March 03, 2020 Patron Presentation

Equity Report $95,000 of taxpayer’s money

·        Promised to be presented in November 2019

·        Presented to the board on February 15, 2020

·        When will the community get to see the entire equity report

 

Risk Load Assessment $12,000 of taxpayer’s money

·        Presented to the board on January 15, 2019

 

Agenda Items are pulled by Trustee Natasha Butler (02-18-2020)

·        Natasha Butler asks one specific question then the rest of the board members spend 20 minutes talking about an agenda item that they were ready to approve with no conversations

·        If the board has conversations about agenda items via email dialogue as requested by President Ann Williams, then when does the community get an opportunity to hear and see the work of our elected officials prior to their blanket voting practices

 

Superintendent Henry Chambers (HD) presents his new staff and administration to the public during board meetings (02-18-2020)

·        Before the board votes to approve the contracts on the posted agenda

·        Agenda Item #3 Board Recognitions, Agenda Item #6.4 Consider Approval of New Administrator(s)

·        After board recognitions audience members are always encouraged to leave after the impromptu/orchestrated breaks implemented by President Ann Williams

o   The board should meet, greet, and take pictures before or after the board meetings

 

Vice President Darlene Breaux stated the board/policy committee receives guidance on policies that district administrators want to change (02-18-2020)

·        President Ann Williams said that she and 3 other board members have expressed concerns to her about the district grievance processes and grievance policies

·        4 board members is a quorum, the boards voting record/voting pattern does not reflect their concerns for district grievances

 

When reporting data during public meetings the district never gives data over a period of time

·        Data is never shown year after year

·        Data is never shown to follows students or their cohorts

·        Data is never disaggregated

·        Presenters always present other school districts data when it aligns with Alief’s data but not when the Alief’s data is not on track with the state or other districts data, then district leaders just show Alief data

 

How long is the school board going to continue allowing district leadership, specifically the Superintendent HD Chambers to complain about accountability ratings and the STAAR testing

·        Only 32% of Alief ISD’s total student population can read at a 3rd grade level (13,000 out of 42,000 students)

·        32% of total student population (K-12th Grade) NOT 32% of 3rd graders

·        Earn their paycheck, 85% of the district’s annual budgets is spent on administration salaries

·        Hire administrators (at 4250 Cook Road) that are going to roll up their sleeves and address the problems

·        Fire those (at 4250 Cook Road) who cannot or refuse to meet expectations set by the state

 

Why does Alief ISD request so many waivers from TEA (02-18-2020)

·        Imagine if our students, parents and teachers were allowed to file waivers everything they were expected to do or accomplish

·        Why did the school board (02-18-2020) approve a waiver to extend professional development for teachers by 5 more days if the risk load analysis report states that professional development is the #1 risk load factor contributing to the poor performances of Alief students

·        Agenda Item #7 Consider and Approve 2020-2021 Academic Calendar and Staff Development Waiver

 

If the things presented by administrators/leadership about our community are accepted as true (ESL, socially economically disadvantaged first generation, work several jobs, etc.),  then why do district policies, practices, and procedures not reflective of scaffolding or chunking of information necessary for community members to become involved, remain involved, or fully understand the magnitude of the decisions being made on behalf of those same subpopulation community members

·        The district’s words/presentations do not match up with the actions of district leadership

·        The districts words/presentation do not match up with data from the Texas Education Agency (TEA)

 

I’m concerned about the community members who continue to be selected by district staff, the Superintendent, to sit on various district committees/task forces, etc. who are utilized to influence district decisions on behalf of all community members throughout Alief

·      Why are all committees/committee members not at the board meetings which their work is being presented at or spoken about

·      Why are the names of the committee members never presented to the public so that the community can reach out to the committee members/task forces for their feedback or input 

·      The district leadership likes to keep community members, committees, committee members, and district staff operating in individual silos so that there is never a collective or unified voice of anyone other than district leaders pushing their personal agendas.

 

Damon Barone, Alief ISD parent, Alief ISD Taxpayer, Alief ISD Alumnus