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34 By Dane Anderson, Staff Writer
The Eanes school board will continue accepting applications until midnight Friday from those interested in filling the seat vacated by member Gail King.
King attended her last school board meeting Wednesday. She was presented a plaque in recognition of outstanding service and thanked by board president Jim Strickland for her dedication to the community.
“It’s been a nice ride,” she said. “I look forward to hearing great things about the community as I keep in touch with friends.”
Board members will begin interviewing applicants at 7:30 a.m. on Aug. 10. Thus far, eight people have submitted applications of interest for the position. Two former Eanes school board presidents have thrown their hat in the ring for the temporary position, including Brad Shields, who served on the board from1994-2003, and Beverly Thomas, who served from 1977–1986,
Sally Theodosis, Robert Wayne Holland, Wesley G. Ritchie, James Kallison, Pamela R. Horn and Ronna Martin also submitted applications.
Rollingwood resident Sharman Reed, who ran unsuccessfully for a school board seat in May against incumbent Paul Stone, said she plans to submit an application for the board position prior to tomorrow’s deadline. Hundreds of local residents submitted an electronic petition to school board members asking for the appointment of Reed after the announcement by King that she was moving out of state.
The appointed interim board member will serve on the Eanes school board until the next school board election in May. Application forms for the interim position should be submitted online and are available at the school district Web site at eanes.k12.tx.us.
Strickland said the board would reserve the option to hold second interviews at a later time.
Board member Paul Stone was elected as board vice president at Wednesday’s meeting to fill the empty officer position formerly held by King.
More about Brad Shields:
http://www.keepeanesinformed.com/shields_-_eanes_lobbyist.htm
Please appoint Sharman Reed. The Eanes community has expressed overwhelming support for this candidate both in votes cast on election day and recently with hundreds of signatures on a petition presented to the school district’s board of trustees. She has a strong history of community involvement. Sharman has devoted time and energy to leadership positions in our schools. Choose a candidate that represents the community, rather than a candidate that simply falls in line with the current leadership. The voters in Eanes have been loud and clear in their expressed support for Sharman Reed to fill the vacant school board position. Failure to honor those wishes absent a formal vote would be questionable decision at best.
Fact: Sharman Reed is the only applicant who stepped up to run for a seat in the May 09 school board election.
Fact: Hundreds of voters signed a petition to appoint Sharman when they learned (immediately after the election) that Gail King wouldn’t be able to serve … after all.
Questions: Where were all of the other applicants during that election if they wished to “serve” the district? The process leaves the community wondering: Just how transparent is this process? Just how corrupt is this process? Will the board listen to the taxpayers? And one more thing: When did Gail King learn that she was leaving town? How often do board members/superintendents GAME the system of appointing board members instead of allowing taxpayers to vote for board representation? Think about it.
How about a petition for an election and not for an appointment? Let’s cheer the democratic process. The fact is, there was an election…now there should be another. That’s fair to all of the taxpayers, not just the ones that want a particular candidate. As with any election there’s no way to discern whether votes were cast for one candidate or against another. An election is the safe (”transparent”) way to assure the desired result for the majority of voters. The “new” candidates may have liked the incumbent in the previous election, thus not desiring to mount a challenge to something that was already working. Since there will be no incumbent in this election all hands on deck. It will be a great election cycle for our district and a fair result is assured…what a great slate of candidates. By the way, this taxpayer wants the permanent board member to be elected. Cheers for EISD…rah, rah, rah and ruff, ruff, ruff.
I wonder if many of the “new candidates” are buddies of the board and superintendent. Picayune, please investigate just how many “Eanes-Link” members are “running” for the seat.
What a game. If there’s anything that scares Eanes ISD leadership, it’s transparency.
The board should ask the following question during the interview process:
Do you support a bond that includes spending several million dollars on an indoor football field — natatorium?
Rex has a very good point. At first I thought it made the most sense to appoint Sharman Reed. But with new applications for appointment, concerns about applicants, and so much mistrust being demonstrated on both “sides”, it makes more sense to have an election. It will represent the true majority and nobody can really complain.
Hopefully, we will get a replacement for King who doesn’t spend every second of a board meeting looking at her laptop …
Yes, the taxpayers should have been allowed to elect their new board member. Unfortunately, the Board voted against an election. Apparently they feel that it’s their right to elect the new Board member.
Don’t you mean they voted to not have a “special” election to fill the seat…an election that would cost the district thousands of dollars? That one? Even in the House and Senate or with sitting governors, appointments are made to fill a seat until the next scheduled election. If it’s good enough for our national office holders, isn’t good enough for our school board? This voter thinks it is…now how about you whiners take a number and sit down? Rrrrrrrruff….
To Will EISD Board Listen to the Taxpayers – Since when did the signatures/votes of 600-1,000 voters become the “voice of the taxpayers”? There are what – 11,000 taxpayers in EISD. Where were all the other citizens who could have applied to “serve” the District in this last election? Perhaps happy with the representation we have in Paul Stone and not interested in running for a thankless job. You are loud for sure (and also bitter, cynical and angry) but you sure don’t speak for me (a taxpayer) nor likely many others of us silent majority. Be honest – don’t suggest anymore that you represent “the taxpayers” – you represent your own personal agenda as is your right in this country. But you do not under any circumstances represent me – so do not use my name in vain any more.
It would be great if the thousands who remained silent on election day would generate enough interest in our public schools to research the current state of being and express their resulting opinions by casting their vote at the next election. Of those who voted for Paul Stone, I wonder how many actually took the time to study our district beyond the confines of our administration’s hollow assurances. My guess would be that those who are ‘loud’ have done just that. If there aren’t significant changes to our current administrative staff and board priorities, I’m willing to bet those taxpayers will get a whole lot louder.
The only issue was whether the new board member serving until the next Board election in May would be elected by the taxpayers or appointed by the Board. There was some talk of filling the board position in November when other local elections will take place, but that option never seemed to take hold. The Board voted to appoint the new Board member who will serve until May. It is anticipated that, among a gazillion other issues, both a new student code of conduct will be passed and a new bond election ($184 million) will be scheduled during their tenure. Those are both very important issues, and the taxpayers should have their representative, not the Board’s representative, voting on them.
Since the term is short I hope the school board will look at the two former Board members who have applied and stated that they will not run for re-election. Since they know how the District operates and the Board functions it would be a good- non political appointment. Let the election next May be the political choice.
There is something fishy about all these people stepping up to apply for an elected position that only one person was willing to campaign for. I don’t know much about Reed but the fact that she spent the time and money to go around meeting voters should get her the appointment.
RM you must not be familiar with the American process of elected government…sounds like you may be more familiar with a monarchy. See, here in America there is an inherent risk of running for office…you may not win. You don’t have to know the candidate to know the process. On the other hand, because this is America you may run and campaign as many times as you want as long as you are willing to take the inherent risk…it’s the American way…losing an election doesn’t give you the right to any kind of an appointment and it certainly doesn’t represent the voters…an election does…you may sing God Save The Queen…around here we sing God Bless America, Land That I LOVE!!
Catherine – “since they know how the District operates and Board functions it would be a good non-political appointment?” Just the opposite. Do you think past Eanes ISD board member and LOBBYIST (retained by the district) Brad Shields is non-political? Really?
Another Taxpayer – Gosh, your post is so “bitter, cynical, and angry”. Focus on the issues and please stop attacking your fellow taxpayers. You don’t speak for the “taxpayers” as a whole either and you are also not the spokesperson for the “silent majority”. Many district taxpayers are silent because they fear attacks from the district and the “friends” of the district, including anonymous attacks using the very labels that you are so quick to throw out (anonymously of course.) If you disagree with someone’s perspective, then it may be a good idea to stop and remember that their experiences with the district and knowledge of the district may be different from yours. Take a deep breath and allow others to have a perspective and opinion that is different from your own.
I think many people are silent because they are afraid to speak up in support of the District and/or run for office because they will be attacked by you.
These blog entries paint a worrisome picture of a community divided. Perhaps we should all agree to disagree or better yet, maybe we should all take the opportunity to listen respectfully to what the others have to say without stooping to personal attacks. This voter has taken the time to investigate the information made available by both contingencies. I found that though the information on keepeanesinformed.com is unsettling, it’s been substantiated through the posting of public records obtained from Eanes ISD. Perhaps if the district administration was more forthcoming with tangible documentation in support of their positions, there wouldn’t be such rancor and division within the community. With that improvement in transparency, the soaring legal expenses would likely decrease and we could all work together; supporting each other and a quality education for our kiddos instead of wasting time and misplaced energy on petty personal attacks.
Rex the Dog, thanks for the civics lesson. Ironic that you seem to be the one shilling for the power elite and that any time the citizens of the democracy express opinions different from yours you are quick to attack them and claim you have some kind of superior patriotism instead of talking about the issues. Kinda reminds me of the Karl Rove approach. I still think that if the school board is going to appoint instead of having an election, it should appoint the only person who ran for the office. I wonder why you’re so against that?
I don’t know Karl Rove, but I do know Karl Rover and you my friend are no Karl Rover…rrrruff………….
When backed into a corner….rrruffff……Rex seems to favor the ‘offense as best defense’ approach.
Even though this very serious discourse has been masked in fun, that’s precisely the point…why must anyone be backed into a corner about a simple issue because a small group wants to bully a candidate from a former campaign into office…frankly it’s nearly impossible to believe that reasonable, educated and fair people would attempt such a coupe’ on a board seat…I personally think it’s beyond reproach to dare imagine it’s fair to appoint someone/anyone to a permanent seat without an election just because they were a candidate, albeit one who mounted a fair and serious challenge to a very worthy incumbent. When the voters speak for the candidate of their choice on election day, including the one that’s the subject of what has become a diatribe, then it will be a great day for our district. It’s too bad the “pro-appointers” have most likely rallied a storm of opposition to a worthy candidate that may preclude that candidate from seeing office any time soon. I know, I know…that’ll be Nola Wellman’s fault, too.
The board did not choose to fill the vacant seat with a member chosen by the community via the elective process. The fact that they opted to choose for themselves was a pretty defining moment for Eanes taxpayers. It didn’t speak to the qualifications of each candidate or the wishes of the community. It did however send the strong message that community input wasn’t worthy or welcome. Is it being suggested that Wellman was behind the board’s decision to appoint?
Those who serve as board members or who consider running for office are certainly subject to new level of scrutiny as public officials. Eanes ISD is afraid of transparency because public information speaks loudly and clearly. Open government is only threatening if the public official or district or board has something to hide.
Yes, I believe that Wellman was behind the board’s decision to appoint.
TL – I completely agree with your comment that every taxpayer should educate themselves on the issues so they can make an informed decision. I did my research and that is why I voted for Paul Stone.
Here is my problem with http://www.keepeanesinformed – there is a level of factual reporting and then a level of interpretation that is based on the reporter’s bias – (which is clearly very very anti-Wellman and anti-trustees) – but tends to be reported as fact). For example:
True Fact: The District has 200 transfer students (I made that up because I don’t know how many they actually have but it is what it is and it is a fact).
Keepeanesinformed Fact: (And I quote)
“Surely, if the transfer students are specifically screened for their stellar grades and achievement, many will compete for those coveted top ten percent spots as seniors. We won’t know unless the district tells us. So as the Eanes ISD leadership continues to wave goodbye to a diverse population of district students, and recruit “cream of the crop” out-of-district students to transfer into Westlake High from surrounding districts.”
Interpretation: Dr. Wellman and the trustees are gaming the system by running off EISD residents in order to bring in better out of district students to pad their scores and those students will take top 10% places away from our kids.
My Fact (from experience nothing else): When my child was in kindergarten at Eanes Elementary, there were 4 elementary school classes with 17-19 students each (3 at 19 and 1 at 17) – 74 total per the yearbook). Three years later, there were 3 classes of 14 each (52 total about) and more declines in sight. Teachers were let go. The school was under capacity and issues of closure were bandied about if enrollment continued to decline. The next year the district implemented the transfer student policy and brought in new students to fill out the vacancies. All were screened for grades and attendance records as parents were concerned about out of district students coming in. The district received $$ for each student – say some $2-$3K each (not sure actual amount but an inflow of cash).
Interpretation: School is now at capacity and District budget gets money inflow during a difficult time. All in all, this seemed like a good plan – bring in money for the district, keep from closing a school, good kids that want a good educational setting get to come to Eanes, teachers hired back. Transfer students are on one year contracts so no guarantee they can come back each year if there isn’t capacity. Transfer students are nice kids (friends of my child). Are transfer students taking top 10% spots – don’t think there are any this year except maybe teachers’ kids, but maybe there will be in upcoming years. How many? Don’t know but it never seemed like a signifcant number. Was it worth it to keep from closing a school – probably. Were Dr Wellman and the trustees “gaming” the system? Not in my view.
Big difference in interpretation. All taxpapers just need to be careful to separate true facts from interpetation (on both sides).
Let’s compare and contrast some of the “ups” and “downs” since Dr. Wellman arrived.
Some “ups”- class size, legal expenses, number of administrative positions and their salaries, compensation for athletic positions (25-36%),number of transfer students
Some “downs”- revenue deposited into the general fund from Jumbotron proceeds, gifted and talented services, students identified as special needs (to a level that is not statistically probable).
Every candidate needs to carefully consider these facts. I vote for change.
The best way to separate fact from fiction is to review Eanes ISD public information for yourself. You can do this via my website http://www.keepeanesinformed.com (a repository for district public information since 2003) or you can obtain the documents on your own. If you choose to access my site (it’s your choice) then you can overlook my commentary if you wish and just review the public information obtained from Eanes ISD. As taxpayers and parents, we often have very different experiences. For example, there’s a big difference between a K class of 14 and one that is bulging at 23+. We need to look beyond personal experiences and focus on the facts and to do that, we must have the public information. Wild guesses are irrelevant. I enjoy hearing from other parents, community members, and students about issues posted on my site whether they agree with my perspective or not. Differences in opinion are healthy and necessary in a democracy. Best regards, Dianna
This thread has gone off on some tangents but back to the basic issue which is the board’s appointment of a new member. I would like to see the Picayune profile each of the applicants so at least we can know who they are, why they want to serve, and what their vision is. Also, will the interviews be in a public forum?
The board meeting is scheduled for 7:30 a.m on August 10 in the central administration board room. The board will deliberate the issue in closed session first and then interview the candidates in public. The issue is also on the action portion of the agenda and this means that the board may appoint someone at that time. Here’s a link to the board agenda and I will post it on my website http://www.keepeanesinformed.com as well:
http://www.boardbook.org/apps/bbv2/public/detail_wrapper.cfm?MeetingKey=MjAwMzExMTQ%3D
There you go Elle…now you’re talking. Finally, someone grounded with reason.
Rex the Dog, hilarious observation after reading all your rants.