The headline article in the Wednesday, May 22, 2013 edition of the El Paso Times was about school district spending per student.
The El Paso Independent School District (EPISD) is the largest school district in the area. The Texas Education Agency (TEA) recently stripped the district’s elected board of trustees of their power and appointed a board of managers to run the district. We are told that this action was mostly the result of a horrible cheating scandal (by the employees, not the students) and the trustees not taking action and being transparent in their dealings. The new board has been tasked with rebuilding public confidence.
The Times talked with local school districts about the spending per student issue. What did EPISD have to say? “Officials at the EPISD were not available to comment” according to the Times article. So much for transparency.
The Times was able to talk with the president of the newly appointed board of managers. He was, until the latest election, a Texas state representative. While in office he voted to cut $5.4 billion from the state education budget. The Times chose not to mention that. So much for transparency.
The $5.4 billion dollar cut may have been the right thing to do. EPISD wastes money like a drunken sailor. They have people on their central office staff that hinder teaching instead of helping it. Ask any classroom teacher, but be prepared for an ear full.
One of the members of the new board of managers was appointed by the TEA as the conservator of the school district in August of 2012. She had the power to overrule the board of trustees. Have we seen any new action as a result of her position? What is the district doing differently since she has been in control? So much for action. So much for transparency.
Now it appears that the City of El Paso wants to kick the EPISD central offices off the airport property that the district leases. We are being told that it will cost $40 million to build new facilities. If they are telling us that it will be $40 million what will the number really be?
We have a TEA appointed board of managers. So be it. They need to get to work and fix the district. They need to tell us what they are doing. They need to fix public confidence. They need to work with the city to avoid spending $40 million when what money they do have should be spent on educating the children.
Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty
Cato
elpasospeak 
Prestige, power and glory — without accountability.
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TEA Commissioner Michael Williams for Education Commissioner: Uh, Why?
http://www.austinchronicle.com/gyrobase/m/Blogs?oid=1358787
EP Times promoted the idea to replace EPISD School Board with a Board of Managers
Here is noteworthy public opinion…
“What does the state’s draconian replacement of our elected school board teach our students about democracy?
When elected officials don’t perform according to the wishes of the electorate, they can be replaced at the next election or recalled by a democratic process. And if they are accused of acting illegally, our legal system of court trials is appropriate.
But for a state high commissioner (TEA) and the DOJ to remove our duly elected school board … and replace them unilaterally with their own choices, that disenfranchises us, the people. That’s scary.
Where will that slippery slope lead — draconian removal and replacement of our elected city council, or state reps, senators?”
http://www.elpasotimes.com/opinion/ci_23173344/letters-episd-move?
I voted for Joe Moody in the last election, now Dee Margo has a new job. Uh, Why?
I teach in EPISD and like most of my contemporaries I am appalled at the actions of some of the District’s employees.
For most students in EPISD it is not what happens at “the top” in the district that makes a difference in their education, it’s what happens in the classroom and at home.
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