Education Today Helping Educators Ally Tactfully

My experience in the Alief school district is 20 years long. The community is a great place to live. We have much potential for improvement. We have tremendous diversity, which at last count was evidenced by 88 languages spoken in the school district.

Alief, like any other community in the United States, is not a perfect place. Nothing said on this blog, on any committee, at any board room discussion, is going to change the fact that we live in an imperfect community. That is a simple, maybe disappointing reality.

Resolving issues that can be addressed requires identifying those issues.

In my humble opinion, Alief ISD and local community organizations may want to take a closer look at diversity issues. The constituents of Alief are racially and socio-economically diverse and the trend is increasing.

Years ago, as a member of the Alief Super Neighborhood Council, I was involved in meaningful discussion on "How do we get more minority pariticpation on the council?" The discourse was honest and open though slightly naive. One of the suggestions, which eventually was voted as policy, was to create a single seat for minority representation.

The procedures would call for any and all minority groups to come together and vote for one representative to represent all groups. My opinion then, and now, is that the result would create more tension between groups as they awakened to their political opportunities and influence.

The racial and socio-economic tension is present and growing. Alief leaders are not quite aware of the intensity of the growing tension nor are they prepared to deal with the reality of the changes that are about to take place.

Let me give a recent example. Last evening at the Candidate Forum sponsored by the Alief Super Neighborhood Council, candidates introduced themselves to the community.

It is no secret that I do not support the Sarah Winkler campaign. As a minister, it is against my nature to try to defeat a decent person's attempt to reach a goal. In this case, that attempt is in conflict with a larger issue.

I was approached after the presentation by individuals who perceived a high level of arrogance on the part of Ms. Winkler. Their opinion was that she presented herself as heir apparent and sole defender of the AISD school board. The arrogance displayed eventually resulted in her being booed by an audience that seemed to be dominated with her own supporters.

At the meeting, a single mother told me that she withdrew her children from AISD because of the obstacles and disrespect she frequently encountered from school personnel. Another mother express the same concern on last weekend as I campaigned for my choice to replace Sarah, community activist, Baltazar Gutierrez. This parent chose to home school her child instead of registering the student in AISD.

A parent of three AISD students was very disturbed by Sarah's attitude at the forum. She became so motivated that her intention is to become more involved in the Alief political community. One local pastor tracked me down and clearly expressed full support for my reform efforts in the Alief ISD. Another pastor was concerned about the lack of diversity he was surprised to find on the Alief school board as displayed at recent graduations. He has made a committment to participate in re...forming the AISD.

At the last board meeting, a former board member was allowed to praise Sarah and the superintendent, by name. She then began to criticize Nigh Ho, a board member, by name. This practice was not allowed when Edgar Dansby addressed the board at a recent session. A problem with the 3-minute timer was "discovered" and the speaker was allowed additional time to complete her statements.

After Bob Herrmann, a local community resident, expressed his concerns over financial accountability, the next speakers were not allowed to speak. Sarah ended the meeting without honoring the hours that the community members spent waiting until the meeting ended to address the board during the patron presentation time.

This time period had been removed from the beginning of the board meetings and placed at the end of the sessions. Strangely, this policy was changed earlier during this "election" year. Sarah is the board president, that was a good move, but only serves to demonstrate her willingness to do what is necessary to secure the board seat. She only needs to hear the community that will support her initiatives.

(This website and my email account have been blocked by the school district.)

Alief needs to listen. There are good people in the AISD and the local community organizations. We are going to continue to help you address issues that you know are legitimate concerns.

Whomever is elected on November 3rd will be expected to represent the entire community. The small town atmosphere in Alief, that has been a tradition, is changing. The area must deal more effectively with the growth and diversity present in the school zone.

In the Oscar winning movie, the Wizard of Oz, Toto pulled the curtain back and exposed the man behind it, the mystique of the Wizard was removed. He had to become a real person and attempt to address real problems experienced by Dorothy and her friends.

An interesting and relevant point in the movie...after the witch was dealt with, those whom she had controlled reveal their actual disgust with her behaviors. I am a grassroots member of the Alief community. With my ear to the ground, I guarantee you that many of those being led by AISD leaders are not happy with the performance of the administration.

We, the community, are reforming the AISD. It begins at the top with the school board president, the council members, to the superintendent, and those that blindly adopt a corporate culture that does not respect the entire community that it serves.

Administrators, teachers, paraprofessionals, custodians, bus drivers, cafeteria workers, and of course parents and students, MUST be demonstrably respected.

The movie ended when Dorothy realized....she always had the power.

If the community decides that Sarah should continue her reign, so be it. She may have learned something from this difficult race.

As of last evening, her refusal to shake the hand of a fellow candidate, equally concerned for AISD, her repeated refusal to speak to myself and others who may differ from her viewpoint, her arrogant behavior fearlessly displayed at will, all are just examples of poor social skills that may change with diversity training.

November 3rd is a milestone for Alief. Will the community overlook growing concerns?

I doubt it!

Dorothy always had the power to change the situation.