Early Voting Has Started-- VOTE YES FOR KATY ISD BOND!

Early voting has started.  Since this is a November election, you will vote at the early voting sites OF YOUR COUNTY. 
Information about Early Voting Locations in Harris, Ft. Bend and Waller Counties is HERE.  GO VOTE!


Last Monday, the School Board discussed what would happen if this bond is defeated.  The Chronicle has a headline in today's paper saying Katy is "ready if voters say no".  YIKES!!  

Of course the District and its staff and teachers will "rise to the occasion".  That does NOT mean the schools and student experience won't change.  There WILL be changes:  Overcrowded schools will have to be the priority, as the district is required by law to educate every child who shows up.  That means Operating Fund money (the same pot of money that pays teacher salaries) will have to be used to do things like buy additional portables, rent and build-out additional facilities like shuttered retail space to be classrooms or offices, rent out-of-district stadiums for sporting events, and buses will have to be re-directed to take children to those out-of-neighborhood facilities.  Older schools will not be renovated so will continue to serve their students poorly (e.g. Memorial Parkway Jr. High) or not as securely (e.g. Mayde Creek HS).  Secondary teachers will not be assigned a classroom and will have to have their planning period in the teacher's lounge.  While it ensures every inch of space will be used every minute of the day, why would a talented teacher stick around if they are not even given a desk?  
This bond was carefully crafted to NOT require a tax increase.  The risk is a tiny 1/2 cent per $100 valuation.  To put it in "homeowner terms", we are basically borrowing against our equity, with no increase in our mortgage payments. 
If you, like so many people, moved to this district BECAUSE of the wonderful schools, why would you risk the value of your home by voting to change those schools dramatically for the worse??       

The School Bond vote is near the end of the ballot.  Be sure to scroll down and cast your vote!

I will vote "YES" on the Katy ISD School Bond, and encourage you to, as well.  I served on the Bond Committee and am proud of the package we developed.

This bond will provide:

• Six new schools (1 high school, 2 junior highs, and 3 elementary schools) (47.7% of the bond)
• Six comprehensive renovations of our older schools: Mayde Creek High School, Memorial Parkway Jr. High, and Memorial Parkway, Golbow, Cimarron, and Pattison Elementary Schools (18.1%)
• Additional component replacements at 43 other schools and 3 district facilities. (5.6%)
• Program Support Facilities: An additional stadium and Ag Sciences Center (both scaled back from what was proposed and rejected in the Nov. '13 bond) (10.8%)
• Expansions to Miller Career Center and 5 Junior Highs (4.9%)
• Technology (6.7%)
• Security upgrades (1.7%)
• Other items, including design and planning fees for 2 additional elementary schools, buses, portables, etc. (4.5%)

Of critical importance to the Bond Committee was including as many necessary projects as possible with little or no tax increase risk.  This bond accomplished that goal with an addition potential tax rate increase of 1/2 cent.  Additional facts and information can be found HERE.

I believe we need this bond, and we need it now.  The district has already delayed this bond by over a year, due to concerns at that time about the flagging economy and how that might impact our growth.  Thank goodness those concerns did not come to pass here in Katy— we have growth and plenty of it!  The 70,000th student enrolled this year, and about 3000 new students come to Katy every year.  They come for excellent schools and programs that provide a well-rounded education for our students. The projects in this bond will address that growth, as well as provided badly needed renovations for our older schools. 

The Choices for District 132

I’m dusting off “Musings From Katy” for some comments on a very important election: The Republican Primary Runoff for District 132 (Ann Hodge vs. Mike Schofield).  Early voting starts on Monday May 19, and Election Day is Tuesday, May 27.  ANYONE can vote in this election (except those who voted in the 2014 Democratic Party Primary last March).  Frankly, this election will be decided in this run-off, so if you want your voice heard, you need to get to the polls for this election.  Your choice is between a 30-year community resident business leader and a district-shopping professional wanna-be politician.  

Ann Hodge’s resume is impressive, including being appointed by several Texas Governors to the Texas Workforce Investment Council, the Texas Council on Vocational Education and the Texas Council on Workforce and Economic Competitiveness.   She is neither a professional candidate nor an ideologue.  Many entities and individuals, including the Houston Chronicle, have endorsed her.   See the list here.  You’ll notice it’s your neighbors and people who love Katy and Cy-Fair.  Her 30 years of living in and working for this area will serve District 132 well.

Mike Schofield, in contrast, has just moved here to run for office.  Don't misunderstand me; we are growing and I welcome our many newcomers.  The question is WHY did they move here?  What concerns me is that Mike Schofield has continuously been raising money for SOME State Rep job—he doesn’t seem to care which.  (See the bullets below.)  The Texas Constitution created a part-time, so-called citizen legislature, which meets for a relatively brief 140 days every other year.   I understand Mr. Schofield has no day job but has been going door-to-door through the district charming people into putting his sign in their yard.  Ann Hodge has a job—running our local Chamber of Commerce.  She is what the Constitution had in mind—because she lives in, works in, and betters our community.  She will be a true Citizen Legislator.  Also, she knows the area well enough to know that wide swaths of Katy ISD and Cy-Fair ISD, while not in District 132, are important to District 132.  Bill Callegari understands this, as does John Zerwas and Glenn Hegar.  Mike Schofield has not spent any time learning about the broader Katy and Cy-Fair areas—they can’t vote for him so they are not worth his time.  

Mike Schofield has been funded and endorsed by lots of folks with zip codes other than those from our area, and has a long history of “District Shopping”.  The information below is from the Texas Ethics Commission.  Candidates who have any campaign funds on hand are required to file reports semi-annually (In January & July) and before elections.  They are a wealth of information about a candidate, sometimes in the questions that are raised by what they DON’T say. 

·       In his January 15, 2006 campaign finance report, he doesn’t know what office he is filing for (Box 12), but has $60,000 contributed to get him elected SOMEWHERE.   His address is listed as 10714 Overbrook Ln, a home near Westheimer and the Beltway, which property records list as owned by a Norma Garbizu in 2006.

·       In the 30 Days before the Election report, he finally reports he is running for State Rep for Dist. 133, near the Galleria.

·       His July semiannual report filed after he lost the primary election in 2006 shows he spent over $186,000 trying to win District 133.

·       All filings (annual and semi-annual) through Jan. 2012 continue to list his address as the house on Overbrook and that the office he is seeking is for District 133. 

·       Schofield eventually files to run for District 136, in the Memorial area.  In November 2011, maps are redrawn and District 136 is rolled into District 133.  Schofield does not appear on the primary ballot.  

·       In the January 2012 report, his address changes to an office address in Greenway Plaza, which is the same address as Blakemore & Associates, a political consulting firm.  He does not list any office that he is seeking.  However, he raises over $67,000 and spends nearly $34,000.  Why would people give money to him without knowing what office he is running for?  Or does he tell them what he’s running for but omits that information on the report?   His expenditures show he spent money for “travel in district” and for Filing Fees to the Harris County Republican Party, but we don’t know which district?!? 

·       In the July 2012 report, people are still donating but he doesn’t list an office that he is seeking, his address is still the office in Greenway Plaza, he’s traveling in the unnamed district and spending money on print advertizing (which you’d think would mention WHAT office he is running for).

·       For January 2013 and July 2013, he is sitting on about $20,000.  No change in address and he still doesn’t know what he’s running for.

·       On September 23, 2013, Bill Callegari announces he is retiring from District 132.  On September 25^th, Schofield rents a house in District 132. http://coveringkaty.com/2014/03/16/candidate-mike-schofield-covering-katy-investigation/

·       In his January, 2014, filing, Schofield finally lists District 132 as the one he is going after.  His address on campaign reports remains the Greenway Plaza office address. 

 

So, in 8 short years, Mike Schofield has moved to and filed for office in three different districts.  Do NOT let Mike Schofield use us this way!  Get out and VOTE!  Remember, you do not need to be a “registered Republican”—it doesn’t work that way in Texas.  Unless you voted in the 2014 Democratic Primary, you CAN and SHOULD vote in the Republican primary run-off. 

Early Voting is Monday, May 19 through Friday, May 23, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.  Locations are here: 

I'm Back! To talk about the Open Meetings Act

Actually, I never left.  But I've spent the last few months working on settling my mom into her new digs, and working on some projects that I promise to write about soon.  But tonight I'm writing to comment on the School Board's new initiative called "The Exchange".  I went to the first one tonight, and I have some comments:

• It was exciting to see a fairly large number of people there for the first time.  The usual folks who follow the Board were there, but also a number of people I didn't know, and that's a good thing.  The Board needs to hear from lots of people.
• It was hard to hear in that particular setting, primarily because of the size of the crowd.  Easy to fix.
• Some people were frustrated, because they thought this would be a chance for them to bring THEIR issue to the Board and get an answer.  This was not going to happen because of the Open Meetings Act ("OMA"), but perhaps we'll get closer as The Exchange initiative progresses.  As I listened at my table, I realized some of the people there didn't understand what the OMA is, so here is an explanation, and a request that you hang in there:  

The Open Meeting Act is NOT a district policy or a marketing name for these meetings.  It is a state law that dictates how a governmental body can talk to "the people".   The intent behind the law is to make sure that if a quorum of a governmental body is present and talking about something, that topic is disclosed to the rest of the world so that anyone else interested in hearing the conversation can show up and listen to it.  That's why the Board had to frustrate some folks this evening-- they came to hear what the Board had to say, but the Board could not comment on specifics that had not been posted.  For instance, one of the ladies at my table wanted to talk about specific books used in 12th grade at a particular high school.  The Board could listen to her concerns (everyone has Free Speech rights) but could not comment on them because it wasn't posted so that my absent friend Jan, who is VERY passionate about books, could be there to hear what the Board has to say about the topic.  

That disclosure happens by "posting" 72 hours ahead of the meeting, meaning the topics to be discussed are literally tacked up in a public place so that people can plan to attend and listen to any discussion that interests them.  Nowadays, the posting also appears on the website, so you don't actually have to drive down to the ESC to check out the bulletin board outside, to see the topics to be discussed.  Of course, there are exceptions, but this is the general intent of the law.  

Speaking of the topics, they have to be posted with some specificity.  Since the entire Board was expected to be present, tonight's discussion had to be posted, so the Board chose the topic "Governance and The Role of The Board."  The Trustees were able to talk about how they decide policy, the difference between oversight and management (this is their role under the Texas Education Code), etc.  That was frustrating because people wanted to talk about lots of specific topics.  The Board handled this by telling people to write the topic they wanted to discuss on a piece of paper, all those papers were gathered and posted on the wall, and then everyone was given three dots to "vote" for topics they want to discuss next time.  This way, the School Board can post some specific topics to discuss at the next Exchange meeting.  It's a compromise, but it is does prioritize the topics that those present want to hear about from the Board in upcoming meetings, and then gives those who were unable to attend tonight a chance to be sure to be present when topics they are passionate about come up for discussion.  Hopefully, those who were frustrated tonight will hang in there until their topics gets to come up for discussion.  The really GREAT news is that even when the Board was unable to comment on something, they were LISTENING to what people were saying.  

Thank you for hanging in there with me.  I look forward to "musing" some more with you...

Robotics and Thinking Outside the Box

The School Board met on Monday night for a very long but very informative meeting.  The highlight of the evening was seeing the Cinco Ranch CRyptonite Robotics team and its robot.  It shoots baskets, but does SO much more.  I encourage you to check out the presentation including a video of the robot in action here.  Just click on item IV on the right hand menu.  Frankly, when I heard the challenge was to make a robot that shoots basketballs, I thought it would stand on the free throw line and chunk them up there.  But this robot actually PLAYS basketball-- it scoops up three basketballs and then loads them into a chute, beams a light to the backboard and adjusts trajectory and velocity to shoot the ball from wherever it is with amazing accuracy.  And high school students designed and produced it.  WOW!  The Cinco Ranch Robotics team participates (and excels) in competitions sponsored by FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology).  Check this out. This is a terrific organization whose motto is: Igniting Young Minds. Nurturing Passions. Practicing Gracious Professionalism. 

Professionalism, poise, confidence: the students who spoke at the board meeting certainly exhibited those qualities!  And how exciting for them to be able to report that 100% of the graduating seniors in the club were accepted to colleges where they will enter a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math) field.  Kudos!

The club not only impacts its members but the surrounding community, too. The club mentors other clubs at the feeder Jr. Highs, and they appear before sponsors with their requests for funding and to justify costs.  They learn that even in science fields, there is a business side to the endeavor.  This is a very real world experience.  They are anxious to have similar clubs at every high school, and have helped get one started at Morton Ranch.  This is a tough situation, because as a general rule, club formation and participation is not done at the district level, but is driven by student interest and, more importantly, sponsor availability at the campus level.  I wish them well, and hope they will ignite fires all over the district!

They have corporate sponsors who cover costs, but asked the district to provide space for them to use as they build their robots.  I hope the district will "think outside the box" on this one.  I'm reminded of my former school board colleague, Eric Duhon, who always felt the district should utilize the space under the seats at a stadium by building it on top of another building, rather than on top of a big pile of dirt.  He suggested meeting space, offices or even storage-- just so long as it is used the OTHER five days a week. Perhaps providing space for "robot garages" in a centralized area (sort of like an Ag Barn for robots) would be a good use of that space when a new stadium is built?

Graduation Perspiration Inspiration

Another round of graduations has come and gone.  I am so proud of all the young men and women who crossed the stage and got their diplomas, and of the parents, grandparents and siblings who supported those students in this achievement.  For some grads, it was a pretty easy trip, with enough money and support for cars, clothes, tutoring, grad parties, etc.  For others, the trip was not so easy.


I heard about a student at Morton Ranch High School who must have had a rough road getting to graduation.  I'm filling in blanks, here, because I only know about his arrival at the graduation ceremony, and am imagining the path that got him there.  I'm told he arrived dripping in sweat, without a dress shirt.  He was at first chastised for not dressing appropriately, but when the circumstances were known, Herff-Jones fashioned a man's "shirt" collar out of a ladies' collar, a staff member lent a tie, and he walked across the stage and got his diploma.  Why did attitudes change?  Because they learned that the young man is homeless, and in order to get to graduation, he JOGGED there.


I'm sad that this student did not have the family support that the vast majority of our students do, but he certainly had the support of someone at Morton Ranch, which I learned a little bit about when I followed up with Mark Grisdale, MRHS Principal.  Apparently, the young man had a falling out of some sort with his family several weeks before the end of school, and felt he had to drop out to work.  Someone helped him see that with so few weeks left, it would be possible to graduate and he'd never have to do it again, if he just worked through the end of school.  It took a lot of cajoling and follow-through, but he made it to enough classes to graduate, and passed them.  He could have so easily fallen through the cracks, but he was "caught" by someone at Morton Ranch.  Another cool side note: Mark didn't know about this and had to track down the story for me, which means he is lets his people handle problems on their own and doesn't feel the need to micromanage. The best leaders hire great people and then get out of their way.  Kudos to him!


I'm THRILLED this student moved a mountain to get to graduation, and am wondering what fabulous Morton Ranch teacher, class, or experience with his peers or campus staff inspired this perseverance?  What inspired this young man to jog for miles in 90+ degree heat to get to the ceremony?  It must have been powerful...  But not surprising.  There are thousands of terrific stories in our schools of someone making a difference in another's life.  It could have been something like the teachers at another High School who worked till the wee hours of the morning with students who barely missed the mark to help them make the KOLA requirements so they could graduate with their peers.  It could have been like the community member who organized a fund-raising campaign to help a group of Miller Career Center students travel to a national competition because he knew they had no "booster club" to help make that happen.  We are so lucky and blessed to live in a community where these types of stories are common.  Sadly, we don't really have a "news source" willing to cover those stories.  The traditional newspapers don't cater to the entire district geographically, and the internet "news" pages are all about generating "hits", so the tear-down stories are preferred over the feel-good.  Closest thing is a Facebook page called "IHeartKISD".  Not enough people know about it, though.


In addition to being proud of the graduates and their families, I'm particularly proud of the people of our school district, and especially those wonderful folks at Morton Ranch who did not let this young person fall through the cracks.  Katy ISD is a terrific school district, where wonderful things are happening, and we need to shout about it more often.  Tell those wonderful stories!  Anywhere and everywhere!  

Mrs. Murray Langley is Brewing Tea...

For heaven's sake-- what a tempest in a teapot.  This is a response to the ridiculous allegations raised by Cynthia Murray Langley and "reported" in Instant News Katy--  I won't comment there because I don't want to actually acknowledge them as a "news" source.  Perhaps one of my readers will post this to INK so others can get the full story.

Anyway, if Mrs. Murray Langley had taken three minutes to ASK the election officials what the delay was, as I did, she would have had the whole story, too, and put her mind at ease:

To set the stage for those not present:  the election officials were counting the ballots in the back of the ESC.  Observers in the room included Eric Duhon as the properly appointed Poll Watcher named by Michalsky and/or Griffin.  Mrs. Blackman's and Mrs. Majors' husbands were there representing them.  This is customary and there is nothing sinister about it.  They were present early in the process (by 7:15 p.m., I'm told) so they could see the ballot boxes and electronic machines come in after the polls closed, and were present during the count.  A rather large gathering of interested persons were assembled in the lobby and in the board room awaiting the results.  (Typically, results are announced between 9 and 10 o'clock.)  I saw Mr. Adams and Mr. Shaw come in the FRONT of the building along with all the other interested parties (including myself) and never left that area of the building; I imagine they were reluctant to go past the big sign "ELECTION OFFICIALS ONLY BEYOND THIS POINT" placed just past the bathrooms near the board room.

Results were not announced until around 12 o'clock.  The reason it took so long to announce them explains the "missing" votes:  The machines are new to the district, because the State's redistricting nightmare pushed the primaries to May 29, so we couldn't have the machines we usually use.  No matter; the various election judges went to trainings and were ready to go.  Apparently something had to be done to the machines after early voting but 2 of the polling places followed the directions in the booklet provided by the voting machine manufacturer which unfortunately omitted that step.  The remaining polling places followed the directions provided in the training and did that step.

As a check to the whole process, Kathy Adams, the assistant to the Election Official, Bill Haskett, kept a chart showing the exact number of early and election day voters.  When her list did not match the list that came out of the electronic machines plus the paper ballots, she would not sign off on the results, and caused a ruckus with the electronic machine company's representative over the two lists not "balancing".  Eventually, they narrowed the issue to the few machines that were treated differently, fixed the problem and re-ran the tape from the electronic voting machines.  VOILA, they balanced perfectly with the hand-written chart that Mrs. Adams kept, so there was confidence that the number of ballots cast were there on hand to be counted, and therefor the results were correct.

Yes, it was a long night, and I'm sure tempers were taut.  But I have to give Kathy Adams and Bill Haskett a big atta-boy for maintaining order and ensuring an accurate count.  Mr. Haskett did NOT allow additional poll watchers, including Mrs. Murray Langley, to bust in while they were attempting to reconcile why the two lists had different numbers of voters.  This was exactly the correct thing to do-- the LEAST productive thing would be to allow additional people in the room.  If you ever worked as a cashier or bank teller who had to balance the books at the end of your shift, you know what I'm talking about:  what you need to figure out the discrepancy is quiet reflection and no additional fussing with your cash drawer.  Since poll watchers from both "sides" were already present who could attest to what transpired, adding additional people halfway through the process is actually COUNTER productive.  I find it telling that it was someone standing OUTSIDE the room that is belly aching the loudest; Mr. Blackman and Mr. Majors are NOT saying anything was amiss.  Since they were present in the room as every ballot was counted, I want to hear what THEY have to say, not Mrs. Murray Langley!

While I'm talking about Mr. Haskett and Mrs. Adams, I want to note they have conducted Katy ISD elections for many years, and I dare you to find more earnest or honest people.  This lady and gentleman take great pains to be fair and above-board with everything they do.  To have Bill Proctor verbally assault them is reprehensible, and to have the process of tabulating these votes called into question by Mrs. Murray Langley is ridiculous.  Bill Proctor should be ashamed of his appalling behavior towards these people.  I certainly am.  While I understand his extreme disappointment in the outcome of this election because it derailed his power grab, he needs to learn to control his temper.

In summary, Mrs. Murray Langley's complaint to the Secretary of State is a terrific waste of her time, his time, and your time.  More theatrics for political gain.  I encourage you to dismiss this behavior as such.

Teachers of the Year

Last week, I attended the Katy Area Chamber of Commerce Teacher of the Year luncheon, and had a wonderful time celebrating this year's best teachers. What an amazing group of teachers--they represent a small portion of the talented men and women who move mountains every day in our classrooms.  I was happy to have the opportunity to congratulate them on being chosen by their campus peers for this honor.

It was also great to be with a wonderful community of business leaders and elected officials that appreciates what teachers do for our kids and how the health of our school district impacts every aspect of our community, such as our home values, business income, availability of skilled workers, ready customers, informed electorate, etc.  Their generosity to these teachers is absolutely incredible, and reminds me that people other than students' parents recognize the importance of a strong school district.  Please say "thank you" to them for showing our Teachers of the Year that the Katy community is grateful for these dedicated educators.  For a list of sponsors, see here.  Also thank HEB Katy Market for beautiful floral arrangements, and Sam Schultze of Country Park Portraits for photographing the event.

Election Results Are In!

The election is over!


For Position 6: Bryan Michalsky won with 55.8% of the vote.  (2931 votes to 2322 for Majors)
For Position 7: Charles Griffin won with 48.6% of the vote.  (2569 votes to 1846 for Blackman, 635 for Howard, and 233 for Powell).  


My take-away: 

1. 5283 voters cast ballots.  YEAH!  While this is still well under 5% of the registered voters in the district, it is more votes than those cast in recent years by a good bit, particularly since this was a 2-seat race with no real hot-button issue: 
• 2008: 4893 voters.  3-seat races typically bring out more voters.
• 2009: 2063 voters.  2-seat race.
• 2010: 1744 voters.  2-seat race, but Fox was unopposed.
• 2011: 4544 voters.  3-seats plus a hot-button issue: teacher layoffs.
2. It would appear that a lot of new voters came to the polls.  That is a good thing-- people in Katy are beginning to pay attention to and understand what is happening in the community and do what is necessary to protect it.  We are no longer in an environment where it works to express your overall satisfaction with the district by NOT voting.  
3. Many new people worked on the various races, and that is a VERY good thing.  More engagement by a broader base of people means more viewpoints factored into our trustees' decisions.  
4. Enough people voted for Griffin to avoid allowing Blackman to win with 35% of the vote.  That's exactly how Huckaby won last year.  While I respect Neal Howard and his service to the board, incumbents faced huge challenges this year.  Just check out Ft. Bend ISD's election results.  I appreciate Betty Powell's willingness to run for the board and hope she will continue to be engaged in the process.  I hope she will do Leadership Katy next year and be a resource to new board members regarding technology.   

Is it over yet?  Already rumors of voter fraud and tampering are being spread by the Nay-Sayers.  Lawsuits are being threatened. Fortunately, Mrs. Blackman's and Mrs. Majors' husbands served as poll watchers and witnessed the counts.  Although there was a technical problem with the electronic voting machines, the election judges waited until all issues were resolved before announcing results around midnight.  Perhaps a good night's sleep will help people see there was no wrong-doing, just as there was none last year.  

Now, the real work starts:  The new board will have to form a new team (because the board as a WHOLE, not individuals, oversees the district's management).  That will be difficult, given that Proctor and Huckaby hand-picked and openly campaigned for Majors and Blackman, including Instant News Katy  comments, robo-calls and mass e-mails.  I hope the remaining five members can move Proctor and Huckaby to work for the good of the district rather than for power plays.  I also hope the new board can make a commitment to stop infighting and get out of the way of the district's regular business.  Too much has been put "on hold" for the past year. 

"A bend in the road is not the end of the road...unless you fail to make the turn."

--Unknown

Why You Should Phone a Friend

If you voted early, WAY TO GO.  Numbers indicate about 5% of registered voters will wind up voting in this election, so every vote has impact.  That actually is a (relatively) large increase in the number of people voting this election compared to recent years, even though it's still a small number.

I spent some time this morning wondering why people don't vote.  5% is so small-- why do over 100,000 registered voters let 5,000 people decide on the Katy ISD school board?  And yes, that number is REGISTERED voters.  I'm sure a large number of people aren't even registered, given Katy ISD has over 250,000 residents. 

Yet 93% of infrequent voters and 81% of non-voters in a survey said it is an important part of being a good citizen and an important way to voice their opinion on issues that affect their families and communities.  

The strongest motivators influencing infrequent and non-voters are conversions with family (65%) and friends (59%).  So, TALK TO THEM!  Encourage them to get to the polls on Saturday.  They will listen to you!  If everyone who voted talked to 3 friends and only 1 of them made it to the polls, that would double our turnout!  WOW.  A small effort with a huge impact.

POLL INFO:  Here is the rub:  in order to cut costs, the number of election day polling places was reduced this year.  

IT IS LIKELY THAT YOUR POLLING LOCATION CHANGED.  

Be sure to check this map  before you head out.  Saturday 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Be a good friend, and tell them where their polling place is when you call them...

Why I Will Vote for Michalsky and Griffin

I've had people say to me, "OK, Chris, I get who you are AGAINST, but who will you vote for?"  This is an updated post from several days ago:

Bryan Michalsky is my choice for Position 6.  He is chief financial officer for a local company, and has five children ranging in grades pre-K through 12.  He has children at both Seven Lakes and Katy High Schools.  The board needs someone with a strong financial background, and Mr. Michalsky's business experience will serve the board well on many of the decisions coming up.  

In Position 7, I will vote for Charles Griffin.   Mr. Griffin is a retired Lt. Colonel and airline pilot with strong Katy roots, having graduated from Katy High School and the Air Force Academy.  He has four children, and his wife was a cafeteria monitor who was let go when those positions were eliminated last year.  His uncle is Michael Griffin, after whom Griffin Elementary is named.  He brings a depth of knowledge about our heritage, and is anxious to work hard to improve the reputation of the district, and he is keenly interested in improving the communications from the district. 

Like most Katy voters, Mr. Griffin and Mr. Michalsky were not paying attention to school board elections before last year.  They are working hard to catch up fast.  They have met and are meeting with administrators, teachers, community leaders, former school board members such as myself, and the current board members, including Proctor and Huckaby, in order to ask opinions on issues the district is facing.  They will bring a diversity to the board that is envisioned in the State Law that requires seven board members elected from the community to oversee the professional educators who will actually run the district.  We don't need five superintendents; we need one superintendent properly tasked and evaluated by seven school board members who bring to the board expertise in a wide variety of areas such as business and financial acumen, community relations, technology, human resources, law, government relations, etc.

I have tremendous respect for Neal Howard and would be happy if  he won, too. However, given the anti-incumbent fervor I still see in our community, I believe it will be impossible for an incumbent to be re-elected this year.  I also respect Betty Powell for being part of the electoral process.  However, remember: in our school board elections, THERE ARE NO RUN-OFFS.  Whichever candidate gets the most votes will win, even if it's only 26% of the vote in a four-person race.  I am very concerned Cynthia Blackman will win if the vote splits, just like Huckaby won last year with only 35% of the vote.  Please vote, talk about the election, and encourage your friends and neighbors to vote. 

Early voting is Monday and Tuesday this week only;  7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m at:

KISD Education Support Complex,

Wolfe Elementary,

Cinco Ranch High School, and

Taylor High School. 

You can vote at any of those locations during Early Voting.  On Election Day (Saturday, May 12), you will need to vote at your polling place.

More information on voting is here.

"Covert Proceedings" is a Bunch of Hooey

Katy school board has two types of meetings each month, a "Work Study" and a "Regular" meeting.  Basically the same issues are discussed at both meetings.  The "work study" is usually 1-2 weeks ahead of the "regular" meeting and is a meeting for the board to ask questions and discuss the issues so that the administration can figure out where a consensus is likely to be.  Once that is discovered, the superintendent and administration can make a recommendation at the regular meeting where the issue will be voted on, hopefully 7-0 or close to that, so that the direction from the board is clear. Frequent 5-2 or 4-3 votes indicate a dysfunctional board. For more on that, see here.  


Now, within each type of meeting, there are two "sub-meetings": a "Closed Session" and an "Open Session."  The Closed (sometimes called "executive") Session is exactly as it sounds: closed to the public.  Everything that the school board discusses must be done in open session, unless the topic is one of the exceptions listed in the Open Meetings Act.  For school districts, the exceptions include discussions involving personnel matters, matters involving specific students, consultation with an attorney, employee complaints, purchase or lease of real property and security measures.  These matters are set aside for logical reasons, like protecting the privacy of individual employees and students or not wanting to give away a negotiating position.  The board discusses the items in closed session, but all votes must later be made in an open meeting.

Proctor and Huckaby walked out of that meeting to kill the quorum and avoid voting on individual employment contracts. Blackman and Majors say there should have been public input before vote was taken.  They are wrong.  Discussion about employment contracts is  never appropriate for open discussion or public input.  Therefore, there was no reason NOT to vote on contracts in a work study meeting.  The exception to this would be the new hiring of someone whose job is of wide public interest, like a principal, where the vote should be taken after the public has had an opportunity to speak at the Open Forum part of the regular meeting.  The district is a BIG BUSINESS, one of the largest employers in west Houston, and needs to move forward in a timely matter.  


So, why are Blackman and Majors (and Proctor and Huckaby) talking about "covert proceedings"?  It is a catch phrase with no merit but lots of emotional weight.  When you vote, don't be swayed by rhetoric that is not backed up with solid information and common sense.  


Early voting continues this week through May 8; 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Taylor and Cinco Ranch High Schools, Wolfe Elementary, and the Education Support Complex.  

Teamwork and Volunteers and Voting

I had the BEST time yesterday morning.  This time of year I always enjoy the camaraderie and "reunion" feeling at the annual VIPS Breakfast thanking the district volunteers.  I see people I worked with on elementary projects and get to hear about what those cute 4th graders are doing in college now (yikes!).   Once again, Janet Theis, the Partners in Education department, and the Volunteers in Public Schools board had very inspirational speakers-- the team that worked with Gabby Giffords at TIRR Memorial Hermann.  Also inspirational-- the awarding of campus Volunteer of the Year awards-- individuals whose work this year made them the stand-out performers of teams of campus volunteers.  

I'm mindful these days of the great work being done by individuals and the great work being done by teams.  Even accolades going to individuals are often a reflection of their leadership of a team.  Most of the great work being done in the world is done by teams of like-minded people all moving in the same direction.  

As you, the voters, work to assemble the team that is the School Board, think about whether your team will go farther if everyone is pulling in different directions, or in the same direction?  And which direction do you want?  Campus teams are directed by the Administration.  Administration is directed by the School Board.  The School Board is directed by the community of voters who put them in office.  

Vote!

Congratulations to Tory Hill, MCJH Principal!

Congratulations Mr. Hill!!  Last night, Mr. Hill was recognized for having been named Region IV Middle School Outstanding Principal of the Year!  This explanation is from the Texas Association of Secondary School Principals' website:
The Texas Association of Secondary School Principals is an association formed by and for over 5000 campus level administrators. Established in 1922, its purpose is to build an active network of educators that want to take responsibility for the quality of school leadership....School administrators are nominated and chosen by their peers within their regions and then applications from these recipients are reviewed by the TASSP Principal Image Committee who selects the finalists. Nominations are based upon exemplary performance and outstanding leadership in secondary education.  
So typical of Mr. Hill-- When I ran into him in the board room just before the meeting, we talked about the construction going on at the school and I assumed he was there for Teacher of the Year or a student recognition.  I've known for a long time that he does a wonderful job leading Mayde Creek Junior High, and have watched him lead by example with humility and compassion.  I'm so pleased and proud to see him recognized by this organization! Katy is lucky to have such a terrific administrator and leader.
Frankly, this is a big deal, and I am disappointed I can't find it on the Katy ISD website :-(
Good luck in Austin, Mr. Hill!  I hope you win Texas Middle School Outstanding Principal!  

KPGT Debate Final Questions and Closing Statements

Question #8: What changes, if any, should be made to school board policies?

• Cynthia Blackman (Positon 7) says biggest thing is transparency. Decisions are made in closed session.  Work study is not the place for voting.  It takes 3 members to place a taxpayer's concern on the agenda.  For years the dissension has been 6-1 or 5-2.  Wants open forum often so that she can hear concerns.  That is missing in the National, State and local levels.  
• Neal Howard (Position 7) would like to add penalties for bad behavior by board members.  He thinks the requirement of 3 members needed to add something to the agenda is fine.  You only need 3 people to talk about something, not to vote on it.  He would lower the gifting policy to a lower amount, like the cost of BBQ sandwich at Midway BBQ.
• Terri Majors (Position 6) said lots of policies need revising.  They are a thick document and they are gibberish and should be re-written to be clearer.  She would make a policy that prohibits voting on Work Study meetings, so public can talk about the concerns.  Also would increase open forum time.  
• Bryan Michalsky (Position 6) said a review of policy is good; he is not saying they need to change but would like to see discussion and debate.  Concern about needing 3 for an agenda item is a good point, but should talk about it.  Having more topics on the agenda and healthy debate is a good thing as it would improve the discourse among the trustees.  Penalties for violating policies should be added. 
• Betty Powell (Position 7) said the gifting policy under federal law the limit is $10, and that would be good.  Need boundaries.  Katy needs to not look out of control, as it has been recently.  Policies have lots of legal language and can be hard to understand.  To sum, all members need to come with an open mind.  

Question #9:  What other successful school districts across the state or nation should Katy ISD use as a benchmark and what benchmarks would you use?

• Betty Powell (Pos. 7) worked for Fort Bend ISD, and at that time principals were the instructional leaders and more involved on their campuses.  She also worked at HISD and New Orleans Public Schools.  The family feeling here is good.  Teachers here are teams and they grow and learn together in Katy.  
• Bryan Michalsky (Pos. 6) said no, Katy doesn't want to benchmark against other districts; we should be their benchmark.  Katy ISD is a destination district. We attract the best teachers.  "Why are you trying to be like everyone else, when everyone else wants to be like you?"
• Terri Majors (Pos. 6) said we need to be the district other districts look to. North Richland Hills ISD is a strong district, and she would look to those districts that have achieved exemplary status.  Need to get all our schools to exemplary status.
• Neal Howard (Pos. 7) said some of these things costs money, like visiting other ISDs. He is in favor of staff development travel. Best practices need to be found and shared. Teacher of the Year candidates discussed this in their interviews so it is happening now but could be funded more.
• Cynthia Blackman (Pos. 7) said "the heart of our schools are teachers".  KISD is a Recognized district, and Morton Ranch High School is acceptable.  Teachers need to be able to start teaching. Paperwork is burdensome and needs to be reduced.  Teacher morale is low due to what happened last year.  Administrators need to visit schools, and she wants to empower parents go into schools so they can help with a positive attitude.

Question #10:  How should Katy achieve its mission statement?  Katy Independent School District, the leader in educational excellence, together with family and community, provides unparalleled learning experiences designed to prepare and inspire each student to live an honorable, fulfilling life...to create the future.

• Terri Majors (Pos. 7) said that is what she'd like to see.  It is a lofty statement and good.  Should continue to work to make things better.  As Ms. Blackman said, we need to make teachers excited to come to school.  Years ago, they were, but not so much now.  We are a family community with outstanding programs that everyone is proud of and let's make us even prouder.
• Bryan Michalsky (Pos. 7) said communication is key. Board must do its job and have a very high-reaching vision.  Need to annually set measurable goals and direct the superintendent to achieve them.  Then, board needs to evaluate the progress toward the goals, and then share that with the public.  Need to get feedback from campuses.
• Betty Powell (Pos. 6) said Board members' duty is to review curriculum.  Technology should not work better at home than at school.  Tools need to work.
• Cynthia Blackman (Pos. 6) said the heart of this mission and of the schools are teachers.  Teachers have been forced recently to use KMAC.  KMAC shouldn't have to be used because teachers have their own methodologies.  KMAC steals a teachers ability to touch the heart of a student.  The requirement that teachers differentiate should be removed so that teachers can be empowered to do the job they were hired to do, which is to teach.  She also disagrees with reteaching and retesting, and would not require teachers to do it.  
• Neal Howard (Pos. 7) believes public schools are a great thing.  Kids are shaping our future.  Kids are doing amazing things here and beyond the district.  Mission statement mentions community.  He thinks the district is doing a good job of building community-- evidenced by lots of emails received by the board during the rezoning process saying no one wants to leave their school.

Closing Statements:

• Charles Griffin (Pos. 7) had a written statement saying he will answer the questions posed on his website.
• Neal Howard (Pos. 7) talked about his involvement in schools, coaching, Young Life, and his church.  He clarified that PBK doesn't tell the district where to build schools, the community does.  As for the statement "schools are built too soon and in the wrong place", he thinks the folks at Stanley Elem and WoodCreek Jr Hi would disagree, because they are severely overcrowded, in spite of opening new schools next year.  Land purchased for HS7 (currently under construction) was purchased in the 1980's when land was cheap, but was way out in the middle of nowhere.  Community entrusts the board to look far in to the future, and for instance to buy 120 acres in that location now would be extremely expensive. 
• Cynthia Blackman (Pos. 7) justified the numbers about enrollment as being in response to a public information request made in March, and told Neal to check those out.  She said "...I can reassure you that Dr. Proctor and Terry Huckaby are very much apprised of Robert's Rules of Order and they knew full well that they were within their right to do what they did at that particular Work Study".  She was personally rezoned 3 times, which was not mindful.  Wants to know what the district plans to do with the land that was recently purchased behind Powerhouse Church, which was not on any agenda.  She doesn't agree with moving busing to beyond 2 miles because there is too much traffic.  She pledges an open door policy and will represent everyone on the Board.  She will provide diverse thoughts and 22 years classroom experience.  She is a small business owner and is a stakeholder in the district and wants to keep things under control.  She is concerned about academics has some ideas she wants to implement to improve academics.  She wants academics improved by empowering teachers.  They are the heart of the district, and she relishes the thought of walking into a school as your board member and supporting your teachers and administrators.  She can look into a classroom and see that they don't need flat screen TV's, but instead the teacher needs more help or more books, because "she has been there".
• Betty Powell (Pos. 7) worked for Katy ISD until last spring and has recent experience in the classrooms and working with teachers.  She is a technology specialist and knows Katy because she worked in every school.  Wants to run for School Board because she cares about the kids and is invested in the district.  Her husband is a teacher at Katy High School.  Moved here because they wanted to teach in great schools.  She wants to keep Katy great.  Her only agenda is the kids.  She has high integrity because she has been vetted by the US Marshal's office.  She promised to do her best and won't run to the press and embarrass KISD.  She would handle conflict at the table with other board members.  Can help with curriculum because she has a bachelor's degree in that area.  She can offer expertise with technology currently in the schools; for instance, we don't have "flat screen TVs", they are flat screen monitors which are lots cheaper.  The TV signal they get is from the district's "tower" which is like a server.  Loves the community and is passionate about Katy.
• Bryan Michalsky (Pos. 6) said Katy ISD has been a source of pride for a long time.  It attracts great families and teachers.  We must give kids exceptional opportunities.  He is a fiscal conservative and understands prioritizing budget needs.  He would like to return support positions to the classrooms so they run as efficiently as possible and free up teachers to teach.  Should strive to run the district as efficiently as possible and non-instructional areas need to justify their expenses every year.  His experience as Chief Financial Officer will help the district deal with periods of economic uncertainty like last year. Primary objective is to provide students with a sound, quality education that will serve them after graduation. He has 4 kids and a rising kindergartener, so is invested in the district for 13 more years. To meet that objective, the board needs to give exceptional goals to the superintendent and then evaluate him on them.  The district needs a strong and diverse board to do this.  His experience as a business executive would be useful on a board which already has 2 educators, a volunteer, a foundation director and a small business owner.  He is prepared to build relationships, listen to all points of view, provide leadership, and make informed decisions for the benefit of our students, teachers, and taxpayers.  
• Terri Majors (Pos. 6) pledged to protect programs and advanced curriculum that are effectively educating our students.  Must continue to offer accelerated learning opportunities.  She prefers site based decisions.  Top-down decision making is not working.  They need guidelines and a good mission statement.  Data needs to be honest and open.  For example, both Morton Ranch HS and Mayde Creek HS are praised in the article in the Chronicle, but she is concerned people will think they are performing at an exemplary level, and that is not true; both campuses are "Acceptable". Their SAT scores are "frighteningly low".  MRHS average is 973, and students need 2000+ to get into our best colleges.  MCHS's average is 975.  We need to educate all our students.  These 2 campuses are  economically disadvantaged and that impacts learning and we need to provide the extra support that is needed.  Also, laws don't protect GT program monies from State and Federal government.  Are we spending it wisely and can we get more dollars?  Need board members who are willing to fight hard for change.  She is willing to do that.  She was principal at a very at-risk elementary, Golbow for 13 years.