| 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 |
How we take back our children's education: one person, one question, one school at a time. |
Friends, because there's now so much on this site--reports, commentaries, book excerpts, all designed to help you bring improvements to your local schools--I'm in the process of preparing a site map. Underlining indicates active links. Please check back. SITE MAP NEW COMMENTARIES: RANDOM ROUND-UPS ACCOUNTABILITY & OPEN RECORDS ISSUES: School District Checks/Check Registers Online Connecting the Dots Pass the Trash Reader Q & A's SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation) Transparency Report ____ GOVERNANCE ISSUES: The American Superintendency Team of Eight ____ Arizona Nogales USD Pima County Ofc. of Ed. Santa Cruz County OE California Glenn County Ofc. of Ed. San Francisco USD Florida Citrus County PS Miami-Dade County PS Michigan Ann Arbor New York New York PS Roslyn Ohio Strongsville PS Texas Bremond ISD Cleburne ISD Dallas ISD Eanes ISD Edgewood ISD Everman ISD Houston ISD Katy ISD La Joya ISD Lake Travis ISD Llano ISD State Board of Education ____ Edu-Conferences ____ BOOK EXCERPTS: Education, Inc. How To File a Public Records Request How To Organize Lax Oversight ____ WHAT OTHER FOLKS ARE DOING: MODERN MINUTEMEN SUCCESS STORIES, KINDRED SPIRITS ____ COMMENTARY ARCHIVES ___ SPECIAL REPORTS: TEXAS LEGE: TEA POWER GRAB PAYING FOR TEXAS PUBLIC EDUCATION: A PRIMER ____ About/In the News 2006 - Year in Review |
| 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. |
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 |
My New Book PEYTON WOLCOTT |
| QUERY THE SUPE & THE PR GUY |
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-relate
d associations
are you and
Strongsville City
Schools a
member? What
are these
organizations'
guidelines for
disseminating
such materials?
7. In which
education-relate
d 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.
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-relate
d associations
are you and
Strongsville City
Schools a
member? What
are these
organizations'
guidelines for
disseminating
such materials?
7. In which
education-relate
d 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.
| STATUS: One year later, no response rec'd from Sup't Gray |
| QUOTES |
| QUERY THE SUPE (& CC THE BOARD) |
N E W When sending your email, please in the subject line include some reference to your msg. such as name of school district, issue. Why: increasing spam levels. If you don't hear from me in 2-3 days, please resend with a bit more information in the subject line. Thank you. CONTACT: Peyton Wolcott P.O. Box 9068 Horseshoe Bay, TX 78657 peyton@peytonwolcott.com Want to subscribe to my newsletter? Send an email marked "Subscribe." |
| F o c u s i n g o n accountability f i r s t |
| TEA's check register: |
Online School District Check Registers Here here here Modern Edu- Monopoly (mike moses) here Random Round-Ups Here 2006 - Year in Review here Nov.-Dec. 2006 commen- taries here Pass the Trash here SLAPP reports here and here Reader Q&As Edgewood ISD 95 Questions |
| Conservative Commentary |
| CONTACT |
| "Superintendents and school boards would have to be willing to be perceived as being anti-open government and anti-transparency to turn down your request that they post their check registers online." |
KEY POINT: "Superin- tendents and school boards would have to be willing to be perceived as being anti-open government and anti- transparency to turn down your request that they post their check registers online." --Peyton Wolcott |
Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall. --President Ronald Reagan |
| Being a brief account of the short history of The National School District Honor Roll's voluntary online check register project |
ONLY 9 EASY STEPS TO ACCESS DALLAS ISD'S CHECK REGISTER ONLINE: STEP 1 START HERE: www.dallasisd.org STEP 2 ON THE LEFT (GREY BOX 'QUICKLINKS') CHOOSE: Board of Trustees STEP 3 YOU'LL SEE 2 GREY LINES OF TYPE; FROM 2nd LINE CHOOSE: Meeting Agendas STEP 4 SCROLL DOWN; FOR THE MOST RECENT CHECK REGISTER CHOOSE THE MOST RECENT "BOARD BRIEFINGS" ------ STEP 5 CHOOSE: FEB. 8, 2007 STEP 6 FIND "Briefing Meeting - February 8, 2007 11:30AM STEP 7 CLICK ON: "AGENDA PACKET" STEP 8 SCROLL DOWN TO 4. FINANCIAL SERVICES (Business Services Division) b. Ratification of List of Bills, Claims and Accounts for Demember 1, 2006 to December 31, 2006 ($74,044,519.08) STEP 9 CLICK ON "BillsClaims_ Attachment" VOILA! YOU'VE JUST ACCESSED DALLAS ISD'S CHECK REGISTER IN ONLY 9 --COUNT 'EM, 9-- EASY STEPS! |
| New Reader Q & A's here |
A second look at Katy ISD's software developer Xpediant Leonard Merrell's choice of technology consultants was Xpediant, LLC, which had to change its name after it was reported on this website on April 17, 2006 that "according to sources within the Texas Secretary of State's office this morning, Xpediant, LLC, 'in our world here doesn't have an active entity status' and has been in a state of forfeiture since February 13, 2003 because 'they didn't do their state franchise taxes,' with the result that Xpediant 'has no entity status and no liability shield.' Xpediant's 2003 return has not yet been received, making it almost three years overdue." Alas. When Xpediant's owners went to fix things in Austin, they discovered their no-longer- viable company's name had been taken by someone else, so they had to find a new name. |
Mon., Feb. 26, 2007 9:46 am update: Here's the URL for DISD's most recent checks online--I've activated the link several times this past week, but it still doesn't work; apparently DISD wants its parents and taxpayers to follow all 9 of the above steps. After being contacted by media outlets in the DFW area, have this morning contacted DISD PR guy Celso Martinez for an update. www.boardbook. org/apps/bbv2/te mp/FEA97082-E7 FF-035D-147A76 7667FA7F25.pdf |
| SEEING IS BELIEVING Katy ISD supe Leonard Merrell's self-named "Leonard E. Merrell Center" (above) at Katy ISD bears his name not once but twice, the only such edifice in the U.S. which a working supe has named for himself. |
Armand Fusco's '13 Guiding Principles' 1. Assume that fraud, theft, and embezzlement are occurring— look for it. 2. Assume that mismanagement exists— look for it. 3. Assume that there is waste in the system— look for it. 4. Assume that financial management controls are inadequate— constantly review and tighten the process. 5. Assume that staff has not been properly trained and educated in budget management— provide on-going training particularly for key personnel. 6. Assume that there are employees who know where there is fraud, waste, and mismanagement— encourage, reward, and resolutely protect “whistle-blowers.” 7. Assume that any report or information dealing with financial matters does not provide sufficient details— seek more details. 8. Assume that board policies are not being implemented properly— ask for progress reports. 9. Assume that audits do not uncover fraud— insist on forensic auditing. 10. Accept the fact that board members lack the skills and knowledge required to effectively monitor the budget— provide them with information and training. 11. Accept the fact that vigilance must be constant— good enough is never good enough. 12. Accept the fact that board members must have easy access to detailed information and data that are used to develop financial reports and monitor progress— seek to develop meaningful reporting systems. 13. Accept the fact that decisions made by the board will be scrutinized by the staff and the public to see if their financial rhetoric to protect school dollars from fraud, waste and mismanagement is matched against its actions— weigh every discretionary decision carefully for consistency and common-sense. --From "School Corruption: Betrayal of Children and the Public Trust" by Armand A. Fusco |
| March 6, 2007 Update Jessica's Law in Texas Hardcore child molesters could face the death penalty in Texas under a bill given preliminary approval today by the state House of Representatives. The bill is designed to crack down on sex offenders who repeatedly prey on children. The House voted to create a new category of crime, continual sexual abuse of a young child or children. It carries a minimum of 25 years to life in prison and possibly the death penalty for a second offense. The Texas version [of Jessica's Law] would make the Lone Star State the sixth to allow some child sex offenders to be sentenced to death....The bill also removes the statute of limitations for many sex crimes against children, including indecency with a child and aggravated sexual assault. The current limit to bring charges is 10 years after the victim's 18th birthday. |
| Redbuds blooming Texas Capitol Austin |
| UNBELIEVABLE BUT TRUE |
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 |
| For most parents, the phrase, "We're broke," means cutting back on discretionary spending such as stays at luxury hotels. Further, examples of such needless extravagances rub salt in the wounds of those budgeting hard to pay their taxes to fund their schools. 65% SOLUTION IN TEXAS Enter Overstocks.com founder Patrick Byrne's First Class Education which proposed that 65% of all education dollars be spent in the classroom. Texas Governor Rick Perry's signing of Executive Order RP 47 in August 2005 was the first such among the fifty states requiring that Texas schools move towards spending at least 65% of their budgets in the classroom; the formula referenced came from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). Enter Texas superintendents who had gotten used to not much oversight over their spending, primarily since the passage of then-state Senator Bill Ratliff's so-called education reforms in 1995 which had stripped local school boards of their power and given it to their superintendent. Enter the Texas Association of School Boards' "Team of Eight" training -- most Texas school boards have seven members -- which elevated the superintendents a pay grade to "teammate" from "employee," suddenly on a par with the elected school board members. You do not hold a fellow teammate accountable the same way you do an employee. School trustees were told not to "micromanage" but instead to allow their superintendent to take care of all administrative details including how the money got spent. Oops. So in this climate of superintendents-as-kings, rather than follow Perry's directive to use the NCES formula, Texas edu-missioner Shirley Neeley invited superintendents to help write a new version of the NCES formula, which they did. |
| NOW BETTER THAN THREE YEARS FROM NOW Because 2010 is three years away, and a lot of public money will have flown under public school bridges by then, it occurred to me last fall that a way to speed up the process would be to persuade and encourage school districts to post their check registers online -- voluntarily, well ahead of any legal requirements. Birth of the National School District Honor Roll: Oct. 1, 2006 When I started the National School District Honor Roll on October 1, 2006 on my website (www.peytonwolcott.com), it was with the names of only four small districts I'd found who were already posting their checks online. Dallas, then Spring Branch, then TEA, then Houston Dallas ISD, our second largest district in the state, came online Nov. 2, then Spring Branch ISD just before Thanksgiving. We got a tremendous jumpstart when Governor Perry, having heard about this grassroots movement, required the Texas Education Agency (like Departments of Education in other states) to post its checks online which it did starting Feb. 1, 2007. TEA's check register All $11.26 billion of TEA's checks for the previous five months are online now; you can see a small $43 reimbursement check to TEA's lawyer situated very near a total of almost a quarter-billion in payments to Dallas ISD. That same week I heard about Houston ISD (Texas' largest district) which had announced its intention to come online voluntarily ahead of schedule. And many small and mid-sized districts also, such that as of today 22 Texas districts are either online or in the process, with the result that $25.2 billion in total state edu-spending can be looked at online on a check-by-check basis.* Examples of possible online checks You can see $82 to Mark's Plumbing, $4,000 to American Master Visa for the supe's most recent luxury hotel stay at an edu-conference, and $378,655 to Worthless Reading Program for costs associated with introducing the program including books, study guides, manipulatives, and trainings for teachers and administrators so they can implement WRP--until their district's supe comes back from the next edu-conference with a bigger, better and more expensive new worthless edu-program. |
| Arlington ISD 0.633605579*** 0.631155223 Big Spring ISD 0.596351552 0.600303247 Blackwell ISD 0.539384206 0.550149374 Bremond ISD 0.58668739 0.598254839 Dallas ISD 0.588089076 0.581077643 Galena Park ISD 0.596365256 0.602403785 Houston ISD 0.60286458 0.587588341 Katy ISD 0.62046751 0.627618034 Keller ISD 0.626915329 0.615378206 Lovejoy ISD 0.592785318 0.499371052 Malakoff ISD 0.631413532 0.630248907 Marble Falls ISD 0.562927579 0.563153927 McKinney ISD 0.611053272 0.613080371 Nederland ISD 0.593926858 0.587033797 New Caney ISD 0.579392974 0.583876266 Richardson ISD 0.616448138 0.636082354 San Angelo ISD 0.617589603 0.607650375 Spring Branch ISD 0.601313426 0.613790562 Temple ISD 0.590685041 0.582327421 Ysleta ISD 0.604524154 0.598531846 ___________________ * As of March 31, 2007 ** Above information provided by the Texas Education Agency; 65% using NCES definition, functions 11, 36, 93 and 95 *** 1st line: 2004-2005 2nd line: 2005-2006 |
| History of the voluntary online school district check register project: "The National School District Honor Roll" By Peyton Wolcott - Copyright 2007 Updated Wednesday, April 18, 2007 - 9:01 a.m. |
| From a Horseshoe Bay, Texas laptop to proposed state legislation in six months-- time to celebrate! |
| How I came to start this project |
| When a 'Loophole' is not |
| o Eight years ago we returned to Texas; Horseshoe Bay is in the heart of the Hill Country, an hour northwest of Austin and ninety minutes north of San Antonio. o Marble Falls ISD or Llano ISD? We sent our daughter to nearby Marble Falls High School rather than our own school district, Llano ISD, because MFHS was 15 minutes away versus 35 minutes for LHS, and paid out-of-district fees to do so. o I became an active volunteer at MFHS-- PTO secretary, founded the Chorale Boosters, made soup, did xeroxing, etc. o As an active volunteer you notice things the average parent wouldn't. Plus there were some unfortunate scandals occurring at that time. o First TPIA request When I submitted my first Texas Public Information Act request--too broadly written--to MFISD, the then-supe presented me with a bill for $426; wondered afterwards why she supe hadn't instead invited me in for a friendly chat. o TSPR audit Began lobbying for then-Comptroller Carole Strayhorn to bring the best accountability tool available at that time, the Texas School Performance Review, to MFISD--despite strenuous objections by the then-MFISD admin. and then-board. Carole announced the MFISD TSPR audit on Dec. 10, 2002. o Helped organize first group - PEAK$ Because of our concerns about dress code violations and rumors about drug use at MFHS, we formed a loose organization and got our new dress code and drug dogs. When the then-supe, who insisted we had no drug problems, failed to get the high weeds mowed down out in back for the Ag building, some parents took direct action and did it themselves. o Problems surfacing in Llano ISD Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Llano ISD's then-supe Jack Patton had been arrested over the receipt for a pricey restaurant tab at a TASA/TASB convention; he eventually became Texas' first Public Information Act conviction. o Out of retirement Because Llano ISD is where our property taxes were going, I began reading about the problems with Patton in our local paper. When the reporter's byline suddenly disappeared and the feisty little paper began publishing what appeared to be PR rather than news, I picked up the phone, called the editor, and suddenly found myself covering education news for the local group of weeklies and so I did. o LISD CFO's "Oops" When the CFO, who was a CPA, came to LISD board meetings without having balanced the district's checkbook, I reported. Ditto for the CFO's distributing financial change pages in the middle of board meetings. Ditto for the financial errors the CFO discovered mid-report to the board. The "oops" became headlines. (MORE COMING) |
| POSIT: Texas school districts already posting their check registers online voluntarily are taking advantage of a loophole. FACT: According to F.I.R.S.T. rules, the option of posting their check registers online for failing to meet the 65% formula is not available until the year 2010--three years from now. (Continued below) |
| TEA'S 65% TASK FORCE The resulting formula is big enough to drive a pickup truck filled with either cash or copper tubing through. Here's the step progression for its implementation: 55% by this school year, 60% by 2007-08, and 65% by 2008-09. A possible out for those districts failing to make their steps was to post their check register (checkbook) online, meaning most districts would not be required to post until at the earliest 2009 or 2010 (see the list in the pink box at right), with the presumable intent of shaming them into efficiency. Again, because of the generosity of the formula, the mark most districts would miss -- if they missed at all -- would be 65% and the earliest they'd therefore legally be required to post their check registers online would be 2010. |
| TEA 65% Task Force hearing October 2005, Austin |
| FROM GRASSROOTS TO PROPOSED LEGISLATION IN SIX MONTHS Texas representative Bill Zedler of Arlington heard about the success of this grassroots movement and has introduced legislation (HB 2560) which would require all Texas school districts to post their check registers online starting Sept. 1, 2007 regardless of where they are in the 55-60-65 progression. Said Zedler recently, "I think school districts' posting their check registers online is a great idea. I feel the more transparency we have, it makes us all better at what we're supposed to do because it makes us more accountable. I was glad to learn that one of my own districts, Arlington ISD, is about to go online." Regarding a planned change to the bill in the form of a committee substitute, Zedler commented, "This bill will not create or give people a loophole. Posting checks online will not be used as a reason to not reach the 65% mark," and added, "It's important for the trustees and taxpayers to know exactly how the money is being spent." I have been invited to testify on behalf of this bill in Austin; at least a half-dozen volunteers in this movement will be testifying also. Most are or have been trustees in their home school districts and all are traveling to Austin on their own dime. MOTIVE: LOOPHOLE--THE RIGHT THING TO DO? Why have so many districts voluntarily posted online? Although it's been theorized that school districts posting online, the numbers at right furnished last week by the Texas Education Agency show this is far from true; in fact, of those districts posting online voluntarily, only one would have been required to do so--and that district not until next year. By posting their check registers online public school districts are giving the keys to the sausage factory to their parents and taxpayers. Some sausage is really great, and some needs a new production line. |
| Texas state representative Bill Zedler |
| BACKGROUND As expenses continue to skyrocket in our public schools while at the same time our vendor-driven curriculums decline, we have the result that our kids aren't being well educated and it's costing a lot more money to do it. Parents in many states, especially Texas, have this past decade begun filing public records requests to find out what can be done in their own local schools to control costs, many times these requests triggered by visible incidences of waste and extravagance. One example would be superintendent Nola Wellman in the Austin suburbs; "We're broke," she told a TV news reporter -- at about the same time two moms who have been investigating the district's finances and other records found receipts for items such as Wellman's stay at the Adolphus, a luxury hotel in Dallas. |
| WHICH IS IT? Texas supe Nola Wellman (right) telling Channel 8 TV reporter "We're broke"-- while staying at luxury hotels such as Dallas's Adolphus |
| Small-town Texas school board meeting--where it's legal for trustees to do bidness with their district |
| Texas Education Agency Austin, Texas |
| TEXAS FINANCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY RATING SYSTEM There's a phase-in period for the 65% rule here in Texas: o 2006-07: 55% o 2007-08: 60% o 2008-09 65% According to the cite from TEA below, no Texas school districts have the option of posting their check registers online because they failed to meet the 65% in-the-classroom mark until 2010. Here's the cite from TEA: Attachment II - Text of Adopted Amendment to 19 TAC Chapter 109. Budgeting, Accounting, and Auditing Subchapter AA. Commissioner's Rules Concerning Financial Accountability Rating System §109.1002. Financial Accountability Ratings. (a) (2) (D) A district that does not meet the 65% instructional expenditure standard (Indicator 13)[16)] may publish on their website their check register (excluding their payroll register) and their yearly payroll expenditure and receive full credit (3 [(5] points) for this indicator. The district must notify the TEA within the 30-day review process that they have posted their register on the district's website and provide the website address to receive credit for this indicator. |
| QUESTION: How is doing something voluntarily in 2006 or 2007 -- three to four years ahead of schedule -- taking advantage of a loophole which would not apply until 2010? |
| Texas school districts already posting online * (55-60-65 progression) ** |