Live Blog: Board Meeting - June 26, 2008

10:10 - BOARD RECESSES AS GILLIAM SUPPORTERS SHOUT AT THE BOARD! DISD POLICE MAKE AN ENTRANCE! PRICE IS FURIOUS!

DISD gets scathing presentation from Deloitte...

FIREWORKS over limiting speakers on the topic of the Kathlyn Gilliam Administration Building!

Board unlimits speakers on the budget!

Shouting erupts as the Spence issue is being debated!

5:06 and we're off with the budget meeting. This is the meeting before the real meeting. Eric Anderson is giving a budget update to the board.

There was a gaggle of teachers here, complete with black shirts and a coffin, protesting the teacher pay cuts.

The auditorium is packed and we're guaranteed an interesting evening. So refresh and scroll down often...

Anderson forecasts $10M increased costs associated with energy costs. Also, expect an increase in the information technology budget to make sure that all the kids are appropriately connected to information.

5:14 - Aimee Bolender is up. The topic: teacher salaries and pay cuts/raises. 80% of the auditorium are teachers and they're all standing.

"They need a 4% pay raise."

Several teachers are signed up to speak on the topic. Suggestions abound on how to save money and pay for raises for teachers.

Next speaker is Jose Hernandez: "I'm speaking on behalf of our teachers and support staff." "Without [our teachers] we wouldn't be on the cover of Newsweek."

Hernandez suggested "flatline administration's budget and eliminate more administrative positions."

Dale Kaiser, President of NEA/Dallas: "Trustees, we're here to [talk about] a $1,000,000 budget." Kaiser closed by reading a long list of expenditures to other non-teacher types; consultants, administrators, outside counsel etc.

5:29 - The first meeting is adjourned (the special meeting to consider the budget). The 5:30 meeting (the real board meeting) will start shortly.

5:35 - And the "real" meeting is rolling.

Tonight, the board will address the budget, the audit and a whole bunch of other things. The auditorium is still packed.

Ooh, Board President Jack Lowe points out local policy that limits speakers to 15 minutes (total) when more than 5 speakers are signed up to speak.

One very hot topic will be renaming the Administration building after long-time activist and former board member Kathlyn Gilliam. There are 24 speakers. Carla Ranger proposed suspending board policy and allowing all speakers to speak.

The motion dies for lack of a second!!

Lowe is advising the group to get together and figure out who is going to speak. This doesn't resonate well with some of the audience members.

"If you want to get together and figure it out, you can--you can do as you wish," said Lowe.

There is much grumbling and shouting.

Garza proposed changing the 15 minutes to 30 minutes. Didn't sit well.

Lew Blackburn suggested letting more speakers speak for 2 minutes instead of 3.

This was soundly rejected by the crowd. "Let them speak; let them speak; let them speak," the crowd is chanting.

The current proposal is to limit total time to 30 minutes, and each speaker for 2.

Ranger proposes allowing elected officials to speak for 3 minutes, instead of two--extending the total time to 39 minutes (3 elected officials).

One official pointing out is Harryette Ehrhardt. Garza points out that Ehrhardt is no longer an elected official. Ranger claims irrelevance. "Once an elected official, always an elected official." Oh my.

Ironically, they've spent more time debating the mechanics of the 30 minute policy than would have been saved by just doing it!

OK, looks like we're going to do it. Here it is: mere mortals have 30 minutes at 2 minutes apiece. Current and former elected officials will have 3 minutes outside the 30 minute period.

The vote: 5-2 and the Gilliam issue has 39 minutes!

5:54 - Now we're in to the Superintendent's report. Flipping through Powerpoint slides with 8 pt. fonts (very small fonts, very large amounts of information).

But at least the crowd has calmed down and doesn't appear to want to throw things anymore. . .just wait until everyone who wasn't in the audit committee meeting hears about the results of the audit!

6:02 - There is a veritable smorgasbord of elected officials in the audience from former Council member Al Lipscomb to former Board member SeGwen Tyler.

Up next is Ron Price with the education briefing.

Ron's talking about day care providers and their role in helping the District. Ron's wife owns a chain of day care centers.

Edwin Flores gave the business briefing, and it's on to Leigh Ann Ellis and the policy briefing.

Leigh Ann has dedicated herself to the painful task of going through every policy in the District's policy manual--a painful process, but something that needs to be done. Not a glamorous job, but something that will have a huge payoff for the District.

6:10 - Harryette Ehrhardt is up on the Kathryn Gilliam issue. "There is no one better fit for the naming of this building than Kathlyn Gilliam."

Harryette is giving Gilliam's long history of service to the community.

"I don't know what the district would have looked like if it wasn't for [people like Kathlyn Gilliam]."

Harryette pointed out that Kathlyn Gilliam served all of Dallas--not just South Dallas.

Up next is a tearful Carolyn Davis, City Council member. "Ms. Gilliam fought many [...] long nights making sure we get a fair treatment in a system that wasn't fair to us."

One question we've had is why anyone would want an administration building named after them--especially this administration building! It strikes me as something akin to the Kent Fischer Office of Professional Responsibility (sorry Kent, couldn't resist!).

6:19 - Now we're on back to the teacher pay issue. Speakers will be limited to 15 minutes total. Maureen Peters is up. Again, 80% of the auditorium is standing.

"Have Dallas Achieves pay for [all of the] Dallas Achieves stuff."

Next up, David Crowell. He's a salesman trying to sell the District some ERP (financial) software. At a board meeting. Oops, he's stumbling.

Good timing, though, to bring the pitch to the Board on the day a scathing audit report is released. One thing Crowell said that made sense: have a bake-off with respect to accounting software. A "bake off" is where you get a bunch of vendors together, get a set of test data, and see how well each software package processes the data.

Novel concept, but it will never fly at DISD. That's not how decisions are made here. Unfortunately.

Diane Birdwell: "I resent that I have to share time with anyone in my country [with respect to her time being limited]."

"I resent that you don't have time to hear us -- don't run for re-election."

The auditorium erupts with applause and cheers.

Jack Lowe grins.

Jerome Garza is falling asleep.

The speech received a standing ovation. We must get Diane's speech online (do you hear us Diane?)!

Ron Price agreed with Diane. "I don't think it is right to limit speakers [on the budget - and longevity pay specifically]." He made a motion, and the motion passed. So we're not limiting speakers to 15 minutes total.

So what is this longevity pay issue? Simple. Teachers who have been with the District longer than a minimum number of years receive an automatic raise. The District, in trying to not raise taxes, eliminate this raise in favor of trying to distribute grant money to teachers.

Bad timing, though, eh?

More fireworks. Nancy Bingham, in keeping with the trend-du-jour, has asked that speakers on the Spruce High School issue who live within the Spruce boundaries be given 3 minutes.

"This would allow us 27 minutes instead of the 15 minutes given."

The crowd objects: "it ain't right."

Ranger noted that the policy (limiting speakers) needed to be done away with.

So we're on to Spruce with 27 minutes.

The issue: the District wants to move 10th and 11th to Lincoln and Madison, leaving 9th and 12th grade at Spruce. Huh?

A student is making an empassioned plea to the Board not to move the program.

Reportedly, at the town hall meeting to address the issue, administrators censored certain questions posed by parents.

6:50 - Willie Mae Coleman is up regarding Kathlyn Gilliam! Ms. Coleman asked that the Board and administration let the staff who is "running the school, run the school."

Now back to the regularly-scheduled Spence debate already in progress.

The Reverend Ronald Wright is up. He's asking all the kids and parents from H. Grady Spruce. He's slamming the District for the way it is disseminating information to the public.

"This is about these children." "This is about accountability." "This is about the board member who oversees these schools."

Rev. Wright, like the speaker before him, is exceeding his 2 minutes. After each speaker, the official "timekeeper" reports how much time, overall, remains. It will be interesting to see what happens when the hourglass dries.

"My name is Camille Wright and you haven't heard the last of me."

Another angry student is up railing against the plan to split up Spruce.

Al Lipscomb just walked in in his traditional full ceremonial regalia. He's seated in the front row.

7:14 - We're back to the Kathlyn Gilliam issue. The elected officials are going to speak first.

First up, Justice of the Peace Charles Rose. "I have worked hard and labored hard [in this community]." "I think it would be a disservice not to take the opportunity to name this building after Kathlyn Gilliam."

"Ms. Gilliam has paid her dues [...] she is deserving of this."

Judge Thomas Johnson is up. "Tonight I join with others in asking this board to consider [naming this building after] Ms. Gilliam."

Robert Price, former board member is putting in his pitch for Ms. Gilliam. Next up, Al Lipscomb. "I'm very teed off about a Metroplex... [and then goes into a discussion about pregnant Latino mothers]." Weren't we discussing Kathlyn Gilliam?

Al: you're a city treasure. Regardless of what our individual views are, your contributions will be remembered long after you and I are gone.

Al closed with a remark about knowing Ron Price when he still had hair. The audience laughed!

7:42 - Roy Williams is up! He opens with thanks and praise. "We hold the highest regard for Ms. Gilliam." Williams spoke about how Ms. Gilliam served even when she didn't want to. "Ms. Gilliam, we love you for your efforts." "Name this building for a legend in our own time."

7:51 - We're finally to the Consent Agenda. Normally we get to this about 5:45. It's going to be a long evening, but we'll be here through the whole thing.

The Consent Agenda passes without Carla Ranger protesting that the minutes from the last meeting be pulled for a separate vote!

And it's on to the items pulled for separate vote. We believe there will be several that should invoke empassioned discord among the trustees.

Right now, Lew Blackburn is raking the administration over the coals for not providing him details on the budget. "It says that the board adopted the compensation plan... It is not on the agenda... It has not been part of our budget preparations."

"If I ask for information [...] I should get it."

Blackburn asked for a red-lined copy of the budget that contains the changes from last year.

"If I have to go to the Attorney General to enforce [getting the information], I will do it."

Jack Lowe is asking for clarification.

Blackburn noted that the board approved "changes" to the compensation plan. "There are no changes on this agenda."

"Last year I asked for [the plan] and didn't get it. This year, I didn't get it."

Did someone get caught with their hand in the cookie jar?

Carla Ranger tossed in that she'd like to see a budget come with an increase for support staff as well as teachers.

Eric Anderson was asked if the $10M estimate for energy costs was a firm figure or a guess. Short answer: it was a guess.

Jerome Garza is talking about "faith financing." "There are many children who depend on our numbers." "If we're too liberal, we run a deficit."

"If we start earmarking, we're no different than Washington DC!" There was much agreement from the crowd.

Ron Price wants to pass the buck to the County--and ask the County to raise taxes so the District doesn't have to. More or less.

Jack Lowe noted that "the typical taxpayer wants to educate the kids [...] and build a sound financial base here." Lowe noted that giving a bonus could possibly place the District in trouble if some of the estimates are not accurate.

It passes. We'll have more on this amendment called the "hold harmless" amendment. later.

The budget is adopted. Next up... the Spruce ordeal. "Plan A to reorganize Spruce."

Discussion? Yes, Lew Blackburn. "Leave the students at home [Spruce] but do what we should have done." Blackburn apparently wants to modify the "Plan A" to add features from "Plan B" to "Plan A." Confusing? It's all on the District website here.

Jerome Garza asked Blackburn if he had put a dollar amount to the budget impact. "When do we talk about how much it costs to save kids," asked Blackburn? Applause erupts from the audience.

Ron Price notes that the Spruce issue is an emotional issue and that he's not supporting Blackburn's motion. Price noted that if the students at Spruce doesn't gain academically, the school will be closed in a year--if Blackburn's motion passes.

Spruce is academically unacceptable and has been for 4 years. "If we go with this proposal, and the students don't gain 30 points in 1 year, then the school will be closed."

Audience members are screaming to put the resources into Spruce and arguing back and forth with Price.

Jack Lowe noted that if "we can't have order, we're going to recess to another room."

"We are here to help," noted Price. "Your challenge is not with [DISD], it is with the commissioner." Price noted if Spruce is academically unacceptable for a 5th year, it will be closed down by the Commissioner.

This is a big issue.

Hinojosa noted that this proposal in an intervention to keep Spruce from being shut down. Hinojosa is hot under the collar. "If we don't take drastic action today, there will be no Spruce in a year." "We are trying to be preventive because our other interventions haven't worked." "We are in desperate times."

Carla Ranger noted that she was going to support Blackburn's motion--which, in essence, leaves Spruce unchanged. Ranger also said that it was inappropriate for a board member to be criticized for his or her view on an issue.

Really? Isn't discourse a part of the democratic process?

Price reiterated that Spruce must get a 30 point gain in one year. "We don't have the resources to take on 1400 kids--many of who are repeaters in the 9th grade."

"We want to help!" "But we can't help everybody!" "We know this will affect our scores [...] but we want to help."

Leigh Ann Ellis pointed out that Spruce had 4 principals in 3 years. "I think it is time we rolled our sleeves up [and address the issue]."

Jack Lowe said that "if we don't go with Plan A, Spruce will be closed down a year from today."

Price said that he would support Blackburn's proposal if kids would be distributed more evenly to other schools if Spruce is closed a year from now.

Blackburn's proposition failed. So Price offered an amendment that, if the reorganization plan fails (Plan A), to exclude them from Lincoln and Madison.

Will Spruce be reorganized?

Keep in mind, we are still on item "3" out of "16." Long meeting. Very contentious.

9:22 - Price has made a motion that only students who have appropriate credits may go to Lincoln or Madison if Spruce fails.

Carla Ranger raised an issue as to whether or not it is legal to discriminate against a student based on academic performance.

"We can make a decision tonight," said Jack Lowe, "if it's illegal, we can change it [later]." The audience disagreed.

Now it's evolving into a "staffing at Spruce" discussion.

Uh oh, now we're into transportation costs. It will cost $700,000 to bus students to Lincoln and Madison.

Ron Price's amendment passes.

9:43 and we're moving on. Approval of a contingency plan for academically unacceptable schools. But we haven't gotten to the Kathlyn Gilliam issue.

10:00 - We're on to the motion to rename the Central Administration Building to the "Kathlyn Joy Gilliam Educational Support Center".

Carla Ranger is calling this a "matter of the heart." About 80% of the people who started out in the auditorium have left. But there are still some die-hards.

Nancy Bingham asked Ron Price to clarify a proposal of his to name a school after Ms. Gilliam. Price said he would consider it if the proposal to rename the adminstration building after her fails.

Al Lipscomb is not happy with Ron Price.

Garza said he would be supportive of naming a school after Ms. Gilliam (translation: "no").

Carla Ranger gets the floor back and insists the administration building be named after Ms. Gilliam.

The vote: FAIL! The administration building will not be named after Ms. Gilliam.

Supporters are not happy and shout at the Board! Jack Lowe recesses the Board as the police come in to break it up!

Words are being exchanged with Ron Price who is shouting back!

Price is furious! He's slamming his fist down on the table.

10:23 - The Board is back.

10:34 - After a few more contentious moments, we're on to the "speakers on non-agenda items." This marathon meeting should wrap up shortly, but stick around in case there are any surprises.

NO! Willie Hopkins was supposed to speak, but apparently left the auditorium after the Gilliam debate.

Uh oh, there's another mild disruption when a woman insisted on letting her son speak. Jack Lowe informed her that the son could not speak unless he had signed up to speak.

Now there's another speaker railing against the Board for its policies on limiting discussion and the way the Board handled Spruce. "All you want to do is bend us over and violate us." "You don't respect us." "You failed us at Spruce."