Friday, March 27, 2015

SEARCH FOR SUPERINTENDENT STARTS ON BAD NOTE

The board met in executive session to discuss the next moves for superintendent and well we thought they would have learned from the first debacle.

The board voted to use the same firm which has ties to the very people who were pushing Boyd here. More than likely because they will hide and keep everything in secret.

When some board members commented on the STAR article they were about having to mend fences with each other and sit by the campfire.  They can join Camp CommUNITY and do that.

What we as the people most affected by anything they do.. we need a fresh start with more openness. The board should present 4 finalists and let the community hear from them.  Why can other districts do the same and we don't?  Stop worrying about if their bosses don't want to find out.. to me if that was the case then you are hiding something.  If you are truly interested and are the best candidate then nothing to worry about.

The board does the one finalist so that they can vote and shove it down our throats regardless of what we think.  Ramos, Paz and Avila are no different anymore than those serving more than they should be.

Sutherland was against the same firm but she is the lone one.  Can you imagine Speer on the board?  That would just complete a board that would definitely allow more of the same and possible worse.


What say you?

16 comments :

  1. Ashley just go home and leave this to the grown-ups. Every time you open your mouth you make an even bigger FOOL out of yourself. People don't want the Board to hold hands and sing "Kumbaya". Canvas your constituents and vote for THEM not the special interests. To use the same "Search Firm" is a joke. http://www.star-telegram.com/news/local/education/article16291223.html

    ReplyDelete
  2. Setting the record straightMarch 30, 2015 at 11:53 PM

    Ray & Associates met with groups of people from every facet of the district--parents, employees, teachers, employee associations, chamber of commerce, students, PTA, Spanish-speaking parents, as well as meetings with community members that took place at the high schools in every Board member district. This was in order to create a profile of the characteristics and qualifications desired by the school district stakeholders, not just the Board. The profile was, and I believe still is, posted on the FWISD home page. In my opinion, Ray & Associates did a very good job. There were many negative things said and printed about Dr. Boyd that could not be substantiated if people would have just bothered to watch a few of the Santa Fe Public Schools school Board meetings, especially the one from the beginning of school this year. I personally feel we missed out on a great candidate who would have brought FWISD into the 21st century of education. Now our poor students have suffered under another year of inadequate educational preparation and I, for one, am very sad about it.

    ReplyDelete
  3. You should be very sad indeed because you support keeping Ray & Associates for another search after they failed the first. Your comment could only come from a sitting Board Member or Central Office type. The "search" has been all smoke and mirrors from the beginning. After creating "...a profile of the characteristics and qualifications desired by the school district stakeholders, not just the Board" (gag me) how could they only find ONE CANDIDATE who OBVIOUSLY did NOT fit the profile I heard people talk about? And don't forget all the phone calls by HCM STAFF to recruit candidates. This selection continues to be a joke.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thank you for this valuable information. But I am also hearing that there were fewer than the reported 100 applicants. One can only speculate about why so few applied for the position but I believe it is appropriate to ask why there wasn't a second and third runner up should Boyd declined the position and a second choice was not ready or willing to step up. Uprooting your family to come to an urban school district which is poor performing requires strong executive management to not only address educational issues in the classroom but also take on a culture which has been dysfunctional for far too long. It is time for FWISD to enter the 21st century to meet the needs of the business community with graduates prepared to enter a trade and/or prepared for college whether community college or a 4 year school without needing to take remedial courses. Were these meetings announced at a board meetings....or through the FWST which I used t read online .... but became so disgusted with the "rosy" reporting without also reporting the dysfunctional behaviors to include violation of Open Meetings Act....that I just stopped reading FWST. The new education reporter, Yamil Bernard, seems much better than previous reporters. I'm not sure what has changed at FWST but at least Yamil does not appear to just report biased articles, which is encouraging me to return to reading FWST. With the loss of editor, Gayle Reaves, at FWW, where the community was getting the "whole" story on FWISD, is a tremendous loss to our city. It remains to be seen what Gayle's departure will mean to good reporting in Fort Worth in general and FWISD in particular. I share your disappointment about the lost efforts by the board to hire a quality Superintendent. However, I believe this district needs strong executive leadership in the role of Superintendent who will push back against certain board members who are polarizing and dividing the board processes and actions fulfilling their fiduciary duty to Tarrant County taxpayers. The new executive leadership needs the backbone to tell this board and leadership that they can fire him at any time but he is going to review upper administrative positions for redundancies, poor department management, and all deficiencies in order to get rid of nepotism, cronyism and poor performing administrators....top to bottom of central administration. The dollars recovered and improved administrative management is greatly needed. The last time I looked taxpayer dollars should be spent on education in the classroom supporting teachers and education of our children throughout FWISD.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Okay, Setting The Record Straight YOU ARE CORRECT about a general profile that was put together and anyone not living in a bubble, knows that. To be clear, the profile was more of a generalized set of qualifications & characteristics for potential candidates. I don't think anyone is suggesting that the firm went out and chose at random and that's not why people are upset! Get a clue! People want transparency PERIOD! If the word transparency is unclear, I suggest dictionary.com! Once Boyd was a viable candidate, our BOE has an obligation to present information (unfiltered, complete, and from multiple sources) from his current district! Clearly his district was aware of the potential position for Boyd so, the secrecy that surrounded the process made it look extremely TAINTED! I also fail to see how our BOE continues to go on the word of management OMG they are like freaking lobbyists & then they act do shocked when they hear that they were misled! YOU ARE RIGHT THAT OUR STUDENTS ARE SUFFERING but if you think it's because we've not chosen a new super. yet then you are really clueless! Are students are failing for many reasons you twit and that's not one of them! Tell you what, have a town-hall meeting of this districts educators and perhaps you can get the record straight!

    ReplyDelete
  6. I don't think this board is calling the shots. It is more likely someone we don't know or ever see. That is how politics works today. Most likely someone with a neoliberal agenda.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Linda, WOW! It sounds almost "dreamy!" I told one of the UEA reps that I've read your comments for a while. (Close to 2 years or so) and when I heard you were a candidate I FELT EXCITED! I was disappointed to hear that you had cancelled your meet with UEA (I think it was due to an accident but I'm not sure) In any case, I was hoping that you might try and reschedule but after their support of Tobi....?!?!? Ugh! You seem to be upfront on the tough issues, educated, and a parent of students who attended our district! Although I could care less which one of our schools it was exactly. I think what appealed to me the most was your honesty about what you knew regarding Palazzolo. You know I think I could agree with your approach for superindent because trying someone with similar credentials as we've had in the past hasn't exactly worked out well for us! HELL I can think of at least one that wasn't even completely "credentialed" and received some honarary degree?!? So why not have someone who could clean house and get back to the business of deferring the education dilemmas to the educators. Let me take it just one step further since we are talking about a "dreamy" solution. How about anyone that wants to be in management because it's needed to some degree- should be willing to work for a teachers' salary with just the extra days added at the daily rate for one year and then after that year be considered for a raise. See that would mean that management must be effective with all staff (which duh?!? Makes students successful) No more of this incompetent CRAP that we are forced to endure! Mr. Monge has a secretary in his office that makes $66k/yr. with no college degree! Ann said her hands are tied but, this is what we have to endure!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Thank you for being on the same page. Maybe "dreamy" but as you've stated the so called expert hires have continued a culture within administration which has disappointed teachers and students and wasted taxpayer dollars such as a non-degreed secretary making $66K a year?! There is definitely something wrong with that picture. I did re-schedule my interview at UEA and yes, I stumbled in the middle of the night falling on my behind only to be stooped and stiff the next day! My greatest asset which can also be my greatest fault is I "calls 'em as I see "em". Covering up mismanagement, misrepresentation, and malfeasance is not in my DNA. It 's never the behavior or error that gets you in trouble. It is the LIES told to try to cover up. This has been the greatest problem with the current board of trustees. The LIES told to the public about AHHS management, teacher/coach bad behavior and the fraud related to attendance and testing and discipline of minority students. But this is what the public hasn't been told is similar things were occurring at other district campuses. This board needs people willing to undertake changing the administration culture and improving the education processes for our teachers and students. Learning happens in the classroom and all resources need to be directed there. I have a passion for public education. It is vital to our future.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Setting the record straightApril 5, 2015 at 11:03 PM

    I assure you I am neither a sitting Board member or Central Office type. What I am is an extremely concerned citizen and have been for many years. I make it my business to follow what happens at the Board meetings as well as what is going on in the schools. I speak to fellow citizens about the issues of concern. I availed myself of the great opportunity presented by Ray & Assoc. to attend several of the small group meetings. It was a good thing there were several opportunities, because each one I was a part of only had a handful of participants. Those who did not provide input when opportunity was given should not complain about something they know nothing about. I also disagree that the lone finalist did not fit the profile. Just a little honest investigation showed him to be a man of good character with forward thinking ideas to improve education--something sorely needed in Fort Worth.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Setting the record straightApril 5, 2015 at 11:16 PM

    It was announced at Board meetings and in the interview with Ray & Assoc. that they would conduct these meetings and then dates, locations, times and focus group theme were posted on the FWISD web page. The BOE was the determiner of how many applicants they would interview and how many back-ups there would be.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Contact me. You're the sort of person I need to help get signs out and any other task you'd be willing to do....817.602.5446.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Yes im having a meeting with acting superintendent, after the 11th i will let you know. I will ask about the Super situation etc. And the conduct of the Board

    ReplyDelete
  13. Malikk - let me tell you my experience of Ms. Linnares....when the AHHS documents were brought to her, she was days/weeks from retiring from FWISD. Her exact words...within earshot of me was as follows: "I don't care. I'm retiring and don't want to hear this". She is maintaining the "status quo" of the corrupt culture within FWISD central administration even to the last school board meeting. View video online. Linnares allowed Ms. Marie 3 names to withhold important information from board members as regards "parental safeguards" for parents with severely disabled students and parents with children with learning disabilities. Regardless of Mr. Ramos negative reputation about alleged "extra curricular" life, he deserves props for being concerned about the issues surrounding our children with severe special education needs and learning disability needs. He requested Special Education be placed on Tuesday night's agenda. Fast forward to Maria 3 names presentation to view Mr. Ramos comments, Ms. Moss comments and Ms. Needham bashing Burton Hill parents and children for "behavioral improvement classes" she claims there are 3 in Burton Hill Elementary School which has earned Exemplary status in the past. District 5 must not re-elect Ms. Needham. She knows nothing about improved educational programs or respecting constituents in her district....much less about hiring a quality Superintendent with an MBA as part of his vitae.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Yes, I agree. There are elites in this community who would like to smother public education in the crib. I am fiscal conservative but could be called a "liberal" in that I do no meddle in personal lives of consenting adults. However, where adults are behaving inappropriately with children, I am a tiger mom. No one should mess with our kids and will demand CPS and any law enforcement agency investigate thoroughly. In past lives as a nurse, psychotherapist and even a neutral mediator, I have made CPS referrals and each referral has had thorough investigation. Adults working with children and children's issues must report to proper authorities such as CPS,

    ReplyDelete
  15. Im well versed in the Texas Educational Codes, New Parent Trigger Bill and the New A-F Accountabilty Bill will allow us to remove improper Board Members!! Chapt. 39 -103-106 read it when you can

    ReplyDelete
  16. Glad to hear you're well versed in Tx. Ed. Code. I, too, am watching Lege session. I will follow up as you suggest.

    ReplyDelete

Comments