| An open letter to Dr. David Simmons, former Richardson ISD superintendent 1:20 PM Tue, Aug 18, 2009 By Jeffrey Weiss Reporter Dallas Morning News When he resigned two weeks ago, Simmons left behind only a bland official statement. I'm not the only reporter to try to get him on the record since then. I've been rebuffed or ignored though several official and unofficial channels. So I'm trying this: Dr. Simmons, I suggest that you have an obligation to talk to the media, at least once. I'd not say this if you were a banker or jeweler or shopkeeper who was moving on to another job, But when you signed that contract with RISD, you not only agreed to meet the terms of that document, you subsequently accepted what will eventually be about $800,000 of public tax money (a smidge of it from me). While you have no legal obligation to talk, I suggest that contract and that payment created a moral obligation. At the jump, I'll even list the questions I have. But first, I'll give you a practical reason to answer: Unless you get out of this line of work, you will be faced with these questions. Whether it's your future potential employers or a reporter in that town, they will talk to Mr. Google (or maybe Ms. Bing) about you. And find these questions. Might as well get the answers -- or "no comments" -- out of the way here. I realize you can't say anything disparaging about the district under the terms of your separation agreement (and RISD board members are similarly muzzled about you). But I think you could probably answer these without violating that agreement: 1) During your tenure, the TAKS passing rate went up, as did most of the Commended rates. OTOH, the number of National Merit finalists (basically a measure of how your top students do on national standardized tests) went down. The average ACT and SAT scores did not elevate. All the while, the diversity in the district -- in particular the percentage of economically disadvantaged students -- continued to creep up. The board says it wants to see improvements in other measurements. How much credit or blame should a superintendent get over the course of a couple of years for any of these results? Given the realities of the district -- money, demographics, infrastructure -- were you generally satisfied with the indexes that you saw? 2) When you were hired, you and board members talked about getting beyond TAKS. What did you do to try to accomplish that? Is such a thing possible, given the state and federal emphasis on these scores? 3) In the coolness of hindsight, are there things you wish you had done and did not? Things you did that you'd undo? 4) As you surely know, there are many rumors about your personal life. Some apparently pre-date your resignation by many months. Some may be driven in part by your filing for divorce in January (finalized the week you resigned) and by reports about the sale of your house. This is none of my business or even interest, except for two causes for dismissal listed in your contract with the district: * Immorality, which is conduct not in conformity with the accepted moral standards of the community encompassed by the district... * Any activity, school connected or otherwise, that because of publicity given it or knowledge of it among students, faculty or community, impairs or diminishes the superintendent's effectiveness in the district... I am not about to publish uncorroborated rumors here or in the paper. But I think it's fair to ask you this: Did you, while superintendent, engage in activities that were substantially not in conformity with the accepted moral standards of the district or that would have, if made public, impaired your effectiveness in the job? That's it. If you want to talk, you surely know how to find me. I've left my number enough places. Respectfully, Jeffrey Weiss The Dallas Morning News |
| Hot Links: RISD boss gone but still getting paid 10:21 AM Mon, Aug 24, 2009 Brooks Egerton/Reporter August 24, 2009 Why is the RISD boss gone? ... Read Today's Hot Links: 1. The Richardson school district is back in session today. And David Simmons (pictured at [left]) is being paid $300,000 not to be superintendent any more, as Dallas Morning News reporter Jeff Weiss explains. Why? School board members suggest that the payoff is the most efficient way to get rid of Simmons, who quit Aug. 3. And why did they want him out, given that the district has a balanced budget and four straight years of "recognized" status? They aren't giving much of an explanation.... |
| P E Y T O N W O L C O T T |
| 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 . |
| Commentary - David Simmons: Good Questions from Reporters |
| Following superintendent David Simmons across Texas -- from Richardson ISD to Houston ISD to -- where next? |
| David Simmons (left) with unidentified woman (PHOTO--Dallas Morning News) |
| Jeffrey Weiss |
| Leaving Richardson ISD - last year |
| To & fro at Houston ISD - this year |
| Former Richardson ISD superintendent David Simmons gets a new job 10:00 PM Mon, Feb 15, 2010 Jeffrey Weiss/Reporter Dallas Morning News David Simmons, the super who split from RISD last year, has a new job, according to media reports out of Houston : Chief School Officer over high schools. His hire is part of a major reorg for Houston. Houston school superintendent Terry Grier is described by the Houston Press as saying his new hires had "each had been successful in leading reform efforts and were found through what was described as an extensive national search." I wonder whether the RISD board would agree that Simmons led a reform effort? And I wonder if the Houston media will be more successful than I was in getting him to answer questions about his departure from RISD? -- ARCHIVED COMMENTS -- Posted by greg @ 1:57 PM Tue, Feb 16, 2010 supers take care of each other... --------------------------------------- Posted by callie @ 3:21 PM Tue, Feb 16, 2010 I wondered where he was going to turn up! That "exit money" doesn't last forever, you know... ------------------------------------ Posted by pinkie @ 9:04 PM Tue, Feb 16, 2010 The only reform in his brief but destrucive tenure was a lowering of morale for RISD. Good riddance. Houston, you have a problem. --------------------------------------- Posted by rowerson @ 7:03 PM Wed, Feb 17, 2010 RISD has had a great season with Dr. Bukhair back at the helm. It seems we have another season pending with Dr. Waggoner. "Good riddance to bad rubbish" is a term I learned from my grandmother. It perfectly describes Mr. Simmons. Please Houston's heart. They are going to need it. --------------------------------------- Posted by rowerson @ 7:05 PM Wed, Feb 17, 2010 It should have said "Please BLESS Houston's heart. My hand slipped. ------------------------------------- Posted by ron @ 11:21 AM Mon, Feb 22, 2010 Houston husbands if you have a wife in the school district watch Mr. Simmons closly. He likes to play with staff members. |
| Former Richardson ISD superintendent has officially left his Houston ISD job 8:38 PM Mon, Jun 21, 2010 Jeffrey Weiss/Reporter Dallas Morning News Ericka Mellon of the Houston Chronicle continues her attention to the status of the head of the Houston ISD high schools. Now the former head: David Simmons, Houston ISD's chief officer over high schools, officially has resigned, citing "unforeseen personal circumstances," four months after Superintendent Terry Grier hired him for the $165,000-a-year job. Here's the catch: Simmons' official resignation date isn't until Sept. 24, though he's not expected to work through then. A few more details here. |
| On the trail . . . . |
| Richardson ISD's superintendent is gone, but questions remain By JEFFREY WEISS / The Dallas Morning News The rah-rah atmosphere of the Richardson school district convocation last week was all about a district that's done very well. And yet, it's a district that enters a new school year Monday having recently lost its superintendent because of what the school board said was a difference in vision. David Simmons quit abruptly Aug. 3, leaving behind a balanced budget, a fourth straight year of "recognized" status from the state, and a cloud of rumors and questions surrounding his departure. School board president Kim Quirk addressed some of those questions at the convocation. "Now we are joining together to set the next standard," she said. "The goal of the board is to hire a leader who will not only share that vision, but also build on it and provide the direction to get us there." Richardson describes itself as the largest and most diverse recognized district in the state. Its demographics are more urban than many suburban districts: About a quarter of its 34,000 students are black, and a third are Hispanic. About half are considered economically disadvantaged. Is it reasonable to expect a superintendent to push a district of this size and with these challenges into greater achievements? "We don't know what's possible, but we do want a leader who can find that out," Quirk said in an interview last week. Beyond TAKS In the separation agreement between Simmons and the school board, they agreed not to make disparaging comments about each other. And Simmons has refused repeated requests for an interview. But it's clear that some board members thought that Simmons failed to meet some of the goals set when he started in 2007. The percentage of students passing the TAKS has been high. And even the percentage of students ranking as "commended" generally trended upward during Simmons' tenure. But average SAT and ACT scores have been flat or even declining since before he arrived. Ditto for the percentage of students making high scores on the Advanced Placement exams, though the number of students sitting for those tests has gone up. A particular thorn for some board members: National Merit finalists. This year, the district had only seven, continuing a decline from 25 in 2005. Plano ISD, by comparison, had 116 this year. At the convocation, several teachers shrugged when asked about the turnover at the top. Most days, they said, the superintendent had little to do with what happens in their classrooms. "We've had such a steady group of leaders, and that goes beyond the superintendent," said Shannon Temple, a special education teacher at Lake Highlands Elementary. Separation payment After Simmons' departure, rumors circulated that the cause was more than job performance. Stories about his personal life had been swirling long before he quit, fueled in part by his filing for divorce in January. He and his ex-wife signed the final divorce decree two days after he resigned. When asked whether the board had heard rumors, trustee Lanet Greenhaw chose her words carefully. "Because of the contract provisions about saying nothing disparaging about Dr. Simmons, it is not appropriate for us to answer that," Greenhaw said. But she and other board members say that the differences in vision with Simmons were enough to make them want a change - rumors or not. Whether the cause is professional or personal, most employees who have a profound difference in vision with their bosses simply get fired. Simmons' contract includes 21 causes for dismissal that range from incompetence to immorality to activity that would impair his effectiveness. Why did the board agree to pay Simmons a $300,000 separation payment - more than a year's salary? Part of the answer can be found in the state-mandated procedure to fire a superintendent. The process can include two hearings before the local school board, additional presentations before a state hearing officer, appeals to the state education commissioner, and an appeal to a district court. In each case, evidence must be presented that would satisfy civil court standards. Should the superintendent choose to follow the appeals, he would be on paid leave through the process. The district would incur legal costs. And the district would be unable to search for a replacement. "It would be disruptive to the organization and the community," Greenhaw said. "It's expensive, and it's difficult." Instead, for $300,000, Richardson is now free to pursue other options. And Simmons' official record is clean. "This was an investment we couldn't afford not to make for the future of our school system," Quirk said. Successor search The process of searching for a successor has just begun. It will probably include forums where members of the community can weigh in with what they want to see in the next superintendent. The process could take more than half a year. In the meantime, Interim Superintendent Carolyn Bukhair has temporarily returned to the job from which she retired in 2004. Simmons' departure marks the second leader in RISD to leave before serving three years. But Quirk said the loss of Simmons' predecessor, Jim Nelson, was simply a matter of a good choice discovering a job he liked better. Nelson left to become the executive director of AVID, a national program to help disadvantaged students qualify for college. "He got snatched out from under us," Quirk said. Simmons' departure has not been nearly so amicable. Does that mean the board will use a different process to choose his successor? "We'll be more rigorous in our due diligence," Quirk said. WHAT YOU SAID We asked readers what they thought about David Simmons' abrupt resignation recently on the Dallas Morning News' Richardson blog. A sample of their responses: "I'm sure there were other factors involved in the departure of Dr. Simmons, but I know that the 'philosophical differences' with the district were not that far off from the truth. I sat in many meetings with him, and I actually liked him and truly believed he had the children's best interests at heart. P.S. Giving a $300K departure check is disgusting. It wasn't that long ago they were proposing shutting down the RISD Planetarium due to the fact that it would save the district about that amount!" RISD Parent "As a teacher who has served under multiple superintendents, I must say that Dr. Simmons is one of the better that I have seen. He is clear, competent, and consistent as a leader and develops an understanding of where he is trying to go among all employees. I am sure that RISD and board will see his value much more after he is gone, than while he served." Steven "I know you are excited to hear about the vision of more emphasis on SAT, merit scholars, vocational programs, as am I. But I honestly believe that the TAKS emphasis will remain the same (which is over-the-top insanity) and admin will now just ADD additional emphasis in these other areas, stressing teachers out even more." Callie "I trust the RISD school board, as I know several of them. They do only what they think is best for all students in the RISD. The decision and statements about Mr. Simmons were, I'm sure, made thoughtfully, with the best interests of RISD in mind ... RISD is fortunate to have a school board focused on achievement of high, middle, and lower achieving students." Robin Patterson "Baloney! If it were truly only a difference in philosophy, they would not have chosen this time frame, 3 weeks before school starts, to force his resignation. Hopefully, they would not have agreed to pay an otherwise competent leader $300,000 of taxpayer money to do nothing for the district, while RISD conducts business without a clear leader ... I feel that the board is not being truthful or straightforward with us." Raymie HOW RICHARDSON ISD FARED UNDER SIMMONS Under Superintendent David Simmons (2007-09), the Richardson school district was generally high-achieving by a number of measures. TAKS scores were strong, and the percentage of high achievers increased in subjects such as 10th-grade math: Year Percent passing Percent commended 2005 75 24 2006 74 27 2007 79 31 2008 78 31 2009 82 31 Student performance on national exams, such as the math portion of the SAT, outpaced the state average: Year RISD average score Texas average score 2004-05 544 502 2005-06 547 506 2006-07 540 507 2007-08 538 505 On the other hand, performance declined in some categories, like the percentage of students who excelled on AP exams: Year Percentage scoring 3 or higher: 2004-05 59 2005-06 61 2006-07 62 2007-08* 53 And the number of National Merit Finalists in the district has generally declined since before Simmons arrived: Year Number of finalists 2004 20 2005 25 2006 14 2007 16 2008 16 2009 7 SOURCES: Texas Education Agency; The College Board; Richardson ISD |
| Where next for David Simmons? Contacting Tyler ISD and nearby districts for updates . . . . Will post as news comes available. |
| HISD's high school chief resigns Houston ISD School Zone Houston Chronicle blog Posted by Ericka Mellon at June 21, 2010 04:45 PM David Simmons, Houston ISD's chief officer over high schools, officially has resigned, citing "unforeseen personal circumstances," four months after Superintendent Terry Grier hired him for the $165,000-a-year job. Here's the catch: Simmons' official resignation date isn't until Sept. 24, though he's not expected to work through then. HISD spokesman Norm Uhl explains that Simmons has accrued leave time from working in other Texas school districts — he abruptly resigned as superintendent of Richardson ISD in August. Uhl wasn't sure whether HISD or the state has to foot the bill for Simmons' salary for the next three months. When former HISD Superintendent Abelardo Saavedra left, HISD taxpayers were on the hook for half-a-million dollars in unused time off. Uhl asked that I submit a formal open records request to find out how much, if any, HISD will have to pay for Simmons' second abrupt resignation. We hope to get the information soon (hint, hint, HISD). Simmons submitted a four-sentence resignation letter to Grier dated June 17: After careful consideration and discussion with my family, I do hereby submit my resignation with the Houston Independent School District effective September 24, 2010. This decision is based on unforeseen personal circumstances that have occurred since beginning my work with the district in February. I truly have appreciated the opportunity to work with you, Dr. Morris, Board of Trustees, and the very talented staff in the district. I wish you all the best and continued success as you pursue the goal of becoming the premier school district. View the resignation letter for yourself here. Simmons doesn't elaborate on the personal issues. When Simmons left Richardson ISD without explanation, Jeffrey Weiss, a reporter for the Dallas Morning News noted in a blog post searching for answers that Simmons had recently divorced. Grier told us last week that Simmons had taken medical leave. My e-mail to Simmons and the phone message I left with his secretary were not returned. |
| Houston ISD headquarters |