Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Chronicle: Is Jenney seeking "global center" to "glorify" himself?
CLICK the link here for the full chronicle piece: http://blogs.chron.com/fortbend/archives/2009/03/is_jenney_seeki.html
Watch Exclusive: BOT SPEAKERS PEPPER SUPERINTENDENT & PBK VENDORS WITH QUESTIONS ON "GLOBAL TAJ MAHAL BUILDING PROJECT"
During last nights public comments section of the regular board meeting several speakers engaged the trustees in a series of questions meant to clarify the current lack of information or misinformation circulating the district regarding the new proposed "Global Taj Mahal".
Since speakers are only given 3 minutes, apparently the board members were not required to respond, few if any answers were provided. One speaker, a resident/taxpayer from the district, asked the BOT if they were aware of the media reports regarding the FBI investigation going on involving the vendor/company in another school district which seemed to have similar characteristics of this project? Another speaker seemed very concerned about how the "feasibility committee" was selected to supposedly investigate if this project should even get off the ground at this time. She claimed that at no time was this process open to the public. She was also very concerned about why this project was not placed on the ballot during the last bond election and where the money is going to come from.
Two of the board candidates were present, Bruce Albright (http://www.brucealbright.com ) and Rodrigo Carreon, whom have gone on record as opposing the timing of this proposal along with Mr. Carlos Cain (http://www.carloscain.com ) who is running against Sonal Bhuchar for her seat (and who was also appointed to the "feasibility committee"). Mr. Albright chose not to speak. One rumor circulating the post meeting chat was that apparently a senior administrative official and the appointed leader of the "feasibility committee" [sales committee] is recruiting high school students to join the promotion of this project even though, according to the plan, it will only target 2nd through 8th grade students for the annual field trips to the central office extension on Lexington.
We will update this story as it progresses...
Related Stories In The Houston Press and other media:
http://blogs.houstonpress.com/hairballs/2009/01/pbk_architects_judson_isd.php
http://media.mysanantonio.com/documents/Judson+InvestigationOK.pdf
http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/education/Judson_ISD_becomes_target_of_FBI_probe.html
http://www.woai.com/content/troubleshooters/story/FBI-Investigating-Judson-ISD/hS3fow6zx0yBnNbXqB6u2A.cspx
http://blogs.chron.com/fortbend/archives/2009/03/love_or_hate_th.html#comments
http://fbisdwatch.blogspot.com/2009/03/chron-district-continues-to-push-for.html
Saturday, March 28, 2009
KHOU Covers Truancy Policy Problems!
Fort Bend mom pulls kids out of school over truancy dispute
10:24 AM CDT on Friday, March 27, 2009
By Courtney Zubowski / 11 News
FORT BEND COUNTY -- The living room is now a classroom for Dawna Loose's five children.
11 News video
March 27, 2009
View larger E-mail Clip More Video
She’s homeschooling her children after she says the Fort Bend Independent School district didn't give her a choice.
"After speaking to a few lawyers I realized that my rights as a parent did not exist as far as my children's education is concerned," said Loose....
Get the full story & video at: http://www.khou.com/topstories/stories/khou090326_mp_automatic-truacy-citation.75092183.html
FBISDWatch comment: Was the policy change instituted this year intended to improve student performance (bottom line) or to raise more funding for the current multi-million dollar budget deficit?
10:24 AM CDT on Friday, March 27, 2009
By Courtney Zubowski / 11 News
FORT BEND COUNTY -- The living room is now a classroom for Dawna Loose's five children.
11 News video
March 27, 2009
View larger E-mail Clip More Video
She’s homeschooling her children after she says the Fort Bend Independent School district didn't give her a choice.
"After speaking to a few lawyers I realized that my rights as a parent did not exist as far as my children's education is concerned," said Loose....
Get the full story & video at: http://www.khou.com/topstories/stories/khou090326_mp_automatic-truacy-citation.75092183.html
FBISDWatch comment: Was the policy change instituted this year intended to improve student performance (bottom line) or to raise more funding for the current multi-million dollar budget deficit?
Thursday, March 26, 2009
WHAT ARE OTHER AREA BLOGS SAYING ABOUT JENNY'S TAJ MAHAL PROJECT?
We've been following this story in several area blogs. From news blogs to community blogs and found this story and these comments very interesting from a site known as http://halfempth.blogspot.com/
Fresh on the Net: a School Board Campaign Website
"I don’t ever get news this fresh, but did today when an anonymous tipster hipped me to Position 6 FBISD School Board candidate Bruce Albright’s campaign website [http://www.brucealbright.com].
It is as bare bones as you can get, but if you look at the page buried here you get his story.
I haven’t been able to fathom the guy’s politics, which is usually a non-issue when it comes to school board elections – usually – but it looks to me like this guy is taking a page from Richard Morrison’s playbook.
No one will argue that Richard Morrison, a Democrat who ran in a slightly Republican-leaning Fort Bend Precinct 1 election for County Commissioner last year, was elected to the office because he “owned” the issue of toll roads in Fort Bend County. He got his name indelibly attached to the anti-toll road sentiment that has rolled across the county. A move that couldn’t hurt since his opponent’s name was indelibly attached to the pro-toll road sentiment that was waning in the same county.
Now I reported that Bruce Albright once addressed the FBISD school board on the issue of parking rules at Dulles High School. And that was it. Not because that is all there is to the guy, but because that is literally all I could find out about him.
But now we know more, don’t we? We know for instance, that Bruce Albright represents a “No vote” for the public who want to weigh in on whether they want the district to invest untold millions of dollars on a “Global Science and Technology Center.” He is against it, labeling it, as it has become to be known in the area as a “Taj Mahal.”
Bruce Albright wants his name to be indelibly associated with an “Anti Taj Mahal” movement in the district.
I think it is safe to say, no matter where you stand on the issue, Albright has staked out the turf that just might do it for him. Might just get him past the “anointed one” that has seemingly been hand-picked by some members of the BOT to succeed outgoing Trustee Steve Smelley.
Why? The timing of this issue could not be better for opponents to the Science Center, nor could it be worse for proponents of same."
Source: http://halfempth.blogspot.com/2009/03/fresh-on-net-school-board-campaign.html
ALSO see the challenger for position 2 at http://www.carloscain.com .
Fresh on the Net: a School Board Campaign Website
"I don’t ever get news this fresh, but did today when an anonymous tipster hipped me to Position 6 FBISD School Board candidate Bruce Albright’s campaign website [http://www.brucealbright.com].
It is as bare bones as you can get, but if you look at the page buried here you get his story.
I haven’t been able to fathom the guy’s politics, which is usually a non-issue when it comes to school board elections – usually – but it looks to me like this guy is taking a page from Richard Morrison’s playbook.
No one will argue that Richard Morrison, a Democrat who ran in a slightly Republican-leaning Fort Bend Precinct 1 election for County Commissioner last year, was elected to the office because he “owned” the issue of toll roads in Fort Bend County. He got his name indelibly attached to the anti-toll road sentiment that has rolled across the county. A move that couldn’t hurt since his opponent’s name was indelibly attached to the pro-toll road sentiment that was waning in the same county.
Now I reported that Bruce Albright once addressed the FBISD school board on the issue of parking rules at Dulles High School. And that was it. Not because that is all there is to the guy, but because that is literally all I could find out about him.
But now we know more, don’t we? We know for instance, that Bruce Albright represents a “No vote” for the public who want to weigh in on whether they want the district to invest untold millions of dollars on a “Global Science and Technology Center.” He is against it, labeling it, as it has become to be known in the area as a “Taj Mahal.”
Bruce Albright wants his name to be indelibly associated with an “Anti Taj Mahal” movement in the district.
I think it is safe to say, no matter where you stand on the issue, Albright has staked out the turf that just might do it for him. Might just get him past the “anointed one” that has seemingly been hand-picked by some members of the BOT to succeed outgoing Trustee Steve Smelley.
Why? The timing of this issue could not be better for opponents to the Science Center, nor could it be worse for proponents of same."
Source: http://halfempth.blogspot.com/2009/03/fresh-on-net-school-board-campaign.html
ALSO see the challenger for position 2 at http://www.carloscain.com .
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Albright Release: Upcoming Election for Position 6, School Board Trustee, Fort Bend ISD
This is concerning the School Board Election in May. Steve Smelly is
retiring from the school board and I have filed as a candidate for his
position in the upcoming election.
My wife Letty has been a teacher for 25 years, 19 of them with
FBISD. We have raised 2 children through Fort Bend Schools. I personally
have been teaching middle school kids at church for the past 18 years. We
both are very involved with the educational process in Fort Bend County.
I received my degree in Business & Personnel Management, from the
University of Central Florida in 1978. Since that time I have been involved
in the active management of several different companies. My specialty has
always been the ability to "turn around" operations.
I expect in the coming year, FBISD will need a fresh new prospective
in dealing with "funding problems, staffing, and student population growth", just to mention a few. They are going to need someone who can look from the "outside~ in", not the "inside-out".
Some of the other important issues are:
1) The Global Science Center:
I really don't think this district ought to be thinking about
building a "Taj Mahal", when we have teachers in classrooms without proper supplies such as copy paper, projectors, etc. and students without computers in classrooms for learning math and other computerized programs.
I think it's more important for the district to take care of the
instructional needs of all Educators and Students, not just a select few who
may or may not get any use out of this building.
2) The district should address the rate pay and spend more attention to the
needs of workers who are struggling within this current economy such as
hourly bus drivers, custodians, lunch room workers, and Teachers who are
struggling to make ends meet in this troubled economy.
3) We need to deal with the ever increasing, mushrooming layers of
administration and the salaries thereof the same.
4) Make sure our school employees have decent health care benefits and
pensions.
5) We also need to make sure that underperforming schools receive
instructional assistance in the classrooms with students, not in the
boardroom.
My pledge is simple; I will represent the students, educators, and
taxpayers with a fresh new prospective, and with the vigor of a roaring
lion.
VOTE ALBRIGHT FOR A BRIGHTER FUTURE, A BRIGHTER TOMORROW !!!!
Respectfully,
Bruce D. Albright, L.S.
Candidate~ Board
Trustee, Pos 6
Fort Bend ISD
INTEGRITY ~ COMMON SENSE ~ EXCELLENCE (ICE)
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