George?

KISD Blog by Liz Ramos

7/12/2019

My phone was inundated with messages last night after KISD meeting. I will talk about that a little at the end.

Here is a quick rundown of what has transpired over the last couple months as far as budget is concerned. This has to do with stipends, or as most districts like to call it “Employee Compensation,” which is not mandatory.

Back in February all board members got a paper or paperwork with stipends on them. Remember, Ms. Bera started working around the new year with Ms. Adams. They gave the information that they had at the time (I am assuming) with all or part of the information for all stipends on it in February. June 24th KISD board had a workshop meeting that was open to the public about next year’s budget. The minimum amount of time the board has been sitting on this information was 4 months. FOUR.

During the June 24th workshop meeting they conversed for well over an hour. They had all the time to ask the questions they had compiled over the last four months of looking at the budget. From an outside point of view, I wondered, “Did they even look at it at all? These aren’t the type of questions I would be asking right now! These are the type of questions I would be asking Ms. Adams or Ms. Bera within those 4 months. If I needed more information from them, I would have asked during that time. What is Ms. Bera and Ms. Adams going to say, no?” When some board members asked questions, I heard them ask them in the Loony Tunes voice, “Which way did he go George, which way did he go.”

Listen up folks! The board is not supposed to micromanage the superintendent. But if they need information to make an INFORMED decision, they need to go ask for the information. Should they have to hound her for it? No. But it is literally a three woman show at the district. Ms. Bera and Ms. Adams are doing the work of 10 people and then some! She needs to inform the board members and the board members need to go ask if they aren’t getting that information or they don’t understand it. Ms. Bera also should not babysit the board members as she is well understaffed to do so. She has a curriculum to get started, admin and teachers to hire, district employees to hire, grievances to hear, calendars to prepare, meetings, phone calls, school visits, shall I keep going? She does all of this for a pay I am sure that is less than the average superintendent. I have filled an open records request to get the exact pay. I am sure it is peanuts in comparison.

When board members such as Garza Sr. made snappy comments in public directed at Bera about how she is liable for things irritates me. It makes me think as a regular ol’ person he is trying to pin something, anything on her to justify him canning her later. Gara Jr. makes comments that have me wondering too. What is it that you are trying to do with all those comments? Ms. Yaklin keeps talking about how the board keeps kicking the can which is well and good but find a solution to this problem that KISD has had for some 6 years or more. Less talking, more action is what we want as a community.

After all, talking is what is prevalent in Kingsville. People say I am a shit starter. I am only giving my point of view. I don’t go around and tell the people of Kingsville, “Oh, I heard this and that and this and that.” I don’t. (There may have been 5 times I said something like, “I hear a RUMOR about this.” And I reiterate the word RUMOR.) Talk around town is like this: Jessica goes to a birthday party wearing a purple dress. At the end of the party Jessica is now wearing Daisy Dukes and a tube top. The telephone line isn’t always accurate by the time it gets to the 5th person. “Believe none of what you hear and half of what you see.”

The board brought up during a workshop that the middle schools didn’t produce yearbooks yet there is a stipend for that work. The question was raised if that person was paid for it. Last night’s board meeting Prado address the crowd that that person was not paid and he wanted to clarify that to everyone wondering. See what happens when you communicate? This helps wonders! That you for update, Prado.

Fast forward to July 9th’s KISD workshop meeting. 15 days since the last workshop. 6 working days to ask whatever questions of Ms. Adams or Ms. Bera that they wanted. This meeting lasted over 2 ½ hours! They spend the majority of their time asking and conversing about athletic stipends. I wondered if they just sat on it again. All the questions they had made it seem 100% so. Not counting February, they had 17 weeks to figure it out. Garza Jr. added up the current amounts of stipends they hand out in comparison to market and KISD will overspend whopping, $825,800! If I were a board member, I would sit down with one of them and go LINE BY LINE. A half hour here and there for a couple of months till it is all figured out. Why is this concept so difficult? It isn’t micromanaging, it is getting information to make an informed decision, totally legal.

FYI KISD will not be in the red because of the extra money going out to stipends.

I am frustrated because I know Ms. Bera and Ms. Adams aren’t slacking off. They have a million things to do both large and small. I wouldn’t be surprised if they have become addicted to cocaine and methamphetamines as much as they do. (That is sarcasm, not saying they actually do that. Please don’t start more rumors!) Those comments make me feel as if they are attacking her. Should the board members have had all this information corrected and accurate on time? Yes. I don’t know if they forget that she is swamped and a little, “Hey, I have some questions about the stipend, can you explain them to me?” or “I believe this is missing some information. Can you have that to me by x or x date?” wouldn’t hurt. Communication is key for everything. Communication is what I, as a parent, feel that is lacking from administration at campuses, between campuses and the district, and now, the board members with Ms. Bera or vice versa.

As a taxpayer, parent, and a person concerned about teachers and administration I feel more could have been saved. I did a real quick budget of the stipends at home while cooking dinner in less than an hour and I came up with saving over $320,000. I know I am off because I didn’t take into consideration labor laws and I may be off as I couldn’t pull up enough school district stipends with roughly the same about of student population. KISD needs to also consider the fact that we want to attract people to work here and I did not consider that.

Focusing on the budget could have bought more aids in the classrooms, counselors, vice principals, front desk help, supplies, police officers, adjunct staff and crossing guards. Crossing guards could cost roughly $12,440-$13,500 if paid minimum wage for two hours a day at all four elementary campuses. That is a small meal at Bray’s Smokehouse or 11 tacos at Taco Bell each day if someone wanted to pick up the extra hours.

Even though it hurts to know that the district could have saved money we all want to know who is going to lead each campus. Who will have a job next year and who won’t? Will there be enough teachers to teach? Will the teachers have enough support? Will the teachers still fear retaliation? Will the teachers be compensated enough or are some overcompensated? Will rumors start circulating about new principals and top-level positions? I will go ahead and answer that. Yes! That has already begun! Time will tell. We are all anxious as school will start in 6 weeks and teachers need professional development (curriculum). We are all in the dark surrounded by rumors. “Which way is the light, George, which way is the light?”

What is done is done in the past. As a community with an F rating now, we want to know why we got here, what is currently being done to fix it, and how the board failed or triumphed to pull us out of it. Include all other issues past the F rating such as retaliation, etc. How are ya’ll going about fixing it? Maybe they don’t want us to know because election season is coming up and they don’t want you to know. I mean, if you are doing great things, why don’t you boast about it for extra votes? Garza Jr. has a great idea to convert school lights to energy efficient. Do I think it is a priority? No. Do I wonder how much this will cost? Hell yeah! Could this save the school money in the long run? Yes. Be more specific if you want people to understand how important this is to you and the school! Let us know what this will cost. Let us know that the companies that may put in bids are not your friends.

Common’ ya’ll! All of the board members have to do better. I will not single out anyone in this blog. Step it up! Communicate with the public. We all make mistakes and no one is perfect. But, from the outside looking it, it doesn’t look good. Ya’ll have everyone that is concerned with KISD on the edge of their seats wondering what in the hell. As people keep telling me, “It was so much worse 6 years ago” I am so tired of hearing that. Excuses,

excuses, excuses. Everyone on the board and in the district needs to stay late, come in on weekends, not take days off, until the sinking ship is almost afloat again and teachers and admin can jump aboard to save the kids, parents, and other teachers on board.

This is the last time I say this in my blogs:

https://youtu.be/psaHLi7-DIs

Why is transparency so important? We have a problem with rumors here. It is a small town and everyone is in everyone’s business. I started this blog so that people can get a view from another perspective about what it is like for a new resident and parent and what I see when I go to these meetings. I didn’t start it to start rumors. I didn’t start it to know what teacher was crappy at their job or who is having an affair with who. I didn’t start it to be bombarded with drama that happens on campuses and in people’s personal lives. I haven’t written not one thing in my blog that is not true or in the way that I perceived it. Lord if I did, I would be Kingsville’s local TMZ. I am not getting paid to do this. I do this because I care and we all deserve better. I want to stop rumors. But the problem is, I am only one person. I get told every other day that people appreciate what I do and want me to continue. I want to quit doing this every day. This is not me. I have never done this before. This is way bigger than me, and that is why I continue. I am not saying that the board members don’t care. I am merely saying, WTF are they thinking?

I am done entertaining trolls. If you got a problem with me or you like me, whatever. I am always free to sit down and talk. I will take any phone calls. If I sit here and type about wanting transparency from the board then I should also be transparent! Again, I have nothing to hide! NOTHING! I grew up and learned in middle school this mantra, “I don’t give a fuck what people think about me.” And life has been wonderful without that crap. I know who I am and I am comfortable with that. Am I immature? Yes, sometimes. I believe there is a time and place for everything. At work I am as professional as can be. Out in public, I am a little bit of both. I refuse to be little miss goody two shoes. I cannot live my life that bland and boring. I started these blogs to put pressure on the board members, all of them, to be more transparent. As ya’ll know that has gotten me nowhere! I’d love to see them communicating with the community. They can. It is legal. The only thing they cannot legally do is violate news reporting issues like breaking news, etc. The super does that. This is under board policy. Why is everything so damn secretive?

Just like the genie sings in Aladdin, “You ain’t never had a friend like me.” I am honest, loyal, and always down for my dogs. I have three things you don’t mess with though. In order: 1. My family. 2. My money. 3. My integrity. Everything that is told to me by the community I keep to myself. That is no one’s business unless I can prove it to be true and the person(s) are receiving tax payer dollars and ya’ll need to know about it. I will never give my source! If anyone wants to say something to me, feel free. The only way someone will find out is if someone serves me a subpoena and I plead the 5th. I get absolutely no benefit from anyone in the community. No special favors. Nada. And I don’t want them.

And for those that are worried about me and my family, I do these blogs late at night when my kids are asleep or intermittently throughout the day so they are ready at night. Don’t worry about my family. I have been taking care of them since day one. They have a roof over their heads, food, clothes, insurance, toys, college paid for, they respect their parents, they do as they are told (exception of the smaller one sometimes), and they don’t do anything criminal. When I do work, I work HARD. I freaking love working. I am damn good at what I do. So, don’t worry about me! My husband and I have a handle on things. I have 100% support from my family. If someone wants to punch me, I have this to say. “I’ma say what I want until the day somebody beats my ass. Then I’ma say what I want with a black eye.”

My brother, E, will appreciate the below picture.