Lynn Walsh

A story produced for Texas Watchdog:

HISD parents and students will learn, then earn
Thu Aug 26 12:48:00 2010 CST
By Lynn Walsh

Some Houston parents and students will get paid for participating in a new academic incentive program after Houston Independent School District trustees approved the $1.5 million privately-funded program Thursday at a board workshop.
Parents will receive $20 up to nine times a year to attend conferences with their child’s teachers, Chuck Morris, HISD’s chief academic officer, said. Students will receive $2 for every objective they complete.

Morris said these objectives will be in the form of homework sheets the student would complete and the parents would sign. If all of the 200 objectives are completed, a student could earn $400. The students’ work will be based on skills measured by the standardized test TAKS, or Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills.

Twenty schools will be selected for the program, which is being funded by the Dallas-based Liemandt Foundation.

Morris said HISD is still working on developing a relationship with a bank or financial institution that would provide financial education to students as well as set up bank accounts for the students’ earnings.

HISD trustees approved the new program with a 7-0 vote. Trustee Carol Galloway was absent, and Trustee Diana Dávila’s seat is vacant.

Trustee Harvin Moore said he was intrigued by the new program.

“I know experts have looked at this, and this is not just an initial idea,” Moore said. “It’s been tried before, so I kind of trust them for the moment.”

Listen to his entire comments in the video below.

Morris said the elementary schools with the lowest math scores in the district will be selected for the program. According to HISD, none of the schools in a separate academic achievement program known as Apollo 20 will be involved. Elementary schools for that program have not been named.

In the planning phases for Apollo 20, Superintendent Terry Grier said students could get paid between $7-$8 an hour to attend tutoring sessions. HISD has put that plan on hold, but Morris said it could be discussed for the 2011-12 school year.

When the option of paying students at the Apollo 20 schools was being discussed in May, Texas Watchdog asked Grier if it was fair to pay some students and not others.

“It would be nice to have money to provide tutoring for everyone, but if you don’t have that type of resource then you have to provide tutoring with the resources you have for the students who need it the most,” Grier said. View his entire comments in the video below.

Do you think HISD should pay students to learn? Do you think parents should be paid to attend conferences with teachers? Let us know what you think. Message us on Twitter, @texaswatchdog or @lwalsh. E-mail Lynn Walsh at lynn@texaswatchdog.org.

A story produced for Texas Watchdog:

HISD alternative school provider Community Education Partners releases 2001-03 contract documents with Trustee Larry Marshall
Wed Aug 25 13:25:00 2010 CST
By Lynn Walsh

Houston Independent School District Trustee Larry Marshall made at least $72,000 over two years from a company that will be paid $13.7 million this year to run an alternative school for HISD, documents show.

Contracts obtained from Community Education Partners show that Marshall worked for Community Education Partners, or CEP, as a consultant earning $3,000 per month from 2001-2003. Marshall’s work was performed under the auspices of his firm M Associates of Houston.

According to Randle Richardson, chief executive officer for CEP, Marshall was also working for the alternative school company in 2000 under similar terms, but he could not locate that document. With three one-year contracts, Marshall would have earned $108,000 from CEP from 2000 to 2003.

The figures conflict with the salary of $72,000 annually reported by the Houston Press in 2006 based on court documents, but Marshall has said the higher figure is incorrect.

The contract documents support Marshall’s earlier statement that he didn’t work on the Nashville, Tenn.-based company’s behalf in Texas, and that he resigned in 2004 when a policy was put in place to bar trustees from earning income from district contractors. In fact, Richardson said Marshall performed no work after the contract term was up in June 2003.

According to the contracts:

“The responsibility of the Consultant shall be to initiate contacts and perform duties requested in the normal course of the Company’s business development efforts. This responsibility only includes efforts outside of the state of Texas.”

Richardson said both Marshall and CEP wanted to make sure that Marshall “didn’t do anything in Texas.”

“At the time everyone patted it on the back for going above and beyond what was necessary,” Richardson said. “Lately when I have been contacted people act like this was a deep dark secret. It was not, we did not go behind closed doors, we disclosed everything to the board and did this in public.”

Marshall has acknowledged working for CEP as a consultant many times. At a board meeting in June, Marshall said he was a “consultant in Atlanta assisting them with business development and helped them to have a presence in Atlanta.” You can view his entire comments in the video clip below.

According to Marshall and Richardson, before Marshall signed a contract to be a consultant for CEP, it was discussed with HISD lawyers, the district and trustees “in order to avoid a conflict.”

Richardson said HISD lawyers allowed the arrangement as long as “the contract was disclosed openly, Marshall did not vote on anything dealing with CEP and Marshall did not enter into any discussions involving CEP or lobby district staff on behalf of CEP.” The standards are listed in the contracts.

Individuals associated with the alternative school provider — which Superintendent Terry Grier in March said should be cut loose, then a few months later said should be retained — have also donated to Marshall’s campaign. Marshall’s most recent campaign finance reports show that his campaign received $2,500 from individuals associated with CEP during the months of debate over whether to renew the contract. HISD trustees approved the contract in June, 6-1, with Marshall voting in favor. Trustee Anna Eastman voted against the contract renewal, and Trustees Paula Harris and Diana Dávila, who resigned earlier this month, were not present.

“If someone sends us a solicitation, we will send something. If there is a golf tournament and someone asks us to buy a ticket, we will,” Richardson said.

Marshall has said the donations did not create a conflict of interest because it was not the first time CEP had donated to trustee campaigns. Richardson and another executive at CEP gave $1,000 total to HISD Trustee Mike Lunceford, who voted to renew the contract.

Contact Lynn Walsh at lynn@texaswatchdog.org or 713-228-2850. Follow @lwalsh or search #HISD on Twitter for news about the Houston Independent School District.

A story produced for Texas Watchdog:

Covering Elections: TrentTV | Aired August 24 via newmediatv.org
Tue Aug 24 12:50:00 2010 CST
By Lee Ann O’Neal
Texas Watchdog logo

View today’s TrentTV episode on covering elections below. Hosts Mark Lisheron and Jennifer Peebles chatted with our live audience about backgrounding candidates, in-depth profiles, and issues coverage.
Texas Watchdog’s Lynn Walsh, usually behind the camera producing the show, will host the next TrentTV, a live discussion of watchdog stories on schools to air at 11:30 a.m. CST Sept. 28.

newmediatvorg on livestream.com. Broadcast Live Free

A story produced for Texas Watchdog:

Video: HISD’s Lee High School shuffles staff, extends class time under program for struggling schools
Tue Aug 24 10:32:00 2010 CST
By Lynn Walsh

The Houston Independent School District is starting the 2010-11 school year with a new program at some high schools and middle schools across the district. Lee High School is part of the Apollo 20 program aimed at increasing academic achievement at underperforming schools in HISD.

Watch and learn what changes students and parents can expect at Lee and how much it is going to cost the district.

A story produced for Texas Watchdog:

Video: Lee High School’s $1 million repair project
Thu Aug 12 10:42:00 2010 CST
By Lynn Walsh

Take a video tour inside Lee High School, where a library addition has settled and shifted away from the rest of the school. Houston Independent School District trustees gave the OK last month for up to $1 million in structural repairs, to be managed by Matrix Structural Engineers.

A story published for Texas Watchdog:

Video: HISD Trustee Harvin Moore addresses TEA accountability ratings
Tue Aug 10 18:16:00 2010 CST
By Lynn Walsh

More Houston Independent School District schools are receiving higher state accountability ratings than last year, recent reports released from the Texas Education Agency show, but critics blast the standards as too low.

Over 100 schools in the Houston Independent School District received the highest state rating of “exemplary” this year and almost 250 schools in HISD made “adequate yearly progress,” or AYP, a federal requirement for campuses and states that measures reading, math and graduation and attendance rates. In both instances, the number of schools meeting the standard is greater than last year.

But what does it all mean? AYP ratings are a result of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. TAKS test results are used when determining both federal AYP ratings and TEA accountability ratings–exemplary, recognized, not acceptable, etc. But critics say the standards have gotten so diluted as to be a poor measure of achievement.

The Texas Tribune reported on the issue last month, underscoring the measure’s unreliability.

In fifth grade reading, 44 percent of students who were projected to pass actually failed. In eighth grade math, 38 percent. In 11th grade reading and math, 30 percent and 28 percent, respectively.

Houston Chronicle columnist Rick Casey questioned the use of the Texas Projection Measure last week:

Schools and school districts are bumped up one rating level if the TPM projects their students to do well enough to reach that level within the next few years.

I don’t blame administrators or teachers, especially those with responsibility for educating low-income children, for liking the TPM. They have a tough job, and they enjoy getting public credit for making gains, even if those gains don’t show up in passing rates on the high-stakes test.

And the West University Examiner raised questions about specific HISD schools that made it on the state’s list of “acceptable” schools:

Curiously, also listed as recognized is Fondren Middle School, called a failing school by HISD and placed in the Apollo program for schools in need of immediate turnaround or risk potential closure by the state. Other Apollo schools were included in the acceptable category, including Ryan, Dowling and Attucks middle schools. Four high schools in the Apollo initiative, Sharpstown, Lee, Jones and Kashmere, were named unacceptable. Kashmere and Key were previously on the state’s acceptable list until a recent TEA ruling that demoted both due to findings of test data improprieties.

It is not just the media that is questioning the rating system used by the TEA. HISD trustee Harvin Moore has for months raised concerns over the current rating system during board meetings. Moore has even opined on the issue on his personal blog, The Transformation Times:

“Each year, state standards boards have announced that they are lowering their ‘cut scores’ (number of questions a child must answer correctly to pass) for various noble reasons, usually because ‘the test questions are harder this year, so the same level of proficiency is reflected by a smaller number of correct answers.’”

Moore discussed with Texas Watchdog what he believes may be the solution to inflated state accountability ratings and lowered cutoff scores: Common Core. Watch the clip below for more.

Contact Lynn Walsh at 713-228-2850 or lynn@texaswatchdog.org. Follow news about the Houston Independent School District on Twitter, #HISD.

A story produced for Texas Watchdog:

Ohio soap box derby park founders, but Commissioner Steve Radack still optimistic about racing hill in Hockley Park
Tue Jul 6 18:43:00 2010 CST
By Lynn Walsh

He’s built it. Will they come?

No, this is not a remake of the movie “Field of Dreams,” and so far, Kevin Costner has not made an appearance. But after spending more than $2 million of public money on a new hill in Houston, Commissioner Steve Radack has high hopes for the new Hockley Park soap box derby track. That’s even as a very similar public-private soap box derby park in Ohio is facing a financial bailout.

“It will be good for the economy and good for people to have,” Radack said. “There are no hills in Houston. It is unique to Houston. This is the highest point other than a freeway overpass anywhere near Harris County.”
Racers at Hockley Park

More than 30 senior citizens raced down the track on a recent Saturday in one of the park’s first public racing events of the year. Radack said he hopes the new race track provides more recreational opportunities for senior citizens and children with disabilities.

According to Radack the new derby park in Houston is one that rivals the same track used for the All-American Soap Box Derby World Championship race, a distinction Radack thinks will help bring people to Houston.
“There are people who travel (the soap box derby) circuit around the country,” Radack said.

That world championship race is held in Akron, Ohio, home to Derby Downs. According to an article in the Akron Beacon Journal, Derby Downs and the Hockley soap box derby park have the same size hill and same amenities: concession stands, grandstands and a barn to house the derby cars.

Although Derby Downs is home to the All-American Soap Box Derby, the park has lately been mired in financial trouble.

According to the Beacon Journal:

“Akron’s Soap Box Derby struggles with more than $600,000 in debt and the lack of a national sponsor for the fourth year in a row.”

Another article in the Akron newspaper said the Akron City Council donated $60,000 to the the derby park last year and backed the derby’s loan repayment to a bank.

And last Monday, the city of Akron agreed to donate $60,000 to the race track once again this year, the newspaper reported.

With this in mind Texas Watchdog asked Radack if the new race park will really help the economy or even be able to sustain itself?

“We have warmer weather here. I think people will use this track 300 days a year. People in Houston go golfing when it is sleeting,” Radack said. “As we get more people who are interested, we will have more and more organized races. I think there could be dozens a year.”

Radack said the new hill is mostly being used for activities other than soap box derby racing. According to the Harris County commissioner, people are enjoying biking, skating and just walking up and down the hill.

Why aren’t more people racing down in derby cars? Part of the problem lies in the scheduling and availability of derby cars.

Parkgoers with their own cars can race down the track anytime Hockley Park is open. The rest of the public must attend a scheduled event to use one of the more than 50 derby cars purchased by the county at what Radack said was a $26,452 total cost. Some cars are outfitted to accommodate a second rider, with a second set of controls for assisting a youth driver or a disabled driver.

When are the scheduled events? That is where it gets complicated.

Currently Harris County does not post a schedule on its website.

The only way of figuring out when an event will be is through a local nonprofit, the Greater Houston Soap Box Derby.

The local nonprofit has been racing in Houston in for years, and, according to Secretary Harry Harwood, helped the county develop the track at Hockley Park and is helping run it. Watch the video below to find out how.

The scheduled event Texas Watchdog attended June 26 was listed on the derby group’s website, not the county’s.
“We are not quite ready to kick it off officially, but it will happen pretty quickly,” Radack said. “Soon there will be all kinds (of publicity), and there will also be a commissioner site with the schedule.”

In the meantime, if you would like to take advantage of a longtime American pastime and see your tax dollars at work, you may contact the Greater Houston Soap Box Derby group by phone, 713-871-1304, or e-mail, ghsbd@hotmail.com. The next scheduled event for the public is Saturday, July 10.

Contact Lynn Walsh at 713-228-2850 or lynn@texaswatchdog.org. Photo of racers at Hockley Park by Lynn Walsh.

A story produced for Texas Watchdog:

An ethical quandary and our attempt to solve it
Thu Jul 1 20:01:00 2010 CST
By Trent Seibert

Texas Watchdog regularly posts clips to YouTube from Houston Independent School District meetings, which video journalist Lynn Walsh covers.

Last month, we got a request from HISD. Because of a technical difficulty, the district’s staff were unable to produce their usual in-house video of a June meeting of school district trustees, which the school system would normally save for archival purposes and make available to citizens who requested copies. Our reporter was at that meeting, doing some recording for our news website — could HISD have a copy of our footage, the school system asked?

That created a dilemma for us – one that we’re going to try to solve with this blog post.

On one hand, Texas Watchdog fully supports government transparency. We want citizens to be able to access recordings of what HISD trustees do. And certainly, as reporters, we can sympathize with HISD’s situation — we’ve all had tape recorders die, or their batteries die, in the middle of some important interview.

But here’s the tricky part: The idea of a news organization freely turning over unpublished material – whether it’s a recording or handwritten reporter’s notes – at the request of a government agency could set a terrible legal precedent, not only for us, but other news organizations.

We’d like to help HISD make its actions transparent to the public – and helping the school system might seem totally innocent and laudable to many of our readers. But imagine it’s not HISD making the request – imagine the next request comes from the police department, or FBI agents. And the tape isn’t a recording of a school board meeting. It’s video of a crime scene.

Journalists have gone to jail in this country to prevent being forced to turn over unpublished material in such situations. And Texas’ new first-ever reporter shield law, the Free Flow of Information Act, was created in the last session of the legislature to stop just such things. We don’t want to turn over our recording to HISD and set a bad example that is later used in court by some other government entity to argue that journalists somehow don’t mind giving out their source material – and that reporters at Texas Watchdog, or The Houston Chronicle, or KPRC-Channel 2 shouldn’t mind turning over their notes, too.

(Just to be clear, HISD asked us for the footage, and asked nicely. The school system at no time ever threatened us or threatened to force us to give up our video. And this note is not intended to suggest that HISD had any ulterior motive in asking us for the recording. We don’t have anything personally against HISD. We’re just trying to explain our thought process.)

In other words, we don’t feel like we can give HISD our meeting footage. But we are willing to try an alternative.

We’re not giving our meeting footage to HISD – we’re giving it to all of you, the reading public. We are posting on our YouTube page more footage than usual of the June meeting, where anyone with an Internet connection may access it, including HISD.

The clips are linked below:

An audio track from the meeting

Video Clip 1 of 10

Video Clip 2 of 10

Video Clip 3 of 10

Video Clip 4 of 10

Video Clip 5 of 10

Video Clip 6 of 10

Video Clip 7 of 10

Video Clip 8 of 10

Video Clip 9 of 10

Video Clip 10 of 10

Contact Trent Seibert at trent@texaswatchdog.org or 713-980-9776.

A story produced for Texas Watchdog:

Video: HISD Trustee Anna Eastman says school ratings websites boost accountability
Tue Jun 29 18:25:03 2010 CST
By Lynn Walsh

Ratings of Houston Independent School District schools are no longer just coming from the State of Texas or the federal government. Now the public can join in the rating game too.

Houston ISD Trustee Anna Eastman said she is excited about the information being aggregated and shared by websites like GreatSchools and EveryBlock.

“I think if we further mobilize the voice of people who are actually experiencing these schools … it just pushes us to do a better job and helps hold us to a greater level of accountability,” Eastman said. View her entire comments below.

Websites like Everyblock and GreatSchools provide forums for comments and ratings for schools in HISD and around the country by parents, community members, teachers and others.

Will information posted on the sites have negative impacts on schools receiving poor ratings? Eastman does not see it that way: “I’m really excited about information that’s out there that is more objective than the systems we have in place to rate our schools,” Eastman said.

Have you used school ratings sites before? What is your opinion on the sites? Let me know. E-mail lynn@texaswatchdog.org, call 713-228-2850. I’m also on Twitter: @Lwalsh.

A story written and produced for Texas Watchdog:

Video: Back Story with Lynn Walsh on HISD travel
Thu Jun 24 16:20:00 2010 CST
By Lynn Walsh

Last-minute flight purchases, travel agent fees and a toothless travel policy: that is what Texas Watchdog’s investigation into Houston Independent School District spending on air travel uncovered. But how did we get there?

In this episode of Back Story, reporter Lynn Walsh explains how the investigation developed from a request for public information:

Links mentioned in the video:

Texas Watchdog: HISD travel records show wasted taxpayer dollars, poor planning, toothless travel rules

Texas Watchdog: Houston Independent School District issues credit cards to employees with bankruptcies

Attorney General of Texas

Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas

Texas Watchdog: HISD to review travel policy; Superintendent Terry Grier: ‘Any kind of issues with travel you have, we will look at’

Video:HISD Superintendent Terry Grier doesn’t have time to answer ?s about HISD travel

Back Story is an occasional video series by Texas Watchdog. We take readers and viewers behind the stories we produce and provide insight into how we put them together with interviews and public records.

Contact Lynn Walsh at 713-228-2850 or lynn@texaswatchdog.org.