ECISD Board of Trustees Up for Election 2012 - Fay Batch

Fay Batch

Conflicts Disclosure Statement

PO Box 69178, 79769

Position 2

(432) 381-8918

Term Expires 2012

ECISD Board of Trustees Up for Election 2012 - Donnie Norwood



Dr. Donnie Norwood (Secretary)


Conflicts Disclosure Statement

4029 E. 37th St., 79762

Position 7

(432) 366-7435

Term Expires 2012



ECISD Board of Trustees Up for Election 2012 - Yollie Wilkins

Yollie Wilkins

Conflicts Disclosure Statement

60 Prestwick Drive, 79762

Position 5

(432) 550-2872

Term Expires 2012

ECISD Board of Trustees Up for Election 2012 - Tom Pace

Tom Pace (President)

Conflicts Disclosure Statement

1610 Graham Ave., 79763

Position 4

(432) 332-6059

Term Expires 2012

ECISD GENERAL INFORMATION

The Board of Trustees

A seven-member Board of Trustees serves as the legal agent of the State of Texas in carrying out the will of the citizens of the Ector County Independent School District in matters of public education. The school board is the policy-making body for the school district.In addition to setting policy, the Board of Trustees also hires the superintendent of schools, holds regularly scheduled meetings to conduct the business of the district, approves textbooks and curriculum, approves employment and termination of personnel, approves the budget and sets the tax rate, approves property purchases, approves new building plans, awards bids, hears grievances of employees, students and citizens of the district, and authorizes collection, disbursement and auditing of funds.Ector County voters elect their school board members on the first Saturday in May. Board members are community volunteers who are elected to serve four-year terms.At the regular meeting of the Board of Trustees in May, the Board elects a president, vice-president and secretary to serve one-year terms.

The Public

The Board welcomes students, parents, employees and other interested citizens to visit its regular meetings. The Superintendent of Schools and the President of the Board of Trustees have the primary responsibility of preparing an agenda for Board meetings. Any individual has the right to address the Board. To expedite the procedures, guidelines have been established. Anyone wishing to address the Board at the next meeting must submit that request, in writing, to the Superintendent of Schools or the President of the Board of Trustees. The deadline for a written request is the close of business on the Monday eight (8) days prior to the regularly scheduled monthly Board meeting. The request should be mailed to P.O. Box 3912, 79760 or delivered to the Superintendent’s Office at 802 N. Sam Houston.Citizens may address the Board regarding any item on the agenda by completing a patron card and presenting it to Nelda Loya, Administrative Assistant to Superintendent and Board of Trustees, prior to the beginning of the meeting.When addressing the Board, speakers should identify themselves by name, address, organization represented, and if applicable, ages of their children and schools they attend. Speakers are requested to limit their remarks to five (5) minutes.Although the Board encourages public involvement and will listen to citizens’ views and problems concerning school district matters, citizens are asked first to go through regular channels. This procedure may include a visit with the school teachers and/or the principal at the campus level. Most problems are solved in this manner. Matters which cannot be resolved at the campus level may be brought to the attention of the appropriate Assistant Superintendent or the Superintendent of Schools.

The Meetings

The Board conducts school business at regularly scheduled public meetings on the third Tuesday of each month, unless there are conflicts with other important dates. Special meetings are called, subject to need.A notice and agenda of the Board meeting is posted in the front of the Administration Building at least 72 hours prior to the regularly scheduled Board meeting and at least 24 hours prior to any special/emergency Board meeting.The District holds a press conference the day of the Board meeting and the public is invited to attend.All meetings are conducted in the Board Room of the District’s Administration Building at 802 North Sam Houston, at 7:00 p.m., unless otherwise stated in a public notice.From time to time, the Board convenes into executive session for reasons specified in the Open Meeting Law of the Texas State Statutes. Executive sessions are scheduled in advance of the regular meeting, except in cases of emergency. Motions and votes resulting from the executive sessions are rendered in open session.For more information contact Nelda Guerra at 334-7100.

http://www.ectorcountyisd.org/176610728111231193/site/default.asp

Pictures of Board members, terms, conflict of interest statements

Judge blocks new rules for licenses, IDs in Texas

By PEGGY FIKAC Austin Bureau
April 9, 2009, 7:53PM

AUSTIN — A state judge agreed Thursday to suspend new Department of Public Safety driver license rules touted as a crackdown on unauthorized immigrants.

The rules prevent thousands from getting standard-issue licenses even though they’re legally in the country, said the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, which is suing over the policy.

District Judge Orlinda L. Naranjo said the rules — which specify that people who aren’t U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents must prove they’re legally here before getting a license — go beyond DPS authority.

“This case is not about illegal immigrants obtaining driver licenses, it is about legal residents who have been denied or have been threatened a denial of a driver license,” Naranjo wrote to lawyers, saying she was granting a temporary injunction. After a formal order, such an injunction would block the rules pending a trial.

When DPS adopted the policy last year, GOP Gov. Rick Perry applauded it as strengthening security, saying, “Texas is a great place to live and work, and while we welcome legally documented individuals to the Lone Star State, we must ensure that this privilege is not abused by those seeking to enter our country illegally.”

Thursday, Perry spokeswoman Allison Castle said, “The governor continues to believe that the recent rule changes by DPS are important to ensuring public safety and national security and he is confident the vast majority of Texans feel the same way.”

DPS spokesman Tom Vinger said by e-mail, “We have received the court’s letter and are reviewing it with the Attorney General’s Office to determine the next step.”

When the policy change was announced, Public Safety Commission Chairman Allan Polunsky of San Antonio said he had instigated it because of a taxi driver in Dallas who had brought in undocumented workers from other states to get Texas driver licenses.

Visa acceptance at issue

Some lawmakers have joined civil rights advocates in saying DPS overreached.

“DPS has created havoc by attempting to inject its political agenda into the lawmaking process and improperly giving second-class status to individuals who in every way have complied with the laws of the land regarding their presence in the United States and Texas,” said David Hinojosa, MALDEF lead attorney in the case.  (Same MALDEF lawyer involved in the ECISD 30-year lawsuit.)(1), (2), (3), (4)

Rep. Ruth Jones McClendon, D-San Antonio, said the rule changes “had no legislative backing. State agencies do not have the power to pass rules that contradict or fail to comply with state laws.”

Before the rules were changed, an unexpired visa was accepted as proof of identify for someone seeking a driver’s license, Naranjo noted. The change required the visa to have been issued for at least a year and have at least six months remaining on it when presented to DPS.

The new rules also provide for noncitizens’ licenses to differ in appearance from standard licenses, and to show when a person’s stay in the country expires.

Hinojosa said it “invites racial profiling.” If license-holders’ legal status expires and they don’t present documentation showing their status has changed or their stay has been extended, their licenses are canceled under the rules.

Naranjo wrote: “State agencies possess only those powers granted to them by the Legislature … The Court finds that the Legislature did not give DPS the authority to create a new category of ineligible persons to receive a driver license.”

Chronicle reporter James Pinkerton contributed to this story.
pfikac@express-news.net

Read more: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/6366630.html#ixzz1TytulV00

References:
(1)  MALDEF files objections
http://www.oaoa.com/news/maldef-32771-issues-students.html
 
(2)  District:  MALDEF too far off subject
http://www.oaoa.com/articles/district-35028-desegregation-court.html
 
(3)  MALDEF files objections
http://www.oaoa.com/news/maldef-32771-issues-students.html
 
(4)  MALDEF will object to ECISD's request
http://www.oaoa.com/news/crucial-31338-district-ecisd.html

Jan Brown set to plea

July 14, 2011 9:47 PM


ODESSA AMERICAN

The embattled former principal of Barbara Jordan Elementary, Jan Brown, is set to plea in connection with an investigation into the school’s funds.

Brown was charged with false report to a peace officer, a class B misdemeanor, after Texas Ranger Brian Burney questioned her about the creation of invoices and purpose for creating the invoices, according to an affidavit.

She was not charged in connection with the monetary discrepancies. Defense attorney Robert White declined to comment on the case and prosecutor Allison Burton with the County Attorney’s Office was not available for comment.

The Texas Rangers began investigating the school’s activity fund Dec. 3. Brown submitted her retirement Feb. 14 effective April 30 citing a family member’s illness after being placed on paid administrative leave Jan. 14.

http://www.oaoa.com/articles/plea-68577-brown-set.html

LETTER: ECISD board decision lazy

I've seen this lack of transparency issue brought up before.  Evidently, it's bothering more people than just me.  There's also been some discussion about problems about some of the times they've scheduled meetings that have blocked working people from attending.  Here's Conrad Turner's opinion in today's paper.

July 03, 2011 6:00 AM


Conrad Turner
Odessa

The Ector County school board has decided to have three board members meet on issues of importance and then inform the other four as to how they should vote on that particular issue. The purpose of this devious policy is to circumvent the law requiring a public posting of the purpose, place, time, etc. of meetings where a quorum (four) of members is present.

Underhandedness and hiding transparency has now become the policy of the ECISD board. The voters elected all seven members to be informed timely on issues by the superintendent and his staff or outside consultants and not by Board Chairman Tom Pace and two of his minions telling the other four pigeons how to vote.

As disgusting as that prospect is, that is not going to be the worst result of this new policy. The worst result is that our board of Trustees is communicating to the staff and the students that skirting the law for lazy and incompetent reasons, dealing in secret with tax dollars and telling little white lies is now accepted in ECISD.

A pox on all of their houses for their unethical and unprincipled actions.

http://www.oaoa.com/opinion/board-67926-ecisd-policy.html

JAN BROWN

I personally find the Jan Brown situation appalling.  The information we've received from the articles the Odessa American has published concerning ECISD employees who have supposedly stolen county funds shows blatantly different methods of prosecution by our DA's office and appears to be based entirely on the "Good Old Boy" system.  Jan Brown was, evidently, spared the "lice shower" by our Sheriff's Office and allowed to just hold up a jail uniform for her booking picture while everyone else has had to suffer the indignities and public ridicule it involves.  And there's evidently money missing from the county coffers or mismanaged that is totally being ignored by the DA's office, a whistleblower who may have been fired... all in all very suspect by this Odessa citizen even though I highly value people who are willing to take leadership positions in our community.

QUESTIONS FOR UPCOMING ECISD BOARD ELECTIONS

This post is set up to collect questions people would like to ask the incumbents and candidates for the upcoming ECISD School Board election.

If you have a question you want asked, just go to the bottom of this post and click on "comments." A screen will come up that has a comment format where you can type your question.