Freedom of Association, and Campaigning for the Bond on District Property
Greetings, Damon Barone, Alief ISD parent, taxpayer, and alumnus.
On Thursday, August 19, 2021 Alief ISD Public Relation Specialist Craig Eichhorn and Alief ISD Athletic Director Scott Moehling utilized 20 minutes of time campaigning for the bond election to Taylor High School parents who showed up to meet Taylor student athletes and club members for the 2021-2022 school year.
Promises were made to parents, students, and athletes that Crump Stadium and various athletic departments would receive a makeover if the 2021 bond was passed by receiving favorable votes from the audience and community members. It was also explicitly expressed, several times, that the bond would be on this upcoming November 02, 2021 election ballot, and that the ballot would consist of four separate votes for the districts bond agenda.
I noticed that the district conveniently failed to tell parents, students, athletes, and community members that the school board election is also on the November 02, 2021 ballot, and that the school board members are the bosses of the superintendent and that the board is supposed to be the ambassadors of our community, and our voices.
During the July 20, 2021 school board meeting Matt Gamble, with vendor Baselice and Associates, Inc. made a presentation regarding the Alief ISD voter survey for the bond election (01:11:17 through 01:52:30, Alief ISD School Board Video). Mr. Gamble stated that 44% of Alief registered voters who voted in the 2020 election were 55 years of age and older. These are the residents who consistently vote during each election; however, they typically in no way shape or form want their property taxes raised, so the district struggles to sell the bond election to these guaranteed voters. Instead, the district secretly targets these seasoned voters for their participation in voting for school board candidates that the district has cherry picked or nurtured to come onto the school board and do the will of Coach HD Chambers and district administrators instead of being the elected bosses of Coach Chambers.
On the other hand, 40% of the registered voters in the 2020 election were 18-44 years of age. These are the current students, graduates, and parents who still have kids or family members in the district, whom should actually have the bigger voice in the district but do not. This was the populous sitting in the crowd when Coach Chambers and his staff pushed the bond election on us, while desiring to keep us off of the playing field when it comes to voting for the school board election on the same November 02, 2021 ballot.
The community does not want a remodeled football field with a fresh coat of paint on it; we want a completely new stadium, and a place where we can host our own senior graduations here in our community instead of giving away our tax money to host graduations in other school districts facilities. Furthermore, if the district intends on selling commercial adds for companies to advertise on the proposed digital scoreboard, then why do the taxpayers have to pay for the scoreboard twice with tax money? Let the business adds pay for the scoreboard, not the taxpayers.
Because district leadership is insistent upon continuing to play politics with our community involvement, and masking our voices to project the desires of the few, it is time for a new voice, and new direction of our school districts leadership, and it all begins with electing new school board members into office in November.
I will close with this, district leadership seems hell bent on misleading, hiding, and lying to parents and our community about what is going on with covid-19 on campuses, and in our community; in fact, the willful miscommunication and lies about covid-19 from district leadership is worse this school year than what it was during last school year, and we have only been in school for three weeks so far this year. If we cannot trust your leadership to be good stewards of our children’s education, nor good stewards of our children’s safety, then why are you referring to yourselves as a school district when your product is supposed to be the education and safety of our children?
In no other profession or customer service business would you continue to do wrong by your consumers and have the audacity to expect them to support your business or leadership. Much like, “No taxation without representation,” “Remember the Alamo,” or “I have a dream,” were all battle cries for change, it is time for a new voice and new direction in Alief ISD’s leadership, and the change begins on November 02, 2021 at the election ballots.
New voice, new direction.
Damon Barone, Alief ISD parent, taxpayer, and alumnus.
#NewVoiceNewDirection