September, 2010
Volume 19, Issue 1
EYES ON THE BOARD
WAIVER IS A REALITY AGAIN!
September 27, 2010—6 p.m.
Public Hearing for the School Financial Integrity Rating
McAllen ISD has received an Above Standard Achievement rating. The rating is based on the 2008-2009 school year. Our presentation is on the back of this page.
September 27, 2010—6:30 p.m.
New Asst. Principal at Cathey—Stan Crounse
New Asst. Principal at Sanchez—Clarisa Partida
This board meeting is about voting on items presented on September 13, 2010.
The PCI Clinic was approved for another year. Mrs. Garcia had the item pulled from the agenda so that she could have a separate vote for the PCI Clinic. The vote was 5-1(Garcia voting no—she has always voted no since the beginning of the PCI Clinic). Kent was there for executive session, but left afterwards.
The George Padilla v McAllen ISD legal case was handled with “proceed as directed”.
The new Gym floor for McAllen High School was pulled (taken off) the agenda.
There was no explanation.
Nova Net for McHi, Rowe, Memorial, Lamar Academy, I & G, and Evening Study Center at Fossum was approved at a cost of $85,000.
A report was given on Rowe Arc Flash accident. Repairs are proceeding rapidly. The crew worked on Saturday to pull wires (through conduit pipe). Since we are not electrical engineers, we can only provide a lay person’s perspective. On September 13, 2010 the date to finish repairs was to be October 2, 2010.
On September 13, 2010 there was a big discussion concerning filing for a class-size waiver in elementary again. Mr. Moore started the discussion on September 27, 2010 with--we have talked about this before—let’s vote (those are our words). The vote was 4-2 with Mr. Saldivar and Mr. Farias voting NO.
The fund balance was approximately $15 million (not $18 million as mentioned on September 13, 2010).
In the Board Briefing Report for District Operations Mr. Saldivar reported that all meetings will now be open to the public. The next one will be on October 5, 2010. In case you don’t know, High School Redesign is back in the discussion.
September 13, 2010—6 p.m.
New Principal at Morris—Brian McClenny (was Asst. Principal at Cathey); New Director of Bilingual Education—Karina Zuno-Chapa (was a bilingual strategist at NCA); New Director of Accounting—Hector Gloria
Hidalgo County Appraisal District Representative indicated that appraisal values are way down, and it may be another year before anything changes.
In the Monitor on September 14, 2010, Alonzo Cantu indicated plans to build a new four-star hotel (250 rooms—cost $62 to 75 million). The complex would be between a quiet neighborhood along Uvalde Street and three hotels behind the Tony Roma’s restaurant on South 10th Street.
This could be good for the school district tax wise. Cantu plans to break ground within the next 60 days.
There was a big discussion concerning filing for a class-size wavier for elementary size waiver in elementary again. Mr. Saldivar, Mr. Moore, and Mr. Farias expressed strong opposition to voting YES on September 27, 2010. The only one who was really sincere about the waiver was Mr. Saldivar. Moore and Farias sounded like they were running for re-election. Ponce indicated an interest in having a special meeting regarding the waiver. There was no special meeting.
There was an additional interesting discussion relating to money presented by Ms. Lopez, Asst. Superintendent for Business. It seems there may be a fund balance of $18 million. Mr. Moore acted surprised, but in another meeting that amount was already mentioned. Looks like Moore is running hard for reelection.
The district ordered five (5) new special education buses (hold 53 students) last school year. Buses arrive in October. In addition, five (5) more special education buses have been ordered and five (5) regular buses (hold 71 students). Thus in two (2) years fifteen (15) new buses.
OPEN FORUM
SEPTEMBER 27, 2010
We would like to thank the McAllen ISD Board of Education for the opportunity to have a clinic for all employees for a $5 co pay. With people losing their jobs within families and illness concerns, the clinic has made a big difference in many ways. Our goal for employees is a medical facility to take care of illnesses in the beginning.
We continue to remind the McAllen Board of Education that the Texas Education Code 11.164 Restricting Written Information (or the Paper Work Reduction Act passed by the Texas Legislature) was to reduce the type/amount of administrative duties expected of classroom teachers, not shift the paper work to the computer in an electronic version. The burden of redundant paperwork required by classroom teachers needs to be reduced. The board is required by law to reduce paperwork.
11.164. RESTRICTING WRITTEN INFORMATION. (a) The board of trustees of each school district shall limit redundant requests for information and the number and length of written reports that a classroom teacher is required to prepare. A classroom teacher may not be required prepare any written information other than:
(1) any report concerning the health, safety, or welfare of a student;
(2) a report of a student's grade on an assignment or examination;
(3) a report of a student's academic progress in a class or course;
(4) a report of a student's grades at the end of each grade reporting period;
(5) a textbook report;
(6) a unit or weekly lesson plan that outlines, in a brief and general manner, the information to be presented during each period at the secondary level or in each subject or topic at the elementary level;
(7) an attendance report;
(8) any report required for accreditation review;
(9) any information required by a school district that relates to a complaint, grievance, or actual or potential litigation and that requires the classroom teacher's involvement;
( 10) any information specifically required by law, ) The board of trustees shall review paperwork requirements imposed on classroom teachers and shall transfer to existing non-instructional staff a reporting task that can reasonably be accomplished by that staff.
(b) This section does not preclude a school district from collecting essential information, in addition to information
specified under Subsection (a), from a classroom teacher on agreement between the classroom teacher and the district.
Added by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 1320, § 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1997. Amended by Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 201, § 6, eff. Sept. 1, 2003.
In the past the McAllen ISD Board of Education Level III Grievance Policy was discussed. We urge the Board to realize that you have had many Level III’s because rarely is a compromise accomplished at Level I or II. We have on many occasions tried to solve an employee’s problem at these levels. Lastly, in policy it is written that a preconference take place before a Level 1 is heard. Yet administrators seem to not be familiar with the policy.
Financial Integrity Rating
This evening McAllen ISD is required to inform the taxpayers of the 2008-2009 financial management report that explains the district’s rating and its performance under each of the 22 indicators for the current and prior year. The district will be required to report on reimbursements to the superintendent and board of trustees’ members, for the 2008-2009 school year. The district is also to post on the district’s website or supply in the financial management report the current superintendent’s contract.
School district employees are concerned about the fact that a great many district employees were let go this last school year. When reviewing the hiring information for 2010-2011, we found that the new employees cost more to hire than last year’s employees that were let go.
As we are sure you know, on August 10, 2010 Congress passed the Education Jobs Fund. This bill provides $10 billion in new funding for schools nationwide. In order for Texas to receive its share of this federal aid, the governor is required to make some assurances that the state will maintain state educational funding at the elementary, secondary, and post-secondary level. As you know, Governor Rick Perry placed conditions on the request, and the U.S. Department of Education turned down the September 3rd application for $830 million in federal-job saving aid. We are asking the superintendent and trustees to do what they can to help get the $830 million to Texas public schools.