February Board Meeting Comments

Last night I spoke during the School Board's public comment section.  Here are my remarks:

I have two topics to share with you this evening. 

First of all, I would like to urge the board to use the opportunity of naming new schools to honor dedicated educators who have served Katy ISD.  Teachers go into this profession knowing they will not get rich; they will not get famous; and the only acclaim they will receive will be from the few students who are lucky enough to call them “teacher”.  By naming a school after an educator, the district will acknowledge the service and professionalism that makes Katy ISD a “destination district”.  Imagine what Katy would have looked like without a Roosevelt Alexander, a Garland McMeans, or a James E. Taylor.  Our community has been very lucky to have them and teachers like them working with our kids every day, and to name a school in their honor would be a terrific way to say what they mean to us.  Please consider naming not only the elementary campuses, but also the junior high, and yes, next year even the new high school, after a dedicated educator. 

Next, I would like to continue to address you regarding the topics of “integrity and Openness”. 

Last month, I stated that over past several months, Mr. Huckaby has on at least 3 occasions made statements implying that he was privy to some allegation of wrongdoing, and explained that when he was asked to show his proof, he said he didn’t have it with him.  He has now indicated in a press release that he can’t share his proof with us because the person from whom he heard it won’t allow him to tell us about it. 

As a taxpayer, I must ask Mr. Huckaby to refrain from spreading rumors and hearsay.  This incident goes to show how important the integrity of individual board members is, and how important it is that you as individuals not spread rumors and hearsay from the dais.

In it’s paragraph on “Honor in Conduct”, Policy BBF local on Board Ethics states,

“I will base my decisions on fact rather than supposition, opinion, or public favor.” 

Sadly, no matter how baseless and ridiculous a rumor might be, by repeating it from the position of a seated board member, you are stamping it as credible.  In so doing, you violate this policy because you interject supposition for substantiated facts and hearsay for verifiable information, and accordingly make it more difficult for all members of the board to adhere to this policy.  

It's Rodeo Time, and that means a parade!  Check out the Katy Rodeo Parade tomorrow morning beginning at 9:30.  Basically starts at Rhodes Stadium and ends at the Merrell Center.  More details are here.  It's always Big Fun because all the High School Bands march together (so, all flutes together, all drums together, all saxes together, etc.)  Makes a great sight and that kind of community teamwork is a wonderful thing to celebrate!

This weeks's school board work-study meeting was interesting, in a depressing sort of way.  The contentious atmosphere is turning into a circus, and no student is being educated nor any district property being maintained nor any goal-setting being done because of the circus.  Sad.  


Last week's meeting was capped off by School Board President Joe Adams attempting to offer a report to the other board members that he had tasked Mr. Frailey to produce.  Dr. Proctor interrupted with a Point of Order and demanded a Legal Opinion interpreting the Open Meetings Act.  Basically, he wanted to shut down any conversation about the report.  Since Mr. Adams wasn't offering it for discussion but just to hand out the report in written form, there was no conversation to shut down, but here is a big picture question:  Why is Dr. Proctor opposed to the discussion of things?  I thought he was all about transparency and fiscal responsibility?  Instead, he is demanding a lawyer be paid to offer an opinion to shut down discussion?  Hmm.  


An aside:  Sometimes I feel I've fallen through the Looking Glass:  Several months ago, the Board took up 2 questions: should bond "savings" be used to build an additional elementary school ($22 million-ish) and should the tax office be outsourced to the counties (about a $60,000 question).  The "fiscal conservatives" on the board were all over the small potatoes question, and it was Joe Adams and Rebecca Fox who put the kibosh on building a new school that we don't really need right now.  Thank you to them for continuing to steward my tax dollars...Did the other "news" blog report that?  No....  


Here is my main point:  All this spitting and spewing is not good for kids.  Frailey & Board: please, please, please:  Find the BIG PICTURE (student success) and keep your eye on the ball.  The report that was prepared by Mr. Frailey (it's on the KISD website) is over 60 pages long and must represent HOURS and HOURS of staff time, to defend a situation that two errant and big-mouthed board members have created.  The contentiousness in the Board Room is like pouring molasses on the Administration and that WILL impact students.  If I may mix my metaphors:  Stirring the pot is good for entertainment, but if everyone is rowing in a different direction, don't be surprised if the boat capsizes.  Do NOT be contentious just for political gain.  


Furthermore, that molasses isn't sweet:  Everyone from our highest performing administrators to the janitors will be looking for a more hospitable work-place.  Once they leave, who will replace them?  Or do the work?  And that molasses will continue to run-- right onto campuses, and then it will REALLY impact student success.  I know Dr. Proctor is very anxious that another "reformer" get elected in May, so that he can have "the power".  But to what END???  Yikes!  Have a goal, for heaven's sake!  And please let it be about students, and not power for power's sake...

Had a busy week; with highs and lows.  I'll start with highs: I volunteered last week preparing for the Chamber Gala, and enjoyed a wonderful evening celebrating the Volunteers of the Year (the ARC of Katy volunteers), the Business of the Year (CHRISTUS St. Catherine Hospital), and the Citizen of the Year (Ray Wolman.)  I appreciate very much that the Chamber focuses each year on people and organizations in our community that contribute to making the Katy Area a wonderful place to live.  

• The ARC volunteers are part of the ARC of Katy Adult Activity Day Program.  The program is for adults  in our community with intellectual and developmental disabilities.  Part of the program is for the participants to volunteer in the community, and the City of Katy, Keep Katy Beautiful, Katy ISD, the Chamber, the Katy YMCA, and other organizations are served weekly by the participants, whose "Can Do" at positive attitude and generous outlook exemplify the spirit of volunteer service.  
• CHRISTUS St. Catherine gives back to the community in many ways, such as a Breast Cancer Walk, Mammogram Mondays, a vision program that provides exams and glasses to underserved students in Katy ISD, a Heart Run, Mobile Health Unit, etc.  They have a terrific Cardiac Care Unit that gave me back my husband.  'Nuff said.  I love them.  
• Ray Wolman is a terrific choice for Citizen of the Year.  He taught in Katy ISD for 40 years before retiring last year.  He started as the only science teacher at Katy High, back when it was a small 2-A district.  He has touched every student in the district if they ever went to the Outdoor Learning Center, which he ran for many years.  He is  a dedicated teacher, who helped over 50 Boy Scouts achieve Eagle Awards.   He works tirelessly to preserve our heritage through the Katy ISD Folk Life Festival, as well as the Katy Heritage Society, Katy FFA Rodeo Parade, etc.  His focus is on educating and empowering the citizens of our area to improve our environment.  His selection as "Citizen of the Year" was a real home run!

Lows will come in a separate post; suffice to say I'm proud to be a part of the Katy Community and appreciate the Chamber for sponsoring this event that allows us to reflect on the type of community we truly are.  

Update!  On Feb. 4 I posted about using iPad textbooks in the classroom.  

Here is a local school board that is looking at this and putting iPads in classrooms.  I look forward to seeing their results!  Kudos to the Fort Bend ISD Board for their vision and continued work on student success!  

A Call To Action for the Texas Legislature

An interesting editorial in the Chron today calling on the Gov to pay attention to his own back yard and call a special session to deal with school finance.  Read it here.  Hopefully, more voices will join this call and the legislature will get to work and actually fix the system, as opposed to just bandaging it.  It is embarrassing that Texas school districts have to sue the legislature on a regular basis to require it to do its constitutional mandate: ...it shall be the duty of the Legislature of the State to establish and make suitable provision for the support and maintenance of an efficient system of public free schools. (From Texas Constitution, Article 7, Section 1.)  

It is a shame to have legislators tell school boards, "PLEASE: Sue us!" Not to mention the expense to school districts across the state-- the lawyers don't work for free, and an industry has been created of lawyers dealing with the suits and monitoring compliance to the rulings. More of your tax dollars at work-- on NOTHING productive!

One of the surprising fun activities that area residents can take advantage of this month is the Katy Rodeo.  I attended while on the board and thoroughly enjoyed myself.  The students are focused and have such dedication!  My own band children worked many hard hours practicing, but never had to muck a stall or nurse a sick animal in the middle of the night.  Kudos to the students and parents and KISD staff who work so hard on their FFA projects.

I encourage you to go check it out!  Information can be found here.

Katy ISD School Board comments

Last month at the Katy ISD school board meeting I made some comments, which people have asked me to share:

"I am speaking to you this evening regarding  the delinquent tax office vote, and about “integrity and openness”. 

In the past several months, Mr. Huckaby has on at least 3 occasions made statements implying that he was privy to some allegation of wrongdoing.  When asked to show his proof, he said he didn’t have it with him.  At last week’s work study, Mr. Huckaby again alleged wrongdoing, stating that he knew that “someone in the district administration” had leaked the Perdue proposal to Linebarger.  However, when asked to divulge his proof, he demurred.  As an individual and as a taxpayer, I would like to see the proof of these allegations brought out prior to any vote on the topic. 

There has been a lot of chatter recently about “integrity” and “openness”.  Integrity is defined as adherence to moral and ethical principles, and honesty.  Honesty is defined as telling the truth, which means to conform with FACTS and reality.  Openness is defined in this context as “to make evident or public”.  Please insist that Mr. Huckaby present his FACTS about these allegations, and make them public to the extent allowed by law, before you vote on this issue."

As of this writing, we are still waiting for any such proof...

Friend J sent this today:  

USA Today reviewer Edward C. Baig describes his experience using the first Multi-Touch digital textbooks published for the iBooks 2 for iPad app, noting that they are “engaging in ways that were simply not possible with the textbooks I grew up with.” Baig likes the portability, updatability, and low pricing of iBooks 2 digital textbooks and touts specific features like instant search, highlighting, bookmarking, and interactive graphics. Writes Baig, “It’s better to see an animated tour of the genome in E.O. Wilson’s Life on Earth than just to read about it. ”Read more…

I hope our State Legislators read USA today!  My only beef with the article is that Baig says," ...And no matter how compelling a digital textbook might be, it is only useful to a student if the teacher or school decides that this is indeed the textbook to use with their class."  (emphasis mine)  In Texas, it doesn't really work that way, unless the legislature and State Board of Education allow the book as a choice.  I hope they take this to heart and allow school boards (with the input and guidance of teachers and schools) to consider the digital textbooks.  That way, communities can chime in on which resources are appropriate for their particular community.  And MOST importantly, the Legislature need to allow digital textbooks to be considered a resource for which they will PAY.