EYE ON SEALY

Fading away......

2007-12-12T06:00:00.000-08:00

Eye have become irrelevant. The ball is rolling. Am eye upset?...No, Eye knew this day would come. We all will be subject to irrelevancy. No one is immortal, death eventually finds us all. The district is in the hands that it is in. Board members pushing their own agendas mainly to protect their own kids. Do Eye blame them for doing this? No.... If you walk down the halls of any of the SISD schools, you won't either if you have a lick of common sense. The new high school principal will try and make a difference. It will take him forever to navigate the politics at work in the district. It got better for awhile...but the more things change, the more they stay the same, just with different actors playing the lead roles. Mitchell has already put his stamp on the district, No pass, no play? Hah, kids who have never seen the positive side of the report card are now making B's and C's. Coincidence? Doesn't matter. When your community is defined by the success of the high school football team, it will never matter. Morris? as Eye have said before, she is just padding a resume' although unfortunately, she doesn't have any accomplishments to put on it.

My time has come and it is now going....Eye will leave with one message for our district; The future of our community lies greatly in your hands....what will win out? selfishness or selflessness.

It won't happen overnight....

2007-09-10T06:33:00.000-07:00

We are all focused on the new A.D. He is saying all the right things and wanting the Tiger fans to buy into his words. But 2 T.D's in two games will make one question our beliefs. Is he getting the job done? Is he doing it the right way? or is he another TJ? Will he stoop to unscrupulous methods to accomplish his goals? In a town the size of ours, it will be hard to hide, even with a sixty foot high mound of dirt. Eye wish him well, but what goes around, comes around. You catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.

Comings and Goings

2007-08-15T06:08:00.000-07:00

The district seems to be struggling on its way down the right path. With the departure of Pape, who did really know what he was doing, a gap will need to be bridged. With the arrival of Arnold to the high school, an experienced administrator, wise to the ways of district politics, the high school seems to be set up in good hands. Morris on the other hand needs to be wary of when and where to exert her influence. She has to be mindful of not letting her position go to her head. SISD is just a steppng stone for her anyway. She will pad the resume and jump the first time a larger district comes calling. Eye just call them like eye see them. The school board election could not have gone any worse for the good ole boys. Miller has been fighting them for years and will continue to do so.

An eye other than mine needs to be kept on Mitchell. He wants to be a throwback. He wants to bring back the glory days of when Mills was at SISD. Does he have the win at all costs attitude? Do we want a coach with that attitude? That attitude generally leads down a road of skirting rules, recruiting players of questionable character, and looking the other way academically to keep them eligible. Eye am not accusing him of doing this, he has not been here long enough. It just needs to be monitored closely. The good news is that there are school board members who will monitor it closely.

The goal to have SISD as a recognized district by '09? Eye wish all of us luck in that endeavor. The talent pool is going to have to get a lot deeper.

Morris Moved to Super

2007-04-19T05:40:00.000-07:00

Pam Morris will be the new superintendent. The agenda of her regime will come to light in the next few months. Be prepared for her to jump to another district as Price did if a better offer comes along in the next few years. Hopefully the board will write into her contract a penalty clause to keep her from using SISD as a springboard. Of course, that is a "catch 22" with a lot of risks involved. The board could sign her to a short term contract with incentive clauses tied to the performance of the district. Morris will then have the option of not renewing at the end of her term and playing the market. If the board signs her to a long term contract and she underperforms, we will be stuck with her. Do we really want to go through the search process AGAIN!!!! Welcome to the world of proffesional sports. The candidates are sitting on the sidelines, wringing their hands that they did not have a say in this decision. Can't wait till the forum on Monday. Eye might be in attendance. Eye'll say hello.

MYSTERY AND MORRIS

2007-04-16T06:37:00.000-07:00

Pam Morris and a mystery candidate are in the running for the superintendent's position with the district. Eye predict it will be Morris. The only issue with that is the replacement of the husband or rewriting of the rules to allow the husband to keep his position. Will she do a good job? Let's look at both sides..... she has tons of educational experience and a lot of titles behind her name, but does she have common sense? Eye don't know her that well. She is a wife and mother, but career, has and always will, come first before family and friends. Is that someone we want running the district? It will take a driven person to drive out the dregs of our educational system. She is definitely a driven person. Can she make the hard decisions that are ahead for our district? Time will tell but so far, she seems to have that ability. She does seem to have the resolve of Hillary, so.....the harassment that may be headed her way will be handled head-on unlike her predecessor. Also, like Hillary, she seems to buy into the "It Takes a Village" concept. Ask your own questions, do your own research. It will definitely be interesting.

Eye can't wait for the school board election. The crew that is running this year should make it very fun to watch. Most of the candidates have a verifiable track record. They need to be very careful about what they say and who they say it too. Why? Because the community is coming out of its shell and will call them on any misinformation that may be forthcoming. It is a bad idea in today's world to put lies on one's resume'. Honesty is the best policy and the truth will set you free. Good luck to all, and good luck to the present school board as the election approaches.

The Race will heat up

2007-03-30T05:49:00.001-07:00

This year's school board election will prove to be very interesting, again...... The individuals that are currently running will make it so.......ask your own questions, do your own research. The "Sealy News" consistently has positive stories about our district, The "Price" situation seemingly has gone away, will we ever know what transpired? For the masses...probably not. If you are in the know ,you know, without knowing to keep your mouth shut. Does it matter? Probably not. As long as safeguards are put in place and a mandatory method of communication between the school board and future super exists, our community may be able to cut off the attempts by the ignorant to influence our education system. Something to think about.

Pape Pick Potentially Perfect

2007-03-09T14:11:00.001-08:00

My hat is off to the board for appointing Peter Pape as the interim super. He is well credentialed and has not spent his life in the vacuum of education or the classroom. Could a new perspective on how the district is run be forthcoming? We can only hope. This was the fiscally responsible thing to do though. Why pay another salary when that money can be spent on the search for a new super?

The R4 group is not making any friends in the district. "The Sealy News" had a very informative piece about the group and to sum it up, R4 is concerned that SISD at the high school level has too many teachers teaching the FAT and not enough qualified teachers teaching the MEAT. Talking about teachers being coachable or uncoachable made me giggle. In Sealy? uncoachable teachers? Eye laugh just trying to put the words on the page. They need to take a look at the uncoachable teachers in the elementary.

The best news is that the focus on SISD is not going away. The resignation of Mr. Price may, in the long run, be the catalyst that really gets quality change to happen. In the process, this blog may have become irrelevant. It matters not as long as good comes of it.

It's a Start

2007-02-27T06:21:00.000-08:00

Kudos to the organizers who made an attempt to civilize our town with the rally for the district and Mr. Price. It is a good start. Mr. Price is a good man. Do Eye agree with his management style and some of the programs he put in place? Maybe not, but something had to be done. Price was not the reason the district's rating were as they were. That ball was rolling down hill long before he got here. As Eye have stated in previous posts, some people do not take to change very well. Eye had no idea that they would stoop to the level that has been reported to keep it from happening. People question the anonymity of this blog. Price is a perfect example of why it must be maintained. Eye wish the school board good luck as they go through this process again. The good news that is coming out of a bad situation is that the community does seem to be waking up and getting involved in the district. Have Eye helped or hurt the process...Eye really don't care. We just need to educate our youth, ethically, morally and spiritually.

BOMBSHELL DROPPED!

2007-02-22T05:34:00.000-08:00

BAM!
In a scene that will unfold like a chapter of "Friday Night Lights" Price quits citing harassment. Harassment? In Sealy? Really? Not in our town.....can't happen. We are so nice, and welcoming and forgiving....now put the "for sale" signs back into the pickup.... Just leave the one he'll now need instead of the fifty you have been sticking in his yard on a nightly basis since he got here.
He lasted just over a year. The shratnel is still flying. let's see who it hits. Could it be the schoolboard? They are already catching flak for letting the district get in such disarray and just sitting on their hands. Could it be cronies of regimes past? The police will have to figure that out. Needless to say, there were champagne bottles being opened last night. They just don't get it. You think the spotlight will go out now that he's gone? Think again. They will be bringing 3 or 4 more to light up the whole city, not just the district buildings. It now becomes a criminal investigation with the TEA in the lead. Wait till it hits the papers and the TV news. This is the type of story that they crave. If it doesn't, we will be lucky. Just remember though, if a person who wants to advance their career gets wind of this and wants to make a name for her or himself, there will be plenty there to expose.

Just so we are clear, "Friday Night Lights" was a book before it was a movie and before it was a TV show.

New AD

2007-02-20T05:52:00.000-08:00

Welcome Jimmie Mitchell and good luck. If you can wade thru the parent politicos, you might have a prayer of succeeding. If eye were you, eye would ban all parents from attending practices and refuse all meetings pertaining to who should be playing where and who should be on varsity. But of course, Eye'm sure, promises and backdoor deals were made before you were ever offered the position. As Eye said earlier, good luck. The player parents in this area all seem to think that their sons are the next Eric Dickerson. It will be fun to watch.

TAKS time, the state will be watching very closely today as a portion of the TAKS is taken. Except for Herrington, no significant heads have rolled. She wasn't local anyway so no one really cares. The true results will come when contracts have to be offered for next year to the teachers. The administration is in major damage control mode to protect and insulate themselves from the TAKS results. The bomb will fall at the feet of the teachers and blow them up. Just as in war, the foot soldiers always bear the brunt of the casualties. Is it right? It might be in this case, especially, at the high school level.

No word yet.....

2007-01-25T06:46:00.000-08:00

Eye have to give it to the AD search committee. They have done a very good job of keeping their hand close to vest. Eye could add some news but Eye am going to respect the process. Time will tell if the decision will be earth shattering......

Tina Herrington....the board was nice in letting her say she resigned, so be it. Donald Trump would have had 2 words for her at the end of the school year if not earlier. Good bye and good riddance. She was not a nice person and definitely burned bridges along her way. She aligned herself with the wrong group and could not cross over when she realized who the real power brokers were. Funny....she got a job with a curriculum company that she tried to force down SISD's throat......hmmmmmm?

Keep asking questions....the district may be awakening which will be good news for all of us.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2007-01-05T07:48:00.000-08:00

Eye took some time off, backed away from the situation. It didn't help. This A.D. committee that the district put together has drawn my focus. If you believe that Faldyn asked for re- assignment and was not forced into to re-assignment, then Eye have some lakefront property in the allen's creek area to sell you. One board member specifically ran for election to have some influence in the athletic dept. Faldyn didn't crater under requests and now he is gone. The interim A.D. is close to a board member but doesn't want the job. T.J.Mills? Please.....maybe he has mellowed with age but tigers don't change their stripes. Don't cross him. His goal will be to try and get the job himself or get one of his cronies in there. If he takes it himself, the angle will be he is just trying to help out Sealy and the community he has adopted....Uhhhhh right....
Burtschell?..... A golfing buddy of Mills. Who to hire? Eye'll say one thing.....please hire someone who has a moral compass and scruples. Don't sacrifice the possible success of all the programs for the sake of football.

Whoever is hired will be inheriting a program on the upswing. Faldyn would have made the playoffs next year in football. There are athletes that are preparing to enter high school and jr. high school which should guarantee success for Sealy in the coming years if they are coached responsibly. Let's see a new fresh face. There is an A.D. just down the road which has brought respectability to a 2A program that historically was a consistent loser. He is young and aggressive and ethically responsible. Ask your own questions, do your own research.

What?, Who?, Where?,Why?

2006-12-12T05:17:00.000-08:00

The district seems to be moving the chess pieces around. Employees given new titles, employees being re-assigned, employees leaving the district. Parents are also considering other options of how to get their children educated. The Sealy old guard want a return of the past leadership. The new guard is scratching their head over the way things are done in the district. Mr. Price flutters from group to group trying to keep everyone thinking happy thoughts. The adminstration wears shirts bearing the montra "change is good." Meanwhile, the main problem that is facing this district if they ever hope to get back to an acceptable rating is not being addressed; The MASSIVE influx of minority students that have absolutely no hope of ever passing a single TAKS test.

How do you address this issue? You can't and be politically correct. Eye just hope they can play football......

Still going...

2006-11-23T08:03:00.000-08:00

So the $2 million has been explained away....that's fine....but to think there were not more infidelities going on in the past regime than that have been reported is ludicrous. The arrogance continues....the past players have been reduced to irrelevance and they can't stand not being in power. Where were they when the district was getting away from them in front of their eyes?....oh yeah....worrying about how a deer lease was going to get paid for. They are like gum stuck to one's shoe, you can't get rid of it without a making a little mess. Oh well, the power struggle will continue. Watch for it to really heat up next year during the school board elections. The past regime has already picked its mouthpiece, the propaganda is being fed thru him and published in the Sealy News. He is not that well spoken or that well written, he is just signing his name. As long as it keeps the discussion lively and the district moving in the right direction, Eye'm all for it. but if it just being used to clear someone's name,.... please, .....get over yourself. Quit being a trencherman, go away already.

It has run its course

2006-11-14T21:16:00.000-08:00

It may be time to sign off. Eye thought eye could make a difference. The issues with this district were there but, when brought to light, all that was created was finger pointing. No one is willing to get the job done. This is the problem with all our society. To be able to put aside one's own gain and selfishness for the needs of many is nothing short of impossible. There was only one who was able to accomplish it and he was put to death on a cross. Is this our fate?.... to accuse each other to death? It seems so.....the district is so caught up in serving the state and government guidelines that the education of our children is being put aside. Eye'm tired of the struggle. Eye fought the good fight, the race is over, the battle done. There are no winners, only losers and they are the children who thirst for inspiration and knowledge from their parents , teachers and community leaders. It is sad...........

The grapevine is sprouting many leaves......

2006-10-31T05:58:00.000-08:00

Is Brenda K. coming back to run the district? Is TJ Mills coming back to "save" the athletic department of SISD? Those were flying around at the football game this past weekend. Those are good ones. Will the state come in and take over the district? You have all these home town people who think they can take back the community. Good luck. Take a look around you in the stands. Who is to blame for the poor TAKS scores? Who is to blame for the "minority majority" classification? Everyone is pointing fingers and no one is woman or man enough to own up to the problems. We have to be politically correct. Political correctness has caused some of these problems. Can't risk hurting someone's feelings to get the job done in educating our children. This is evident in every aspect of this district. If you want to put blame where the problem started then one needs to look at the community leaders who rolled out the red carpet for Walmart. And how about those people who offered tax abatements and credits for Armor Holdings while it was S&S. Let me ask a question....if you build a community based on low income jobs and low income housing, who will move to the community? college graduates?

Consequences?

2006-10-20T05:40:00.000-07:00

What consequences......if you read the article or attended the meeting the key fact that you need to pull from the info presented is that teachers will have to re-apply for their positions if the state takes over the district. Price would welcome this because there is a list of teachers he wants to be rid of. He lets the state do the firing and he comes out being able to say "I told you so." The district does not want it to get out though that as a parent that you might be able to enroll your children in another district until SISD gets their house in order academically. Check it out. Those parents that value education will be willing to drive their kids to Bellville or Columbus or Brazos. Which kids will go? The academically strong ones which will make the pass/fail ratio for TAKS even more difficult to fix. Thus the reason to be mum on this information. Time will tell.

More w/ Morris on Minority Majority

2006-10-06T12:48:00.000-07:00

Morris was quoted in the Sealy News today, "We are privileged to be counted among these schools. This year, for the first time, Sealy ISD has become a minority majority. I think this shows we are on the right track and making progress with educating those students who are in the minority. It is a privilege to be named to this list. I think it says something that we were able to narrow the gap, while maintaining the scores that the non-disadvantaged students had and making them better. " WHAAAAT? yes it is hard to understand. He is very good at talking in circles. Whose scores are better? The whites that are the minority or the whites that are economically disadvantaged or is it the blacks, hispanics and other whose scores came up who are the majority or is it the economically disadvantaged blacks, hispanics and other whose scores came up. You are either in the minority or you are in the majority. You are either economically adavantaged or you are not. Blacks, whites and hispanics will fall into both categories. And how does the fact that Sealy ISD being a minority majority district show that they are on the right track. Where is the track going? This can be deciphered, the problem will be getting the actual information from an administration that wants to keep the issue cloudy.

The above quote was taken out of context but even in context, it is confusing. Read and judge on your own.

What does that mean?

2006-10-04T06:25:00.000-07:00

"Minority majority"....is that not an oxymoron? Yes, it is at face value. If you are talking to a regular girl or guy on the street, then it probably has to be explained. Eye'll try and clarify it. Let's see....if blacks, hispanics and other outnumber whites, then the district is a "minority majority" district because the minorities are the majority but they are still minorities and will get the minority treatment and programs that the government allows......Can you also call the district a "majority minority" because the whites are still called the majority but are the minority in a "minority majority" district? Are there government programs available to help with the majority that is now the minority? Are you confused yet? Here is the bottom line with this new terminology. The district will benefit from more federal dollars and programs available due to the "minority majority" classification. The money is out there, it is up to administration to find it. This is good.....but if you are in the "majority minority"....where does that leave you? Something to ponder........As Eye've said before, ask your own questions, do your own research.

Cowardly, anonymous blogs....

2006-09-20T05:41:00.000-07:00

Eye'm with Mrs. Brothers on this issue, the blogs that spew misinformation should be stopped! Of course Eye know she can't be talking about this blog....because......if you check previous posts, you will find that the accuracy of the information reported here has been on the money. Unfortunately, Eye feel she and the board does not like to be under the microscope. The back- door dealings that have gone on in the past are now out there for the public to evaluate, and they haven't looked so good. As far as the anonymity of this and other blogs, she should know very well that this is imperative if one wants to exist in this community. The backlash for letting opinions be known if they go against the grain of the "good ole boy" system that has existed in Sealy can be far reaching. Ask Mr. Billings about this......

An anonymous teacher called the "Sealy News" to complain about the lack of positive stories about our schools, my guess is she/he probably did it from the hallway of one of the schools, during school hours, when they should have been managing their classroom. All Ms. Dang needs to do is to go to the elementary school. Eye'm sure that the elem.school principal can come up w/ something for her, as long as he gets to be in the picture that is posted with the story. It is getting fun again!

Good Job

2006-08-15T06:14:00.000-07:00

The operations crew led by Terry Ashorn deserve a pat on the back for working their butts off to try and get the inter. school ready for opening day. Let's not forget those teachers that Eye'm sure sacrificed a chunk of their summer to try and help the move get done. The job is still not finished and there are going to be some headaches ahead, but for now, some control of the situation has been had. Good job!!! more later.......

How long will it take?

2006-08-09T05:48:00.000-07:00

To get the school to service our children. Notice in the "Sealy News" article dated 8/8/2006 that no timeline for when then district wide scope and sequence will be in place was mentioned. Eventually, it will be put in place, but K-12? Eye can see where grades 4-12 will buy in because those administrators know the importance of it. It will be a major problem in the elementary. The administrator of that campus will talk and talk and talk, but nothing will get done. It won't happen because he is extremely afraid of confrontation but is very good at politickin'. Until he is willing to get in the face of his teachers and make them do it, it ain't gonna happen. There are a number of teachers on that campus that will have to be drug to the new curriculum trough kicking and screaming, but you won't be able to make them drink. " Eye've been teaching this way for 30 years and Eye am not going to change" This is a common theme in this district.

Back to education, since it seems that the scores in the minority community are the reason for the "unacceptable" rating, what will happen? Here is what usually happens. The school gets tunnel vision on bringing these scores up. The students that aren't at risk of failing the TAKS are then neglected because the teachers are told to give the "at risk" students more attention. The "at risk" students education level rises while the smarter kids level falls because of the neglect. Therefore the dumbing down of our society continues. Please don't let it happen.

Is anyone going to report this?

2006-08-04T14:55:00.000-07:00

Sealy High School rated an "academically unacceptable" in the last TEA report for the 05-06 school year. It can be found on the TEA website. tea.state.tx.us. along with the parameters for establishing the ratings. The district as a whole received "academically acceptable" but does it really matter? In the years where it most important for our children to be learning, they are getting shortchanged. Do we put it all on the education system? Eye don't think it is appropriate to do so. A major responsibility for this problem does lie with the administrators and faculty. We also need to look in the mirror. Parents who are not involved in their children's education are also accountable. Involvement needs to include making sure the child is absorbing the material, not just buttering up the teacher so she or he will give the child a good grade so as to keep their place in class ranking. How is that helping your child? Eye have been concerned in the past of growth problems that face Sealy as a community. Well, once news of this gets out, one can forget about positive growth. You better have a plan to fix this quick, Mr. Price. Or is your plan to pad your resume and jump ship when something better comes along. You have managed so far to keep this out of the paper, but unfortunately, many people have been checking out this blog. Good luck.

We've reached the end......

2006-05-24T06:08:00.000-07:00

of another school year. What a fiasco this one turned out to be....and it continues. Eye have yet to meet the employee of the district that is concerned about doing the right thing. All seem to have their own agenda and will trash anyone they have to to get their way. Rumor has it that the board is already looking to replace Price. Of course Price has his own skeletons and his own agenda. Herrington is just plain clueless and is not a nice person. Krchnak is out and trying move on...... with a $2million parachute....alledgedly. The board is running in circles trying to do damage control regarding themselves while the students sit in limbo. Is the state going to come in and take over the district because it is such disarray? It could happen. The intermediate job was turned down mainly because the prospective candidate saw what and who she would have had to work with.....and Eye am not talking the student body. Who would want that job? Will we get any info over the summer? To get control of this district, one has to show up at the board meetings...and this business of closed session should be done away with. If you choose to run for school board then you better be able to handle accountability for decisions made....don't hide behind closed doors. Bunch of "fraidy cats" And please, because you are on the school board doesn't mean you are better than anyone else...you still put your skirts or pants on like everyone else in this town.

The Results are In

2006-05-16T05:31:00.000-07:00

Jamison and Lee are in, Billings and Tsounakas are out. What are we supposed to read into this? Were they defeated because of the affiliation with the past regime or bcause they were part of the group that removed the past regime? Eye think both are true. What matters now is will the district keep moving forward with the new board members or will a step back be taken. The ultimate litmus test for any and all decisions that the board proceeds with should be based on if it will help the whole student body. Is it the right, moral and lawful thing to do. Let's face it, if you don't know the difference between right and wrong, then you really shouldn't be making decisions for a district of our size, i.e. Brenda K. The defense of "I didn't know it was wrong, Thats the way we always have done it" is a slap in the face of all people with an ounce of common sense. We are not that stupid! Eye have to admit, that whole situation still has me aggravated. By the way, we still want to know where the $2 million is.

Back to the school board. Another question will be who will become the new board president. There is one person on the board who has several years of professional educational experience in dealing with parents, teachers, principals, coaches and supers. Would he want this position? Eye don't know. Would he do a good job in keeping the focus where it needs to be? Eye think so. Would the other board members give him the opportunity? Time will tell. It should be interesting.

TAKS, TAKS, TAKS

2006-05-10T05:37:00.000-07:00

So the scores have come up. Good for the district. Lets look at the demographics though. If one digs deep into the scores, one will see glaring problems broke down upon racial lines. Is it a surprise? No. Every district struggles with the same problem. What will happen? Programs will be established to get the underperforming groups up to speed. Inevitably, the kids that aren't a problem when it comes to understanding the material and passing the TAKS will be pushed to the side. Focus will be placed on getting the failing kids to pass. Over time, the upper bar and lower bar will meet somewhere in the middle, thus, contributing to the dumbing down of a whole group of children. What can be done? Not much, if it is left to the district. Parents have to demand that all kids are serviced. Find out what goes on in class, ask questions, show up at school. Don't take the district's word for the truth. Guess what!... some of the employees of the district will tell you what they think you want to hear because they want you to go away.

On to something else...... Is the rumor true that employees of the district are not going to be allowed to question administration on subjects they might not agree with? Are they supposed to toe the company line on every issue without question? Teachers that display a negative attitude are subject to reprimand? Eye can see the policy as one that might be helpful to improve morale, but in this district, there are too many personal agendas at work, therefore, "the code" can be subject to interpretation and can be twisted to meet the needs of those administrators that have an axe to grind with some teachers. Don't think they won't do it to. The more things change, the more they stay the same. Teachers need to remember the "Bill of Rights" They do still teach that in history, right? Oh, and there is that little whistleblower act that was set up a few years ago to protect employees from employers.

It is getting ridiculous....

2006-05-03T05:47:00.000-07:00

Volunteers do 99% of the work at sporting events and a select few get paid to show up and not work. Small town cronyism at its best. Don't blame the new administrator for this. People who were in the group need to look in the mirror. People who weren't in the group are ticked off. The arrogance of the in-group will blind them from seeing that what they did was wrong. They think they were entitled. They sucked up to get in the group and want to be rewarded for demeaning themselves to the power broker. And reward them she did. Now she is out of work. She is still remaining control because she knows how deep it goes and can burn them with the boxes of files she unloaded from her office in her last days. The district just wants it to go away because they can't afford to proceed with any investigation. They are desperately looking for the $2 million dollar shortfall. Again, a paper error or actual money that is missing? My guess would be the latter and with all that is transpiring they should know where to start looking.

Now Price is saying that he will reprimand employees that display a negative attitude? Give me a break. If this is his leadership style, then the district will soon be in no better shape than it was. This is the state if education in Texas.

Naming names....

2006-04-21T11:20:00.000-07:00

It looks as though the Sealy News is actually trying to report the news. Naming names in the story is a big step for our local paper. We thought it was an approved practice? O.K. You're forgiven. $1085 doesn't seem like a lot of money, does it. Let's keep in mind that the surface was only scratched. Heaven forbid that we dig deeper. Could someone else's name show up? It really doesn't matter now. If and when the IRS gets involved, then you will see some serious hand wringing by all concerned.

The major concern should be with the $2 million dollar shortfall in the budget. Should we assume that it was just a budget error? Is it just a paper shortfall or with all that has gone on, is there $2 million actual dollars missing and unaccounted for? What conclusion is one supposed to draw from all that is transpiring before us? Someone will be asked to pay for it. Should we ask the teachers to work for free or can you say tax increase? Good luck getting that passed. Growing pains hurt, don't they.

Negotiation complete?

2006-04-18T05:31:00.000-07:00

Time will tell. Administrative leave until June 30? So she gets a 3 month vacation to find another job while SISD finances it. So be it. Eye'm sure the threat of litigation never entered the equation in this negotiation. Her inner circle has been strangely quiet. Where is the overwhelming community support and outrage at her dismissal? The crickets are chirping, echoing the silence. This to shall pass.

On to other things. As happens in all districts with administration change, the new super is now bringing in his own cronies to create his circle of influence. Should we be surprised? This will make it extremely difficult for the local power brokers to get their feelings of importance validated. It should make life very interesting for SISD employees. Eye will continue to watch and comment. My goal has always been to see the district improve. Let the district be known for its exemplary status, not its athletic achievements.

The decision....

2006-04-10T05:59:00.000-07:00

..... has been made. The ramifications are yet to be determined.

Shall we weep for the children? Unfortunately, they become innocent victims in these situations. The blame for this lies in the choices made by the parents.

What will happen?

2006-04-05T05:50:00.000-07:00

Eye am on the edge of my seat.... Will she resign, will she be terminated, will she be prosecuted, will she sue the district, will she bring more people down with her as earlier predicted? Will she lay it all at the past super's feet now that he's gone? Was that her plan all along if her finaglings were brought to light? How many people are caught up in her web? Did the district stop investigating at the first discovery of misappropriation? Will the public ever know the whole story? Will those loyal to her resign from the district? Is it loyalty or intimidation? Are there teachers on staff who might be in trouble? Will the district ever recoup any of the losses? Will the TEA go easy on SISD due to the cleanup effort? Eye could go on...and on...and on. Ask your own questions, do your own research.

As with other districts in the past, Eye predict this will not drag out to long. She will be offered resignation or termination. The board will keep their mouths shut. The public will never know the full story. The super will quietly replace her or do away with the position. If teachers resign due to this issue, he will be indirectly achieving one of his goals which is to reduce staff. Hopefully the teachers that do resign, will be those that don't have the honest credentials to be teaching our children anyway. She will continue to try and exert influence in the community. As arrogant as she is, she may run for school board at some time in the future. Sealy will talk about it in hushed tones and as time passes, it will be tucked away in the memory. Hopefully, as iron is tested in fire, the district will be stronger and better in the near future.

school board election

2006-03-20T06:59:00.000-08:00

So Alan Jamison is running for school board. Eye know him, he is a nice guy, but unfortunately, it is blatantly obvious to those who know why he is running. As Eye have said before, education should always be first and foremost, athletics should remain extracurricular, not the focus.
If Eye am mistaken in my assessment of his campaign goal, then Eye apologize. The proof will be in the actions, not the words.

Would Eye like to see Billings defeated? Yes. His involvement in past dealings, which may never come to light, is my reason for feeling this way. Has he tried to make amends? Maybe, but his wife was still given a position with the district while all of it was going on. Conflict of interest? As Eye have said many times before. Ask your own questions, do your own research.

If Billings loses, who then becomes leader of the board? Eye know who Eye would like to see as pres. but Eye am going to withold the info for now. More later as the drama continues to unfold.....

Community survey?

2006-03-09T06:34:00.000-08:00

So the district wants to know how it is perceived in the community. Is someone needing platitudes about their job performance already or is the intent there to actually use the info to make the district better? Will the teachers themselves be asked to rate the district anonymously or do they have to be on the record? If you have an ounce of common sense you will know how that will turn out. Eye can tell you from personal experience that the majority of the teachers that work in this district went into education so they can be off in the summers. There is a serious lack of professionalism and sadly, intelligence, in this district by those on the front lines. If you question a teacher about what happens in the classroom or information she/he is presenting, you can look for it to be taken out on your child. Not all do this, but a significant amount do, enough to be a problem. Why is it that teachers have to buck curriculum guidelines? Is it because they do not have a work ethic? Those teachers that are innovative in educating our students are shunned and ridiculed by those that don't want to work. Their thought process,"Oh my gosh, that teacher is raising the bar, if she/he keeps doing that and gets results they may want me to actually do that. Well Eye've been teaching this way for 20 years and Eye refuse to change my methods. Yeah, the new super can try and tell me what to do but Eye am going to do it my own way. If they give me any trouble, Eye will stomp my feet and hold my breath till Eye get my way. It worked when Eye was 6 years old and it will work now." Bunch of spoiled babies. Isn't the goal to educate our children or do we just have a bunch of babysitters on staff. If you don't have the desire and drive to try and teach and inspire, then quit and open a day care.

Questions...questions...questions

2006-02-15T05:52:00.000-08:00

Administrator's contracts are under review....again. Is this code for "you're fired!" Will it once again turn into a publicly displayed power struggle as it did at the end of the 04-05 school year? Do we remember the verbal jabs that went back and forth in the Sealy News? What happened to the money that was there one day, gone the next and then magically showed up again? Will Sealy once again bury its head in the sand and pretend that everything is hunky dory?

The school board election should once again prove to be interesting. Rumor has it that the former superintendent and his cronies are going to make another attempt to stack the school board. Who is pulling his strings? Anyone care to take a guess? Some people just need to go away. What is the motivation for always having to stir things up? Can someone be that power hungry? Is vengeance that motivating? Does the corruption go that deep as to make one take such desperate action? If a certain administrator's contract is not renewed will it render the coup attempt moot?

These questions and more should be answered in the next few months.......more later.

House of Cards

2006-01-30T06:48:00.000-08:00

It has started to fall. Is Hill leaving because of what HAS BEEN discovered or is he leaving before SOMETHING IS discovered? Does it matter? As Eye have said before, ask your own questions, do your own research. Will more cards fall in the near future? Will we ever know the whole story? We can only wait and see. The story is not important if the change makes the district better. My advice to Price is to also do his own research and get his own answers. The web spreads wide and will be difficult navigate for him. He seems to be up to the task so far. There are still those that would be happy to see him fail and will be glad to help him fail. Eye wish him luck.

Suspended w/ out pay

2006-01-26T05:59:00.000-08:00

The transportation director took his suspension like a man. As Eye said earlier, he was almost fired and probably would have been if not for the interim super's ploy to work the system. Oh well, so now our tax dollars will be spent on sensitivity training for the district at the expense of other programs Eye'm sure. Thanks for nothing Mr. Trans.Dir. How about thinking before speaking next time? There's a grudge that will be held for a LONG time. Anyone who has dealt with the TransDir's wife, knows how long she holds them. Eventually, she will get her revenge. Hopefully, Price will watch this situation and keep the district out of future court proceedings. If Price digs deep enough though, he might be rid of her also. People in this town are still seething over her actions to get her husband this job in the first place and at an exhorbitant salary. Accountability for job performance might take care of this issue on its own. More later on ACCOUNTABILITY......now there's a bad word in this district.

WEIGHING IN....

2006-01-06T06:47:00.000-08:00

My holiday break is over....time to offer some observations. Usleton is gone and Price is leading our district. He has his hands full, wouldn't you agree? The intermediate school principal is history as Eye predicted. The wailing and grinding of teeth by some of her staff after her departure was comical. The soldier that was promoted to fill her place has approx. 4 months to prove he can lead. Eye'm sure the new super has his eye on him. The raging battle left behind by Usleton between opinionated administrators has yet to play out. Someone's head may still roll because of this. Depending on who it is, we could have our district profiled on the evening news....wouldn't that be great! Probably won't happen though, because if nothing else, SISD is well practiced at cleaning its dirty laundry secretly and quietly. Eye choose to wait and watch.

Let's evaluate.....

2005-12-12T06:13:00.000-08:00

what Mr. price is getting into as far as employees. Today, Eye will just look at the leaders of the 4 schools and give my assessment of them.

1. Selman Elementary - Eye have already discussed this employee in the past. He is a person who likes to talk and hear himself talk. He wants to be everybody's friend but is loyal to no one but himself. Any info confided in him is filed away and will be used against you, if need be, to further his own career or solidify himself w/ the district.

2. Selman Intermediate - What a piece of work this one is. Last one to work and first one to leave every day. She has made some positive change, if by nothing else, than bucking up to the past regime. It is apparent though, that she is just padding a resume and is not long for this district. Our students do not meet her self-proclaimed social status. Good results are her doing, bad results are someone else's fault.

3. Sealy Jr. High - Hard to pin this gentleman down. He is liked and disliked by his employees which could be good or bad. Eye've heard both sides. Jury is still out.

4. Sealy High - His professionalism has been questioned on a number of occasions. He definitely has a chip on his shoulder and will try and intimidate teachers and parents if he can get away with it. Where did he come from? He was on the former superintendent's coaching staff at East Bernard. Do Eye need to explain further?

Looks like someone's....

2005-12-01T07:13:00.000-08:00

head is going to roll. People just can't keep their mouths shut. Of course, arrogance will do that to you. Usleton wants out as quick as he can get out, Price doesn't realize what he is getting into, should make for an interesting changeover. Let's watch! This is fun!

Price is back in

2005-11-27T20:50:00.000-08:00

Mr. Price is negotiating his way out of one contract with his current employer and into a contract with SISD. Hopefully, there will be no more obstacles to preclude this from occuring. Is he a good candidate? Time will tell. Will he address some of the issues that have arisen over the past few months? Time will tell. My advice to him... trust no one, confide in no one. People are laying in wait to see you fail and will be glad to help you along the way to failure.

More on Murray

2005-11-27T05:27:00.000-08:00

Why is it that the Sealy News Can't put in their article what was reported in the Houston Chronicle? SEXUAL HARASSMENT. He was looking at porn on his computer and showed it to the niece of the Austin Co. Sheriff. He made lewd comments to her throughout her employment at the police department. The guy was, is and will always be a jerk and now he is getting his come-uppance. Since Burger hired him, my guess is that the porn was emailed to Murray from Burger or from somewhere in the Austin Co. Sheriff's dept. If that's not it, then Murray must have something else on the sheriff. Why else would our dear sheriff stick his neck out for an alleged sexual harasser. Once again, people are just supposed to take our dear sheriff and the former police chief at their word. People with real world experience can read between the lines. We are not stupid.

Change

2005-11-14T05:35:00.000-08:00

If one has been keeping up w/ this blog for a while, you are aware that "change" has already been discussed. Change is inevitable, it is up to individuals and groups to make sure that it is change for the better. See "Eye have been asked."

What a stir....

2005-11-08T05:38:00.000-08:00

the alternate blogs are creating. Good for them. To me, that means more people are willing to discuss the issues Eye have presented. Whether Eye've hit the mark or not with my "crusade" as some would call it, only time will tell. Until then, the drama will play out on its own. Hopefully, the new super, whoever it is, will not come in and create the same working environment that the old regime fostered. You know, an environment where all the teachers had to look over their shoulder to make sure that the entitled people weren't offended. There have been witnesses to the blowups and foul language that have come out of some mouths. Can you say,"unprofessional?" Should we just look the other way? Is that the leadership we want our kids to emulate? Eye think not.

Those of you...

2005-10-26T05:04:00.000-07:00

willing to defend the previous regime know of the corruption. If you know of the corruption and do nothing, then you are also corrupt and morally bankrupt. The corrupt individuals are not stupid. They know how to cover their tracks. Their arrogance is what will bring them down. Although they may have covered it up, they can't help but brag to others of how they did it and got away with it. You think it unfair that Eye have chosen to post these concerns without offering definitive proof. Be it known that the proof has been given up to the current powers that be. What they choose to do with it remains to be seen. Eye am not looking for credit. Eye am not willing to destroy innocent careers along the way as some of you might be. Eye want positive change for the district's sake to take place.

The search commences

2005-10-05T05:36:00.000-07:00

So the search for the new superintendent is beginning...well eye've decided to answer the questions myself.

1. Eye think the new super should know a great deal about...how to handle criticism because whoever comes will get plenty of it from the old guard of the district.

2. Eye think the new super should be a new role model in the following areas...how about leading by example....work hard and expect your employees to work hard also. Can we put away the "do as Eye say not as Eye do" management style. All that creates is animosity toward leadership. Also, please do not create the atmosphere of handing out favors for sucking up to management. Rewarding and recognizing teachers for hard work and a good job would be a nice change. Leave the politics out of it. Run it like a business.

3. In working with people, Eye trust the new super will....not hang his or her employees out to dry when the fault should lay with leadership. Be accountable, don't make excuses, just get the job done. Also don't try to baffle us with a line of bull. We may be un-informed but we are not stupid.
Eye also trust the new super will....not steal from the district.

4. About the future of schools and changing world, Eye expect the new super to understand...that educating our future citizens and preparing them for their next step, be that college or a career, should be the priority, not how to get more wins this football season. As eye have said before, it would be nice for SISD to be known for its EXEMPLARY status, not its athletic achievements.

5. In the school district where the future super is now employed. I hope one will hear things said like...he or she will be sorely missed. She/He is an asset to our community. He/She has outstanding moral character. She/He is a person of high integrity. He/She is extremely thorough in making decisions. She/He is a hard worker. He/She does not play politics.

6. We need a new super who can accomplish the following things during the first year-
a. Fire or retire those administrators that abuse and mis-use their power and position. This should not be tolerated and has created in this district a have/have not society
b. Fire or retire those teachers that have the mindset of "Eye don't care what the new super said, Eye've done it this way for 20 years and Eye am not going to change now." Insubordination should not be tolerated when it comes to a better more efficient way of teaching.
c. Fire or retire those teachers that are just bad or lazy teachers.
d. Align the curriculum and make the administrators accountable for getting the job done.

Eye will have more on this later.

Eye have been asked...

2005-09-16T05:30:00.000-07:00

Why publish this post? Why dig up the past? Why ask these questions that could contribute to ill will in the educational community?

Why publish this post? Frustration of not being heard. There are people who do not want to face the change in this district that is coming. They are happy doing things the way they always have and will dig their heels in to keep it the same and keep their power. Change needs to be faced head on. It needs to be molded by right minded people. If change is allowed to happen un-checked, it usually results in change for the worse. We as a community cannot afford this. If by publishing this blog, the change becomes positive, then it has been a worthwhile endeavor.

Why dig up the past? "Those that do not learn from the past are doomed to repeat it."

Why ask these questions that could contribute to "ill-will" in the educational community?
The "ill-will" is only going to come from those that feel threatened. Hiring a superintendent that has no ties to this community is going to cause a MAJOR shuffling of the pecking order in the district. There are adminstrators and teachers who just won't be able to handle this. They have sucked up to the past administration to gain favor and privilege....AND....what if the new superintendent makes the administrators and teachers actually accountable for teaching..... and results!!!! THE HORROR!!!!! They may have to actually work!...and THAT is the crux.

ONCE again....

2005-09-14T05:15:00.000-07:00

the platitudes and gratitudes must be handed out for the retiring superintendent. What will the "Sealy News" have to write about after he is gone on to his so-called "real estate" career. Will they write a story about his first successful real estate deal? It seems the schoolboard must make the retiring super feel good about himself by having a retirement ceremony. Does anyone remember last spring's HEATED school board election where the current regime tried to stack the board with their cronies to save their jobs? We all read about it in the paper, didn't we? After the results, the retiree was unceremoniously kicked out the door but we are going to give him a ceremony now. So be it. Let's all make nice and pretend it didn't happen. This town is very good at doing that. Am Eye the only one who is curious about the circumstances that have brought us to this point? Eye don't think so. Will the whole story ever come out? Maybe, maybe not. As Eye have stated before, ask your own questions, do your own research.

Can Eye get in on this?

2005-09-09T05:40:00.000-07:00

Eye really would like to have my back slapped. Can some one give me an "attaboy" or a "way to go?" Eye want my credit for getting the new high school built. There seems to be an over abundance of self congratulating going on with the new facility. Is it built? Yes. Was it needed? Yes. My feeling was and is...that it was built in spite of all the financial finagling that went on along the way, reported and unreported, to the general public. Do you own research, ask your own questions. Right now everyone seems to have the attitude " Look how great we are! We built a new school! Aren't we wonderful? Please...tell me again how impressed you are with us!"
As far as Eye'm concerned though, it is like putting lipstick on a pig. It looks different, but it is still a pig. Until what goes on inside the hallowed walls of the new high school improves, the stench of an educationally underperforming district will remain.