LTISD Info

The Red Apple Project is in the process of creating a snapshot over every public school district in the state of Texas. They already have an impressive number of schools already created, including a snapshot of the  Lake Travis ISD.

“If the Texas public education system were a private company, it would be the fifth largest employer in the world. We have a 1:1 teacher to non-teacher ratio in our state, and when it comes to pay, teachers are getting the shaft. Administrators and other non-teachers earn between $9,000-$38,000 more than teachers every year on average.

How does your school measure up? If you don’t see your school district snapshot displayed, please email us at texas@afphq.org. There are 1,035 school districts in the state of Texas and we are diligently working every day to upload each one.”

-The Red Apple Project

“Superintendents don’t deserve higher pay than the Governor” is an excellent article posted March 30, 2011 on  The Red Apple Project and certainly worth reading.

“Everything’s bigger in Texas – so the saying goes. It especially rings true for super-sized public school superintendent salaries in the Lone Star State.

This week, hundreds of school board members and superintendents will rally in Austin opposing any cuts to education funding in Texas. The Texas Association of School Boards and the Texas Association of School Administrators are sponsoring the rally on March 30 at the Capitol. TASB has said that as many as 100,000 teaching jobs must be cut in order to make up for the $9 billion in proposed state education funding cuts.

We disagree. School districts have ample room to make cuts on spending outside of the classroom, without eliminating teaching positions or short-changing students.

In Texas, 214 superintendents take home an annual salary more than the Governor of Texas, whose salary is set at $150,000 a year. If superintendents in Texas were paid no more than the Governor, schools would save $20 million each biennium.”

- “Superintendents don’t deserve higher pay than the Governor,” Eliza Vielma, The Red Apple Project, March 30, 2011

Finally, the article closes with:

“The residents of Texas have a median household income of $50,000 and should not be required to pay exuberant salaries for school superintendents and spend precious education dollars on so many non-teaching staff. Taxpayers already provide school districts with the resources to succeed; now it is up to policy makers to ensure those resources are spent on educating our students.”

Even the Center for Public Policy Resources publication “Who Pays Texas Taxes” says:

“Texas has the fifth most regressive state and local tax system of the 50 states.”

- “Who Pays Texas Taxes,” Center for Public Policy Priorities, March 24, 2011

The LTISD superintendent, Rocky Kirk, who’s salary is $272,427 (the 15th highest paid superintendent in the state of Texas)¹ recent wrote an article published in the Lake Travis View: “Public schools’ future hangs in balance as budget debate drags on.”

In this article, Rocky paints a doom and gloom picture of the future of the LTISD.

Rocky goes on to say:

“It is undeniable that those of us who have been blessed with work that has allowed us to have our needs met and raise our families, contribute to the good of our communities and satisfy our desire to make a difference in this world have been able to do so because of a quality education.”

Rocky sure has been blessed at $272,427/year and did you know he recently purchased a new house listed at $584,000, yet he will be tossing out teachers to maintain his “blessings?”

By the way, I guess Rocky will be keeping the likes of the Marco Alvarado, the LTISD Director of Communications, Media & Community Relations, certainly a non-essential education related expense, especially at $96,611 a year (not including the salary of Marco’s assistant who is paid $35,301)? How many teachers could be saved just by eliminating these non-education related expenses?

What about Susan Bohn, our dance and social studies certified “Deputy Superintendent” (Susan Bohn’s current contract is for a “non-certified” employee). The LTISD has an attorney, not a certified or qualified administrator as the second highest paid employee in the district. Makes you wonder just how Susan Bohn does it?

But I am not the only one asking these questions. A citizen going by the pseudonym “M. T. Pockets” wrote the following comment to Rocky’s article :

The formula for school funding reform is clear. We must eliminate overpaid administrative positions such as that of Donald Kirk and his cohorts. In 8 years Donald’s salary ballooned from $154,600/year to $272,427/year. LTISD could save over $1.3 million per year simply by eliminating the top 10 administrative positions.

Rather than the sky is falling article above, imagine: No teacher cuts. No program cuts. No more tax hikes (bonds), and then imagine the savings implemented at the over 2000 school districts in Texas. Here’s why:

85% of every school budget is mandated by the state. Superintendents only influences 15% of the operational budget. Therefore, the position is superfluous and outdated. We can start by capping the salaries of these bureaucrats, then rolling back the number of available positions.

Remember when every principal also taught a class? Instead of guaranteeing themselves raises, giving contracts to their friends, and eliminating teachers jobs, these “educators” as they call themselves, ought to be teaching!

It is time we recognize the superintendent for what it is. It is time to stop calling these people “Doctor,” as though a phd in public school bureaucracy is some laudable or respectable thing.

Now is the time for us to move to a sustainable education budget that eliminates the superintendent position permanently.

-M.T. Pockets, Comment to “Public schools’ future hangs in balance as budget debate drags on,” Lake Travis View, March 22, 2011

¹Let’s take a look at the details of the latest TEA Superintendent data:

1. There are 1001 “Independent” and “Consolidated” School Districts in Texas
2. The 14 Texas public school superintendents, who are paid more than Rocky Kirk, work for school districts with enrollments SIGNIFICANTLY larger than that of the LTISD (see chart below). These numbers highlight the extent Rocky’s disproportionately higher salary. What makes Rocky’s performance so much more spectacular? Note that it took Rocky eight years and the exercising of some “loop holes”  to finally obtain an “exemplary” rating which has eluded Rocky during his tenure here at the LTISD.

I bet that Marco Alvarado (LTISD Director of Communications, Media & Community Relations) doesn’t include this latest accolade in one of the district’s new flashes or press releases! In fact, the recent award is in a way also about Marco and his salary at the LTISD. Just how does a “Director of Communications, Media & Community Relations” contribute to the education of our children?

Rotten Apple Award Week 2 Winner – Lake Travis ISD

This week’s Rotten Apple Award Winner is Lake Travis ISD.

Lake Travis ISD’s superintendent makes $252,799 per year (base salary) and the three asst. super’s make $131,750, $127,500 and $126,000. There are several (14) either Directors, Exec. Dir. or Senior Dir. making $101,000 down to $75,000.

One elementary school principal makes $81,097 per year, while one third grade teacher who has been teaching 30+ years earns just $63,086 per year, and one kindergarten teacher who has been teaching for 20+ years earns just $52,706 per year. Enrollment is just over 6,000 with one high school, two middle schools and five elementary schools.

The High school football coach makes $117,550 per year, and one of the elementary school librarians makes $66,234 per year. The Dir. of Food & Nutrition makes $77,539… if they outsourced this service to ARAMARK or Sodexho the directors would make about $50,000 per year.

- Eliza Vielma, The Red Apple Project, March 25, 2011

The Red Apple Project is sponsored by the American’s for Prosperity, Texas, an organization composed of concerned tax payers, who like many of us are tired of run away government spending and excess.

I might also suggest reading the American’s for Prosperity, Texas web site: The Red Apple Project: Highlights of Education Spending in Texas to learn more about how your tax dollars are spent.

The Texas Budget Source web site has some interesting data about school districts and their financial transparency or lack of transparency regarding their finances.

They lead off their “School Districts” web page with this sobering piece of information:

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, spending by local governments in Texas has grown from $66 billion in fiscal year 2000 to $104 billion in fiscal year 2007—an increase of 58 percent. By contrast, statewide population growth plus inflation has only increased by 34 percent over the same period.

- “School Districts,” Texas Budget Source

Did you know that the LTISD still does not post their check register? Why? What are they trying to keep us from finding out?

Apparently some school districts are looking to maximize their tax dollars.

A recent article from the Dallas Morning news says:

“Texas lawmakers, more than ever, are looking for a way to get the most bang for the buck in education.

And they may have found it.

Complex ratings have been developed by the state comptroller’s office and at least one private company that provide a look at how much money is really needed to provide Texas students with a good education.

Faced with a record budget shortfall, the state will most likely have to consider cuts to education spending. School superintendents say any reduction in funding will lead to teacher layoffs and cuts to instructional programs. They argue they need more money, not less.

That’s why looking at the data may become important in the debate. The systems show not only where students have the best academic performance but which districts spend the least to achieve those results.

For example, the Hurst-Euless-Bedford district is rated best in the state by a statistical model developed by Education Resources Group, a Houston-area company. “You know how much we could save if we funded all the schools at the same level as HEB? $12 billion,” said state Rep. Rob Eissler, R-The Woodlands, chairman of the House education committee.

The district receives about $5,100 from the state for each student and spends about $6,000 per student on instruction, HEB Superintendent Gene Buinger said.

“So I can look at our taxpayers and say you’re getting the bang for the buck,” Buinger said.

Could all Texas districts get the same results for the same money? “Yes, absolutely,” he replies without hesitation.

However, experts in the field say it is not that easy. They are wary of making major funding decisions on statistical models.

The analysis

It would be difficult to see from only raw data how HEB could be first in the state. The district is not rated exemplary by the Texas Education Agency, though it just missed the designation.

It’s first because its students do better than expected on several academic measures, and the district spends the least to get those results, said Paul Haeberlin, a partner with Education Resource Group. The company has testified before several legislative committees, and more than 30 Texas school districts are clients.”

- “Statistical models may help school districts stretch their education dollars,” Karel Holloway, Dallas Morning News, November 21, 2010.

Want your own electronic copy of the LTISD Student Directory?

Want to save yourself the expense of purchasing a written copy from the LTHS PTA?

The 2010-2011 LTISD Student Directory is available in Acrobat^© (PDF) format, or HTML format.^TPIA

I have even included a copy of the original Microsoft Excel spreadsheet of the Student Directory that the district hands out to anyone who asks for a copy.^TPIA

Did you know that this information is public?

Not many people know that the LTISD gives this directory information away to anyone who asks. See written LTISD Board Policy FL(LEGAL).

Here are but a few examples of requests for student and employee directory information made to the district.

Not only does the LTISD give it away, the LT High School sells this same directory information in printed form!

The LTHS even prints an advertisement thanking and soliciting supporters for the published directory.

I was recently pointed to an article from the Cato Institute about public education spending: They Spend WHAT?
“They Spend WHAT? The Real Cost of Public Schools.”

The article starts off by stating:

“Although public schools are usually the biggest item in state and local budgets, spending figures provided by public school officials and reported in the media often leave out major costs of education and thus understate what is actually spent.

To document the phenomenon, this paper reviews district budgets and state records for the nation’s five largest metro areas and the District of Columbia. It reveals that, on average, per-pupil spending in these areas is 44 percent higher than officially reported.

Real spending per pupil ranges from a low of nearly $12,000 in the Phoenix area schools to a high of nearly $27,000 in the New York metro area. The gap between real and reported per-pupil spending ranges from a low of 23 percent in the Chicago area to a high of 90 percent in the Los Angeles metro region.

To put public school spending in perspective, we compare it to estimated total expenditures in local private schools. We find that, in the areas studied, public schools are spending 93 percent more than the estimated median private school.

Citizens drastically underestimate current per-student spending and are misled by official figures. Taxpayers cannot make informed decisions about public school funding unless they know how much districts currently spend. And with state budgets stretched thin, it is more crucial than ever to carefully allocate every tax dollar.”

-“They Spend WHAT? The Real Cost of Public Schools,” Cato Institute, Policy Analysis no. 662, March 10, 2010.

Everyone should remember this the next time the LTISD comes asking for more money.

BTW: I have documents showing that another “Bond Advisory Committee” is in the works.

I am sure that anyone who wants to increase their taxes, even while the 2010 inflation rate has averaged 1.8% so far this year and has risen only 3.8% since January 2009. Compare that to Rocky’s pay raises and those of our Deputy Superintendent, Susan Bohn.

On October 27th, the Texas Attorney General issued “Attorney General Opinion: GA-0813” in response to an opinion request from Yvonne Davis, a Texas state Representative (RQ-0871-GA).

Ms. Davis asks:

I am requesting an opinion as to whether school districts can prohibit a parent from having an advocate to act on their behalf on matters pertaining to their child’s education.

Currently, the Education Code and Texas Education Agency’s Rules provide contain proactive provisions encouraging parent’s participation in their child’s education.

Chapter 29.005 of the Education Code requires a school district to provide a written/audio version of their student’s Individualized Education Plan in Spanish for non English speaking parents.

Texas Education Agency’s Admission Review and Dismissal Rules permits parents to have “an individual present that has know ledge or special expertise regarding the child … “

It appears to me that a parent should be allowed to use all available resources when participating in their child’s education, including the use of an advocate, unless explicitly prohibited by constitutional or statutory provisions. Therefore, I would appreciate your response to the following:

(1) Can a school district or school principal pr,ohibit a parent from using an advocate in areas pertaining to their child’s education when state law or administrative rule does not explicitly grant the use of an advocate?

(2) Is legislative remedy necessary for granting the use of an advocate in every circumstance that a parent may face with regards to their child’s education?

In summary, the Texas Attorney General’s Opinion (GA-0813) is:

A school district may not prohibit a parent from having an advocate as authorized by section 29.306 of the Education Code. Similarly, a school district may not prohibit a parent from inviting an individual with specialized knowledge or expertise to participate in a disabled child’s individual education program pursuant to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

Did you know that Allison Cobb, the Principal at Serene Hills Elementary has been named the District 13 President for the Texas Elementary Principals and Supervisors Association (TEPSA)?

I suppose that the TEPSA never asked any questions about Allison Cobb and her background before naming her District 13 President?

Perhaps TEPSA should have asked:

Is this the same Allison Cobb who was an assistant principal at the Val Alstyne Elementary School (Van Alsytne Independent School District) in Van Alstyne, Texas?

Is this the same Allison Cobb, who after learning that her contract at the Van Alsytne Independent School District would not be renewed referred to some staff members as “adulterers” and “abortionists?” (I guess that Allison doesn’t work around any “adulterers” and “abortionists” anymore?)

Is this the same Allison Cobb who wrapped herself in a cloak of religious persecution and filed a discrimination complaint against the Van Alsytne Independent School District?

Is this the same Allison Cobb who said none of the staff members had room to judge her, because some of them were “adulterers” and “abortionists” and had remarried. And she said she had chosen the high road over others in that room, according to multiple e-mails to district officials.

Makes you wonder what Allison Cobb thinks about Rocky Kirk and his recent divorce?

What are Allison Cobb’s thoughts about Rocky Kirk’s plans to remarry if any? I am quite sure Allison has an opinion.

Hey, for what it’s worth, Allison Cobb gets the Susan Bohn nod of approval. What else can you ask for?

“We are proud to have one of our principals in a prominent leadership role in TEPSA,” said Susan Bohn, LTISD Deputy Superintendent and General Counsel.  “Allison’s commitment to the organization has helped bring added focus and support to the profession of principalship, both locally and throughout the district she represents.”

Does Susan Bohn understand what “principalship” involves? Remember, Susan Bohn only has certifications in Secondary Dance and Secondary Social Studies.

Not quite knowing what the term “principalship” meant, I searched and found an excellent resource: Leadership for Student Learning: Reinventing the Principalship (I guess that Susan Bohn is acquainted with this document?).

Leadership for Student Learning: Reinventing the Principalship says:

“Everything principals do — establishing a vision, setting goals, managing staff, rallying the community, creating effective learning environments, building support systems for students, guiding instruction and so on — must be in service of student learning.”

Just how does referring to some staff members as “adulterers” and “abortionists” serve student learning?