in addition to the SAEN having taken a fiercely anti-Iraq war stance, it also refers to "illegal immigrants" as "immigrants." However, he is also fiercely loyal to the causes he adopts -- and to his employees, two qualities to which we all can relate. An excerpt from his 2002 Cabot Prize bio: |
| In 2004 the Jalisco state supreme court returned a final verdict of guilt and ordered the two Huichol brothers-in-law who killed True to serve 20-year prison terms. Both men fled before Mexican authorities could detain them, having been released from custody earlier by a Mexican judge under questionable circumstances. (Ibid,) |
| Rivard's coverage of True's murder led to his writing a book, "Trail of Feathers." Here's an update regarding the outcome of his pursuit of justice: |
| Rivard also played a pivotal role in bringing New York Times reporter Jayson Blair's plagiarism to light: |
| In April 2003, it was Rivard's email to the New York Times that provoked an investigation into plagiarism charges by a reporter named Jayson Blair. Blair had lifted reporting and writing from San Antonio Express-News reporter Macarena Hernandez's published work and presented it as his own. The subsequent investigation led to what became known as the Jayson Blair debacle, with Blair and the Times' executive editor and managing editor tendering their resignations. (SOURCE--RobertRiva rd.com) |
| Hats off to Bob Rivard and his SAEN staff (more at left) for the pivotal role they played in San Antonio school districts posting their check registers online, and for setting such a great example for their fellows in the newspaper business to emulate. |
| Physical plants: Anecdotally, Alamo Heights' schools appear to be old in modern terms but well cared for, whereas at the time of my visits last year Edgewood's new high school was largely unusable because of construction problems; whose fault would that be? Can responsibility for this be laid at the feet of properous taxpayers in other districts--or should folks be asking questions of Edgewood's administrators? Also, while Edgewood, the poor district, has somehow found funds for a staffed Employee Fitness Center; my questions to EISD supe Richard Bocanegra regarding the fitness center, and his relationship to the fellow who ran it as of last year, remain unanswered. On the other hand, I have been unable to determine that Alamo Heights ISD has spent any funds on such a center for their employees. |
| Superintendents' residency: Another question is whether it matters whether a district's superintendent lives in the district; to many of us, it seems logical that a supe should be required to live where he gets paid, as he would have a greater stake in such a community. While Alamo Heights' Jerry Christian lives in AHISD, and Northside's John Folks lives in NISD, and North East ISD's Richard Middleton lives in NEISD, and San Antonio ISD's Robert Duron lives in SAISD, Edgewood's Richard Bocanegra does not live in Edgewood ISD; he owns a house in a new subdivision in Northside ISD although citizens have contacted me suggesting that he actually domiciles elsewhere. Bocanegra has to date declined to answer all questions regarding where he hangs his hat at night. All of this was much in my mind and heart a year ago. It seemed a Gordian Knot with no Alexander the Great anywhere in sight ready to solve it with a single stroke of his sword. "There has to be a better way" The incident at Edgewood got me started thinking: How else could we achieve financial transparency in our schools? Might there be another way? Preferably a nicer, kinder, gentler way, one not involving encounters with armed ISD police officers? Voila -- actually, a few months later -- the idea came to me that if we could persuade school districts to voluntarily post their check registers online many of our transparency issues would be solved. Thus was born the National School District Honor Roll as a means of encouraging and honoring school districts taking that big step towards transparency. |
| HATS OFF: Bob Rivard, The San Antonio Express-News By Peyton Wolcott Tue., Nov. 27, 2007-10 a |
____________
| Edgewood ISD's high school (above) and employee fitness center (below) |
Edgewood ISD I am happy to report that my friend Mario Rios, EISD's PR guy, confirmed this morning that EISD is considering posting its check register online. |
| LESSONS LEARNED |
| 11.26.07/P.S. |
| North East ISD I am also happy to share the following statement from NEISD superintendent Richard Middleton: |
| "Posting our check register is a commu- nity service to our tax- payers. We know that our community has confidence in our academic perfor- mance. By posting our check registers, we can give them a sense of confidence and trust in how we manage their tax dollars." |
| “We want to make our operations more transparent to the public,” superinten- dent John Folks said. “Our voters have passed five consecutive bond issues, so I think this is the right thing to do to maintain and build the trust of our community.” |
| Northside ISD The following is from the general press release NISD issued November 12, 2007, forwarded by NISD's PR guy, Pascual Gonzalez: |
| Northside ISD administration building, San Antonio (top); "Recognized" sign in Edgewood's foyer, receptionist's cage |
| Friends, I am breaking my own "U.S. ed news only" rule to bring the following to your attention. Why? Our schools seem to be in such a PC rush we forget that other places in the world do not share our freedoms: |
| Brit teacher Gillian Gibbons: 40 lashes in Sudan? By Peyton Wolcott Wednesday, November 28, 2007 - 4:06 a.m. |
| How many times have you heard someone say with mock severity, "Forty lashes with a wet noodle"? British teacher Gillian Gibbons has been jailed in Sudan and may face forty lashes with a real whip because she allowed a seven- year old student to name the class teddy bear after himself; problem for her was, the boy's name was "Mohammad." (SOURCE--Reuters/Matt Drudge) Read Jan Moir's excellent U.K. Telegraph op-ed here. |
| Gillian Gibbons (PHOTO--Reuters) |
| ASKING QUESTIONS: Why hasn't Ysleta ISD posted check register-- 8 months after Hector Montegro said he would? And will there be dancing in Arlington ISD's streets? By Peyton Wolcott Friday, November 30, 2007 - 10:00 a.m. |
| 11.30.07 UPDATE: AP in Khartoum today reports that mobs leaving mosques have congregated, demanding Gibbons' execution. She has been sentenced to 15 days in prison, deportation. |
| Andre Hornsby's mistried mistrial By Peyton Wolcott Friday, November 30, 2007 - 10:27 a.m. |
| Although I'm not a lawyer, and don't pretend to be, even I can reason that if you're going to prominently feature someone in an FBI sting tape in Andre Horns- by's trial on corruption charges, it behooves you to produce that same someone in that same trial. |
| ONLINE CHECK REGISTERS +++ 4 new districts Nov. 12-16, 2007! +++ Northside ISD - John Folks, superintendent Students: 78,154 Annual: $ 1,039,950,123 Per student $ 13,306 North East ISD - Richard Middleton, superintendent Students: 59,556 Annual: $ 806,762,147 Per student $ 13,546 San Antonio ISD - Robert Duron, superintendent Students: 56,371 Annual $ 557,143,973 Per student $ 9,884 Gunter ISD - Rick Cohagan superintendent Students: 861 Annual $ 23,440,928 Per student $ 27,225 (As of 11.28.07) |
| Vendor Cynthia Joffrion (L) with Andre Hornsby in FBI sting tape |
| QUESTIONS WE HOPE SOMEBODY'S ASKING: (1) Where is Cynthia Joffrion? (2) Why was Cynthia MIA during Hornsby's trial? (3) What's the background on the "business associate" relationship between Hornsby and Joffrion? Here's information from Texas Comptroller Susan Combs: |
| Especially when that someone-- Cynthia Joffrion--has a business history with Hornsby. Joffrion worked with Hornsby in Houston ISD (under Rod Paige's leader- ship) and in Yonkers, where "there were suggestions of financial improprieties...but no criminal charges were filed." (SOURCE--Arlo Wagner/Washington Times) From the Washington Post, yesterday: |
| Skeptical jurors...questioned why FBI informant Cynthia Joffrion, a longtime business associate seen giving Hornsby money in the videotape, was not called to testify, jury members said. (SOURCE--Ruben Castaneda, Rosalind S.Helderman/Washington Post) |
| ERATE MANAGERS L L C CEO HORACE CLIFF JOFFRION III 9831 MOORBERRY LN HOUSTON, TX 77080-6401 Status: IN GOOD STANDING NOT FOR DISSOLUTION OR WITHDRAWAL through May 15, 2008 Registered Agent: HORACE CLIFF JOFFRION III 9831 MOORBERRY LN HOUSTON, TX 77080 Registered Agent Resignation Date: State of Incorporation: TX File Number: 0800279537 Charter/COA Date: December 15, 2003 Charter/COA Type: Charter Taxpayer Number: 17607476458 |
| The audit also called into question Hornsby's dealings with a Texas technology firm hired by Prince George's to help it obtain E-rate funding. The audit found that, in the months after Hornsby arrived in Prince George's in 2003, the county obtained bids from five other firms to do the E-rate work. As system staff were reviewing the five bids in November 2003, Hornsby intervened and let it be known he wasn't satisfied with the bids, according to the audit. Shortly afterward, the county received a sixth bid, from a Texas consulting firm, E-Rate Managers, that had been created that same month by Horace Joffrion, the husband of Cynthia Joffrion, who worked for Hornsby in Texas and Yonkers, N.Y. (SOURCE--Alec MacGillis/Baltimore Sun) |
| More about Joffrion in the $100,000 Huron Consulting audit commissioned in 2005 by the Prince George's school board: |
| In another example of print doing and getting it right, Jean Marbella puts Hornsby's mistrial in context in today's Baltimore Sun, asks more great questions, link here: |
| Ysleta ISD employees |
| Ysleta ISD supe Hector Montenegro (below right, at TASB convention) said in a March 14, 2007 email that he was in the processing of posting YISD's check register online; to date, it's still not online. Perhaps he's been too busy leading his employees in dances around Ysleta ISD (pictured above in a YISD video he's toured the country with); wondering if preparing this video is why YISD has such a large PR staff (below). |
| Wondering also why Hector has not responded to emails and telephone calls asking about YISD's check register--and his plans to continue posting Arlington ISD's check register online once he assumes the top spot there. Finally, will there be dancing in Arlington ISD? If so, I'll haul out my cotillion gown. |
| UPDATE: NOT-OK MARBLE CITY, OK Are supes getting away with too much? By Peyton Wolcott Friday, November 30, 2007 - 10:08 a.m. |
| Marble City, OK board meeting (PHOTO--Monica Keen/Sequoyan County Times) |
| On the heels of Andre Hornsby's "amazing" mistrial in Maryland (at left) comes fresh news from Oklahoma, where the state auditor has confirmed what appeared to be $100,000 in losses (from a one-school district) are now closer to $500,000. From supe Couch: |
| "If the Marble City School Board of Education is willing to accept Larry Couch's outright resignation without any conditions or stipulations, accept an immediate $100,000 lump sum payment and request the district attorney to place Mr. Couch on a deferred sentence without further monetary obligation or penalty, ...Mr. Couch would be willing to immediately tender his resignation and pay restitution in the amount of $100,000." |
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