March, 2009
Volume 17, Issue 7
McAllen AFT MAKING A DIFFERENCE
1500 Dove Avenue, McAllen, TX, 78504, 682-1143
EYES ON THE BOARD
WHERE IS THE DISTRICT GOING?
The McAllen ISD Board of Trustees has named James Ponce a finalist for the superintendent position at McAllen ISD. Ponce is Deputy Chief of Staff with the Dallas Independent School District, as well as a national and state presenter on topics of transformation and performance management.
The announcement was made at a Special Board meeting Friday (April 3) afternoon. A public educator who has worked 16 years in the Dallas ISD community, Ponce has served as a bilingual teacher, Adamson High School Assistant Principal, James Bowie Elementary School Principal, Director of Reading First under Curriculum and Instruction, Area VI Superintendent, and Executive Director for the Transformation Management Office. Aside from currently serving as the Deputy Chief of Staff, Ponce is part of a team leading the Dallas Achieves (Achieves recommendations include:
- creating a long-term roadmap for comprehensive school reform
- establishing reform implementation and project teams
- improving facilities management and custodial services
- establishing a more efficient use of energy
- streamlining technology
- simplifying the district’s legal process
- identifying alternatives to the way school hallways are currently monitored
- finding a model that more equitably funds high- and low-performing schools.)
In Texas, a school board must publicly name a “lone finalist” for 21 days before the signing of a contract.
McAllen AFT knows Mr. Ponce already.
March 30, 2009
Nearly an hour was spent on determining a direction to follow for selection of an energy company. It seems the present provider, Reliant, has been bought out. The school district contract for energy runs out in December. Thus, it is important to be proactive. The MISD Board asked for more information.
The activity buildings at each of the three high schools have a slight problem regarding the sprinkler systems. There is to be a meeting to iron out details with the city of McAllen (fire code). The construction of the buildings will continue.
The district will continue to work on trimming the budget until the 80% for salaries and 20% for all other expenditures is achieved.
Right now the district is at 83% for salaries. There may be more layoffs.
The purchase of computers was approved for elementary and secondary ($90,000). The Professional Staff Survey was presented—participation was only average in middle and high school—still the fear of being identified.
The District Improvement Plan was approved.
The summer school program was approved—watch for applications to teach.
Teach for America, Inc. contract was approved for four (4) new teachers at $2,500 each (all of these teachers will be at Travis).
March 9, 2009
The MISD Board paid routine bills associated with the new Central Kitchen, new Plant Operations building, new Transportation Building, and Sanchez Elementary subdivision plat.
Calendar A was selected for the 2009-2010 school year.
The final important item was a discussion of selling property. The board had declared that six (6) pieces of property were surplus and available for sale. It was decided that the property connected to Lincoln (on south side of school) was to use for building the Early Achieve building. There was also a discussion of talking to the City of McAllen and perhaps trading pieces of land.
MCALLEN AFT PRESENTATION MARCH 9, 2009
Good evening. My name is Ruth Skow, and I represent the McAllen AFT. We represent all employees.
As the board of education reviews the applicants that have applied for Superintendent, we would like to suggest some important qualifications that this person needs.
Students and employees need a superintendent that has a variety of educational experience—such as 10 years of teaching experience, 7 years of being a high school principal, and 5 years of being an assistant superintendent or superintendent experience.
Students and employees need a superintendent that is a positive motivator and not focused on how the superintendent looks to the community.
Students and employees need a superintendent that is fair and open-minded.
Employees need a superintendent that allows them to transfer to another school when a change is needed.
Employees need a superintendent that resolves problems at the lowest possible level.
The second topic we would like to mention are the staffing plans for 2009-2010. As you review the plans presented by Human Resources, we need to be sure that the playing field is even.
If there are cuts in teachers, there should be cuts in administration. Administrative cuts will release more dollars. In addition, administrative meetings should be held once a month for no more than two (2) hours. All other information should be communicated by email. Those employees who are teaching have much information shared by email—why not administrators. Administrators should be on campus 99% of the time.
The second topic we would like to mention are the staffing plans for 2009-2010. As you review the plans presented by Human Resources, we need to be sure that the playing field is even.
Directors of various programs should be brought back into the classroom for a week once a month—this would relieve the substitute budget. Many Directors need to be in the classroom to remember the crush of all the requirements given to teachers and other employees.
If the McAllen ISD Board of Education is going to close schools, they need to discuss this in person with the communities involved. For those of us who worked hard to get the 2005 Bond passed, and new buildings built it is a terrific blow to realize that we should not have built some of our new schools.
We have long realized that McAllen is losing students to charter schools. When I have talked to parents who have moved their child from McAllen schools to a charter school most parents tell me the public schools are focused only on the test. Many parents would bring their children back to McAllen if they had a diverse curriculum not just the test, the test, nothing but the test. You need to ask yourselves the following: What happened to our career and technology classes?
Where did all the money go in career and technology? The real truth is that most students do not finish college. Everybody needs a curriculum full of variety to make it in today’s world.