FBISD CANDIDATE FORUM: Is It Time For A New Superintendent?
By: Jamie Mock on Thu, Apr 29, 2010FBISD Candidate Forum, News
FortBendNow.com is hosting an online candidate forum for Fort Bend Independent School District Board Of Trustee Candidates. Questions and the candidates’ answers will be published throughout the weeks leading up to the May 8 election.
The incumbents for both seats declined to seek re-election – Board President Bob Broxson, Position 3, and David Reitz, Position 7.
Two candidates are vying for Position 7 - Police Sergeant Jim Babb, a Missouri City resident, and Sugar Land resident Gerald Hawkins, a physician and medical educator. Hawkins declined to participate in the forum due to scheduling issues.
Two candidates will also face off for Broxson’s seat – Jim Rice and Clay Alumbaugh.
Readers who wish to submit questions for the candidates should e-mail them to jmock@fortbendnow.com.
Candidates’ answers are published as they are received, without any editing by FortBendNow.com.
Question:
Since he has been superintendent, Tim Jenney has led the district into continuing deficit budgets, and now teacher lay-offs. Do you think it’s time for a new superintendent?
Follow this link for the responses and community comments: http://www.fortbendnow.com/2010/04/29/45392
FBW has recommended supporting Alumbaugh & Babb this election cycle...
Friday, April 30, 2010
Monday, April 26, 2010
Friday, April 23, 2010
Campaign Finance Reports For FBISD Candidates (summaries included)-
--click on the image for a larger view--
Early voting starts Monday...Our recommendations for FBISD board are Clay Alumbaugh & J. Babb. They seem to be up on the issues and will restore sanity (hopefully) to the current spend thrift board. Make sure you vote next week!!!
Related links:
http://friendsofalumbaugh.blogspot.com/
http://babb4fbisd.wordpress.com/
http://www.ultimatefortbend.com/2010/04/candidates-quizzed-conflict-interest
Early voting starts Monday...Our recommendations for FBISD board are Clay Alumbaugh & J. Babb. They seem to be up on the issues and will restore sanity (hopefully) to the current spend thrift board. Make sure you vote next week!!!
Related links:
http://friendsofalumbaugh.blogspot.com/
http://babb4fbisd.wordpress.com/
http://www.ultimatefortbend.com/2010/04/candidates-quizzed-conflict-interest
Thursday, April 22, 2010
FBN Online Forum Continues....
See: http://www.fortbendnow.com/2010/04/22/45267
Note: Mr. Rice doesn't mention his experience as a district vendor.
Note: Mr. Rice doesn't mention his experience as a district vendor.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Candidates Forums This Week At New Territory, Missouri City Library (Near the city hall) & Stafford Center!
Three candidates forums are coming up Tues evening at the Stafford Center from 7p-9p & Weds at the Missouri City library across the street from city hall from 6:30p to 8:00p and the New Territory forum at their clubhouse starting at 7p on Thursday evening. The MC forum will host school board candidates and city council candidates while the New Territory forum will be for FBISD board candidates only.
Please attend if you can this week. Elections are April 26th thru May 4th for early voting with election day May 8th!
Please attend if you can this week. Elections are April 26th thru May 4th for early voting with election day May 8th!
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Upcoming Dates-
Date/Event
Apr. 26 Regular Board Meeting
May 8 Board Elections
May 10 Board Budget Workshop
May 10 Regular Board Meeting
May 24 Regular Board Meeting
Apr. 26 Regular Board Meeting
May 8 Board Elections
May 10 Board Budget Workshop
May 10 Regular Board Meeting
May 24 Regular Board Meeting
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
MCC: Schaefer Falls Short In Nail Biter To Deseat Machine Incumbent In DAs Run-off (51% to 48%)
See: http://www.co.fort-bend.tx.us/upload/images/elections_administration/election_results/er100413_04.pdf
FB Sun update: http://www.hcnonline.com/articles/2010/04/14/fort_bend_sun/news/sws-da_runoffsb.txt
FB Sun update: http://www.hcnonline.com/articles/2010/04/14/fort_bend_sun/news/sws-da_runoffsb.txt
MCC: Nina Schaefer Takes Early Lead In District Attorney's Race 3,852 to 3,572!
Click the link below to follow up on the latest results...
http://www.co.fort-bend.tx.us/upload/images/elections_administration/election_results/er100413_04.pdf
KHOU Ch. 11 Coverage Of Packed FBISD Board Session On Teacher Cuts--Did Jenney & The Board Back Down???
http://www.khou.com/news/local/Hundreds-of-FBISD-employees-may-soon-be-out-of-work-90634694.html
http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=news/local&id=7381820
http://www.click2houston.com/education/23134584/detail.html
Fewer FBISD employees to be cut (from the originally proposed 470+)
by Gabe Gutierrez / 11 News
Posted on April 12, 2010 at 1:22 PM
Updated yesterday at 11:48 PM
SUGAR LAND -- Fort Bend Independent School District voted Monday to lay off 52 school employees.
That number is much lower than the 275 originally listed for nonrenewal of contracts.
The new total only includes certified teaching positions and certified non-teaching professional positions.
"Those employees have been placed in positions that have become available due to vacancies, resignations and retirements," FBISD chief communications officer Mary Ann Simpson said.
But it is unclear what will happen to hundreds of other positions the district previously proposed cutting as it faces a $20 million budget deficit...
Watch comment: When will the vendor feeding end that caused this budget crisis?
Did any senior administrators come under the budget ax?
Related: http://myfortbend.net/news/education/fbisd/1313-khou-covers-fbisd-massive-cuts-due-to-budgetary-mismanagement
http://www.ultimatefortbend.com/2010/04/certified-positions-slated-cuts-down-52
Appreciation: FBW wants to thank those from the watch group that attended and spoke last night as well as provided information for this blog post. Thanks to Joe and the rest for attending and reporting!!!
http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=news/local&id=7381820
http://www.click2houston.com/education/23134584/detail.html
Fewer FBISD employees to be cut (from the originally proposed 470+)
by Gabe Gutierrez / 11 News
Posted on April 12, 2010 at 1:22 PM
Updated yesterday at 11:48 PM
SUGAR LAND -- Fort Bend Independent School District voted Monday to lay off 52 school employees.
That number is much lower than the 275 originally listed for nonrenewal of contracts.
The new total only includes certified teaching positions and certified non-teaching professional positions.
"Those employees have been placed in positions that have become available due to vacancies, resignations and retirements," FBISD chief communications officer Mary Ann Simpson said.
But it is unclear what will happen to hundreds of other positions the district previously proposed cutting as it faces a $20 million budget deficit...
Watch comment: When will the vendor feeding end that caused this budget crisis?
Did any senior administrators come under the budget ax?
Related: http://myfortbend.net/news/education/fbisd/1313-khou-covers-fbisd-massive-cuts-due-to-budgetary-mismanagement
http://www.ultimatefortbend.com/2010/04/certified-positions-slated-cuts-down-52
Appreciation: FBW wants to thank those from the watch group that attended and spoke last night as well as provided information for this blog post. Thanks to Joe and the rest for attending and reporting!!!
Thursday, April 8, 2010
FBN/Revised: FBISD Candidate Proposes Written Justification For Non-Teaching Positions Paid More Than $90,000
Revised: FBISD Candidate Proposes Written Justification For Non-Teaching Positions Paid More Than $90,000
By: Jamie Mock on Thu, Apr 8, 2010News
Fort Bend Independent School District Position 7 candidate Jim Babb says he thinks the district spends an “enormous” amount of money on salaried positions that are far removed from the day-to-day education of students. To help weed out high-paying positions that are not necessary, he proposes the board require all non-teaching staff with a salary of $90,000 or more to provide written justification for their position.
http://www.fortbendnow.com/2010/04/08/45072
By: Jamie Mock on Thu, Apr 8, 2010News
Fort Bend Independent School District Position 7 candidate Jim Babb says he thinks the district spends an “enormous” amount of money on salaried positions that are far removed from the day-to-day education of students. To help weed out high-paying positions that are not necessary, he proposes the board require all non-teaching staff with a salary of $90,000 or more to provide written justification for their position.
http://www.fortbendnow.com/2010/04/08/45072
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
FB Star: Very Interesting Bev's Burner This Week On Communications With The FBISD Leadership
A call from the superintendent or blowing smoke up my skirt... A couple of months ago I was concerned when FBISD Superintendent Dr. Tim Jenney sent out a letter that discussed, among other things, evaluating alternate methods of service delivery as a way to reduce costs for the cash-strapped district.
This immediately conjured up “outsourcing,” in my mind--the political answer to every budget crisis. When politicians want to cut budgets, they like to take the services that the city, county, school district, water district, whatever have been doing for themselves for years. They preach “outsourcing” those jobs, claiming that a private company can cut costs.
Not that a private company can actually do exactly the same thing cheaper, but a private company can be owned by either a politician’s brother-in-law or major contributor, giving the decision maker preaching “outsourcing” much more access to tax funds.
And often the private company can do almost the same job cheaper because the private company hires un-documented workers who are paid less, get fewer benefits, and receive no health insurance. (Notice those preaching outsourcing also are the first to gritch about undocumented workers using the emergency room for their health care.) I’ve gotten to where I have extreme dislike for stingy people--you know, those “I’ve got mine, to hell with you” types.
When I called Supe Jenney at the time he assured me that outsourcing was not the option.
Then Superintendent Jenney called me a couple of weeks ago and told me that he had changed his mind about outsourcing and that sure enough, FBISD would be outsourcing some jobs although he hadn’t presented it to the board yet. I was overcome with self-congratulations that I had bluffed the supe into revealing his future plans to me as he told me that some 26 “mowing jobs” might be outsourced.
I was so eaten up with hubris that I forgot to ask about other jobs that might be cut. And he certainly didn’t mention that about 170 professional staff, including teachers, would be getting letters telling them they had to go.
Whine, whine.... When I called the head of the district’s communications, Mary Ann Simpson, to complain that Dr. Jenney didn’t mention one word about other jobs being cut, she pointed out the fact that a TASB salary study posted on the district’s web site for several months had recommended the reduction of up to 450 jobs.
In other words, had I looked I would have known for some time that many positions were headed for the chopping block.
If all the recommendations in the TASB study were followed, the district would save over $23 million per year.
The mailman cometh..... I received many letters this week from parents who bitterly complained that the district was increasing class size and cutting programs. I can understand their frustrations, but I would like to remind you that I have griped for years about the huge, expensively built schools we have constructed for years--temples to education. This newspaper has reminded you periodically that the school district seemed to exist for the sake of the real estate market, not the education of children. And for many years, the real estate developers have not given one red cent to the furtherance of education in Fort Bend ISD. No campus land has been donated, although a neighborhood school would enhance the development of any subdivision immeasurably.
Fort Bend ISD parents seem to be like most Texans. They are more concerned with praying in school or taking out Thomas Jefferson and putting in Phyllis Schlafly than in making sure their kids have a teacher in their classroom and making sure their classrooms don’t have 40 students.
The few parents who vote on school board members seem to be more concerned about the candidates’ religious and political affiliations than their educational outlook.
What you can do and when.... By the way, school board elections are right away so now might be a good time to familiarize yourself with the candidates.
I’ve seen equipment put in new schools that I thought, “They must be out of their minds!” The biggest advance in the 21st century, the advance that will change our lives forever and altogether is the computer, yet Fort Bend ISD is woefully lacking in teaching and developing those skills and buying equipment for each classroom. My grandson in kindergarten can work the computer better than most 6th graders in Fort Bend ISD, simply because it is not available to them.
I’ll say this for FBISD, if you want to know what is going on there and what is happening, you have only to go to their web site. They are very forthcoming about what they are doing.
Of course, you are not going to find any criticism of the district there; that is not its purpose. But all the studies and graphs and charts showing money and educational achievement are on the site. Simply google Fort Bend ISD and go from there....
Get the full article at: http://www.fortbendstar.com/Columns/burner.htm
This immediately conjured up “outsourcing,” in my mind--the political answer to every budget crisis. When politicians want to cut budgets, they like to take the services that the city, county, school district, water district, whatever have been doing for themselves for years. They preach “outsourcing” those jobs, claiming that a private company can cut costs.
Not that a private company can actually do exactly the same thing cheaper, but a private company can be owned by either a politician’s brother-in-law or major contributor, giving the decision maker preaching “outsourcing” much more access to tax funds.
And often the private company can do almost the same job cheaper because the private company hires un-documented workers who are paid less, get fewer benefits, and receive no health insurance. (Notice those preaching outsourcing also are the first to gritch about undocumented workers using the emergency room for their health care.) I’ve gotten to where I have extreme dislike for stingy people--you know, those “I’ve got mine, to hell with you” types.
When I called Supe Jenney at the time he assured me that outsourcing was not the option.
Then Superintendent Jenney called me a couple of weeks ago and told me that he had changed his mind about outsourcing and that sure enough, FBISD would be outsourcing some jobs although he hadn’t presented it to the board yet. I was overcome with self-congratulations that I had bluffed the supe into revealing his future plans to me as he told me that some 26 “mowing jobs” might be outsourced.
I was so eaten up with hubris that I forgot to ask about other jobs that might be cut. And he certainly didn’t mention that about 170 professional staff, including teachers, would be getting letters telling them they had to go.
Whine, whine.... When I called the head of the district’s communications, Mary Ann Simpson, to complain that Dr. Jenney didn’t mention one word about other jobs being cut, she pointed out the fact that a TASB salary study posted on the district’s web site for several months had recommended the reduction of up to 450 jobs.
In other words, had I looked I would have known for some time that many positions were headed for the chopping block.
If all the recommendations in the TASB study were followed, the district would save over $23 million per year.
The mailman cometh..... I received many letters this week from parents who bitterly complained that the district was increasing class size and cutting programs. I can understand their frustrations, but I would like to remind you that I have griped for years about the huge, expensively built schools we have constructed for years--temples to education. This newspaper has reminded you periodically that the school district seemed to exist for the sake of the real estate market, not the education of children. And for many years, the real estate developers have not given one red cent to the furtherance of education in Fort Bend ISD. No campus land has been donated, although a neighborhood school would enhance the development of any subdivision immeasurably.
Fort Bend ISD parents seem to be like most Texans. They are more concerned with praying in school or taking out Thomas Jefferson and putting in Phyllis Schlafly than in making sure their kids have a teacher in their classroom and making sure their classrooms don’t have 40 students.
The few parents who vote on school board members seem to be more concerned about the candidates’ religious and political affiliations than their educational outlook.
What you can do and when.... By the way, school board elections are right away so now might be a good time to familiarize yourself with the candidates.
I’ve seen equipment put in new schools that I thought, “They must be out of their minds!” The biggest advance in the 21st century, the advance that will change our lives forever and altogether is the computer, yet Fort Bend ISD is woefully lacking in teaching and developing those skills and buying equipment for each classroom. My grandson in kindergarten can work the computer better than most 6th graders in Fort Bend ISD, simply because it is not available to them.
I’ll say this for FBISD, if you want to know what is going on there and what is happening, you have only to go to their web site. They are very forthcoming about what they are doing.
Of course, you are not going to find any criticism of the district there; that is not its purpose. But all the studies and graphs and charts showing money and educational achievement are on the site. Simply google Fort Bend ISD and go from there....
Get the full article at: http://www.fortbendstar.com/Columns/burner.htm
Monday, April 5, 2010
FBN: FBISD "RIF" Moving Forward...
UPDATE 4-6-10: http://www.ultimatefortbend.com/2010/04/fort-bend-isd-hiring-no-joke-either (According to this chronicle report the district is actively seeking to recruit teachers from over-seas while they "RIF" 400+ from service due to the current budget crisis and first ever financial emergency)
Click the link below for the full piece...
http://www.fortbendnow.com/2010/04/05/45002
Click the link below for the full piece...
http://www.fortbendnow.com/2010/04/05/45002
Friday, April 2, 2010
FBISD financial crisis concerns candidates...
Update 4-2-10: http://www.ultimatefortbend.com/2010/04/fbisd-layoff-letter-no-april-fool-joke#comment-1966
FBISD financial crisis concerns candidates
April 2, 2010 6:33 am Election News wrote:
By ZEN T.C. ZHENG
HOUSTON CHRONICLE
Candidates seeking two Fort Bend ISD school board seats shared concerns about the district’s financial crisis and offered a variety of ideas to tackle the problem.
Making their appearance at a candidates’ forum held by a district teacher and worker union Tuesday night were Clay Alumbaugh and Jim Rice, who are vying for Position 3 being vacated by Bob Broxson, and Jim Babb, who is eyeing David Reitz’s Position 7. Both incumbents are not seeking re-election on May 8...
Full release: http://www.ultimatefortbend.com/2010/04/fbisd-financial-crisis-tops-candidates-concerns
FBISD financial crisis concerns candidates
April 2, 2010 6:33 am Election News wrote:
By ZEN T.C. ZHENG
HOUSTON CHRONICLE
Candidates seeking two Fort Bend ISD school board seats shared concerns about the district’s financial crisis and offered a variety of ideas to tackle the problem.
Making their appearance at a candidates’ forum held by a district teacher and worker union Tuesday night were Clay Alumbaugh and Jim Rice, who are vying for Position 3 being vacated by Bob Broxson, and Jim Babb, who is eyeing David Reitz’s Position 7. Both incumbents are not seeking re-election on May 8...
Full release: http://www.ultimatefortbend.com/2010/04/fbisd-financial-crisis-tops-candidates-concerns
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