These articles demonstrate to me both a lack of transparency and respect for the voters, as well as general mismanagement. This article describes the handling of TG Field Auditorium. They could have sold this property at one point for about $700k a few years ago. The latest information from this article states that they're thinking of demolishing it for at least $500k, maybe more. That means they've in this property for over a million dollars! That's a complete lack of leadership. http://www.news-journal.com/news/2013/oct/29/longview-isd-sells-two-old-properties-including-tg/ The second example is what the district did with $10 million that was left over from a bond package from 2008. Was the project really under budget, or did someone overestimate the project in order to get something else they wanted later? Regardless, the public was told that the money would be either returned to the taxpayers or used to pay down the bond. They lied and cannot be trusted. This information is no secret http://www.news-journal.com/news/2015/may/04/longview-isd-evaluating-bids-to-demolish-tg-field-/ http://www.news-journal.com/news/2013/oct/12/longview-isd-stretches-leftover-2008-bond-money/ I have been told that I should not put violence past them if they start feeling threatened, But as a community spokesman for the people in the LISD district. I will not let this go unheard. As election time nears please keep this in mind. I believe the truth is what the people need to hear and I will do my best to do this for the tax payers in our community. I believe in a strong school district with complete communication between the tax payers and the board of trustees. We don’t just want to hear all the good things going on in our district to make us feel better, we want to hear the complete story. I believe we over test our children and that the districts main concern is where we place in the state. We are currently teaching to a test and not giving our children a chance to learn anything else. Our children need to learn about science, history, and Math. How to speak and write proper English. Our students need to read the classics. We only prepare our kids for a test, so when it’s passed by the students the only thing they have learned is to pass a test and have no education on any other subjects. It seems to me we have forgotten about true education in our schools. When it comes to special education why do these children need to be tested by the state? These children need to learn life skills and how to interact with the public. Interaction and life skills are the most important things for these children. As I sat in the board meeting on Saturday morning listening to all the teachers, and administrators going over their plans for next year, the only thing that I heard that was more important was this test, and the way teachers need to be trained to teach for this test. We have great programs available to offer our children, but this state test seems to be more important than a true education. As a former LISD student I can tell you this. I spent more time trying to pass this test just to graduate. Luckily I had a great teacher who took her time outside of the schools hours to tutor me. I myself had tremendous learning disabilities, and could not pass the math section of this test no matter how hard I tried. My grades were okay in school but without passing this one section I could not graduate. I did pass at the last minute and was able to graduate. No child should have to endure the stress I had in school over one test.Our children need one thing out of school an education. I am happy to say after all the stress of testing in high school and grade school I was able to graduate college with a 4.0 average, and that being an electrical engineer I use math on an everyday basis and love it. In closing I hope that you all agree that education is what we need for our children not a test. Stop measuring a teacher’s success on a test that proves nothing other than where we stand in the state and how much money we receive from the state. Let the teachers do their jobs and give our children a proper education, and teach them the responsibilities they need in everyday life. Teach them to function in society and prepare them for their future in college or the workforce, Thank You, Jason Bates