Gehrig Salda?

		5/08/08 Chasms of Erosion of DISD Taxpayer Trust
Gherig Salda?

Rubber-Stamp Lowe

We have asked before why DISD Board Chair, Jack Lowe, may appear to act as a rubber stamp for Dr. Michael Hinojosa - well, now we may know --

The Dallas Morning News recently published an article indicating $9 million worth of DISD taxpayer money flowed to his company. The News reports on this revelation left a public perception of political quid pro quo dynamics in play. The disclosure on this gave the public an impression that Lowe may lead the DISD board to approve everything Dr. Hinojosa presents to them, whether it makes sense or not.

On February 19, 2008, we wrote about the proposed DISD school bond and asked, Will DISD haste to a billion dollar bond election make more waste? With an almost daily barrage of bad news emanating from 3700 Ross, it appears we now may be able to answer the question. Haste on the part of DISD Trustees to move forward on a bond election this May is indeed appearing to make for waste of taxpayer trust and support. The latest revelation of money going to Lowe and to Craig Reynolds, the architect who chaired the DISD Facilities Task Force in 2002 and for the current bond program, has caused chasms of erosion of taxpayer trust in DISD's ability to manage its fiscal affairs.

If they can't keep up with Lowe's state-required paperwork to reveal conflicts of interest, how can they keep up with the myriad of paperwork and money contained in a $1.35 billion bond? Sounds like Dr. Hinojosa's administration is falling under the weight of his and his leadership team's incompetence.

Audit & Fiscal Mismanagement

No audit before May 10th? Vote No On The Bond!

That is the mantra of many DISD taxpayers. Just as Dr. Hinojosa used "Trust Us" as his mantra for the audit, DISD taxpayers are responding by saying NO!

It will be interesting to see if voters take that verbal NO all the way to the ballot box on May 10th. I predicted before and continue to predict Dr. Hinojosa and his leadership team's incompetence in handling the DISD P-Card Scandal, the DISD Residency Issue, the DISD Cheese-Heroin Tragedy, the DISD $52 Million Shortfall in Teacher Salaries, the DISD Incompetence and Inadequacies in Fiscal Management revealed by the audit process, etc. etc., may cause voters to Vote No on the DISD bond.

I have have and continue to assert that Dr. Hinojosa believes that because he has the blind support of many within Dallas' business community and a majority of the DISD board, he does not focus on DISD Moms and Pops, DISD Parents or DISD Taxpayers. He seems to think they will follow blindly, just like a majority of the DISD board.

We shall see what May 10th reveals when the ballots are counted.

Grade-Changing by DISD Administrators - Trying to Prevent a Dead-End on the Road to Broad?

Channel 8 News reports on grade-changing by DISD administrators in its 4-29-08 newscast, In midst of probe, DISD curves raise more criticism: ""

As Dallas Independent School District officials investigate allegations of improper grade changes for student athletes, some say those same officials are, in effect, doing the same thing.

News 8 has learned students are receiving what some say are unwarranted and unfair grade curves in their final exams, of which DISD administrators are ultimately in charge.

DISD officials say what they are doing is absolutely above board and widely practiced in the education community. However, News 8 couldn't find any school in the state doing what the DISD is doing. DISD administrators are taking semester exams away from teachers, grading the exams themselves and curving grades. In many cases, they are also giving passing grades to students who would have otherwise made an "F."

Just when you think things couldn't get any worse, that's exactly what happens! How does Dr. Hinojosa justify this practice? It may have started before he became superintendent, but why didn't he put a stop to it when he took charge?

Is this a way for Dr. Hinojosa to try to reach his goal of Road to Broad by 2010?

Are students passing because of the grade they EARNED or because their grade was changed to passing?

Is he trying to prevent running into a dead-end on the Road to Broad?

Unfortunately, Dr. Hinojosa hit that dead-end long ago. All Road to Broad and Dallas Achieves has gotten us is Smoke & Mirrors distraction from the serious, serious issues of incompetence and inadequacies entrenched at the DISD with no signs of abatement under this superintendent's leadership.

Alleged Indiscretion

Word is that the Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) may have been used to attempt to track down person(s) who may be spreading rumors about the personal life of a top DISD chief, repeat, "personal" life. It would be good for the DISD Board to confirm whether this is in fact true. Is it ethical or legal to use DISD employees to chase down rumors regarding alleged amorous indiscretions? Instead of using DISD taxpayer money for personal purposes, the DISD would be well advised to begin with the very person who completes the twosome. It is also alleged this person has openly made statements in front of others that have caused eyebrows to be raised about a possible relationship. Let us hope this turns out to be just a silly rumor. The DISD can ill afford another scandal. Still, is it ethical for the DISD integrity officer to use DISD taxpayer dollars to conduct an investigation into the personal lives of DISD employees?

Again I ask, is this a case of time beginning to tell: DISD P-Card scandal, DISD residency issue, DISD Cheese-Heroin tragedy, DISD $52 Million short fall in teacher salaries, DISD incompetence and inadequacies in fiscal management revealed by the audit process, etc. etc.

The time spent under this superintendent's leadership tells DISD taxpayers he is not up to the job. DISD children deserve better, DISD parents deserve better and DISD taxpayers deserve better.

Gehrig Salda?