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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 |
"Walk softly and carry a big stick." -- Teddy Roosevelt "Trust but verify." -- Ronald Reagan |
| Just because you can doesn't mean you should. |
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| JULY 1-15, 2009 |
| Houston ISD supe Abe Saavedra at the podium celebrating what the Mexican American School Boards Association called their "Triple Crown": Abe in Houston, Rubén Olivárez in San Antonio, and Mike Hinojosa in Dallas. (Photo taken by Peyton Wolcott at TASB/TASA convention - Dallas, October 2005) |
QUICK LINKS TO 09.30.08
When will AASA, TASA & the other 49 state administrator associations start promoting pre-embezzlement internal trainings to school superintendents? When will our school superintendents and school board members start paying closer attention to their fiduciary duty-of-care responsibilities? They must -- and now -- if our great public schools are to remain strong and locally governed. |
| Connie Calloway (Collage by Peyton Wolcott) INSET: Former Katy ISD (TX) supe Leonard Merrell was my first historical collage, here as King George III. Thanks to readers for their suggestions; who knows who'll be next? |
"The CEO's of the United States are the Louis XIV's of the 21st century." --Gerald Celente |
| Frankie Wong (R) of Dallas ISD's Yachtgate tech scandal (PHOTO--J. Mahoney/Dallas News) |
| Wong's "Sir Veza" used by DISD exec Ruben Bohuchot, renamed the "Rehab" |
| "I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies. If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around [the banks] will deprive the people of all property until their children wake-up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered. The issuing power should be taken from the banks and restored to the people, to whom it properly belongs." --Thomas Jefferson |
| The nation's 1st & only daily conservative public education commentary |
| 1773 Boston Tea Party |
| ______________________________ |
| Former school superintendent in Ohio pleads not guilty By Associated Press POSTED: 11:54 a.m. EDT, Apr 03, 2009 FREMONT, OHIO: The former superintendent of a northwest Ohio school district has pleaded not guilty to charges he stole almost $300,000 in school funds. Forty-four-year-old Todd Helms was released on his own recognizance following his appearance Thursday in Sandusky County Common Pleas Court in Fremont. Helms was indicted Wednesday on 19 counts, including theft in office, money laundering and tampering with records. He's accused of setting up a bogus company and sending it payments from Clyde-Green Springs district accounts. Helms resigned as superintendent in September. The district's lawyer says the school system plans to sue him to recover the lost taxpayer money. Helms is due back in court for a pretrial hearing on April 20. FREMONT, OHIO: The former superintendent of a northwest Ohio school district has pleaded not guilty to charges he stole almost $300,000 in school funds. Forty-four-year-old Todd Helms was released on his own recognizance following his appearance Thursday in Sandusky County Common Pleas Court in Fremont. Helms was indicted Wednesday on 19 counts, including theft in office, money laundering and tampering with records. He's accused of setting up a bogus company and sending it payments from Clyde-Green Springs district accounts. Helms resigned as superintendent in September. The district's lawyer says the school system plans to sue him to recover the lost taxpayer money. Helms is due back in court for a pretrial hearing on April 20. |
By Peyton Wolcott
Mon., June 1, 2009 / 3:52 a.m.
Mon., June 1, 2009 / 3:52 a.m.
Here are 3 common sense ideas
for improving our public schools.
All are simple and share a cost-saving
theme, apropos in our nation's new
economic reality:
1. Discretionary spending. Next
time your superintendent says, "We're
for improving our public schools.
All are simple and share a cost-saving
theme, apropos in our nation's new
economic reality:
1. Discretionary spending. Next
time your superintendent says, "We're
| Texas supes wining & dining with tax dollars at Jan. 2008 TASA MidWinter conference in Austin. |
broke, we're broke" and starts talking about
raising taxes, ask to see his or her most
recent credit card receipts. Bet you could
come up with a helpful suggestion or two.
Better yet, suggest they follow Dave
Ramsey's advice and cut up their
district-paid credit cards.
raising taxes, ask to see his or her most
recent credit card receipts. Bet you could
come up with a helpful suggestion or two.
Better yet, suggest they follow Dave
Ramsey's advice and cut up their
district-paid credit cards.
2. Landscaping. A surprising number
of school districts -- urban, suburban and
rural alike -- hire professional landscapers
to take care of this chore, or often it's a way
for a coach to pick up some extra money,
mowing the lawns. Judging from visits to
schools, standards aren't very high. If your
school district is currently paying for a
landscaper, or a coach-mower, suggest
that the high school start a landscaping
class like Florida's Lemon Bay High
School's to take care of this chore; surely a
coach could add one such class to his
schedule. I don't know about your town, but
folks in our area can earn in the $100,000
range as landscapers. To augment this,
kids sitting in detention could instead weed
and pick up trash on school grounds.
American Indian Public Charter-
style discipline might be a good deterrent,
and at the very least it would be good
exercise.
of school districts -- urban, suburban and
rural alike -- hire professional landscapers
to take care of this chore, or often it's a way
for a coach to pick up some extra money,
mowing the lawns. Judging from visits to
schools, standards aren't very high. If your
school district is currently paying for a
landscaper, or a coach-mower, suggest
that the high school start a landscaping
class like Florida's Lemon Bay High
School's to take care of this chore; surely a
coach could add one such class to his
schedule. I don't know about your town, but
folks in our area can earn in the $100,000
range as landscapers. To augment this,
kids sitting in detention could instead weed
and pick up trash on school grounds.
American Indian Public Charter-
style discipline might be a good deterrent,
and at the very least it would be good
exercise.
| This headquarter building for one of Austin's wealthiest suburban school districts, Lake Travis ISD, is typically minimal and a likely candidate for sprucing up by a high school landscaping class. |
3. Math volunteers. The fuzzy math
experiment of the past two decades has
been a failure. That half of our kids entering
college -- the half that didn't drop out in high
school -- need remedial can be directly
attributed to our students not receiving daily
drill in core basics such as the math tables:
addition in first, subtraction in second,
multiplication in third and division in fourth.
Approached properly, area baby boomers
and early retirees would love to come to
school during the day and help with drills.
Wealthier kids are drilled at home and by
tutors; don't poor kids deserve the same
opportunity? Flash cards are cheap.
experiment of the past two decades has
been a failure. That half of our kids entering
college -- the half that didn't drop out in high
school -- need remedial can be directly
attributed to our students not receiving daily
drill in core basics such as the math tables:
addition in first, subtraction in second,
multiplication in third and division in fourth.
Approached properly, area baby boomers
and early retirees would love to come to
school during the day and help with drills.
Wealthier kids are drilled at home and by
tutors; don't poor kids deserve the same
opportunity? Flash cards are cheap.
| 2 + 2 = common sense/cents |
From reader Keisha Jackson, a mother in
the Bronx, comes this letter she wrote 142
days ago, published here because the
White House has thus far declined to
respond. Keisha makes some valid points:
the Bronx, comes this letter she wrote 142
days ago, published here because the
White House has thus far declined to
respond. Keisha makes some valid points:
By Peyton Wolcott
Tue., June 9, 2009 / 7:12 am
Tue., June 9, 2009 / 7:12 am
| Mr. President, I understand you were the product of a private high school and that you, Mrs. Obama, were able to attend an elite public magnet school before you both went off to private universities and graduate schools. I have also read that you chose to send your children to a $35,000 per year private school in DC instead of one of the Democratic-run public schools for a number of reasons, including security concerns (which apparently Pres. Carter did not have?). My question is this: For those of us who cannot afford private school or who are unable to get our children into a good public school, what do you propose? Why do you oppose the voucher program which has already been shown to be highly effective? Why do you continue to insist that more taxpayer dollars will be the answer, when in fact, NAEP test scores have declined as funding increased? Why are you voting against something that offers many children, who are not as privileged as your own, a way out? Surely you understand that a working mother in a bad school district cares just as much for the quality of her children's education as you do for the education of your own children? Sincerely, Mrs. Keisha Jackson Bronx, New York |
Okay, Keisha. Let's hope Mr. Obama
responds to you now. Please let us know.
responds to you now. Please let us know.
| The Bronx High School of Science |
(IL) State Att'y removes boxes from Cook
County supe Chas. Flowers' office.
________________________________
County supe Chas. Flowers' office.
________________________________
06.11.09 FL SUPE RANDY ACEVEDO
INDICTED & ARRESTED, SUSPENDED
BY GOV. CRIST
INDICTED & ARRESTED, SUSPENDED
BY GOV. CRIST
KEY WEST/ MONROE C'NTY PS (FL)
Shoe's now on the supe's
other foot
By Peyton Wolcott
Thur., June 11, 2009/8:10 pm
Shoe's now on the supe's
other foot
By Peyton Wolcott
Thur., June 11, 2009/8:10 pm
| Above, Monroe County's elected public school superintendent Randy Acevedo arrested today (KeysNet); just last month he watched his wife and employee Monique's arrest. (inset--Sean Kinney/KeysNet) |
More about the arrest:
Monroe County School District
Superintendent Randy Acevedo was
arrested Thursday morning on a charge of
official misconduct and suspended
indefinitely without pay by Gov. Charlie
Crist later in the day. He could serve five
years in prison if convicted. State Attorney
Dennis Ward said the decision to arrest
Acevedo was based on testimony given to
a grand jury, which indicted Acevedo
Wednesday night. (More from KeysNet here.)
Superintendent Randy Acevedo was
arrested Thursday morning on a charge of
official misconduct and suspended
indefinitely without pay by Gov. Charlie
Crist later in the day. He could serve five
years in prison if convicted. State Attorney
Dennis Ward said the decision to arrest
Acevedo was based on testimony given to
a grand jury, which indicted Acevedo
Wednesday night. (More from KeysNet here.)
Be sure to read KeysNews' colorful reader
comments here -- hoo-boy, do these folks
have opinions. As you read them, it's good
to remember it's the citizens' kids, schools,
and tax dollars.
comments here -- hoo-boy, do these folks
have opinions. As you read them, it's good
to remember it's the citizens' kids, schools,
and tax dollars.
MONROE COUNTY PS (FL)
$280,000 = Monique Acevedo's tab
so far on the taxpayer-funded credit
card her husband Randy-the-supe was
supposed to supervise
By Peyton Wolcott
Thu., June 10, 2009 / 12:24 am
$280,000 = Monique Acevedo's tab
so far on the taxpayer-funded credit
card her husband Randy-the-supe was
supposed to supervise
By Peyton Wolcott
Thu., June 10, 2009 / 12:24 am
| Monique (L) and Randy Acevedo |
Remember Monique & Randy Acevedo, the
fun couple of Key West public education?
Forensic auditor Richard Fechter has come
calling to the district and this past Tuesday
night he presented his findings to the
school board; among other things Fechter
characterizes Key West schools as having
a "permissive culture of repeated violations
of policies and procedures."
fun couple of Key West public education?
Forensic auditor Richard Fechter has come
calling to the district and this past Tuesday
night he presented his findings to the
school board; among other things Fechter
characterizes Key West schools as having
a "permissive culture of repeated violations
of policies and procedures."
| Troubled public schools exist even in paradise -- Key West, Florida (PHOTO--Dutchnatasja) |
More here from David Ball at KeysNet:
| Monique's $280,000 Monroe County's schools superintendent and several top administrators could face civil lawsuits, criminal charges and loss of their jobs for allowing an employee to allegedly steal hundreds of thousands of dollars and other employees to simply ignore the rules. On Tuesday, School District forensic investigator Richard Fechter presented to the School Board a draft report he produced that he said shows a "permissive culture of repeated violations of policies and procedures." The board agreed to spend $130,000 -- added to a previous $66,000 -- to finish the report and quantify exactly what former Adult Education Coordinator Monique Acevedo might have stolen from the School District. The State Attorney's Office is prosecuting Acevedo, wife of Superintendent Randy Acevedo, for allegedly stealing $180,000 in district cash; the charges are grand theft and fraud. Additional charges for apparently misappro- priating nearly $100,000 more through her district credit card and store purchase orders are likely coming. Fechter said his report would be used by the State Attorney's Office to determine restitution or other penalties they hope to collect if Acevedo is convicted. |
| The report showed actual fraud was isolated to Monique Acevedo based on a sampling of more than 500 district credit card transactions, purchase orders and travel expenses. However, finance staff and supervisors rarely followed policy to check what employees were purchasing and obtaining required documents -- which Fechter attributed to a culture enforced by Randy Acevedo and other administrators. For one administrator, Career Education Coordinator Mark Hooper, three expense reports were sampled and all three were returned an average of 300 days late. Ten percent of all monthly expense reports sampled were not properly reviewed by the employee's supervisor. Fechter even said that when he asked a finance staffer, whose job is to review credit card purchases, what she was actually reviewing them for, she replied, "I don't know." (Ibid.) |
| (L) Jill Manville in FL mug shot; (R) during her 9 years as Ohio's Loveland SD treasurer. |
LOVELAND SD (OH)
Former Ohio school treasurer
on probation for stealing $60K
arrested at Florida Wal-Mart on
new charges
By Peyton Wolcott
Thur., June 18, 2009/2:26 pm
Former Ohio school treasurer
on probation for stealing $60K
arrested at Florida Wal-Mart on
new charges
By Peyton Wolcott
Thur., June 18, 2009/2:26 pm
Jill Manville, former $113K-per-year
treasurer at Ohio's Loveland school
system, reportedly told police in Florida
destitution and car repairs were her
reason for substituting bar codes on
three items at the Tampa Wal-Mart in
order to exchange them for more cash at
a later date.
treasurer at Ohio's Loveland school
system, reportedly told police in Florida
destitution and car repairs were her
reason for substituting bar codes on
three items at the Tampa Wal-Mart in
order to exchange them for more cash at
a later date.
| Who among Loveland's 'Team of 6' should have been watching the taxpayer tax till if not supe Kevin Boys (R)? (PHOTO--D.Miller/Loveland Mag.) |
Here's what's confusing
about administrator awards such as
AASA "Superintendent of the Year" or
equivalent state titles: During the time Jill
was embezzling the $60K from Loveland
taxpayers, her superintendent, Kevin
Boys, received the 2006 Buckeye Ass'n of
School Administrators Exemplary
Leadership Award for 2006. Based on
what? Jill's embezzlement was below a
mythical $75K threshold? Such awards
as AASA or Buckeye's never come with
points or quantitative explanations or
rationales.
about administrator awards such as
AASA "Superintendent of the Year" or
equivalent state titles: During the time Jill
was embezzling the $60K from Loveland
taxpayers, her superintendent, Kevin
Boys, received the 2006 Buckeye Ass'n of
School Administrators Exemplary
Leadership Award for 2006. Based on
what? Jill's embezzlement was below a
mythical $75K threshold? Such awards
as AASA or Buckeye's never come with
points or quantitative explanations or
rationales.
| Police in Tampa, Florida arrested Jill Manville last week on a misdemeanor petit theft charge for allegedly stealing from an area Wal-Mart on June 8. According to police, she took the bar codes off of three inexpensive items and put them on three more expensive items. She then allegedly went through the check out line and paid $18 for merchandise valued at $187. Police say Manville planned to later return the items for cash. When officers arrested her, she reportedly told them she was destitute and needed money to fix her car. Manville, 43, is currently on probation following her conviction last year for stealing from the Loveland School District. She is currently living in Venice, Florida under a community control agreement resulting from a plea deal she made after that conviction. The Ohio Auditor's Office said Manville stole nearly $60,000 from the school district and used the money for personal expenses. The state auditor later ordered Manville to repay the money. Manville resigned from her post as treasurer of the Loveland School District in January 2008 after holding the position for nine years. Florida court records show her as currently unemployed....As of Thursday morning, public records show her as still being incarcerated in Florida. (WCPO) |
The human component
There may be more to this story, why Jill
moved to Florida. If this is the same Jill
Manville, think of the problems and
shame Jill and her family could have
been saved had her superintendent
Kevin Boys and the Loveland SD school
board been paying more attention all
along and TIGHTENED INTERNAL
CONTROLS back when the first $60
disappeared rather than letting it reach
$60,000.
There may be more to this story, why Jill
moved to Florida. If this is the same Jill
Manville, think of the problems and
shame Jill and her family could have
been saved had her superintendent
Kevin Boys and the Loveland SD school
board been paying more attention all
along and TIGHTENED INTERNAL
CONTROLS back when the first $60
disappeared rather than letting it reach
$60,000.
SCHOOL LAND TRUST OFC. (OK)
Where was Roger Melson's
boss Clifton Scott while Roger
was allegedly embezzling
$1.1 mil from taxpayers to
support his gambling habit?
By Peyton Wolcott
Sat., June 20, 2009 / 7:03 pm
Where was Roger Melson's
boss Clifton Scott while Roger
was allegedly embezzling
$1.1 mil from taxpayers to
support his gambling habit?
By Peyton Wolcott
Sat., June 20, 2009 / 7:03 pm
| Roger Q. Melson, Jr. (L) with attorney Billy Bock (PHOTO--Jim Beckel/NewsOK.com) |
From Randy Ellis at The Oklahoman:
| A multicounty grand jury indictment unsealed Thursday accuses a former state-employed auditor with a gambling problem of embezzling about $1.16 million from the Commissioners of the Land Office. Roger Q. Melson Jr., 55, of Edmond is accused in 174 felony counts of embezzling about $1.16 million in royalty, lease and other payments intended for the Commissioners of the Land Office where he worked, and depositing the checks in a personal account. The Commissioners of the Land Office is a state agency that manages public lands set aside for the financial benefit of Oklahoma’s common schools. Melson worked for the agency about 21 years. He last served as director of audits for the agency’s royalty audit division. Billy Bock, Melson’s attorney, said his client gambled away most of the money. Bock told the Oklahoma County District Judge Patricia Parrish that Melson has been working as a night stocker and doing part-time jobs in an effort to help his family pay bills since he lost his $67,300-a-year state job in May. At the request of state prosecutors, Parrish set Melson’s bond at $174,000 — $1,000 on each count. He was led away in handcuffs after the hearing. If convicted, he could be sentenced up to 20 years on each count. As part of his scheme to embezzle funds, Melson created an entity called Commissioner of the Land Office and registered it with the secretary of state’s office, the grand jury alleged. Melson then set up a personal bank account under the name Roger Q. Melson Jr., doing business as Commissioner of the Land Office. In addition to auditing royalty payments, Melson and most other Commissioners of the Land Office employees worked rotating shifts in the mail room. Three employees would work in the mail room at a time — one on a regular basis, and two would rotate through, Assistant Attorney General Joel-lyn McCormick said. "Roger would regularly volunteer,” she said. Part of the job of mail room workers was to separate checks that came in and direct them to the financial office, she said. As director of audits, Melson knew what payments were likely to be audited by the external auditor and was able to divert those checks to himself, McCormick said. Scope of the scheme Nearly 200 checks were taken, with amounts ranging from less than $200 to more than $42,000, the grand jury alleged. The scheme allegedly went on almost five years before it was detected in April, McCormick said. Someone noticed the office had not received recent payments from a particular company. When company officials were asked about the situation, they said they had paid and were able to show proof. A subsequent investigation led to discovery of the scheme, McCormick said. |
Sandy Garrett, OK' s elected state supe,
oversees this office.
oversees this office.
TANQUE VERDE USD (AZ)
AZ grand jury indicts
Tanque Verde supe Tom
Rogers has resigned from his Yuma,
Arizona jail cell.
By Peyton Wolcott
Friday, June 26, 2009 / 9:10 p.m.
AZ grand jury indicts
Tanque Verde supe Tom
Rogers has resigned from his Yuma,
Arizona jail cell.
By Peyton Wolcott
Friday, June 26, 2009 / 9:10 p.m.
ARIZONA SUPE UPDATE: Called a 'flight
risk' & a 'danger,' Tucson's Tom Rogers
has been denied bail on Mexico child sex
tour charges until Aug. 4 trial date;
Tanque Verde side gig: 7th grade global
awareness class. (PHOTO--TucsonCitizen.com)
risk' & a 'danger,' Tucson's Tom Rogers
has been denied bail on Mexico child sex
tour charges until Aug. 4 trial date;
Tanque Verde side gig: 7th grade global
awareness class. (PHOTO--TucsonCitizen.com)
Tanque Verde supe Tom Rogers, who
resigned from his Yuma jail cell earlier
this week, "has been indicted by a
federal grand jury for allegedly
attempting to travel to Mexico to engage
in illicit sexual conduct with a minor. If
convicted [he] could face a maximum
prison sentence of 30 years, a fine of
$250,000, or both." (SOURCE--Associated
Press)
resigned from his Yuma jail cell earlier
this week, "has been indicted by a
federal grand jury for allegedly
attempting to travel to Mexico to engage
in illicit sexual conduct with a minor. If
convicted [he] could face a maximum
prison sentence of 30 years, a fine of
$250,000, or both." (SOURCE--Associated
Press)
TOM ROGERS'
PUBLIC SCHOOL HISTORY
EMPLOYMENT: Tanque Verde
(AZ) supe; ran last fall as Libertarian for
Pima County (Tucson, AZ) supe against
Linda (Nova SE U Ed.D.) Arzoumanian.
ALSO: Shelby Public Schools supe
(Shelby, Montana), Nevada, Gadsden
Elementary SD supe (San Luis, AZ) and
MS principal (Somerton SD/Yuma
County, AZ). Taught English & computer
skills to 1st, 2nd & 3rd graders in
Thailand for two years.
BOARD MEMBERSHIPS:
Yuma Union HS District; Somerton
School District. OTHER: school
custodian, school bus driver, sports
coach, teacher and school cafeteria
volunteer.
PUBLIC SCHOOL HISTORY
EMPLOYMENT: Tanque Verde
(AZ) supe; ran last fall as Libertarian for
Pima County (Tucson, AZ) supe against
Linda (Nova SE U Ed.D.) Arzoumanian.
ALSO: Shelby Public Schools supe
(Shelby, Montana), Nevada, Gadsden
Elementary SD supe (San Luis, AZ) and
MS principal (Somerton SD/Yuma
County, AZ). Taught English & computer
skills to 1st, 2nd & 3rd graders in
Thailand for two years.
BOARD MEMBERSHIPS:
Yuma Union HS District; Somerton
School District. OTHER: school
custodian, school bus driver, sports
coach, teacher and school cafeteria
volunteer.
| TUCSON, AZ (KOLD) - Agents with the U.S. Immigration and Customs enforcement arrested Tanque Verde superintendent Albert Thomas Rogers on suspicion of child sexual exploitation. Rogers, 51, contacted an undercover agent in January about going on a trip to Mexico that involved sexually abusing children, agents said in a press release. They made the arrest Friday. Rogers said in conversations with undercover agents that he wished to spend "relaxation intimacy" -- including anal and oral sex-- with teenage boys, officials said. In February, agents collected a $50 deposit on the trip from Rogers as well as a filled-out reservation form in Yuma, Ariz. Rogers is currently employed as the superintendent of Tanque Verde Schools. He's also an associate principal at Emily Gray Junior High. Authorities with Tucson Police and ICE agents are now investigating if any inappropriate incidences with children took place at the schools. A criminal complaint has been filed by authorities on Rogers. No word yet from school officials on what happens to Rogers' job. ICE agents began an undercover sex tourism operation in Yuma, Ariz. in 1997. Since then, agents have arrested 43 suspects including Rogers. The investigation is part of 'Operation Predator,' an ongoing inititative that helps protect children. Agents with this operation encourage the public to call 866-347-2423 if they suspect children are being exploited. Suspected predators can be reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 800-843-5678 or www.cybertipline.com. (SOURCE-- TucsonCitizen.com - Brian White) |
QUESTION: Did the Tanque Verde
board query Tom re "Thailand" and
"single man" and "hopping around
multiple U.S. states for work"?
board query Tom re "Thailand" and
"single man" and "hopping around
multiple U.S. states for work"?
| Tom Rogers (YumaCounty mug shot) |
The Yuma Sun has published the
following reader comment:
"'In 1999, Rogers resigned from the
Gadsden district, saying he would be
moving to Thailand to operate a
maintenance and cleaning service,
according to a story published at the time
in The Yuma Sun.' Yeah, Im sure that is
what he was going to Thailand for.
Thailand isnt known for their child sex
trade or anything."
More here and here.
following reader comment:
"'In 1999, Rogers resigned from the
Gadsden district, saying he would be
moving to Thailand to operate a
maintenance and cleaning service,
according to a story published at the time
in The Yuma Sun.' Yeah, Im sure that is
what he was going to Thailand for.
Thailand isnt known for their child sex
trade or anything."
More here and here.
06.30.09
AUSTIN ISD (TX) First the OAG, now a
lawsuit--and new AISD supe Meria
Carstarphen hasn't even officially started
yet. Do her prior lackluster results
warrant all this trouble?
AUSTIN ISD (TX) First the OAG, now a
lawsuit--and new AISD supe Meria
Carstarphen hasn't even officially started
yet. Do her prior lackluster results
warrant all this trouble?
06.30.09
(L) Lancaster ISD school board chooses
Sealy's Pamela Morris as new supe;
she'll be their 3rd supe in 3 years, after
Larry Lewis and interim Dana Marable
who was not offered the top job. (R)
California's Antioch schools say goodbye
to supe Deborah Sims--and to the Broad
Foundation, with Broad's loyalties once
again going to its supes, not to the
schools employing the supes.
(L) Lancaster ISD school board chooses
Sealy's Pamela Morris as new supe;
she'll be their 3rd supe in 3 years, after
Larry Lewis and interim Dana Marable
who was not offered the top job. (R)
California's Antioch schools say goodbye
to supe Deborah Sims--and to the Broad
Foundation, with Broad's loyalties once
again going to its supes, not to the
schools employing the supes.
FLORIDA KEYS SUPE UPDATE:
Randy Acevedo's (L) wife Monique (R)
requests public defender re $180K
stealing charges, cites $234K debt.
________________________________
Randy Acevedo's (L) wife Monique (R)
requests public defender re $180K
stealing charges, cites $234K debt.
________________________________
| Maryland's Charles County Schools participate in Read Across America by decorating Mr. Seuss (whole word) themed hats. (PHOTO--SOMD.com) _____________________________________ |
"Middle School Principal*
Arrested On Drug Charges --
Found Naked Watching Porno In
His School Office"
Arrested On Drug Charges --
Found Naked Watching Porno In
His School Office"
| REMEMBER THIS? |
| John Acerra (L) and Joseph Lewis |
BETHLEHEM AREA SD (PA)
WHERE ARE THEY NOW UPDATE:
John Acerra & Joseph Lewis
By Peyton Wolcott
Wed., June 10, 2009 / 3:52 am
WHERE ARE THEY NOW UPDATE:
John Acerra & Joseph Lewis
By Peyton Wolcott
Wed., June 10, 2009 / 3:52 am
Remember the headlines that shocked
the nation when John Acerra was arrested
two years ago during Joseph Lewis's
tenure as Bethlehem supe?
the nation when John Acerra was arrested
two years ago during Joseph Lewis's
tenure as Bethlehem supe?
| John Acerra (L) in 2007. (PHOTO--Ken White/Express Times) |
| Joseph Lewis |
Joseph retired recently from Bethlehem
schools and has already landed a new gig
as "Director of Graduate Education
Certification Programs" at Bethlehem's
Moravian College. While last month's press
release does not mention whether or not
Joseph will be recommending that
educators be tested for drugs, it does
mention his Ed.D. from Florida's Nova
Southeastern University, the ERDI sponsor
which awards long-distance doctorates
based on work experience practicums
rather than writing lengthy dissertations.
schools and has already landed a new gig
as "Director of Graduate Education
Certification Programs" at Bethlehem's
Moravian College. While last month's press
release does not mention whether or not
Joseph will be recommending that
educators be tested for drugs, it does
mention his Ed.D. from Florida's Nova
Southeastern University, the ERDI sponsor
which awards long-distance doctorates
based on work experience practicums
rather than writing lengthy dissertations.
| John Acerra |
Meanwhile, John, who was arrested for
dealing meth from his school office, has
already been released from prison and is at
a halfway house.
dealing meth from his school office, has
already been released from prison and is at
a halfway house.
| Former Nitschmann Middle School principal John Acerra has been released from state prison.... Acerra was released May 26 from the state correctional facility in Albion, Pa....Acerra was scheduled to be released from prison in February, but he had to stay longer to complete a drug rehabilitation program, officials said.....Acerra is now under the supervision of the Pennsylvania Board of Parole and Probation. ...Acerra is under parole conditions until February 2011, officials said. He has developed an approved home program, but officials have declined to discuss the details of that plan. Acerra was granted parole in November after his first appearance before the parole board....Acerra was jailed in 2007 for selling drugs from his middle school office. He was busted in February 2007 after he sold drugs to a police informant. Authorities found him with three bags of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia. In August 2007, Acerra pleaded guilty to two counts of delivery of crystal methamphetamine and one count of possession with intent to deliver methamphetamine. The arrest was the result of an investigation in which Acerra sold drugs as authorities watched. After his arrest, Acerra quickly resigned as Nitschmann principal, ending a 28-year career with the Bethlehem Area School District that began as a teacher at Lincoln Elementary School. (SOURCE--LehighValleyLive.com) |
* From The Morning Call
MONROE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS (FL)
From Key West, a cautionary
tale for the rest of America:
Time for school boards to
ask lots more money
questions, also, to demand
accountability/answers from
their supes
By Peyton Wolcott
Thursday, July 9, 2009 / 3:02 a.m.
From Key West, a cautionary
tale for the rest of America:
Time for school boards to
ask lots more money
questions, also, to demand
accountability/answers from
their supes
By Peyton Wolcott
Thursday, July 9, 2009 / 3:02 a.m.
Look at the tangled relationships and
side deals above (larger version here)
which only came to light when the Key
West supe tried to fire a liked and
respected principal in favor of the wife of
his lifelong friend, Key West's mayor. All
of this is a sidebar to Key West's greater
problems: The credit card scandal
leading to the arrests of their supe and
his wife, the supe's removal by Gov.
Crist, loss of critical dollars and
community trust, much more (here). And
of course, this was not a sidebar at all to
John Welsh and his students.
________________________________
side deals above (larger version here)
which only came to light when the Key
West supe tried to fire a liked and
respected principal in favor of the wife of
his lifelong friend, Key West's mayor. All
of this is a sidebar to Key West's greater
problems: The credit card scandal
leading to the arrests of their supe and
his wife, the supe's removal by Gov.
Crist, loss of critical dollars and
community trust, much more (here). And
of course, this was not a sidebar at all to
John Welsh and his students.
________________________________
TANQUE VERDE SD (AZ)
Top 4 questions Tom Rogers'
school board likely didn't think
to ask him during the hiring
process
By Peyton Wolcott
Wed., July 8, 2009/12:07 a.m.
Top 4 questions Tom Rogers'
school board likely didn't think
to ask him during the hiring
process
By Peyton Wolcott
Wed., July 8, 2009/12:07 a.m.
| 1. Were you employed in the sex-tour business in Thailand? 2. Do you expect to travel to Mexico in order to have sex with little boys? 3. Do you have child porn on your home computer? 4. Do you have a special room set up in your home with camera equipment, DVDs and tapes? |
What board members anywhere would
think to ask these questions? But then,
these questions should have been
asked by the search firm that brought
Tom Rogers to Tanque Verde:
think to ask these questions? But then,
these questions should have been
asked by the search firm that brought
Tom Rogers to Tanque Verde:
| Before he was arrested on suspicion of trying to travel to Mexico to engage in sex with a minor, former Tanque Verde Superintendent Albert Thomas "Tom" Rogers told an undercover agent that he had been involved in the sex-tourism business in Thailand, court records show. That was one of several things revealed during Rogers' June 25 status hearing in U.S. District Court in Phoenix, as part of the U.S. Attorney's Office's argument that Rogers be kept in custody. On Thursday, the Arizona Daily Star obtained an audio recording of the hearing. Rogers pleaded not guilty and was denied bail until his Aug. 4 trial date because the court determined him to be a flight risk and a danger, court documents show. Rogers, 51, was superintendent of the Tanque Verde Unified School District and associate principal at the district's Emily Gray Junior High School, 4201 N. Melpomene Way, but resigned after his arrest. He also taught at Emily Gray. The district was unaware of Rogers' alleged previous involvement in sex tourism in Thailand, Governing Board President Steven Auslander said Monday. "Obviously if we had known that he was in a sex-tour business, we wouldn't have hired him to be our superintendent," Auslander said. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials arrested Rogers on June 19 at the U. S.-Mexico border south of Yuma after a six- month undercover investigation. During that time, he registered for a tour that was to include one night with a 13- to 14-year-old boy on June 19-20 in Mexico. When Rogers arrived for the tour on June 19 in Yuma, an undercover agent posing as a driver for the sex-tourism company met him and they traveled by car to the San Luis Port of Entry, where Rogers was arrested as he walked to Mexico. Rogers' trip with the Yuma undercover agent is on audiotape, Assistant U.S. Attorney Keith Vercauteren said in court. When the undercover agent explained to Rogers that they had to be careful about the trip, Rogers responded that he realized that because he had been involved in the sex-tourism business in Thailand, Vercauteren said. Attorney Joanne F. Landfair, who represented Rogers at the hearing, told the court that the tours in Thailand were "adult night tours, going to cabaret, all legal activity." Rogers was a tour operator and partner in a travel business from 2001 to 2004 in Thailand, his curriculum vitae shows. He also worked as an educator there. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is continuing its investigation of Rogers, agency spokeswoman Virginia Kice said Monday. In the recording of the June 25 status hearing, Vercauteren says the following about Rogers' arrest at the U.S.-Mexico border and subsequent investigation: • Rogers had six condoms, sexual paraphernalia and two iTunes gift cards when he was arrested. Vercauteren said the cards were "to serve as gifts for the boys if they performed to his (Rogers') satisfaction." • After his arrest, Rogers told agents he was planning to visit with a teenage boy in Mexico, that it was probable but not highly probable that it would end in sexual activity and that he understood the tour to mean "children for sex with adults." Rogers also told agents they might find child pornography on his computer. • Federal officials searching Rogers' Tucson home found a room that included sexual paraphernalia and devices, a camcorder on a tripod and various DVDs and tapes. Officials conducted a quick search on Rogers' computer and compact discs in his home and found more than 200 child-pornography videos. • Other court documents show that Rogers is HIV-positive. On Starnet: Listen to audio from the court proceedings in the online version of this story at azstarnet.com/metro Contact reporter Danielle Sottosanti at 618- 1922 or at dsottosanti@azstarnet.com. |
Updates on stories we're following
By Peyton Wolcott
Wed., July 15, 2009/9:32 am
07.15.09/ROSLYN UFSD
NEW YORK
By Peyton Wolcott
Wed., July 15, 2009/9:32 am
07.15.09/ROSLYN UFSD
NEW YORK
Dan Brenner (L) Roslyn's assistant supe
for curriculum and instruction since
2005, has been promoted to replace
former supe John A. Richman (C) who
announced his surprise early retirement
last month (before his contract ended) at
a school board meeting, before the end
of his contract; Richman replaced Frank
Tassone (R), now earning his $173,495
annual taxpayer-funded pension while
serving time in prison for his role in the
district's $11.2 million embezzlement
scandal.
(Interim supe between Tassone and
Richman was Gerard Dempsey.)
for curriculum and instruction since
2005, has been promoted to replace
former supe John A. Richman (C) who
announced his surprise early retirement
last month (before his contract ended) at
a school board meeting, before the end
of his contract; Richman replaced Frank
Tassone (R), now earning his $173,495
annual taxpayer-funded pension while
serving time in prison for his role in the
district's $11.2 million embezzlement
scandal.
(Interim supe between Tassone and
Richman was Gerard Dempsey.)
| Randy and Monique Acevedo in court July 10 (PHOTO--Sean Kinney/KeysNet.com) |
06.14.09/KEY WEST (MONROE
COUNTY PS) FLORIDA
The school board has just agreed to shell
out $63,000 for one month of legal help as
it attempts to learn the scope of losses
during Randy Acevedo's term as MCPS
elected supe; his wife and employee
Monique has been charged with having
stolen/misused at least $280K on her
district credit card. A judge has ordered
the couple to turn over 7,000 emails on
their school district account.
COUNTY PS) FLORIDA
The school board has just agreed to shell
out $63,000 for one month of legal help as
it attempts to learn the scope of losses
during Randy Acevedo's term as MCPS
elected supe; his wife and employee
Monique has been charged with having
stolen/misused at least $280K on her
district credit card. A judge has ordered
the couple to turn over 7,000 emails on
their school district account.
Remember the mean-spirited
cover featuring then-vice
president Dick Cheney? We
thought it might be fun to turn the tables
on Texas Monthly's outgoing editor, Evan
Smith. Having managed to keep
circulation flat despite the most booming
economy in the nation, Evan's teaming
up with a Democrat to attempt a new Politico.
It's supposed to be unbiased, but -- aw,
shucks. You know Evan. He's like that fake
picante sauce the Pace ad cowboys make
fun of: "New Yawk City!" Any guy who
would attend Lady Bird's funeral and blog that
seeing attendee Bill Clinton was a "thrill"
(would this be anything like a Chris Matthews'
"tingle"?) and that Bill looked "tiny" following
his surgery, such fluff not to mention a
fawning liberal bias might be why
conservatives stopped reading TM: Under
Evan Smith's leadership, it's become, egads --
and let's not shoot anyone in the face for
saying this, okay, Evan? -- irrelevant.
cover featuring then-vice
president Dick Cheney? We
thought it might be fun to turn the tables
on Texas Monthly's outgoing editor, Evan
Smith. Having managed to keep
circulation flat despite the most booming
economy in the nation, Evan's teaming
up with a Democrat to attempt a new Politico.
It's supposed to be unbiased, but -- aw,
shucks. You know Evan. He's like that fake
picante sauce the Pace ad cowboys make
fun of: "New Yawk City!" Any guy who
would attend Lady Bird's funeral and blog that
seeing attendee Bill Clinton was a "thrill"
(would this be anything like a Chris Matthews'
"tingle"?) and that Bill looked "tiny" following
his surgery, such fluff not to mention a
fawning liberal bias might be why
conservatives stopped reading TM: Under
Evan Smith's leadership, it's become, egads --
and let's not shoot anyone in the face for
saying this, okay, Evan? -- irrelevant.
"Eeny meeny miney Franken"
....Senator Al Franken's Air America
salary paid by a Boys & Girls club? Are
Minnesota conservatives -- and the rest
of our republic -- now wishing Mr.
Coleman had worked harder?
___________________________
....Senator Al Franken's Air America
salary paid by a Boys & Girls club? Are
Minnesota conservatives -- and the rest
of our republic -- now wishing Mr.
Coleman had worked harder?
___________________________
SOTOMAYOR BLINKS. AND BLINKS.
AND BLINKS. Words can waltz, body
language doesn't. Too much blinking
can suggest deception....When liars are
searching for an answer to an awkward
question, their thought processes speed
up. In this kind of situation, lying is
frequently associated with blinking.
AND BLINKS. Words can waltz, body
language doesn't. Too much blinking
can suggest deception....When liars are
searching for an answer to an awkward
question, their thought processes speed
up. In this kind of situation, lying is
frequently associated with blinking.
PALM BEACH COUNTY SD (FL)
Remember the
Acevedo's and the Key
West credit card
scandal? Is there
some mischief lurking
in the Florida waters?
A 3rd Palm Beach
school executive has
just gotten himself into
trouble thanks to a
school credit card.
By Peyton Wolcott
Monday, July 27, 2009 / 12:34 a.m.
Remember the
Acevedo's and the Key
West credit card
scandal? Is there
some mischief lurking
in the Florida waters?
A 3rd Palm Beach
school executive has
just gotten himself into
trouble thanks to a
school credit card.
By Peyton Wolcott
Monday, July 27, 2009 / 12:34 a.m.
Palm Beach can speak not
of its Three Tenors but of its
Three Principals (below
right). Where's the supe?
Where are the internal
controls? Is the board
asleep at the wheel? More.
of its Three Tenors but of its
Three Principals (below
right). Where's the supe?
Where are the internal
controls? Is the board
asleep at the wheel? More.
(From top) Jonathan Prince,
Guarn Sims, and Jack Thompson
(PHOTOS--Palm Beach Post)
Guarn Sims, and Jack Thompson
(PHOTOS--Palm Beach Post)
| (From top) Jonathan Prince, Guarn Sims, and Jack Thompson (PHOTOS--Palm Beach Post) |