Dr. Sutherland has been crucial in listening and voicing much of our concerns. Let's not forget that she is but one member. The rest of them are working closely to run the mill as they want and forget the many ailments of the district.
What we have found out in regards to how we treat and compensate employees is that the Board ceded most of the powers to the administration. This truly makes sense when it comes to the decisions that have been made and how in the dumps we are as a district. Administration gives itself raises without needing approval, people with no education make more than the people who are required to be degreed and certified. No business or agency would hire someone with a GED at 60,000 without asking for more education. Big corporations want an educated workforce and one that continues to grow beyond the normal requirement. We at FWISD, don't care much about that because we keep the same people in their positions and give them raises without them gaining anymore knowledge through Continuing Ed. Yet the same individuals say that they are about children and College and Career Ready but don't practice it themselves. Even people who enter the workforce have to be trained and earn a certificate beyond a GED and then require future training just as teachers are required to have continuous training.
So we have very low standards for teachers but we forget that it's who you know.
Also Dr. Sutherland points out that the truancy court, our taxpayer money, is being sent to the city to try our students as criminals plus the fees they charge. So our students are being treated as collateral which sounds to us more like servitude and slavery in its own right. We allow the criminal system to define their future and lest we forget the prison pipeline, FWISD is the starting point.
Another big items is the reorganization which is presented as a means to centralize the PD for staff. As mentioned it is telling teachers how to teach and when. The TOP DOWN APPROACH
See what Dr. Sutherland has posted as agenda items and let your voice be heard.
So is he the one who advised the then Board to change the policy which allows Central Admin to promote and hire their buddies, girlfriends, and GED holders with no oversight?
ReplyDeleteLast time I checked it is the board's responsibility to oversee administration. This -- your post -- explains a lot. As long as the Fort Worth machine runs Fort Worth and continues to support re-election of aged board members at FWISD and TRWD the greater decline there will be in Fort Worth's quality of life and growth. Everything stated in "Mr. Question's" post is correct. Nevertheless, it is our children, parents and teachers who are suffering under this board and administration. Ann is just one vote. I am happy to see she is posting vital information to the community. It will take TEA to step up to resolving the many issues plaguing this district. I suggest a letter writing campaign to TEA with carbon copies to State Auditor, State Comptroller and DOE and FBI. It is clear our DA is not the watchdog she purports to be as she has received at least 2 requests to look into the lack of fiduciary duty at FWISD. Even her attorneys have no knowledge of the Education Code as her office refused to investigate comparing a Municipal case to an Education case so the DA is clueless on how to apply the law.
ReplyDeleteThe state has taken the truancy issue off the table. No more district money will go to any outside officials to handle truancy. By law, it now must be handled within the district.
ReplyDelete