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 . Copyright 1999-2006 Peyton Wolcott |
| National School District Honor Roll |
| ROSTER OF HONOR ROLL DISTRICTS (40 AND COUNTING) ALREADY POSTING OR COMMITTED TO POSTING - ROSTER here |
| WHY A NATIONAL SCHOOL DISTRICT HONOR ROLL? Ever since public schools transitioned from being places where our young people were educated and into what Dallas Morning News columnist Scott Parks calls "big pots of money" benefiting the power, status and comfort of the administrators who run them, increasingly superintendents have lost sight of the fact that these enterprises are fueled not by private contributions but by forced taxes, most often on peoples' homes. When parents and taxpayers try to look into the operations of their districts, the tendency has been for administrators to circle the wagons and challenge requests for information by using a variety of dodges. This happens in every state. A district's willingness to voluntarily post its checks online introduces transparency and will hopefully help reduce the excesses and corruption we've seen in Roslyn and Dallas ISD, to name just two recent examples. Hats off to the leadership listed here. |
| TOWARDS A GREATER FISCAL TRANSPARENCY: ANNOUNCING THE NATIONAL SCHOOL DISTRICT HONOR ROLL By Peyton Wolcott Oct. 20, 2006 (Pub. EducationNews.org) |
| "Across the Continent" Currier & Ives, 1868 |
| If your district is posting its checks online, please send me the URL. |
| If your district isn't posting its checks online--why not? |
| New Caney ISD board; supe Rick Cowan center rear |
| Nederland ISD supe Gail Krohn |
| San Angelo ISD trustee Terry Bader |
| Spring Branch ISD board (supe Duncan Klussmann 2nd left, rear) |
| UPDATE Friday, Oct. 20, 2006/4:33 p.m. Friends, is YOUR district publishing its checks online? If so, please email me so I can add your district's name to this new National School District Honor Roll. If your district is not publishing its checks online--and in a format citizens can readily access--why not? As Nederland and New Caney ISD's have already shown the nation, it can be done. As of this afternoon, brand new to this brand new list is San Angelo ISD--more about them next week. For any doubting Thomases out there wondering if a good-sized district really can pull this off, Spring Branch ISD is about to give the nation a simple step-by-step how-to. Thank you, Nederland, New Caney and San Angelo! Thank you, SBISD! -- Peyton Wolcott |
| Big Spring ISD $ 27,456,184 3,795 Blackwell CISD $ 2,249,225 132 Bremond ISD $ 4,906,776 470 Dallas ISD $ 1,843,171,265 157,743 Katy ISD $ 430,492,412 44,212 Lovejoy ISD $ 41,651,680 1,116 Malakoff ISD $ 31,138,298 1,197 Marble Falls ISD $ 35,294,964 3,845 Nederland ISD $ 36,513,845 5,138 New Caney ISD $ 88,564,650 7,572 San Angelo ISD $ 117,446,298 14,653 Spring Branch ISD $ 398,193,362 32,259 DISTRICTS COMING ONLINE Arlington ISD $ 693,404,819 62,160 Houston ISD $ 2,266,615,377 208,454 Keller ISD $ 398,213,868 23,665 McKinney ISD $ 303,932,397 17,857 Richardson ISD $ 440,253,311 34,073 Temple ISD $ 97,874,143 8,105 Ysleta ISD $ 436,804,801 46,278 GRAND TOTAL: LOCAL: $ 7.7 BILLION STATE: $ 16.6 BILLION More districts coming on board; will publish their names as soon as they are announced. Note: These figures are in 2004-05 actuals, the most recent published by the Texas Education Agency. |
How we take back our children's education: one person, one question, one school at a time. |
AASA - American Association of School Administrators ASA - Association of School Administrators CSD - Consolidated School District DOE - Department of Education ES - Elementary School HS - High School ISD - Independent School District JHS - Junior High School MS - Middle School MSM - Mainstream media NSBA - National School Boards Association NSPRA - National School Public Relations Association PS - Public School(s) SBEC - State Board for Educator Certification SD - School District Sup't - Superintendent TAKS - Texas Assessment of Knowledge & Skills TASA - Texas Association of School Administrators TASB - Texas Association of School Boards TASBO - Texas Association of School Business Officials TEA - Texas Education Agency TEKS - Texas Essential Knowledge & Skills USD - UnifiedUnited School District |
| GUIDE |
| FAIR USE NOTICE: This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of education issues vital to a republic. We believe this constitutes a "fair use" of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C., Chapter 1, Section 107 which states: the fair use of a copyrighted work, including such use by reproduction in copies or phonorecords or by any other means specified by that section, for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright," the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond "fair use" you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. |
| QUOTES |
Separatists in India's north-eastern state of Manipur have shot six male teachers in the leg for allegedly helping students cheat in exams. Two women teachers were beaten with sticks for the same offence, the rebels of the Kanglei Yana Kan Lup group said. The teachers were abducted from their homes after an exam on Thursday. The rebels said the teachers took up to 5,000 rupees ($110) for helping students cheat and warned of further punishment if the cheating continued. The Kanglei Yana Kan Lup (KYKL) is one of many separatist groups fighting Indian administration in Manipur. It said it abducted the eight teachers from their homes in and around the state capital, Imphal, because of reports they had taken bribes. --By Subir Bhaumik - BBC |
| ATTENTION EDUCATORS AND ADMINISTRATORS: Every attempt possible has been made to verify all sources and information. In the event you feel an error has been made, please contact us immediately. Thank you. |
| Copyright 1999-2007 Peyton Wolcott |
| POP QUIZ: How do you yourself know for a fact that your state or local supe is actually using the funds entrusted to them for the correct purposes? |
David v. Goliath: How America's Moms & Dads are taking on Education, Inc. PEYTON WOLCOTT |
| QUERY THE SUPE & THE PR GUY |
TO:
KATHY COX-GEORGIA
SUP'T OF SCHOOLS &
CEO-GEORGIA DOE
CC:
DANA TOFIG-
GEORGIA DOE
PUBLIC INFO. OFCR.
DATE: JAN. 22, 2006
Can you please send me
the annual dollar
amount for each school
year (the five annual fiscal
cycles 2000-2005) that the
Georgia Public Schools
DOE has spent with
vendor Computer
Consulting Services
Corp., described as a
consultant to Georgia's
DOE.
KATHY COX-GEORGIA
SUP'T OF SCHOOLS &
CEO-GEORGIA DOE
CC:
DANA TOFIG-
GEORGIA DOE
PUBLIC INFO. OFCR.
DATE: JAN. 22, 2006
Can you please send me
the annual dollar
amount for each school
year (the five annual fiscal
cycles 2000-2005) that the
Georgia Public Schools
DOE has spent with
vendor Computer
Consulting Services
Corp., described as a
consultant to Georgia's
DOE.
| STATUS: No response rec'd from Sup't Gray as of Sept. 27, 2006 |
| QUERY THE SUPE (& CC THE BOARD) |
DATE FIRST SENT:
FEB. 14, 2006
RE-SENT 03/26/06
Dear Strongsville
Superintendent
James Gray:
I'm hoping you can
clear something up for
me for my book and
website regarding your
standards for
administrative
practices in
Strongsville as there
have been not one but
two situations this past
year warranting
scrutiny....
Regarding special ed
teacher Christine
Scarlett's offering a
date with herself as a
grades incentive
1. What rules/
guidelines do you now
have in place to
assure that nothing
like this happens
again? Would these
be administrative
changes or has your
board set specific
policies in place for
you to follow in future?
2. Rumors of an affair
between Scarlett and
Bradigan persisted for
several months. You
have stated that you
have no idea such an
affair was going on.
Do you feel the fact
that you are
commuting from your
home in Akron (if this
has changed, please
let me know) has
adversely impacted
your ability to monitor
what's going on with
your employees in the
Strongsville
community in an
important and
sensitive area such as
this? Has your board
since made a
condition of your
employment that you
move to Strongsville
and become an
integral part of their
community?
Regarding the sex
education booklet
placed last fall in
young children's
lockers
4. What guidelines
did you follow from
your established
board's policies for
such?
5. There appears to
be a growing number
of parents who want to
be consulted before
such materials are
given to their students.
As one mom put it,
"What's wrong with so
many people in the
educational fields that
they don't even think
twice about providing
children with
inappropriate
materials and not even
consider the parents
wishes....Their tactics
mirror those used in
Communist China and
Cuba where children
are considered not
children of parents, but
wards of the State."
While this is clearly the
statement of an upset
parent, it does raise an
interesting issue
regarding public
school administrators
in the U.S. Do you
consider the students
in your schools yours
to educate as you
deem best or the
offspring of parents to
be consulted before
disseminating such
materials?
Regarding trainings
and conferences
6. Of which
education-related
associations are you
and Strongsville City
Schools a member?
What are these
organizations'
guidelines for
disseminating such
materials?
7. In which
education-related
conferences have
your and your staff
participated this past
year? Where were
they and what were
the costs for each?
Have you attended any
other seminars,
workshops or the like
offering guidance in
this area, and what
were those costs?
It may well be that
there are perfectly
reasonable
explanations for your
approving the placing
sex-education
pamphlets in young
students' lockers
without notifying
parents first, and it may
also well be that there
is a perfectly
reasonable
explanation for your
allowing a teacher to
offer a date at the Dairy
Queen with herself to a
young student; if so, I
am eager to learn such
reason or reasons.
==================
She said the booklet,
which also provides
information on the need for
parental consent for
abortion and a Web
address for the
Lesbian/Gay Community
Service Center of Greater
Cleveland, is
inappropriate for
11-year-olds. I believe
some sex education needs
to be given, but when
subjects are discussed or
material is given to kids of
this nature, a notice
should be sent home to
the parent and they should
be allowed to opt out of
the program if they wish,
Fleming said. School
Superintendent James
Gray said he gave an OK
for the pocket-sized
directories, which were
provided to the district by
United Way Services in
conjunction with the
county health department
and county commissioners,
to be given to students at
the high school, middle
schools and to sixth
graders. Gray said he
received two calls from
parents who took
exception to the booklet's
content. I understand that
and probably, in
retrospect, I should have
considered sending a
letter along with it as far
as an explanation, he
said, adding, this is a
developing situation. I
don't know what we are
going to do at this point.
Colleen Grady, a city
resident and a member of
the state school board,
said she got calls from four
parents concerned about
their children getting the
directory. Grady, who is
also a former city school
board member, said she
has not personally seen
the publication, but they
(parents) read me sections
over the telephone. She
said the state board of
education may wish to
make a legislative
recommendation to the
Ohio general assembly,
and the board could also
consider discussion about
adoption of a model policy
for the distribution of such
materials. Gray said there
will be continued
discussion, in the district's
curriculum and pupil
services departments on
whether to curtail
distribution of materials
which are considered to
be sensitive, particularly
for the younger kids.
FEB. 14, 2006
RE-SENT 03/26/06
Dear Strongsville
Superintendent
James Gray:
I'm hoping you can
clear something up for
me for my book and
website regarding your
standards for
administrative
practices in
Strongsville as there
have been not one but
two situations this past
year warranting
scrutiny....
Regarding special ed
teacher Christine
Scarlett's offering a
date with herself as a
grades incentive
1. What rules/
guidelines do you now
have in place to
assure that nothing
like this happens
again? Would these
be administrative
changes or has your
board set specific
policies in place for
you to follow in future?
2. Rumors of an affair
between Scarlett and
Bradigan persisted for
several months. You
have stated that you
have no idea such an
affair was going on.
Do you feel the fact
that you are
commuting from your
home in Akron (if this
has changed, please
let me know) has
adversely impacted
your ability to monitor
what's going on with
your employees in the
Strongsville
community in an
important and
sensitive area such as
this? Has your board
since made a
condition of your
employment that you
move to Strongsville
and become an
integral part of their
community?
Regarding the sex
education booklet
placed last fall in
young children's
lockers
4. What guidelines
did you follow from
your established
board's policies for
such?
5. There appears to
be a growing number
of parents who want to
be consulted before
such materials are
given to their students.
As one mom put it,
"What's wrong with so
many people in the
educational fields that
they don't even think
twice about providing
children with
inappropriate
materials and not even
consider the parents
wishes....Their tactics
mirror those used in
Communist China and
Cuba where children
are considered not
children of parents, but
wards of the State."
While this is clearly the
statement of an upset
parent, it does raise an
interesting issue
regarding public
school administrators
in the U.S. Do you
consider the students
in your schools yours
to educate as you
deem best or the
offspring of parents to
be consulted before
disseminating such
materials?
Regarding trainings
and conferences
6. Of which
education-related
associations are you
and Strongsville City
Schools a member?
What are these
organizations'
guidelines for
disseminating such
materials?
7. In which
education-related
conferences have
your and your staff
participated this past
year? Where were
they and what were
the costs for each?
Have you attended any
other seminars,
workshops or the like
offering guidance in
this area, and what
were those costs?
It may well be that
there are perfectly
reasonable
explanations for your
approving the placing
sex-education
pamphlets in young
students' lockers
without notifying
parents first, and it may
also well be that there
is a perfectly
reasonable
explanation for your
allowing a teacher to
offer a date at the Dairy
Queen with herself to a
young student; if so, I
am eager to learn such
reason or reasons.
==================
She said the booklet,
which also provides
information on the need for
parental consent for
abortion and a Web
address for the
Lesbian/Gay Community
Service Center of Greater
Cleveland, is
inappropriate for
11-year-olds. I believe
some sex education needs
to be given, but when
subjects are discussed or
material is given to kids of
this nature, a notice
should be sent home to
the parent and they should
be allowed to opt out of
the program if they wish,
Fleming said. School
Superintendent James
Gray said he gave an OK
for the pocket-sized
directories, which were
provided to the district by
United Way Services in
conjunction with the
county health department
and county commissioners,
to be given to students at
the high school, middle
schools and to sixth
graders. Gray said he
received two calls from
parents who took
exception to the booklet's
content. I understand that
and probably, in
retrospect, I should have
considered sending a
letter along with it as far
as an explanation, he
said, adding, this is a
developing situation. I
don't know what we are
going to do at this point.
Colleen Grady, a city
resident and a member of
the state school board,
said she got calls from four
parents concerned about
their children getting the
directory. Grady, who is
also a former city school
board member, said she
has not personally seen
the publication, but they
(parents) read me sections
over the telephone. She
said the state board of
education may wish to
make a legislative
recommendation to the
Ohio general assembly,
and the board could also
consider discussion about
adoption of a model policy
for the distribution of such
materials. Gray said there
will be continued
discussion, in the district's
curriculum and pupil
services departments on
whether to curtail
distribution of materials
which are considered to
be sensitive, particularly
for the younger kids.
| CONTACT: Peyton Wolcott P.O. Box 9068 Horseshoe Bay, TX 78657 peyton@peytonwolcott.com |
| F o c u s i n g o n accountability f i r s t |
| There's an old Currier & Ives print above my washing machine I look at every time I start the laundry. "Across the Continent" depicts an 1868-era frontier town at the edge of civilization, with a train chugging towards a blue-skied horizon. Prominent is a central building clearly marked, "Public School." For many of us, our local public schools are central to our communities, treasured institutions. They are also the places to which we entrust our children for their education. But our treasured institutions have reached a state of crisis. They are failing to educate our children. Parents knew fuzzy math was a fuzzy idea and mostly our administrators wouldn't listen to us, with the result that over half of our kids entering college--those lucky enough not to have dropped out of high school--need remedial work. Further, there is a widespread perception that our schools are corrupt at the top, this perception fueled by the latest local rumors about lavish travel and meals, plus payoffs of all sorts by vendors meaning to do commerce at the schoolhouse. Alarmed at declining standards and fueled by rumors of corruption, parents and citizens have begun filing public records requests to view checks and receipts and have been generally rebuffed in this undertaking by administrators who appear to have forgotten that they are spending taxpayer dollars on $35 steaks and $250 hotel rooms. Worse, many times these same administrators are using additional taxpayer dollars to hire law firms so they can dodge producing receipts and check registers. As with many a complex problem, often the best solution is the simplest. The quickest and fastest way to slice through this Gordion knot is for public school districts to start posting their check registers online. To encourage this, I have instituted the National School District Honor Roll, starting with three school districts, all in Texas, who are either already posting their check registers online or will be by Thanksgiving. Any district that will undertake to do this gets their name on the roll on my website. It's hard to imagine any superintendent in our great republic being able to come up with a decent reason for not wanting their district's financial operations to be perceived by their parents and taxpayers as being completely clean and transparent, sooner rather than later. Copyright 2006 Peyton Wolcott - All rights reserved |
| ALREADY ONLINE Total receipts, District All funds Students |
| UPDATED Mar. 14, 2007: 40 Texas school districts taking the lead in transparency! $ 7.7 billion! Plus the texas education agency $16.6 billion |
| Big Spring ISD supe Michael Downes |
| TEN DISTRICTS ADDED IN TWO MONTHS! By Peyton Wolcott Dec. 13, 2006 - 11:30 p.m. When this project started a few short months ago, we were hard-pressed to name even a few school districts posting their check registers online. You'll see at right the names of only eight districts; this is because two have asked to have their names kept confidential for another few months, which request must of course be honored. |
| ONE MORE! By Peyton Wolcott Dec. 19, 2006 - 11 p.m. With Marble Falls ISD's commitment at last night's board meeting to post their check register online, the numbers at right have--happily--again been revised. |
| (continued) "the State has finally decided that there's enough concern that they've made one investigative trip and now they're coming back February 26; additional informa- tion allowed them to return. More people are still coming forward." |
| (continued) As former trustee Mary McGarr recalls, "They would only give the entire board one copy of the check register, and I was the only one who looked at it. And it took me months of asking to get that one copy." |
| CLEBURNE ISD |
| KATY ISD |
| Mary McGarr's updated Modern Minuteman page here, including her account as a sitting Katy ISD of the hiring of Leonard Merrell as their supe in 1995. |
| Harold Gentry |
More coming regarding Katy ISD, including recent transpar- ency issues. Please check back. Thank you --Peyton |
More coming with latest news from Cleburne ISD including TEA investigation, more. Please check back. Thank you -- Peyton |
| LANCASTER ISD |
More coming regarding Lancaster ISD. Please check back. Thank you -- Peyton |
| COMAL ISD |
| Former Comal ISD trustee Rose Cervin (above at board meeting) has been, along with her husband Calvin Kempin, asking Comal ISD to post its check register online. |
| Rose Cervin |
| Wednesday, May 23, 2007/10 a.m. Friends, this page is being updated--we're adding so many new districts so quickly. Why has this true grassroots movement taken off as quickly as it has? Parents and taxpayers want to see more closely and particularly how their schools are spending the money entrusted to them for the education of our children. Will be posting updates tomorrow; in the meantime, more about school districts' check registers online here and here and here. |
| --Peyton |