Clements High School Rumors Untrue, Says McKie
November 3rd, 2009 | by Jamie Mock | Published in News | 148 Comments
Rumors concerning the departure of Clements High School Principal Kevin Moran were circulating days before the district announced Moran’s “leave of absence” late last week, and rumors continue to circulate concerning the state of the school that is more than 600 students over capacity.
Some parents say there are not enough seats for students during at least one lunch period, water pressure issues have led to toilet malfunctions and shower issues after gym class, students have been told not to open their lockers between classes due to the amount of students in the hallway and that fire drills take longer than they should.
Fort Bend Independent School District Assistant Superintendent of High Schools Mike McKie has responded to these rumors. According to McKie, there are no seating issues and students have never reported toilets not flushing or water pressure issues in the showers.
McKie said students have never been told not to open their lockers and that “students open their lockers between each passing period.” As for fire drills, McKie says on average students clear the entire building in about five minutes.
The overcrowding issue was at the forefront of the recent zoning discussions for High School #11 in the Hillwood Development near Sienna Plantation, scheduled to open to freshmen and sophomore students next school year.
The FBISD Board of Trustees considered a massive rezoning across the board to address both under-enrollment and over-enrollment at district high schools, but in the end decided to hold on that matter and rezone only in the immediate area of the new school.
Currently, Clements High School is over its “functional capacity” level of 2,202 students by 607, Elkins by 414 at 2,400 students and Hightower by 681 with 2,745 students. Dulles is below functional capacity by 12 students, with an enrollment of 2,086, and Willowridge is below functional capacity by 125 students, at 1,470.
According to administrators, overcrowding has a positive side.
McKie told the board at a recent workshop that more students allow greater flexibility in scheduling, a larger array of classes and a larger pool of participants for extracurricular activities and athletics.
Moran told the board in September that Clements staff encounters “little to no problems” with the students during the day, and can offer more courses and better schedules. “Right now our kids are great,” Moran said. “We really like them – we would hate to lose any one of them.”
“The more the merrier,” said Dulles Principal Mark Foust, who said before rezoning two years ago, Dulles had around 2,400 students – almost 400 more than now. “Functionally, we were outstanding.”
McKie announced Moran’s leave of absence at an “emergency meeting” last Thursday, and the district has not commented on the reasons for the leave or if Moran will be coming back.
Barbara James will substitute for Moran during his absence, and Foust will “provide additional support.” James is retired from the district, and served as principal of Sugar Land Middle School and assistant principal of Kempner High School.
November 3rd, 2009 at 4:24 pm (#)
very well, I’m sure the rumor mongers will apologize.
November 3rd, 2009 at 5:40 pm (#)
The master power player expects us to believe that there’s nothing wrong anywhere. Hey, by the way, where does the superintendent stand on these issues?
I believe Mr. Mckie is channeling the spirit of the “Great and Powerful Oz” on this issue.
Surely we all believe everything is just fine. Ask the stacked School Board who usually do everything they can to protect Clements at the expensive of every other campus.
November 3rd, 2009 at 6:00 pm (#)
I hope this will end for once all the well-orchestrated buzz about Clements overcrowding. I attended the re-zoning workshops, and listened to Mr. Moran’s comments in the September’s meeting. One Board member asked him about the situation in Clements, based on an e-mail sent around by a FC resident stating overcrowding, students sitting on the floor during classes, water issues, etc. He replied as quoted above, and that issues such as traffic in the halls happened at the BEGINING of the shool year, but were rapidly solved as students adapted to their routines. I checked this with my son who attends Clements, and he confirmed Mr. Moran statemens. Also, in a second meeting, one of the Board Members reported her visit to the campus during lunch time, and the fact that there were no students sitting on the floor.
So the e-mail claims were not true. Moreover, the e-mail also made reference to high car volumes in the surrounding First Colony subdivisions; it seems this is one of the real reasons some FC residents are pushing for a rezoning of Clements’, and the relocation of its students living in the fringes of the zone (such as Lake Colony, Lakefield, Heritage Colony and north Riverstone). Not bad if you realize that FC houses are old and overvalued by the real state game some FC residents have over there. Too bad that after all, the most important thing are not the well-being of Clements’ students.
November 3rd, 2009 at 7:02 pm (#)
I like that one silence and how fortbendnow always seems to get the story right. Pay no attention to the man standing behind the curtain.
November 3rd, 2009 at 9:35 pm (#)
Enough of the rumors. The Board of Trustees made a wise choice to address the original intent of the zoning: simply determine who goes to HS #11. Alarmist rumor mongers, folks with their panties in a wad over “too much CHS traffic” near their neighborhood, started a hateful smear campaign against CHS, FBISD officials, and even board members. They began a long list of lies that one by one have been discredited or disproved (not enough seats- perhaps a first day occurance; fire hazards-another way to get people alarmed over a falsehood; students not getting into chose electives-did your kid take the prerequisite?). The pure and simple fact is that CHS works. It is a good school. Yes, it has a large student population. It has been proven this is manageable by quality administrators. Fact: People move into CHS attendence zone to send their kids there, and those neighborhoods are not aging out. Newer construction (read Avalon, Riverstone) nudges out the older neighborhoods traditionally zoned to CHS. Is it fair that 24 year-old neighborhoods rezoned 5 times in the past 14 years get ping ponged every few years? That families have to split their kids among 2 high schools? The big question for FBISD is, why was CHS chosen to house the new Foreign Language Academy, slated to bring in 400 students, when capacity was ALREADY and issue? Why can’t Dulles (the “underutilized campus”) house this academy? Board members who seek “sound business solutions” while causing “the least amount of disruption to students and families” should see this as one answer to CHS’s situation. But enough of the rumors already. Someone is lying (read rumor mongers) and it’s not McKie or Sonal Bhuchar. At least the Sun has shown responsible reporting.
November 4th, 2009 at 6:31 am (#)
I have a child at Clements and we have asked our child and friends at Clements about these issues and heard no complaints along the lines of those mentioned here, or any others either. We are very happy with Clements and do not understand the basis for the attacks.
November 4th, 2009 at 10:36 am (#)
I talked to a former board member recently and he stated that much of the problem needs to be addressed district wide. He stated the problem began when 400 students from Dulles were moved to Clements a few years ago and that has become the normal pattern.
November 4th, 2009 at 11:02 am (#)
Sounds like too many kids in one school for my liking. I read also that functional capacity is only about 80-85% of a schools total enrollment. Does anyone have the exact figure?
November 4th, 2009 at 11:22 am (#)
‘Currently, Clements High School is over its “functional capacity” level of 2,202 students by 607, Elkins by 414 at 2,400 students and Hightower by 681 with 2,745 students. Dulles is below functional capacity by 12 students, with an enrollment of 2,086, and Willowridge is below functional capacity by 125 students, at 1,470.’
Sounds like they need to address this district wide to me.
November 4th, 2009 at 12:43 pm (#)
Why aren’t they?
November 4th, 2009 at 1:31 pm (#)
If you’re asking my opinion it is because this board waits for the superintendent to tell them what to do and an election is approaching. They would never rock that boat before an election. Naturally that is only my opinion though.
November 4th, 2009 at 1:57 pm (#)
I heard that Clements was an excellent school.
November 4th, 2009 at 2:01 pm (#)
It is a very good school. I wonder how much better it would be without 600 more students over their capacity?
November 4th, 2009 at 2:12 pm (#)
Do you all know what the actual numbers are for functional capacity by chance?
November 4th, 2009 at 2:21 pm (#)
I don’t know the numbers, but you can ck the #9 post above regarding the actual problem.
November 4th, 2009 at 2:25 pm (#)
Also check out #5 and #6 as well…
November 4th, 2009 at 2:38 pm (#)
FACTS:
• Clements is at 2803 students currently
• Design capacity at Clements has changed from 2,276 in 2006 to 2,447 currently, and functional capacity changed from 2,048 in 2006 to 2,202 now. These numbers are figured by Lee Petros and the facilities department. What created the change? Were the old numbers wrong or is there really more capacity now? Bush also changed functional capacity (+128), Dulles decreased (-9), Kempner decreased (-54), and Travis increased (+128).
• Design Capacity is about 85% of Classroom Capacity, and Functional Capacity is 90% of Design Capacity.
• Current Senior Class at Clements is the smallest in the school with 585 students
• Incoming freshman class will be about 800 students (current freshman class is 778 & the current 8th grade class is slightly bigger than last year’s 8th grade class).
• Possible enrollment next year (2803-585+800) =3018 students.
• Closest 6 high schools will all be under capacity next year.
• Lee Petros’ numbers were wrong 2 years ago and are wrong again. How does he still have a job? Why is anyone paying attention to his data? He is the reason kids have to be rezoned every few years. How is it that everyone outside the district was able to look at the figures for the last rezoning and say those numbers are wrong, but he couldn’t see that? It was blaringly obvious and he should have been able to tell the “independent” demographers their numbers were not accurate, but he stood behind the numbers. He is ultimately responsible for this current problem. His projections for Clements this year was 2,288. Even adding in the additional 200 students from the Academy (this number is high as I don’t have the exact numbers that are enrolled from outside Clement’s zone) and he was still off by over 315 students! In the past 2 years, the entire district has added 662 high school students, Clements has added 566 in this same period. Is this fair?
• Even Petros’ current numbers don’t add up. This year there are 5,135 students at Hightower & Elkins. In the new zoning worksheet on the district website, he has 5,162 total students at HHS, EHS, and #11 for next year. He states he has included a 2% growth increase in all his numbers, but this only comes out to a .5% increase. Does anyone really think there will only be 27 additional high school students next year in this rapidly growing area? But again, the Board doesn’t question his numbers.
• The zoning committee is made up of 3 administrators (Jenney, McKie & Petros). When they were asked to look into rezoning Clements, they chose the worse possible scenario – rezoning neighborhoods that were at Elkins 2 years ago to Dulles, but not rezoning the neighborhood that wanted to stay at Dulles 2 years ago back to Dulles even though they are closer to Dulles. They obviously wanted to be sure the board decided not to rezone Clements. The question is why? Why would you not rezone a school that is ridiculously overcrowded? And why wouldn’t the Board ask to see what it would look like if they reversed the rezoning that was done 2 years ago?
• One of the board’s objectives for this rezoning was to alleviate overcrowded campuses. They FAILED in their jobs.
• The Global Languages Academy was added 2 years ago compounding the already existing overcrowding because the district wanted a “success” which it wasn’t finding in its other academies. I would love to see this academy moved to see how many kids enroll in it at another High School. That would be a true measure of success (or failure).
• Kids do not have a seat at lunch and are eating in their cars or leaving campus to eat lunch. Others have found other areas around the school to eat their lunch. This may be against the rules, but is happening anyway. Perhaps Ms. Bhuchar did not walk through the parking lot looking for kids eating lunch there?
• Kids taking study hall are being forced to sit in classrooms with active classes going on because there isn’t another place for them. Clements is discouraging kids from taking study hall – is this because they don’t think it’s wise to take a study hall or because they don’t have the room for study halls?
• The increased traffic causes more accidents. There has already been at least one student on a bike hit by a car this year. The more cars jammed into one area, the more accidents are likely.
• Clearing a building during an emergency takes longer when there are more people in a building. When it takes too long to get out during an emergency due to the number of people all trying to exit at once; people can be trampled causing serious injury or death. This has occurred in many public buildings throughout the world. We cannot predict when emergencies will happen, but we can try to create environments which will minimize the chances of students and teachers getting hurt or killed.
• Clements has never kept data on how long it takes to clear the building during a fire drill. How can Mr. McKie claim it takes an average of 5 minutes? How does that compare to other schools in the district? Does he also claim it does not take longer to clear when it is overcapacity as compared to years when they are at capacity? Common sense dictates this is not true.
• Students were sitting on the floor at the beginning of the year due to overcrowding of the AP classes. This was due to the school knowing that kids would drop out of these classes. Not only is this against fire regulations, but it isn’t good for the students. How many people would want to stay in a place where they had to sit on the floor? This could very well be deterring students from taking AP classes.
• Mr. McKie stated that you lose the benefits of having a larger school when you get over 2,400 students as they are offset by the difficulties of being severely overcrowded. Why is he against rezoning then?
• The principal has been removed from the school. This always creates upheaval and tension.
For those of you who have children in the school and aren’t aware of any of these problems, therefore, assume they aren’t true, I ask you this… What will you do next year if the problems do start affecting your children? Will you start complaining then or just let your child suffer in silence?
The board wants the least disruptive solution? This disrupts all 2800+ students at Clements not to mention all the students at the schools where enrollment is too low and do not benefit from having more flexibility in their schedules. I for one will never vote for another bond referendum until all schools in the district are at 140% capacity since this is now considered acceptable (and even beneficial).
November 4th, 2009 at 6:21 pm (#)
I agree with most of the comments posted by mba in #5. However, I also understand that the population brought by Academies to their respective campus do not contributes significantly to the “overcrowding issue” because most of those students (~50-60%) are already zoned to those campuses anyway. Whether this is a long trend is difficult to say, since most Academies are new. That said, the point about an underutilized Dulles is a good and fair one.
Still, I am under the impresion that the apparent lacking of a normal demographic trend in Clements’ population is related to FC real state game. If this is the case, then I would also agree with mba on that 24 year-old neighbors (which is not the same that “24 year-old neighborhoods”), should not be nudged by newcomers or opportunistic home owners.
November 4th, 2009 at 6:34 pm (#)
b_tabor might be right on posts 9 and 11. But the different alternatives the Board considered to mitigate the problem (not to fix it, all our schools are over their capacities) would have induce a domino effect, and moving a large mass of students (many of which were already moved only 3 years ago). Based on the input from all Principals who were present in the workshops, and our students’ best interest I still think the Board’s decision was the right one.
November 4th, 2009 at 6:46 pm (#)
I still find it interesting that there is this outcry for the poor kids at Clements that may be rezoned…Typically the rezoning grandfathers current students. Many of the families in question had older siblings attend Dulles before they were rezoned to Clements 2 years ago. Bottom line, it didn’t make sense to move them to Clements in the first place.
Seems to me the best thing for the kids is to place them in the best environment to excel. Dulles is still an excellent school and perhaps a better oportunity for kids to get into the top 10% than an overcrowded Clements campus. Dulles’ enrollment will be well under 2000 next year with only DMS feeding 430 kids each year. (The Dulles Class of 2011 is 473 students.) This situation is not going to get any better. One look at the MS enrollments paints a clear picture.
Finally, even McKie references the advantages of overcrowding with respect to athletics and extra-curricular activites. What no one is talking about is the competitive disadvantage you are forcing upon Dulles and the other schools with 4A enrollments. Football numbers at Dulles are embarrassing. They kids have done extremely well to be close to .500 with one week to go. They have played all season with 30 kids.
I understand why people would not to be rezoned, but on several pratical levels, FBISD blew it…again.
November 4th, 2009 at 6:56 pm (#)
FACTS:
• Clements is at 2803 students currently
• Design capacity at Clements has changed from 2,276 in 2006 to 2,447 currently, and functional capacity changed from 2,048 in 2006 to 2,202 now. These numbers are figured by Lee Petros and the facilities department. What created the change? Were the old numbers wrong or is there really more capacity now? Bush also changed functional capacity (+128), Dulles decreased (-9), Kempner decreased (-54), and Travis increased (+128).
• Design Capacity is about 85% of Classroom Capacity, and Functional Capacity is 90% of Design Capacity.
• Current Senior Class at Clements is the smallest in the school with 585 students
• Incoming freshman class will be about 800 students (current freshman class is 778 & the current 8th grade class is slightly bigger than last year’s 8th grade class).
• Possible enrollment next year (2803-585+800) =3018 students.
• Closest 6 high schools will all be under capacity next year.
• Lee Petros’ numbers were wrong 2 years ago and are wrong again. How does he still have a job? Why is anyone paying attention to his data? He is the reason kids have to be rezoned every few years. How is it that everyone outside the district was able to look at the figures for the last rezoning and say those numbers are wrong, but he couldn’t see that? It was blaringly obvious and he should have been able to tell the “independent” demographers their numbers were not accurate, but he stood behind the numbers. He is ultimately responsible for this current problem. His projections for Clements this year was 2,288. Even adding in the additional 200 students from the Academy (this number is high as I don’t have the exact numbers that are enrolled from outside Clement’s zone) and he was still off by over 315 students! In the past 2 years, the entire district has added 662 high school students, Clements has added 566 in this same period. Is this fair?
• Even Petros’ current numbers don’t add up. This year there are 5,135 students at Hightower & Elkins. In the new zoning worksheet on the district website, he has 5,162 total students at HHS, EHS, and #11 for next year. He states he has included a 2% growth increase in all his numbers, but this only comes out to a .5% increase. Does anyone really think there will only be 27 additional high school students next year in this rapidly growing area? But again, the Board doesn’t question his numbers.
• The zoning committee is made up of 3 administrators (Jenney, McKie & Petros). When they were asked to look into rezoning Clements, they chose the worse possible scenario – rezoning neighborhoods that were at Elkins 2 years ago to Dulles, but not rezoning the neighborhood that wanted to stay at Dulles 2 years ago back to Dulles even though they are closer to Dulles. They obviously wanted to be sure the board decided not to rezone Clements. The question is why? Why would you not rezone a school that is ridiculously overcrowded? And why wouldn’t the Board ask to see what it would look like if they reversed the rezoning that was done 2 years ago?
• One of the board’s objectives for this rezoning was to alleviate overcrowded campuses. They FAILED in their jobs.
• The Global Languages Academy was added 2 years ago compounding the already existing overcrowding because the district wanted a “success” which it wasn’t finding in its other academies. I would love to see this academy moved to see how many kids enroll in it at another High School. That would be a true measure of success (or failure).
• Kids do not have a seat at lunch and are eating in their cars or leaving campus to eat lunch. Others have found other areas around the school to eat their lunch. This may be against the rules, but is happening anyway. Perhaps Ms. Bhuchar did not walk through the parking lot looking for kids eating lunch there?
• Kids taking study hall are being forced to sit in classrooms with active classes going on because there isn’t another place for them. Clements is discouraging kids from taking study hall – is this because they don’t think it’s wise to take a study hall or because they don’t have the room for study halls?
November 4th, 2009 at 7:10 pm (#)
FACTS:
1. Clements is at 2803 students currently
2. Design capacity at Clements has changed from 2,276 in 2006 to 2,447 currently, and functional design capacity changed from 2,048 in 2006 to 2,202 now. These numbers are figured by Lee Petros and the facilities department. What created the change? Were the old numbers wrong or is there really more capacity now? Bush also changed functional capacity (+128), Dulles decreased (-9), Kempner decreased (-54), and Travis increased (+128).
3. Design Capacity is about 85% of Classroom Capacity, and Functional Capacity is 90% of Design Capacity.
4. Current Senior Class at Clements is the smallest in the school with 585 students.
5. Incoming Freshman class will be about 800 students (current Freshman class is 778 & the current 8th grade class is slightly bigger than last year’s 8th grade class).
6. Possible enrollment next year (2803-585+800) = 3,018 students.
7. Closest 6 high schools will all be under capacity next year.
8. Lee Petros’ numbers were wrong 2 years ago and are wrong again. How does he still have a job? Why is anyone paying attention to his data? He is the reason kids have to be rezoned every few years. How is it that everyone outside the district was able to look at the figures for the last rezoning and say those numbers are wrong, but he couldn’t see that? It was blaringly obvious and he should have been able to tell the “independent” demographers their numbers were not accurate, but he stood behind the numbers. He is ultimately responsible for this current problem. His projections for Clements this year was 2,288. Even adding in the additional 200 students from the academy (this number is high as I don’t have the exact numbers that are enrolled from outside Clement’s zone) and he was still off by over 315 students! In the past 2 years, the entire district has added 662 high school students, Clements has added 566 in the same period. Is this fair?
9. Even Petros’ current numbers don’t add up. This year there are 5,135 students at Hightower & Elkins. In the new zoning worksheet on the district website, he has 5,162 total students at HHS, EHS, and #11 for next year. He states he has included a 2% growth increase in all his numbers, but this only comes out to a 0.5% increase. Does anyone really think there will only be 27 additional high school students next year in this rapidly growing area? But again, the Board doesn’t question his numbers.
November 4th, 2009 at 8:36 pm (#)
I think you’ll find many of the old “save our school crowd” are progressives who seem to thrive on starting rumors and decent according one Phd Edu in the group.
November 4th, 2009 at 8:42 pm (#)
Please trust me when I say that I have diligently sought out facts in this recent rezoning chaos. True, the district’s planners have done an extremely poor job over the years, especially in building Marshall out on the east edge of the district, in a clearly waning neighborhood. Dulles neighborhoods have aged out too. FBISD’s projected attendance numbers rarely pan out. The district itself touts its higher ranked schools loudly in its own publications, so why are they surprised at CHS attendance numbers? So don’t be “angry” at Clements for being a good school, with sarcastic statements like: “…School Board who usually do everything they can to protect Clements at the expensive of every other campus.” or “poor kids at Clements.”
#1 fact: Rezoning happened last in 2007. “Border neighborhoods” such as Settlers Park were peeled off of their historic feeder pattern (SWE, FCMS in their back yard; and CHS) and rezoned to Dulles. Other “traditional” CHS neighborhoods were zoned to Elkins. These very same First Colony neighborhoods were often rezoned as many as 5 times over a 14 year period– from FCMS to Lake Olympia MS; Quail Valley MS; back to FCMS; CHS to EHS, and back to CHS. Think about how that feels to a family with kids being ping-ponged around like that? BOT President Bob Broxson stated in the 9/28 zoning workshop that these split families “are toughing it out…” as if this was excuse enough to give them the shaft again. Excuse me?
#2 Fact: “Grandfathering” ONLY protects those who have attended a school for a full 2 years. A new rezoning would once again split families. Many families in these neighborhoods still have seniors attending one High School, and Freshman-Juniors at another High School. Think about this: which side of the football field do you sit on with kids attending two schools? Where do you put your volunteer hours? How do you handle driving kids between two High Schools for extracurricular activities and attending their separate activties?
#3 Fact: It is false that “even McKie references the advantages of overcrowding with respect to athletics and extra-curricular activites.” No, quite the opposite. BOT member David Reitz is on record for saying the DISADVANTAGE of high numbers LIMIT participation in extra curricular activities. The irony is, neither statement is fully correct. Kids join activities when there are activities and the will to participate. I cannot speak for other schools, but CHS has always provided a wealth of opportunities for involvement and this is (was) a central part of Moran’s keynote speech to new students and their parents at the start of each school year, “get involved!”
#4 Fact: Global Language Academy may take apx. 50% from in-zone (funny how no one seems to know the exact number), however if all or most of those (400) students are serious about their attendance in GLA, wouldn’t they move to another school to stick with their academy? Jenney has said “attracting attendance” is just an “ancillary benefit” to the Academies; I disagree, it is a major, powerful benefit. And Clements was not a school to which the district could afford to attract more out-of-zone students. While perhaps a worthy concept, the district cannot afford Jenney’s “dream” of “an academy at every high school” when clearly some schools do not have the capacity to handle the extra numbers drawn in by an academy. Certainly CHS is not in it for the “prestige,” it was foisted upon CHS in spring 2007 at the eleventh hour. Entrance requirements were watered down over the initial application period that summer, to attract more students. The GLA director only lasted the first year and is yet to be replaced. What the heck? How can Jenney justify this decision? How could the board continue to support it?
#5 Fact: CHS was a “host school” for those kids in chronically underperforming schools. Parents from any FBISD underperforming school could send their child to CHS for the past several years. This has also affected numbers.
#6 Fact: No one disputes that Dulles IS a good school. But don’t “force” kids whose families/neighborhoods have HISTORICALLY attended another school to go to DHS, or worse yet, yank a CHS student out after one year and rezone them at a rival school. Why not widely advertise Dulles (Marshall) is an “open campus” and facilitate transportation? I know for a fact there are people in the CHS zone who wish they were at DHS. Give a choice, let people vote with their feet.
#7 Fact: if you do want to re-elect board members who honestly seem to CARE about students and families (and don’t necessarily do Jenney’s or Admin’s bidding), here are names to remember: Sonal Bhuchar; Sue Hohnbaum; Laurie Caldwell; Daniel Menendez. Reitz and Glover are enigmas on their stance, possibly fence-sitters?. But if you want a business guy telling you and your kids to “tough it out” because “they want to fill up those other schools” then Broxson is your guy. Sue Hohnbaum’s comment on this at the last workshop sums it up: “We’re not just moving kids to fill up schools, right?” in response to Broxson’s admonition that the board would need to revisit the issue of rezoning in the near future.
Long-range planning is not our district’s strong suit. If rezoning is a must down the road, then we need to exhort our board members and FBISD officials to figure out ways to do it humanely, safely, and with forethought. No more Band-Aids or jerking families around. And please, please, trash Admin/Lee Petros’s monstrosity of rezoning options: there were 7 in all!!
But for now, the district really needs to face the reality that every home that goes on the market in the CHS attendance zone will most likely sell to school-aged families with CHS in their future plans. There won’t be near-term relief on the CHS numbers, unless standings drop. So, the question is, do you accommodate this eventuality with more resources to help an already good school continue to do well? Perhaps zone newer construction to other schools (Telfair coming down Univ. blvd. south of 59–is this Kempner)? Or do we just put a bandaid on it by shipping kids off to another HS in order to “fill it up” and even out the numbers?
November 4th, 2009 at 9:03 pm (#)
“According to administrators, overcrowding has a positive side.
McKie told the board at a recent workshop that more students allow greater flexibility in scheduling, a larger array of classes and a larger pool of participants for extracurricular activities and athletics.”
hmmm…
November 4th, 2009 at 9:25 pm (#)
“Long-range planning is not our district’s strong suit. If rezoning is a must down the road, then we need to exhort our board members and FBISD officials to figure out ways to do it humanely, safely, and with forethought. No more Band-Aids or jerking families around. And please, please, trash Admin/Lee Petros’s monstrosity of rezoning options: there were 7 in all!!
But for now, the district really needs to face the reality that every home that goes on the market in the CHS attendance zone will most likely sell to school-aged families with CHS in their future plans. There won’t be near-term relief on the CHS numbers, unless standings drop. So, the question is, do you accommodate this eventuality with more resources to help an already good school continue to do well? Perhaps zone newer construction to other schools (Telfair coming down Univ. blvd. south of 59–is this Kempner)? Or do we just put a bandaid on it by shipping kids off to another HS in order to “fill it up” and even out the numbers?”
Yes MBA long-term planning is a major problem with this bunch that needs to be addressed. They sat on a 10 million dollar budget deficit last year and are sitting on an almost 20 million dollar first ever one this year. I think they have proven under this supt. they can not make the tough decisions.
PS “Conman” (ftbendconservative) you need to go rinse out your teeth and let the adults discuss this uninterrupted by you. As a matter of fact don’t stick your nose into absolutely every place it doesn’t belong fake conservative.
PPS Learn to spell it first government vendor feeding troll monkey! lol
November 4th, 2009 at 9:35 pm (#)
Okay–so, overcrowding has a positive side????? Uh-huh, I see.
Well, I cannot blame them for telling folks just any ole thing–it’s worked so far. Why interfere with success?
November 5th, 2009 at 5:11 am (#)
MBA, swanthony/calvin is a progressive educrat from the old “save our school crowd”. He has a website called FBISD watchdogs and all he does is attack FBISD.
do as everyone else does and ignore the troll, all he wants to do is trash FBISD especially the admin.
November 5th, 2009 at 6:01 am (#)
CharlieB our “ftbendconman/wadefishin/johnbernardbooks” defends $30 million dollar spending projects, near 20 million dollar budget deficits, repeated tax increases, the local political machine and attacks all conservative reformers like Stansell (R), Hilton (R), Campbell (R), Tunstall, Paul (R), Teague (R), Dostal (R), Morrison, Gary, Elackatt (R), McDougal (R), and anyone who isn’t part of the Owen-Hebert-Howard developer backed government lone bid vendor feeders network. He has trolled these sites for years and always defends the wasteful spending and the special interest efforts to keep our local boards councils and commissions out of the hands of the taxpayers.
I will let a very small sampling of this site pol. trolls attacks speak for him. He is a local HOA board man who has actively campaigned for his the machine he is a lackie for and continues to work to disrupt these threads.
FtBendConservative says: September 4th, 2009 at 8:36 pm (#) SillyAnthony don’t you have some little old ladies to kneecap?
« JohnBernardBooks/ftbendconman wrote on Monday, Jun 30 at 06:45 AM » Joe do you even know how to be positive? I’m sorry if life is so bad for you…maybe you’ll ened it all soon?”
« JohnBernardBooks/ftbendconman wrote on Saturday, May 24 at 06:13 AM »
“…are teachers the biggest whiners are what….they have a cush job…very little stress and all they do is bitch. Try working in a real job where you actually have to produce a product…
FtBendConservative says:
September 26th, 2009 at 8:21 pm (#)
Joe are you on crack?
Now to put this back on topic-
Article series reported as facts (not rumors):
CHS is over capacity by 600+ students.
The district will not consider a district-wide rezoning plan to utilize under-capacity seats before building more schools.
District growth is almost flat.
New school being built in east fort bend county with only 950 students will attend with a functional capacity potential of 2500.
CHS principal and Sonal report no problems at CHS at recent zoning workshop.
CHS principal goes on admin leave.
Which of these facts AH are you refuting from the reports??? Or are you just making things up and pulling them out of your butt as usual??? Just leave it to our government vendor feeding toadie!… lol
PS Which government vendor are you feeding today faux conservative (who can’t spell it)?
November 5th, 2009 at 6:02 am (#)
CharlieB our “ftbendconman/wadefishin/johnbernardbooks” defends $30 million dollar spending projects, near 20 million dollar budget deficits, repeated tax increases, the local political machine and attacks all conservative reformers like Stansell (R), Hilton (R), Campbell (R), Tunstall, Paul (R), Teague (R), Dostal (R), Morrison, Gary, Elackatt (R), McDougal (R), and anyone who isn’t part of the Owen-Hebert-Howard developer backed government lone bid vendor feeders network. He has trolled these sites for years and always defends the wasteful spending and the special interest efforts to keep our local boards councils and commissions out of the hands of the taxpayers.
PS Which government vendor are you feeding today faux conservative (who can’t spell it)?
November 5th, 2009 at 6:04 am (#)
And he likes to get up before the crack of dawn to act the fool. hahahaha
PS There is no positive side to deliberately over-crowding schools. Keep defending those tax borrow and spenders (fake conservatives) CharlieB!
November 5th, 2009 at 7:06 am (#)
deal in facts calvin the progressive. You’re making the allegations “Which government vendor are you feeding today” so you tell us. if you can…..hahaha
November 5th, 2009 at 7:21 am (#)
check out calvin the progressive site for some more history
http://missouricitychatter.blogspot.com/2006/04/fbisd-candidates-piece-in-fb-sun-click.html
November 5th, 2009 at 8:03 am (#)
a recent post by our “conservative/progressive”
“Monday, October 19, 2009
Olivo Seeks Re-election To District 27 Seat
St. Representative Dora Olivo
Endorsed by Houston Area Legislators
State Representative Dora Olivo of Rosenberg has received the endorsement of many Houston area legislators as she seeks re-election in 2010.
Olivo, a Democrat representing part of Fort Bend County, will be running for her eighth term in the Texas House of Representatives next year.
“I am humbled by the support of so many of my colleagues in the Houston area,” said Olivo. “I look forward to returning to the House and working with them on many issues that protect the interests of our families and communities, including education and mental health.”
Endorsing Olivo for re-election are State Senator Mario Gallegos and State Representatives
Alma A. Allen, Carol Alvarado, Ellen Cohen, Garnet F. Coleman, Harold V. Dutton, Jr., Jessica Farrar, Ana E. Hernandez, Scott Hochberg, Kristi Thibaut, Senfronia Thompson, Sylvester Turner,
Hubert Vo and Armando Walle.”
the “conservative” supports another dem? Yes, the same “conservative” that gave money to dems, blockwaslked for dems and supported dems. How can it be true?
November 5th, 2009 at 8:07 am (#)
Charlie (wadefishin/ftbendconman/johnbernardbooks)–You were the only one in here pushing, defending and promoting the $30 million dollar duplicate global taj mahal being pushed by PBK, a district vendor, that at the time, according to reports, was being investigated by the FBI. The plans for the project, as reported via local media, were near duplicates of the HMNS science museum at Telfair. That’s one…
You repeatedly have defended TIRZs for developers in Missouri City in prime commercial areas when state law requires they be used for redevelopment. These TIRZ boards were set-up, according to media reports, by your buddy the mayor who accepts regular campaign contributions from those developers (city vendors) that TIRZ board was set-up for. That’s 2…..
You defended the 15 million dollar in vendor none competitive bid contracts reported here involving FBISD. Only a fake conservative would defend the elimination of competitive bidding among vendors. Ergo your name vendor feeder. That’s 3
You defended the counties 40-50 million in no bid vendor feeding contracts reported by the media and defended the links between Bob Hebert and Turner & Bass construction projects and regular contributions to him from those company executives.
Nothing conservative in that. You also attacked the BOT candidates that exposed the yes board’s over-spending, 9 million dollar budget deficit and this years near 20 million dollar budget deficit along with subsequent tax increases. YOU ARE NO CONSERVATIVE. Dr. Paul, a prominent republican and true conservative, calls you and your kind operating and controlling much of the local gop machinery “neocons”. I just call you fake conservatives.
Naturally this all ignores your attacks on numerous posters in here, thread diversions (LIKE YOU ARE TRYING TO DO NOW) and your previous posts telling participants to go “kill themselves”, “kneecap old ladies”….just to name a few.
Let me know if you need more examples. Anyone can do the search on you “village idiot”.
November 5th, 2009 at 8:10 am (#)
STILL POSTING NEWS RELEASES I SEE AND CLAIMING THEY ARE ENDORSEMENTS OF SOMETHING? ARE YOU AND OWEN GOING TO USE HIS DEVELOPER MONEY TO BUY DEM VOTES AGAIN THIS ELECTION CYCLE?
November 5th, 2009 at 8:26 am (#)
so if someoneone gives money to dems, block walks for dems and supports Dem Dora Olivo he’s a conservative?
hows these facts working out for you liberal?
November 5th, 2009 at 8:28 am (#)
Let me remind you charlie, as you already know this thread is about CHS and district zoning, not your narcissistic tendencies to divert threads back to you fake conservative/”conman”. We will support any honest, non-pol machine conservative and have. You’ve already admitted to attacking the reform republicans above in #27. We support candidates that believe in the state and national constitution through their actions and do not engage in the “pay to play” system along with fiscally responsible behavior (not endless tax increases). The candidates we support that have been elected have opposed the double digit ad valorem taxation increases your crony-boys have pushed on this county, district and several municipal authorities. The candidates we support, some elected, have supported CAD appraisal and tax rate caps. YOURS DON’T, BECAUSE THEY FEED THEIR MACHINE OFF OUR TAXES and you know that and defend it.
YOU ARE NOTHING MORE THAN A NEOCON NO-BID GOVERNMENT VENDOR FEEDING TOADIE….nothing more….it doesn’t matter if they call you republican, independent or democrat, your behavior would be the same. You use the parties to polarize in your little shell game. There are conservatives all over this county who are republican, democrat, libertarian, constitutionalist, independents and we have networked with quite a few and will continue to.
Now take this thread back on topic regarding the zoning and poor planning by district leadership. That is what this thread is about, not more of your propaganda and lies for the crony-boyz.
November 5th, 2009 at 8:31 am (#)
These posters are liberal dems who prefer the term progressives or reformers. The reason they detest any good news it defeats their purpose. They need bad news especially economic so they can save the voters by running “reform” candidates. IE the liberal env lawyer Morrison.
Most will deny being liberals and will even go so far as to lie and say they’re conservatives.
They have an agenda and any good news must be vilified so they can save.
November 5th, 2009 at 8:33 am (#)
the progressive says “Now take this thread back on topic regarding the zoning and poor planning by district leadership”
however the thread is about “Clements High School Rumors Untrue, Says McKie”
November 5th, 2009 at 8:35 am (#)
Why are you ignoring the support given in #31 and the developer money given by your mayor from his campaign account to seek endorsements by 3 democrats. One he is endorsing in the same race you are claiming I support.
That’s funny. You put out a news release and claim its some sort of endorsement, but ignore the facts surrounding your business network buddies who buy democratic endorsements for IMO a fake conservative mayor (who calls himself republican). Why is your buddy seeking these endorsements and giving them his developer campaign contributions???
Now that’s funny…….PS YOU ARE STILL OFF TOPIC IDIOT….LOL
November 5th, 2009 at 8:43 am (#)
as usual you speak gibberish
there’s nothing to refute in #31 its all fabrications made up in your mind. As some might say you obviously crazy as a loon.
These posters are liberal dems who prefer the term progressives or reformers. The reason they detest any good news it defeats their purpose. They need bad news especially economic so they can save the voters by running “reform” candidates. IE the liberal env lawyer Morrison.
Most will deny being liberals and will even go so far as to lie and say they’re conservatives.
November 5th, 2009 at 8:49 am (#)
Here let me help you lackey:
Clements High School Rumors Untrue, Says McKie
November 3rd, 2009 | by Jamie Mock
Rumors concerning the departure of Clements High School Principal Kevin Moran were circulating days before the district announced Moran’s “leave of absence” late last week, and rumors continue to circulate concerning the state of the school that is more than 600 students over capacity…
PS Owen has pushed for 3 tax increases in his city alone over the last 4 years. He is no conservative, nor are you liar.
PPS What’s wrong, you can’t refute the facts in #31? You asked for them and their are quite a few more…..we can do this as long as you like crony toadie…it’s called following the money trail….your political machine is hardly a secret charlie so stop trying to act like no one knows about it. YOU ARE THE GOVERNMENT NO BID VENDOR FEEDERS…
November 5th, 2009 at 8:52 am (#)
“santhony says:
November 5th, 2009 at 8:49 am (#)
Here let me help you lackey:
Clements High School Rumors Untrue, Says McKie”
troll see #36
November 5th, 2009 at 8:57 am (#)
The real problem is the fact that the district originally said they would have the public sessions prior to deciding and then reversed that and developed the plans first. Then they cut back on the number of public meetings offered.
2 years ago it was the then BOT president along with Jenney that reformulated the zoning committee removing citizens from that advisory body and stacking it with only central office administrators. These are not transparent moves by the administration and the BOT has done nothing to correct actions like these.
PS “Most will deny being liberals and will even go so far as to lie and say they’re conservatives.”–More propaganda. Did you get this approved for release from your cronies before posting? LOL
Better go check first. They don’t like it when you take the initiative without approval.
November 5th, 2009 at 9:11 am (#)
oh my the liberal has his panties in a wad today.
What denies he’s a liberal, says he a progressive or even go so far as to say he’s a conservative but gives money to dems, block walks for dems and support Dem Olivo? Thats right a liberal
November 5th, 2009 at 9:24 am (#)
No jerk, those are your words and spin kinda like when you claimed to be a government man and tried to threaten with it then later denied it and said you were a government contractor and then denied that…..you know liar, your usual trolling pattern of deceit and disinformation…
But charlieB, you can’t hide because we know who you are and exactly what you do. You are simply a government no-bid vendor feeding, tax borrow and spender defender. THERE IS NOTHING CONSERVATIVE ABOUT YOU TROLL….LOL
November 5th, 2009 at 9:25 am (#)
The district should first address the campuses that are under capacity, by filling those seats first and then building new campuses. I remember when Mr. Cain, a true conservative, brought this issue up during his campaign and was attacked by the neocons and vendor feeders. Too bad prudent behavior warrants such well organized attacks. He was also the resident who exposed the 100+ million in reserve funds siphoned off the bonds that the district doesn’t like to talk about and spoke up against the property tax rate increases we have faced over the last 3 years to pay for the record bond debt that pushed our district into the top ten category in the state. Not good news for small property owners here who already rank in the top spot per home value in TX. Not a fact the crony-boy like to admit.
PS Charlie/fake conservative (johnbernardbooks/wadefishin/ftbendconman) Actually faux conman it was your #25 that was the initial attempt to derail yet another thread.
You really need to stop lying so much, it’s too easy to catch you at it in text like this.
November 5th, 2009 at 9:58 am (#)
ahh the liberal fbisd rant
November 5th, 2009 at 10:00 am (#)
The “village idiot” charlie would have you believe that those that oppose excessive property tax increases year end and year out along with supporting CAD appraisal caps and rate caps are in his mind “liberals”…….well that would make for an interesting thread all on its own, except that constitutional conservatism and fiscal conservatism (i.e. true conservatives) see through the neocon propaganda/spin from vendor feeding no-bid sycophants like charlie….
Actually the rhetoric is redundant and quite meaningless. Charlie knows they have no values other than the corporate bottom line. They use the parties and national issues to polarize the electorate in the little shell game of distraction. They present no facts or support, just continual empty ad hominem…..
Why does he continue to attack real conservatives like Campbell (R), Stansell (R), Teague (R), McDougal (R), Hilton (R), Tuffly (R), Paul (R), Tunstall, Gary, Morrison, Dostal (R), Elackatt (R) and many others who have supported fiscal restraint and constitutional support???
Don’t bother, we already know why troll and we know which small, but well funded clique you work for too..
Here’s my favorite charlie lie-
“conman (fortbendconservative)” says ….Here’s a tip I work for the government, don’t push your luck…
and
conman says …I’m not really a government worker, I just like to watch you all..
-Yes our little crony conman likes to lie and play games. He has no credibility. As a matter of fact the only thing he does seem consistent on is which elected vendor feeders he defends, Charlie Howard, Bob Hebert and Allen Owen. Any republican, independent or other conservatives that don’t feed their pol. machine gets attacked. Anyone who speaks up against the high taxes and appraisals he attacks…..and that is the only consistency in his posting pattern……
November 5th, 2009 at 10:02 am (#)
I would like to see a more open process to the zoning issues. That doesn’t mean I support your method, but certainly they should consider returning to a format of inclusion.
November 5th, 2009 at 10:11 am (#)
my favorite calvin the liberal quotes
“charlie–go back to foreclosing through your HOA on your neighbors and illegally soliciting campaign funds for Owens candidates while the TEC and IRS investigate you.”?
“Actually your neighbors reported you. I just told them how they could.”
” I filed a john doe report on you long ago….you are a joke!”
so calvin why don’t you do the rant where I’m on the take and stealing. We especially love those.
November 5th, 2009 at 10:17 am (#)
…ftbendconman says “why don’t you do the rant where I’m on the take and stealing”…
Quite simply because you aren’t quoting me or anyone else. I have said you are a toadie for the special interest, but your lame low-life lying game of create quotes and spin along with your standard word-smithing is nothing new tax, borrow and spender crony-vendor defender and fake consrvative….hahahahaha
Are you still a G-man….hahahaha
November 5th, 2009 at 10:23 am (#)
Yes it would be nice to see an open process for a change. We’ve seen the county commissioners hold their mtgs in the middle of the afternoon and limit speakers-taxpayers time along with how many may even address them. The school board followed suit under the current administration a few years ago. We even watch it manipulated first hand when Jenney pushed the vendor feeding duplicate museum project through this summer. We were still able to get real public speaker in, but got a lecture from Sonal on how democracy works just after trying to keep speakers from addressing the issue at the session vote.
I’m not sure why the administration felt they had to make claims about the district-wide survey that were false and reported as such in the media (they claimed the public gave them over-whelming support when the actual report was about 60-40 against). We had to get the TX AG to order them to release that report before they would turn it over to the public. The BOT still voted the project in anyway as they were instructed to do.
Yes we do need more open processes and not just in the zoning meetings.
November 5th, 2009 at 10:25 am (#)
just as we thought calvin the liberal has no fact just accusations.
here’s a fact liberal. If you give to dems, blockwalk for dems and support dems you’re a liberal.
November 5th, 2009 at 10:29 am (#)
are the progressives who started these rumors apologize?
lets wait and see
November 5th, 2009 at 10:31 am (#)
Does it make you a dem when your fake conservative mayor tries to buy dem endorsements with his developer monies from his campaign war chest? Or does it make you a dem when you repeatedly attack conservatives and republicans trying to move our local governments away from the pol. machine you toadie for??? hahahaha
Yes the truth does hurt charlie.
November 5th, 2009 at 10:33 am (#)
Notice to our little derailing troll-charlie, continues to take this thread off topic….hahaha
Yes once again caught doing what you are paid to do by the crony-boyz….LOL
November 5th, 2009 at 10:41 am (#)
I would very much like to see the commissioners move their meetings to the evening time like Sugar Land does.
November 5th, 2009 at 10:52 am (#)
if it gives money to dems, blockwalks for dems and supports dems its a liberal
November 5th, 2009 at 10:54 am (#)
So you are calling Campbell (R), Stansell (R), Teague (R), McDougal (R), Hilton (R), Tuffly (R), Paul (R), Tunstall, Gary, Morrison, Dostal (R), Elackatt (R) and many others who have supported fiscal restraint and constitutional support “liberals”…..my, my you are a redundant parrot today on top of being the “village idiot” charlie…
Lesson- Conservatism is not cronyism….lol
November 5th, 2009 at 11:03 am (#)
McKie told the board at a recent workshop that more students allow greater flexibility in scheduling
I’ve never read such gibberish.
November 5th, 2009 at 11:19 am (#)
can you imagine being a public official and having these crazy as a loon liberals like calvin threatening you?
“charlie–go back to foreclosing through your HOA on your neighbors and illegally soliciting campaign funds for Owens candidates while the TEC and IRS investigate you.”?
“Actually your neighbors reported you. I just told them how they could.”
” I filed a john doe report on you long ago….you are a joke!”
its a typical liberal tactic to threaten repubs
November 5th, 2009 at 11:46 am (#)
No one is threatening anyone but you charlie and you are no conservative, nor are you a public official and you have broken the law in here many times and many posters have threatened to sue you for libel when they learn who you are. Private official maybe, but not a public one.
But you are an ignorant fool. I noticed you never addressed those questions about all those republicans and real conservatives you’ve attacked and libeled in here over the years, but then again that is what you are paid to do.
Now being fiscally irresponsible, repeatedly defending and raising taxes and appraisals to feed the pol. machine you, toadie for, is not conservatism it is called corporatism and feeding them our tax dollars in the form of corporate welfare is your business, not mine neocon.
November 5th, 2009 at 11:54 am (#)
calvin said “but then again that is what you are paid to do.”
so who’s paying me troll?
“repeatedly defending and raising taxes and appraisals to feed the pol. machine” and who’s taxes have I raised?….
hahaha you can’t make this lunacy up.
calvin are your panties in wad liberal?
November 5th, 2009 at 1:18 pm (#)
It’s hard to believe this rant is still continuing from yesterday.
November 5th, 2009 at 5:45 pm (#)
santhony, FtBendConservative: Please take your personal debate elsewhere. We don’t want to hear this in a public forum. You’ve deviated from this thread (Clements High School Rumors Untrue, Says McKie) a long, long time ago and haven’t contributed anything helpful to it. It’s embarrassing to be in your company on this blog. Your rantings bears out the saying: res ipsa loquitur. I’m wondering if you have kids in FBISD schools, or if you have any personal interest at all in the issue. Leave this space to others who want civil discussion. BTW, do either of you even have a job? If so, I’m curious to know what job permits the luxury of blogging inanities all day.
ClementsParent: we know for a fact the genesis of your trumped-up complaints: you don’t like the traffic around your CHS neighborhood. Tell facts, but don’t start alarmist and unfounded rumors and impune individuals who don’t see things your way. More than likely, you could be responsible for Moran’s departure. So, don’t bemoan “upheaval and tension” that you fed. You state: “One of the board’s objectives for this rezoning was to alleviate overcrowded campuses.” Absolute falsehood. This all started with the ZONING (not REzoning) of new HS #11 (which by the way opens with only freshman and sophomores in 2010, hence the below-capacity number). You stirred the pot, Admin officials tacked on more convoluted options beyond zoning HS#11, others presented the board with facts, the board rejected the REzoning options (because they DO have guiding principles), and now you want to change the facts to suit your case. IF rezoning needs to take place in our district, then make it a studied, thoughtful, scientific process, not a blitzkrieg to alleviate your traffic woes.
A simple solution one might consider in lieu of spreading rumors and displacing kids, would be to move out of the attendance zone causing traffic headaches. Or, why not apply for an inter-district transfer to Dulles? Then the CHS “headaches” will be over.
November 5th, 2009 at 6:37 pm (#)
MBA you said it well now if you can stop calvin from trashing every thread….good luck.
November 5th, 2009 at 6:43 pm (#)
look at my post #33 and you’ll see a link. Follow it and learn who that save our schools groups and see how far they go back.
You will never have a discussion here with him around.
November 5th, 2009 at 7:25 pm (#)
It is cult, it sure is.
November 5th, 2009 at 7:37 pm (#)
I’ve read the zoning plans and do not think any of the are optimal. Why didn’t they form community based committees and ask us what we wanted?
November 5th, 2009 at 10:14 pm (#)
While everything under the sun is being discussed here…have any of you really considered what a boondoggle expense the “Academies” are to the district? Can you say “Redistribution of Test Scores?” — and all it does is pad a resume that will be sent on to another district in a couple of years.
What looks good on paper isn’t always what works in real life. Somebody at the top thinks that they are a great idea and has no patience or tolerance for anybody…principal, parent and heaven forbid…a teacher who thinks otherwise.
The problem in FBISD is the leadership at the highest level.
We need someone who actually cares about the district and its rich history of success…not just the success that it might reflect on some ambitious individual.
Was Kevin Moran a fall guy for someone else’s mistake? Does his “leave of absence” have anything to do with over crowding or rezoning…no one knows for sure but what has come to the surface is the real and honest feelings of frustrated constituents of a district of soon-to-have eleven high schools.
The district is too big for the small-minded, tunnel-visioned, single-issue (let’s be honest…single school focused) protectionist school board.
November 5th, 2009 at 10:37 pm (#)
I’ve said from the beginning this guy Moran is the convenient scapegoat for much larger problems.
November 6th, 2009 at 5:39 am (#)
So true silencedoesnogood and cult_of_one.
November 6th, 2009 at 6:05 am (#)
go back and read my post #33 and follow the link. You’ll see who’s obssessed with FBISD and who needs to give “the rant” a rest.
“cult_of_one says:
November 5th, 2009 at 1:18 pm (#)
It’s hard to believe this rant is still continuing from yesterday”
Its dated 2006 and “the rant” is the same as here.
2006 and its still continuing today? I’d say calvin is “obsessed” among other things.
November 6th, 2009 at 8:29 am (#)
I sure hope that isn’t the case factually and cult, but it wouldn’t be very surprising if it was. I could see where the principal was asked to defend the over-crowding by the upper administration and then used as a scapegoat later. I’m just guessing and it could be any number of things, but that’s a plausible argument. It would be nice to see more openness about all this. Instead we are left guessing.
November 6th, 2009 at 11:29 am (#)
What looks good on paper isn’t always what works in real life. Somebody at the top thinks that they are a great idea and has no patience or tolerance for anybody…principal, parent and heaven forbid…a teacher who thinks otherwise.
Well we can only guess at it until the district communications office decides to do its tax supported job and report the facts. Until then it is all conjecture.
November 6th, 2009 at 11:51 am (#)
mba,
Excuse me while I pick myself up off the floor from laughing so hard. Amazing how you KNOW what my intentions are. Clements traffic is something we have been dealing with for over 18 years. I take it in stride now. There are some who can’t get out of their driveways, and it was at their request that I brought up traffic as an issue. MY biggest issue with the increased traffic is that it brings increased accidents. No one likes seeing kids injured or killed, but I have been an eyewitness to it multiple times on Elkins Rd. Add to that the number of near misses I see on a daily basis. It is dangerous because the roads were not built to accommodate this kind of traffic. With increased traffic, drivers become much more aggressive.
Although, I do not know why the principal lost his job, the only way it was because of me is if what I am saying is true. He wouldn’t lose his job over “trumped-up complaints”.
The board’s #3 stated guiding principal was to alleviate overcrowded campuses. They are supposed to look at rezoning every year – not just when a new school is opening. That is why we had a rezoning 2 years ago – there wasn’t a new high school, just overcrowded campuses. I never said anything about the below capacity number for the new school other than the 6 closest campuses will ALL be below capacity next year. #11 is the farthest one of those 6 from Clements.
I think you don’t have all the facts. Either you are in the area that was being looked at for rezoning or you have your head buried so far in the sand you cannot see reality staring you in the face (or both). If it is the first, I feel sorry for you. This whole avoidable situation stinks and I would be angry too if they were looking to rezone my area for the 2nd time in 3 years because they made a mistake. The last rezoning should not have happened. Kids should not have been moved to Clements. However, the kids who were already zoned to CHS should not have to suffer for that mistake either. I also don’t understand why the district will not allow families to stay together. If an older child is grandfathered, their younger siblings should be too if they are attending high school at the same time. This is not rocket science. Keep families together and there will be a lot less upheaval when rezoning is necessary. If your reason is the latter, I suggest you take off your rose-colored glasses and look at the FACTS. I do not spread rumors. I spread the truth. Something FBISD knows nothing about. They hope the majority of parents and the public are like you will just buy into their propaganda that everything is perfect. I suppose if your kids said they didn’t know anyone who did drugs at Clements you would believe no one did drugs at Clements. Just because your child and their friends are not being affected right now, doesn’t mean it is not happening or that it won’t happen to them in the future.
My concern is for the safety and the quality of education of my children. There are no more inter-district transfers allowed; but my children leaving the school wouldn’t change the FACTS for the other 2800 students there.
Now let’s take a look at your facts from post #24:
#1 Settlers Park was rezoned FROM Dulles TO Clements in 2007, not the other way around (as were Chimneystone and Settlers Grove). Parts of Riverstone, Lake Colony, Lakeway, Lakefield, Heritage Colony, & Lakes of Austin Park were rezoned FROM Elkins TO Clements at the same time. I fought hard against this rezoning 2 years ago too. I could see this problem arising back then. The Board & zoning committee ignored me and all the others who told them their data was faulty and that severe overcrowding at Clements would occur because of it. Did you fight against this rezoning too, or were you happy your neighborhood would now be going to Clements?
#2 This can be easily solved by allowing families to be grandfathered as I mentioned above.
#3 Reitz’ (if it was him – can’t remember who said this) was thinking along the lines of kids who are good players are not being allowed to play at Clements because there is not enough room on the teams for them due to overcrowding (as opposed to Dulles where they don’t have enough kids to make up a decent team – only 30 on their football team). You can’t “get involved” when there isn’t enough room on teams. And, no, this is not the case with my children who do not play sports at school, but it is happening to many friends’ kids. When a child is good enough to be able to play at any other school in the district, they should be able to play here. Only the overcrowded conditions are making them get cut. This is common sense also. The more kids to choose from the more will be cut. McKie tried to turn it into a positive with the thinking that it can work in the school’s favor: Clements should end up with better teams since you have more students to draw from, but is winning everything?
#4 I agree with wholeheartedly, although there are only currently 200 at the most at Clements (and I don’t know how many of these are already zoned to Clements). Academies take time to build up. Years of thought and planning should be going into each one to be certain they are truly worth the money they cost.
#5 I don’t know how many students have actually chosen to come to CHS. It is my understanding that there were 300 students total that have chosen to go to other campuses under this program, but I have not seen any data showing which campuses they are attending. Therefore, I can’t say if this is a cause, but it was not brought up in the zoning meetings, which makes me think it is not a big factor at Clements since this would have bolstered their case for not rezoning Clements.
#6 I agree – there should be an option for students to go to other campuses when their campus is so overcrowded.
#7 The school district is a business. The Board’s main responsibility is to be sure the district is spending our money as wisely as it can while offering the best education possible. By the way, it was Reitz not Broxson who stated this would have to be looked at again next year.
Your last paragraph was very illogical. First you state (correctly) that this problem will not be diminishing. Then you state that the answer is not rezoning. Rezoning is the only answer. Severe overcrowding is not good for anyone. The rezoning does need to be thought out logically and using actual data (and not done by Lee Petros). It then needs to be supplemented with much more thoughtful grandfathering. Families should not be separated unless they choose to be. Telfair is completely zoned to Kempner. Riverstone, however, does not have a long history with Clements and has Elkins in their backyard. It should be a no-brainer that they need to go back to Elkins. Since this is the only new area zoned to CHS that is still growing, even that small change would help over the next few years. Even Lee Petros sees the numbers at Clements climbing based solely on Riverstone.
So what are your intentions mba? Is it for your kids to stay at Clements at all costs (both to them and all the other students there), or are you interested in finding ways to solve the problems? Unfortunately, we must first face up to the problems before they can be solved. This is what FBISD is not doing. Instead of just dismissing my data as “trumped-up complaints”, tell me exactly what you don’t think is true and why. I know of many other problems overcrowding is causing that I have not stated because I have not had a chance to research them yet.
November 6th, 2009 at 2:41 pm (#)
Good catch parent on the change to the functional capacity numbers at Clements question. One that needs addressing. Did they actually increase those percents via construction and additions or did they just gerrymander the figure to make the public feel better about the excessive number of students.
November 6th, 2009 at 4:29 pm (#)
No people don’t like to hear the truth clements parent
Families should not be separated unless they choose to be. Telfair is completely zoned to Kempner. Riverstone, however, does not have a long history with Clements and has Elkins in their backyard. It should be a no-brainer that they need to go back to Elkins. Since this is the only new area zoned to CHS that is still growing, even that small change would help over the next few years. Even Lee Petros sees the numbers at Clements climbing based solely on Riverstone.
November 6th, 2009 at 4:33 pm (#)
District: Clements principal not “arrested”
November 5, 2009, Houston Chronicle
A Fort Bend school official tries to quell rumors that Kevin Moran, who the district says is on a leave of absence, was not escorted off campus.
>>This headline was interesting too.
November 7th, 2009 at 8:52 am (#)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fW2Jq2HWaAk
I think what concerns me most is that the district is misleading us regarding the facts around this case all the while ignoring the large gorilla in the closet, namely our near 20 million dollar budget deficit, record debt which ranks us in the top ten in the state and record spending projected all while our county unemployment has risen by over 3% from last year to a decades high of 8.5% (higher than the state average of 8.2%). All this while facing district tax rate increases and the county ad valorem property tax increases of almost 11%. Taking more from the people in a time of recession is not prudent of many of our taxing authorities and ignoring the over-crowding while you have available seats is also foolish IMO. People are concerned as is evident in the link above. Over-crowding must be addressed through the rezoning process.
November 7th, 2009 at 8:54 am (#)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fW2Jq2HWaAk
Get active and go speak before the BOT on issues such as these. Shine the light brightly on the local pol. machine responsible for the borrow, tax and spending increases.
November 7th, 2009 at 11:00 am (#)
Woman Wins Open-records Ruling, Says School District Still Won’t Release Science Center Info
August 7th, 2009 | by Bob Dunn, Fortbendnow
Even after a Texas Attorney General’s ruling in her favor, A New Territory woman says, Fort Bend Independent School District officials are purposely withholding public records about the proposed Global Science & Technology Center.
The school district said it has provided New Territory resident Nancy Hentschel with the documents ordered released by the AG’s office.
However, Hentschel said Friday, “I have been given nothing.”
An opponent of the district’s proposed $26.4 million science center, Hentschel said the information she is seeking could have been essential to the public before the FBISD Board of Trustees gave its approval for the project to proceed in a limited fashion.
Since the board vote on the science center came and went without the district releasing the information she requested, Hentschel said she hoped the release would come before next Monday’s board meeting, during which board members are expected to discuss the administration’s proposed 3.5-cent property tax increase.
———–
I think it is reports like the one above that lead me to question information coming out of the district lately and that includes whether or not Moran is on leave or really gone. After reading that Chronicle article above it makes one wonder what the hell is going on. Perhaps improved communications by the leadership is in order.
November 7th, 2009 at 1:19 pm (#)
First point: Very good points cult_of_one in #81.
Second point: Although, I am not abreast currently regarding all points to be in absolute, total agreement; however, nonetheless, some good point from ClementsParent in #78.
One thing for sure, ClementsParent is astute in the accessment regarding the district’s lack of respect to not heed what parents and/or others may present regarding foreseeable problems in the making and/or on the rise.
Point three: I read or heard someone say recently that whenever, illogical willful acts of bad choice are enacted continuously, it encompasses and is representative of a lack of maturity applicable to an individual, a business, or an entity and is not necessarily age specific. This statement stuck me as an exceedingly profound and brilliant assessment of bad judgment and decision making. Selfish greed and self-aggrandizement is not age specific relative to an individual, a business, or an entity, but it is immature because its focal intent is self gratification no matter the outcome for others.
November 7th, 2009 at 8:09 pm (#)
Point three: I read or heard someone say recently that whenever, illogical willful acts of bad choice are enacted continuously, it encompasses and is representative of a lack of maturity applicable to an individual, a business, or an entity and is not necessarily age specific.
Do you have a name for that quote factually speaking?
November 8th, 2009 at 4:11 am (#)
b_tabor,
Since I converse with a lot of people, read lots of books, and stay current with the news, I do not recall the source of the paraphrased statement that I heard or read. I may have heard some in-depth newscaster say something to this effect, but, nonetheless, it is floating in my heard in its paraphrased format; I just don’t remember the source.
November 8th, 2009 at 9:27 am (#)
Hi FS, good to see you continuing to share on this issue. I found these numbers by CP very disconcerting if they do hold up regarding trends with current zoning patterns. They really should address this issue before it does get that bad.
-Possible enrollment next year (2803-585+800) =3018 students.
-Closest 6 high schools will all be under capacity next year.
It looks like clements parent has done the homework on this one.
PS Clements parent, are you attending the coming zoning meetings or perhaps a BOT meeting to address this issue? Let us know.
November 8th, 2009 at 9:38 am (#)
“Clements High School Rumors Untrue, Says McKie”
rumormongers continue to try to take the thread off topic.
calvin how many kids do you have at Clements?…..ZERO
November 8th, 2009 at 10:41 am (#)
Let’s hope that the district won’t let the problem reach that level. These campuses were not designed for over 3000 students.
November 8th, 2009 at 11:05 am (#)
I’m amazed at the insecurity of some so called grown ups that they would spend their day trying to get attn from someone they see as an authority figure.
hahaha what a bunch of losers. Get a life
November 8th, 2009 at 12:14 pm (#)
I think silencedoesnogood makes an excellent point wheh they state, ‘The problem in FBISD is the leadership at the highest level.’ For me, that is the root problem. It does no good to run around with blinders on.
November 8th, 2009 at 1:15 pm (#)
I agree with commentary #90. Whether it is a no response policy regarding poor low achievement for certain schools, or increased academic engagement and expectations for at-risk special populations, drop-out rate, overcrowding in schools while some are simultaneously under populated, or a need for more transparency in how exactly does the district do its business, etc. A no response or inaction is not an indication of healthy, robust, positive leadership—but, as I have stated before, we are all too busy living the good life—dining-out at all the great restaurants, etc—I have considered moving elsewhere, but I do not want to give up the convenience of great shopping opportunities and the great restaurants, close by; therefore, holistically, large numbers of folks have not stepped forward to make leadership accountable; although solo individuals, or small clusters of individuals have tried but have suffered defeat or have been stonewalled until they give up in defeat. Consequently, until large, huge, overpowering numbers of folks make it an all out effort priority to make the leadership accountable and transparent, it will not happen. And, so, that is how folks who have only a vested interest in getting fat off the school district become entrenched to become increasingly deaf, dumb, and blind to any accountability on behalf of the citizenry it serves.
November 8th, 2009 at 1:18 pm (#)
My commentary was written to agree with:
b_tabor says:
November 8th, 2009 at 12:14 pm (#)
I think silencedoesnogood makes an excellent point wheh they state, ‘The problem in FBISD is the leadership at the highest level.’ For me, that is the root problem. It does no good to run around with blinders on.
November 8th, 2009 at 1:54 pm (#)
In the 90’s some were unhappy with Chopra’s leadership
Then some were unhappy with Ms Baitland’s leadership
now There’s Dr Jenney and some are unhappy with his leadership.
Nope no pattern here…..
November 8th, 2009 at 3:03 pm (#)
FS, tabor, cult- What’s even more ashame is the district, prior to 2002, was at a recognized status and is only academically acceptable today even after the state adopted the TPM (Texas Projection Measure) this year which artificially inflated the baseline for state scores. They’re paying the current superintendent about $60,000 more that the last supt for this performance. This performance includes, IMO, fiscal mismanagement and two of the largest budget deficits in our districts history (almost $10 million last year and nearly $20 million this year).
If he is being paid for performance, which is what the BOT claimed when they hired him, then I would say we can probably do better for our tax dollars considering he has us listed for the first time in the top ten districts for bond debt and approved over $15 million in no bid contracts on top of seeking approval for an additional $30 million in spending on a duplicate museum project, that according to the districts 2009 survey is not supported by the public.
I don’t think much else need be said. I agree with the assertion regarding “root causes”. This over-crowding issue, just like the last 3 tax increases to service the large district debt load, are symptoms of the leadership vacuum, IMO. Naturally our taxes will continue to rise and our district and tax supported communications office will continue to misinform and with-hold pertinent information from the public. At least they can be happy in the knowledge that they have at least 1 cheerleader in here for this gross mismanagement. I predict a very interesting BOT election this spring.
November 8th, 2009 at 3:05 pm (#)
Also see the crowd that showed up and spoke in post link #83 against the recent property tax rate increase…
November 8th, 2009 at 3:45 pm (#)
calvin you were unhappy with Dr. Baitland’s leadership and worked against her, and now you’re unhappy with Dr Jenney’s leadership, and now oppose his every move.
Maybe the problem isn’t leadership but educrats like you and FS second his every move?
November 8th, 2009 at 3:54 pm (#)
So you have nothing to offer but attacks on posters and defense of record deficits, tax increases, excessive spending and poor performance? I guess that’s all fake conservatives-corporate welfare queens like you can come up with. Too bad because there are some serious issues in the #96 post you continue to ignore “village Idiot”.
November 8th, 2009 at 4:02 pm (#)
actually I’ve offered plenty. Go read my post#33
as previously stated:
“In the 90’s some were unhappy with Chopra’s leadership
Then some were unhappy with Ms Baitland’s leadership
now There’s Dr Jenney and some are unhappy with his leadership.”
once again I offer maybe the problem isn’t leadership but educrats like you second guessing ever decision mgmt and the BOT makes.
November 8th, 2009 at 4:33 pm (#)
“At least they can be happy in the knowledge that they have at least 1 cheerleader in here for this gross mismanagement.”
I called that one right. When you can’t deal with facts (from the district I might add) you have to find scape-goats….they don’t call him the “village idiot” government vendor defender for nothing…
Now the facts only one still chooses to ignore:
-District academic rating is only acceptable (higher prior to 2002)
-Property taxes for the school district and ad valorem taxes raised significantly
-$9-10 million dollar first ever budget deficit last year in the districts history
-$18-20 million dollar budget deficit projected for this year (largest in district history)
-RECORD bond debt ranking the district in the top ten state-wide for the first time in district history
-2009 district survey on the GSTC duplicate museum shows little support for $30 million dollar spending project (after advertising over-whelming support)
-Current BOT inability to provide accountability to the public and exercise fidiciary responsibility
-District fails to address district-wide zoning problems (some school grossly under capacity, while others are extremely over-crowded)
-Texas Projection Measure (a project of what the districts would like scores to be in 2 years) implemented state-wide this year for the first time causing a realignment of base scores and rationale loss of comparisons on state testing
-$15 million dollars in no-bid contracts
Only the cheerleader will defend the consequences of the inaction by our elected officials with regard to their supervisory role over the superintendent and not in subordination to him or senior administration.
November 8th, 2009 at 4:36 pm (#)
See #83 link in post for more….
November 8th, 2009 at 4:53 pm (#)
it always just a matter of time until we get the I hate HOA/FBISD/FtBendCty rants.
give it a rest you whining complaining loser.
November 8th, 2009 at 5:55 pm (#)
Oh, did I receive a back-hand compliment from FBCon?
My commentaries are written based upon logical thinking of what is beneficial to education and what is not. I am not in knowledge that my commentaries have had any impact in a change-agent manner for educational improvement regarding subjects we discuss or have discussed on this blog. Although, I wished they had.
I am not part of a group. I am not a political Somebody or wannabe. I am not a high roller in any famed manner. I am just a logical thinker with life experiences who was educated at a time when people could really get a fine education, ever, if you happened to be poor. I was raised well with good ethics and integrity instilled as a requirement for the development of good character desirable for all walks of life whatever your future career goals; to include being a parent to your own children and an adult role model for all children. I am also God fearing.
November 8th, 2009 at 7:06 pm (#)
FS, I lumped you in with calvin draw your own conclusions.
I can’t tell who complains the most you or he.
November 8th, 2009 at 7:30 pm (#)
FS, I think he missed the sarcasm, but he tends to lump anyone who doesn’t goose step into the same category and if they don’t stick their heads in the sand while the crony boyz rob us blind, then god forbid, you will see the wrath of the ignorant hill billy. lol
November 8th, 2009 at 7:49 pm (#)
sarcasm? oic and I thought it was endless complaining. How silly of me to miss it. hahaha
November 8th, 2009 at 7:57 pm (#)
Since I am just a new writer in this group… let me say…quit sniping at each other and go get on the agenda at a school board meeting. Each and everyone of you makes excellent points.
My proverbial hands are tied. Please be clever and figure out why.
We need your voices to speak up and raise these issues where they’ll shed light on the problems…from the CHS situation to the budget deficit to the ridiculous plan to build a science facility straight on through the academy system being shoved down our throats.
Sometimes I feel like the admins act like they are running a hurry-up football play before the opposing side has a chance to throw the red flag for an official review of a bad call.
The only flaw of this analogy is this — I’m not sure anyone in the “big house” even comes close to being able to “audible” in bad situation…they won’t take a step, a breath or say a word without making sure the superintendent approves first.
They’d much rather wait and make excuses for the failures later.
November 8th, 2009 at 10:02 pm (#)
Sometimes I feel like the admins act like they are running a hurry-up football play before the opposing side has a chance to throw the red flag for an official review of a bad call.
That is a great analogy silencedoesnogood and you give good advice. I agree more of us need to get involved!
November 9th, 2009 at 8:10 am (#)
I think the zoning meetings are this week. Attend and bring up these issues.
November 9th, 2009 at 9:30 am (#)
That is a good idea.
November 9th, 2009 at 9:53 am (#)
OR sit around whining anonymously on the internet like most of you do.
November 9th, 2009 at 10:03 am (#)
Why don’t you go mega and speak up and tell them how happy you are about the over-crowding at Clements?
November 9th, 2009 at 10:06 am (#)
OMG! The school is overcrowded!! EMERGENCY! EMERGENCY! OMG!!
November 9th, 2009 at 10:09 am (#)
Yes, I encourage all those who continue to spread false rumors about kids sitting on floors to show up at these meetings and get some facts.
November 9th, 2009 at 10:38 am (#)
Why would you assume they are only rumors and apparently it is fact that they may be over 3000 students next year if it isn’t addressed soon.
November 9th, 2009 at 10:40 am (#)
No, it’s not a fact. But some people will believe anything obviously.
November 9th, 2009 at 10:43 am (#)
The new HS is opening up next year.
November 9th, 2009 at 1:09 pm (#)
Currently, Clements High School is over its “functional capacity” level of 2,202 students by 607, Elkins by 414 at 2,400 students and Hightower by 681 with 2,745 students. Dulles is below functional capacity by 12 students, with an enrollment of 2,086, and Willowridge is below functional capacity by 125 students, at 1,470.
These were the facts supplied in the article by the district. I believe tabor was providing projections, which the district uses to address growth. Why wouldn’t all these be considered facts?
November 9th, 2009 at 1:19 pm (#)
We all know it’s over capacity. Are kids sitting on floors in the classrooms? No. Are toilets flushing? Yes. Are kids allowed to go to lockers between classes? Of course. There some more facts for ya.
November 9th, 2009 at 2:50 pm (#)
educrats and liberals worry about overcrowding, re-zoning, what’s PC today like how to be green.
When what’s important is why aren’t kids learning about liberty, civics, math, how to write/spell,converse.
November 9th, 2009 at 2:56 pm (#)
Actually calling it a liberal issue would be a gross error on your part. People all over the district are concerned about rezoning. Maybe anyone who speaks up is a “liberal” in your book, whether it is true or not. In your book, it would seem, that all homeowners with children are “liberal”. A school built for 2200 children ending up with over 3000 is a lousy plan.
November 9th, 2009 at 3:05 pm (#)
“People all over the district are concerned about rezoning.”
Gimme some numbers/links that verify this statement.
November 9th, 2009 at 3:49 pm (#)
The two I attended last year in First Colony in Missouri City were packed with several hundred at both sessions. I’m sure you can find them in the district minutes or if you do a search on news reports on FBISD zoning. I also believe LCISD just went through a similar event, which turned out many.
November 9th, 2009 at 3:59 pm (#)
several hundred? wow
November 9th, 2009 at 6:10 pm (#)
I’m sure that’s why they aren’t addressing this as a district-wide problem.
November 9th, 2009 at 7:00 pm (#)
It is too bad they don’t have the guts to really address this problem.
November 9th, 2009 at 11:26 pm (#)
I was in error on the 2007 statistic for Settler’s Park to Dulles. O/A 2000, they were REZONED FROM CHS to DHS, and in 2007 back to CHS again. It doesn’t change the fact that Settler’s Park (Chimney Stone, et al) had previously, historically, been zoned to CHS; geographically, they are closer to CHS. However, I do know of many in the Settler’s Park, etc area who regretted the move back to CHS in 2007; some preferred to stay at DHS.
No one for a moment will debate that the 2007 rezoning decisions defy all logic. And, for the record CParent, I don’t live in Settler’s Park. No matter where I live, I still refuse to skew facts to support my views, and I will expose it when facts are skewed by others. I make honest mistakes occasionally, but I don’t purposely skew facts to support my agenda. And I won’t state a fact I haven’t fully researched.
No argument on Riverstone, even some of the many newer sections(7?) of Heritage Colony– they are naturals for Elkins. Siphon these off CHS, move the Academy, and then you are approaching more reasonable numbers. Seems pretty simple. There are however a few 24+ year old neighborhoods “East of the Powerlines” that repeatedly have been targeted for rezoning from CHS (which again, CHS was their historical, traditional feeder pattern with the exception of the rezoning stint at EHS from 1999-2007), as Riverstone and Avalon jacked up the CHS numbers over the past 10-15 years.
Clement’s Parent says: “I know of many other problems overcrowding is causing that I have not stated because I have not had a chance to research them yet.” It’s that comment about “I know” but “not researching them yet” that is troublesome… There is such a thing as stating something as “fact” but purposely excluding or ignoring pertinent information. Then you are dealing with a half-truth. CParent made allegations in writing to the board, to Mr. Moran, and in community emails that were partial/selective truths, some emotional rantings, and all these folks recognize it for what it is. I don’t have time to go through them point by point, but I have with the board members and FBISD Officials, and members of our community, to ensure I (and they) have FULL truths.
All responsible citizens ask for is fairness and truth:
–Don’t say kids are sitting on the floor like this is an everyday occurrence; it happened at the beginning of the year as things were settling in, and those first weeks of school when traditionally kids find themselves in the “wrong class.” It was a “hiccup” that was quickly resolved. I know students who ONE day watched a movie with another class and some did sit on the floor on that particular day.
–Don’t claim kids don’t get into the electives they chose as if this is widespread. Some kids don’t get into an elective if they haven’t had the prerequisite! The majority of kids we know at CHS got what they requested, IF they had the prerequisite (i.e., there were audition dance classes and regular dance classes…).
–Don’t claim the school unsafe solely based on a teen child’s joking commentary on a fire drill– where you there? Do you have the expertise or authority to make such an allegation? Is there a precedent, was the there ever a school fire disaster in our district? Trust me, I taught in FBISD and the Fire Marshalls do not let things slip by. They are not turning their heads. Their inspections are tough, and they are making sure our schools are safe.
Clearly there are things that can be done better in our district–ALWAYS. Clearly CHS numbers need to be dealt with. No one disagrees. But to trump up allegations to achieve this goal helps no one. The “spaghetti approach” (throw it all on the wall and see what sticks) isn’t helping.
I’m sad CParent says she is laughing, because I don’t think it’s a laughing matter to say you represent the truth and then work to skew it to fit your agenda.
Numbers do not lie, and it is true CHS currently is over its functional and design capacity –IF EVERY SINGLE STUDENT WERE ON CAMPUS AT EVERY SINGLE MOMENT IN THE DAY FILLING EVERY SINGLE CLASSROOM TO CAPACITY AT THE SAME TIME–this is not the case. And CParent’s projections for future years are just that– HER personal projections. Maybe close, maybe not, but not based in facts. You’re free to state your opinions, but don’t misrepresent them as facts. But it sure does get people’s attention that somewhere they heard CHS will go to 3,000 next year, or that there are 600 extra kids PHYSICALLY in the school at a given point in time.
I don’t oppose rezoning, and few rational people do. I do oppose knee-jerk, reactionary, unstudied approaches to this issue. And like Sue Hohnbaum, I do not advocate rezoning merely to just “fill up (underutilized) schools” with kids. I am grateful that this time the board sagely did not take the “excuse” of zoning a new High School (which effectively did rezone some kids from EHS and HHS) to do a massive district-wide hatchet job on a very, very delicate issue. I am sorry it is not the result that CParent wants at THIS time. I dare any detractor here to go sit up on that school board and make rezoning decisions. Not fun and definitely not easy. And for the record, BOT Bhuchar’s daughter was at CHS when it was 2900 and is none the worse for it. So there is precedent…
As Jack Web would’ve said: “All we want are the facts, ma’am.”
November 10th, 2009 at 9:09 am (#)
As Jack Web would’ve said: “All we want are the facts, ma’am.”
For someone that only wants the facts, your post seems very much full of conjecture and attempts at deconstructing clement parents arguments. I see many more supported “facts” in the parent posts than in yours. Not addressing the district zoning issues holistically in my opinion is a major mistake and politically expedient.
” BOT Bhuchar’s daughter was at CHS when it was 2900 and is none the worse for it.”
Making this unsupported statement is a good example. Many other children and families obviously are impacted or it wouldn’t be such a hot issue. Please support your claims with “facts” if you are going to attack others for the same. As a matter of fact, parent did provide numbers that came from the district. How are those not “facts”?
November 10th, 2009 at 9:12 am (#)
You too. How were the children and families you speak of ‘obviously’ impacted? Let’s hear some facts on those
instances.
November 10th, 2009 at 9:13 am (#)
Excellent, MBA!
“Clearly there are things that can be done better in our district–ALWAYS. Clearly CHS numbers need to be dealt with. No one disagrees. But to trump up allegations to achieve this goal helps no one. The “spaghetti approach” (throw it all on the wall and see what sticks) isn’t helping.”
November 10th, 2009 at 9:24 am (#)
You are extremely naive. No facts were included in the MBA post, but numerous district facts were use to support the over-crowding claims of c. parent. At one point parent uses projects from the district that MBA refutes as parents facts, that is a disingenuous tactic. From the read I’m seeing, MBA is simply attacking parents arguments rather than supplying their own arguments. I would tend to agree with parent that there is a simple motive for it. As long as there are empty seats at nearby schools, the district should consider using them rather than continuing a failed policy of placation of the few. 3000+ students by next year is way too many for a school designed for 2200.
November 10th, 2009 at 9:28 am (#)
No crawfishing. Since you insist on calling for facts, let’s see yours that supports your claim “Many other children and families obviously are impacted or it wouldn’t be such a hot issue.”
Regarding the empty seats, what do you propose they do about it, set up a barrage of buses to take those kids over there?
Where are these buses going to come from? Where’s the $$ going to come from?
Like I said, the new high school isn’t open yet. You see that in the article, right?
November 10th, 2009 at 9:46 am (#)
Someone is missing the point again cult. Nearby schools like Dulles are under-capacity. The point is simple, to use the seats that are available.
November 10th, 2009 at 9:50 am (#)
How do you plan to get them there?
BTW, You’re supposed to be ignoring me, remember?
November 10th, 2009 at 9:51 am (#)
People are acting like this is some sort of dire emergency. They have it under control so calm down. No need to call in the National Guard. haha
November 10th, 2009 at 9:59 am (#)
I’m trying to dig up the attendance numbers from when I graduated from Clements back in the day. I’ll bet we were over capacity as well, our graduating class was HUGE. The
sky is not falling, people.
November 10th, 2009 at 10:02 am (#)
I APOLOGIZE FOR FEEDING THE TROLL THIS MORNING.
November 10th, 2009 at 10:05 am (#)
Oh brother. *rolling eyes*
November 10th, 2009 at 11:01 am (#)
Currently, Clements High School is over its “functional capacity” level of 2,202 students by 607, Elkins by 414 at 2,400 students and Hightower by 681 with 2,745 students. Dulles is below functional capacity by 12 students, with an enrollment of 2,086, and Willowridge is below functional capacity by 125 students, at 1,470.
According to administrators, overcrowding has a positive side.
This last statement is the one that gets me.
November 10th, 2009 at 11:05 am (#)
any statement that has a positive connation seems to bother you…..hmmmm
November 10th, 2009 at 11:06 am (#)
Sounds to me like excuses coming from the mayor. Maybe they should just tell the truth about the crime wave and recession.
November 10th, 2009 at 11:07 am (#)
wrong thread calvin
November 10th, 2009 at 11:10 am (#)
Paranoid again ftbendconservative?
November 10th, 2009 at 11:11 am (#)
Keep that pot stirred well, taber.
November 10th, 2009 at 11:11 am (#)
haha And do try and keep track of what thread your trolling, will you? haha
November 10th, 2009 at 11:11 am (#)
calvin wrong thread….how hard can juvenile trolling be?
November 10th, 2009 at 11:20 am (#)
It seems easy to wave a red flag in front of you. Just criticize anyone in power and you go off on your paranoid rants.