FBN: Investigation Of FBISD Operations Reveals Nothing Criminal, DA Concludes

Investigation Of FBISD Operations Reveals Nothing Criminal, DA Concludes
by Bob Dunn, Nov 30, 2007, 11 38 AM

Nearly two years after receiving material from an investigation into business operations at Fort Bend Independent School District, county District Attorney John Healey’s office has concluded that probe revealed nothing criminal.

“My office feels that there are not provable criminal charges contained in Kelley’s report,” Healey said Thursday.

He referred to Houston attorney Lloyd Kelley, who was hired in September 2005 by the Fort Bend ISD Board of Trustees along with forensic auditing firm Mir Fox & Rodriguez, to investigate findings in an August 2005 audit report of the district’s risk management department.

“The ruling of no prosecutable events by John Healey, the Fort Bend district attorney, ends my concerns with the Lloyd Kelley report,” FBISD Board President Cynthia Knox said on Friday. “Now all parties can focus on their responsibilities and continue serving FBISD to the best of their abilities, and create the best educational opportunity for all children.”

See these links for the full background and story:

http://www.fortbendnow.com/news/3576

http://www.fortbendnow.com/article/507 (earlier investigative report based on the audit)

Delays In State Steroid Testing Program Impact UIL

From the Star-Telgram

UIL releases steroids testing details

BY LORI DANN
LDANN@STAR-TELEGRAM.COM

There is still no timetable for the start of the state’s steroids testing program for high school athletes, but details about the program were released by the University Interscholastic League on Wednesday morning.

The program will require every student athlete and his or her parents or legal guardians to sign a consent form to be tested. Approximately 20,000-25,000 student athletes in grades 9-12 will be tested during the 2007-08 and 2008-09 school years.

Anyone testing positive for a banned substance for the first time or refusing to be tested will be suspended from competition for 30 days and must pass an exit test for banned substances before being reinstated.

A second positive test or refusal to be tested after a prior positive test would result in a suspension for one calendar year. A third positive test would cause the student athlete to lose eligibility for the remainder of his or her high school career. . .(full story linked below).



See:http://www.star-telegram.com/news/story/329344.html

FortBendNow Announces Expansion!--follow the link provided--

Follow this link to get the full story and to comment:

http://www.fortbendnow.com/opinion/3567/news-of-demise-was-greatly-exaggerated-fortbendnow-to-expand?commented=0#txpCommentInputForm

News Of Our Demise Was Greatly Exaggerated; FortBendNow To Expand
Nov 27, 2007, 02 42 PM

The discerning reader may have noticed that, despite my having used this space some five weeks ago to announce its imminent demise, FortBendNow somehow refuses to go away.

Fort Bend Politics

By Bob Dunn
I understand an explanation is in order. For the moment, the best one I can offer is this: The Hand of Providence apparently had other ideas.

While details still are being worked out, and that process for the moment prevents the sort of full disclosure to which you are accustomed and deserve, I can now say this:

FortBendNow is going to stay open for a long time to come. . .

EducationNews.org A Great Source For The Public-

If you are looking for additional links and good sources to educational issues and news on a regional and national scale we would like to suggest this site: http://www.educationnews.org/

Several current issues of interest may be worth looking at for comparisons here locally:

Language Immersion Prototype Stumbling

Many immigrants face problems, find feeling of belonging in gangs

Computers transform classrooms

Please take a few minutes to review this resource and bookmark it...

FBISDWatch Wishes Everyone A Safe & Wonderful Thanksgiving!

Chronicle: Community Upset At Recent FBISD Board Vote To Reduce Public Input On Zoning!

Fort Bend ISD parents want greater role in rezoning
School board trims procedure, forms committee
By ZEN T. C. ZHENG
Copyright 2007 Houston Chronicle

Some parents, community activists and a school board trustee are upset with a Fort Bend Independent School District decision to reduce the number of public meetings from three to one on annual plans to redraw attendance zones.

"It's extremely disappointing. They're taking away the taxpayers' right to participate in the process. That shows the district doesn't want to foster good will with the community," said Rosalia Guerrero, a member of the Concerned Citizens Group, a district watchdog organization formed in 2006 during rezoning that stirred strong public protest.

Stan Magee, the lone board trustee against the new policy proposed by the administration, also questioned the administration's practice of crafting a policy for the board to adopt.

Guerrero, a Sugar Land resident, said she was disappointed by the rest of the board.

"They were elected to represent the community and supposed to work for the community more and not less. But they were doing just the opposite," she said. . . (follow the link for more)

http://missouricitychatter.blogspot.com/2007/11/chron-community-upset-at-recent-fbisd.html

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/nb/fortbend/news/5321399.html


See additional comments from FBISD taxpayers discussing this in the community on different blogs:

http://blogs.chron.com/fortbend/archives/2007/11/fort_bend_isd_d.html

http://www.fortbendnow.com/opinion/3534/magee-fort-bend-isd-community-input-on-attendance-zoning-loses-out

http://missouricitychatter.blogspot.com/2007/11/chron-community-upset-at-recent-fbisd.html

http://fbisdwatch.blogspot.com/2007/11/houston-chronicle-covers-fbisd-vote-to.html

http://www.fortbendweb.com/webapp/cgi-bin/index.cgi?action=viewnews&id=830#topcomment


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FBW comment/opinion:

This decision by all but 1 of the BOT members would seem to defy the promises made for more open forums and public input during the recent bond campaign. Is this what our new superintendent and board has in store?

Appreciation Letter From GISDWatch Regarding Feldman SLAPP-suit--

Hi Everyone! I just wanted to give you an update of the eventful week I’ve had! After GISD got hammered on the fact that they couldn’t sue as a unit/governmental entity, Feldman comes out and says, Oh, no, we weren’t suing as a district; we’re suing as individuals! Using taxpayer’s money of course. Well I had been contacted by 2 firms and spoke to Anthony Griffin who is a civil rights attorney in town and is handling the plaintiffs on the DOJ we’re involved in with the district. But he wanted a $10K retainer should it go to court.

After Feldman pulled out the individual suits, Liberty Legal said they couldn’t help if suits were brought by individuals. But when I went to talk to Tony Buzbee, he had no problem defending me regardless of how they came at me and would do it pro bono. He felt the publicity alone would make up for monetary issues. He is the biggest, baddest attorney in Galveston County and possibly the state. Talk about politics makes strange bed fellows! But I knew if I was going to fight, I needed a big dog. He issued a wonderful letter to the district Thursday morning and it was in the paper Friday morning. By Friday afternoon, our superintendent issued a statement saying that she’d had enough of the attention being taken away from the children and she recommended to the board that the matter be dropped. (Isn’t she caring?) When I pressed the reporter if she’d spoken to any board members, she hadn’t – “Cleveland hadn’t spoken to any board members.” Well, please… so the reporter called the board president who didn’t know a thing but said the matter would need to go to the board. That’s correct of course! So the matter is not on the board agenda for Wednesday but I’m going to ensure that it is on the December Board meeting!! They are going to do this in public!!

I just want to thank everyone who helped encourage me, support me, educate me, speak out for me – it means a lot to me. It kept me strong throughout. And I believe that by working together, we’ve all achieved a great success that we can build upon! The school districts in Texas and the nation have been put on notice that we will not back down! I am compiling a list of the people who contacted me from other states with similar issues. We will go nationwide with this! It is a shame what these districts are doing and are not doing! But together in a united way, we will be a force to reckoned with!

THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH AGAIN!!! POWER TO THE PEOPLE!!

Sandra

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FBISDWatch comment:

Lawyer David Feldman is one of FBISD's legal vendors...