I intentionally did not attend last nights board meeting. However, I did watch the video this morning concerning the STARR results. OMG!! What a breath of fresh air to hear a board who was appalled at the education results of this district. For years this city has been BSd about the greatness of BISD by a group of frauds who walked off with the money. That single fact is what led me to take the actions I took and why I have no regrets whatsoever in the results of my actions. Before you read my comments, please do not think I am bashing the teachers. The results were horrible. Period!! there is no way around it. For the first time there was a board who was there to take people to task. Unfortunately, Kimber Knight and Dwayne Augustine were the ones having to answer the questions while the majority of the people responsible for the façade that has been presented in the past sat home. I have known Dr. Knight for many years and have never seen her more uncomfortable than during the presentation of results. In fact, she seemed to loosen up when it appeared to her that she no longer had to sell the results to a board. To me, the most amazing facts were the poor scores in the elementary schools. These are the same schools that we know cheating took place because the exemplary performance fell tremendously when those kids got to middle school. Now that the test are monitored by the state, and we sit under a microscope, these exemplary elementary schools are in need of improvement. I hope the board takes a good, hard look at who is principal of the schools that this is taking place. If you all remember, several months ago I was extremely vocal when results were given to the board and the administration painted a lovely picture of the success in the schools. Dr. Chargois chastised me in telling me that their job was to graduate students. What a refreshing comment by Mrs. Monroe about the failure of students at the college level, which is another situation I have stayed on for 3 years. The problem does not rest solely on the backs of the teachers. The problem rests squarely on an administration, led by Timothy Chargois, who never were able to tell us the truth about the shortcomings of the district. Add to this a board majority that was all too willing to back this lie. How horrible to deny a child the best education possible for the sake of false glory. How many students in this city will live a life without all the knowledge they need to achieve their maximum potential. The other problem was a group of minority leaders who sold the lie to their own community for years. BEST (Best Education System in Texas), led by super-liar Paul Jones, sold this crap for years while trying to divide this city and protect his pal Carroll Thomas. Paul had the minority community thinking that the whites were just angry because the blacks had control. That was the biggest lie of all. People knew that lies were being told. Paul wanted a split community because that makes him feel big. Paul, thank you for actually uniting this fine city. I guarantee you that the exposing of your agenda and the corruption and failure of this district united this community in ways that must be making your head spin. Well Paul, what do you have to say for yourself now? Will your NAACP chapter get behind the district now? To all teachers, go do the job that you so passionately love to do. Dont let these results get you down. When you hear derogatory comments about the performance of the district, please know they are warranted, but do not take them personally. The performance of the district is directly related to the failure of the leadership, which is now gone. Stand up this year and accept the challenge that a new day is here. Do what we all know you can do: make a difference in the lives of your students.
Posted on: Tue, 29 Jul 2014 11:26:33 +0000