June, 2008
Volume 16, Issue 10
McAllen AFT MAKING A DIFFERENCE
1500 DOVE, MCALLEN, TX 78504
EYES ON THE BOARD
HOW WILL FINANCES GO?
At the June 9, 2008 McAllen ISD School Board meeting, Edward Blaha (Hidalgo High School principal) was named the new Early High School principal. The campus will be located at STC next year. The 100 students for the school have been selected and have met to get acquainted (will house up to 400 in three (3) years.
The new principal at Crockett Elementary is Mariselda Morales (presently assistant principal).
So far the 2005 Bond has earned interest of $10,238,470. Bond projects seem to be moving quickly. Fossum should be ready in mid July, and furniture is on hand to deliver to classrooms. We talked to Mrs. Ellis, Principal at Fossum, and she is proud to say that half of the science labs have been upgraded for safety and quality.
On Saturday, June 14, 2008 Mike Fossum and the other astronauts landed safely in Florida. Mike made space walks and installed a new lab with the help of other astronauts. We were on pins and needles as to a safe landing as there had been some foam insulation that came off the space shuttle.
The completion of the 5th Elementary will be in August close to the start of school. Furniture will be ready to install at the campus. Arbitrage liability (taxes on the bond) is $744,568 with more taxes coming.
The Central Kitchen and Plant Operations needed $2,897,772 more—hurricane Rita and Katrina costs for steel and concrete have hit the bond projects. The McAllen Board is pushing to have the Bus Barn relocated to the Rowe site. The architect for Kitchen and Plant Operations is working on the drawings for the Bus Barn site. The McAllen Memorial Stadium will have more room for parking, etc. if the Bus Barn is moved.
The scholarships earned by McAllen ISD grads for 2008 totaled $10,221,377.
At the 2008-2009 Budget Workshop on June 16, 2008 the board discussed various budget items. The issue of raises was addressed, but possible amounts were vaguely referred to.
For your information, McAllen ISD pays the 0 Year teacher $38,000. The 5-year salary is $41,225, the 10-year salary is $44,139, the 15-year salary is $49,694, the 20-year salary is $54,631. McAllen teachers got a 3% raise last year.
At the June 17, 2008 3 p.m. meeting, the board discussed naming the new 5th Elementary. The names of individuals that had been nominated were reviewed and then discussed. At the 5 p.m. meeting, after discussion and the failure of the change to a 75% vote for naming a facility the board voted to name the 5th elementary after Lucille Hendricks. Mrs. Hendricks was the first woman on the McAllen ISD School Board and an outstanding community member and business person. She passed away last year still very much involved in her community and the public schools.
OPEN FORUM PRESENTATION
JUNE 9, 2008
Over a period of time we have been asking the McAllen ISD and the Board of Education for a clinic for all employees. We also ask that no copay be charged. With the implementation of a new prescription drug plan you have saved $1,000,000. With this savings you need to implement the clinic option and consider improving the dental plan. You also have saved enough money to add a “real” vision plan. Today we are asking that negotiations with the three (3) bidders move forward quickly so that employees can be helped in these challenging economic times.
Employees from all over the district have continued to bring the issue of excessive paperwork to us. Boards of Education all over the state are required to ask administration to reduce the volume of paperwork once a year. Employees continue telling us that no change has occurred and thus each of you needs to ask administration when paperwork reduction will happen. In fact this year there was more paperwork than ever before.
We also want to bring to your attention again that technology infrastructure is flawed. You do not have enough technicians, enough updated computers, and you should have your librarians focused on helping students improve academically instead of diverting their talents to keeping computers repaired. It is also obvious that over all you have problems with your system, reflected by the number of breakdowns and slowness of data handling.
We continue to be deeply concerned about the number of TINA’s (Teacher in Need of Assistance) being given to faculty members in McAllen ISD. We are not talking about just probationary teachers, but teachers with master’s degrees and years of experience. In many places around the state when a veteran teacher is given a TINA, they are supported fully. The teacher is given a highly trained mentor, positive feedback on what they are doing well, and reasonable expectations and time lengths. We continue to see that those receiving TINA’s are isolated, embarrassed, and rejected by administration.
Lastly, we would like to submit to you this evening additional petitions requesting that the fifth elementary be named for Dr. Ricardo Chapa (member of the McAllen ISD Board of Education). Dr. Chapa is a military veteran, a teacher, a principal, and assistant superintendent, interim superintendent, and is serving his second term as a member of the McAllen Board of Education. Dr. Chapa has cared for and about the students of McAllen ISD for many years. He continues to be an awesome board member. He studies the issues, suggests solutions, and asks for action. Dr. Chapa’s name was one of the names brought forward by the committee to suggest names for the new elementaries built with 2005 Bond monies.
Thank you for your attention.