Tag: Government Transparency
Some Houston ISD trustees question cost of proposed ‘career academies’
by Lynn Walsh on Jul.24, 2011, under Video, What's New
A story produced for Texas Watchdog:
Some Houston ISD trustees question cost of proposed ‘career academies’
Friday, May 20, 2011, 10:56AM CST
By Lynn WalshSome Houston school district trustees are questioning whether the time is right to spend $1.6 million on proposed “career academies” at four high schools that would allow students to earn both their high school diploma and an associate’s degree in just five years.
As the Houston Independent School District prepares to lose $160 million in state funding next year, the school district is also proposing to launch the career academies at Furr, Sterling, Kashmere and Scarborough high schools through a partnership with Houston Community College.
Test scores show improvements at Apollo 20 middle schools, Houston ISD says
by Lynn Walsh on Jul.24, 2011, under Multimedia, What's New
A story written for Texas Watchdog:
Test scores show improvements at Apollo 20 middle schools, Houston ISD says
Friday, Apr 29, 2011, 01:36PM CST
By Lynn WalshThe percentage of students passing a state-sanctioned math test on the first try went up at three of the five Houston middle schools in the Apollo 20 turnaround program, and two schools saw increases on the reading test, district data shows.
Overall, the Houston Independent School District says the percentage of eighth graders passing the TAKS math test increased by two percentage points, from 76% last year to 78% this year. The overall percentage of HISD eighth graders passing the reading portion of the TAKS test decreased by one point, from 88% last year to 87% this year.
Only two middle schools that are a part of HISD’s academic turn-around program saw increases in the percentage of students who passed both the math and reading tests — Dowling and Key.
Seventeen HISD schools eyed for closure, consolidation in latest round of ‘right-sizing,’ budget discussions
by Lynn Walsh on Jul.24, 2011, under Investigations, Multimedia, What's New
A story produced for Texas Watchdog:
Seventeen HISD schools eyed for closure, consolidation in latest round of ‘right-sizing,’ budget discussions
Tuesday, Apr 12, 2011, 05:51PM CST
By Lynn WalshMany of the 17 Houston elementary and middle schools now being considered for possible closure or consolidation next year have had steep drop-offs in enrollment in the past decade, school system data shows.
The Houston Independent School District has been discussing whether or not to close some of its smallest schools since last year. HISD trustees have seen the list of possible schools go from 66 in December to 37 in March.
HISD trustees were set to vote on the possible closure of four elementary schools this week. But the district has put that decision on hold and is once again widening the pool of schools it will consider for closure or consolidation.
Proposed school closures, consolidations in works for Houston school system
by Lynn Walsh on Jul.21, 2011, under What's New
A story written for Texas Watchdog:
Proposed school closures, consolidations in works for Houston school system
Monday, Apr 11, 2011, 02:23PM CST
By Lynn WalshHouston school system trustees are preparing to consider closing or consolidating 15 schools this week — and several of them are slated to be replaced by new schools funded by a 2007 voter-approved bond issue, the school system says.
In recent weeks, the Houston Independent School District has been receiving feedback from parents and community members about the possible closure of four elementary schools: Love, McDade, Grimes and Rhoads.
Eleven more schools are on the agenda for this week’s school board meeting to be considered for possible closure or consolidation.
The proposed consolidation of Sherman and Crawford elementaries will result in a new school at Sherman, and Crawford being closed, part of the 2007 voter-approved bond, Mark Smith, HISD’s assistant superintendent for academics, said in an e-mail.
Fewer students predicted for HISD elementary schools facing the ax
by Lynn Walsh on Jul.21, 2011, under What's New
A story written for Texas Watchdog:
Fewer students predicted for HISD elementary schools facing the ax
Wednesday, Apr 06, 2011, 11:48AM CST
By Lynn WalshThree of four Houston elementary schools facing the chopping block are seeing fewer and fewer students over the years, a trend the school system predicts will continue at least for the next decade.
From now until the 2019-20 school year, enrollment is expected to decline at Love, Grimes and Rhoads elementaries, the Houston Independent School District says.
And while enrollment at McDade Elementary is expected to increase slightly over the next decade, the school is predicted in 2020 to have only half the students it had in the year 2000, data show.
The 50-year-old school building in the Kashmere Gardens neighborhood was built to hold almost 900 kids. If HISD’s predictions are correct, it will be running at just one-third of its capacity by 2020.
Despite what you may have heard, Yates High property is not being sold, Houston ISD says
by Lynn Walsh on Jul.21, 2011, under What's New
A story written for Texas Watchdog:
Despite what you may have heard, Yates High property is not being sold, Houston ISD says
Tuesday, Apr 05, 2011, 07:02AM CST
By Lynn WalshPeople keep calling, e-mailing and otherwise asking us at Texas Watchdog what we’re hearing about Yates High School’s campus being sold to the University of Houston or Texas Southern University.
Here’s what we’re hearing: The Houston school system says it’s just not true.
We asked the Houston Independent School District’s head of real estate, Gary Hansel, whether the school system were considering selling the Yates property in the Third Ward. “Not to my knowledge, and I would be one of the first people to know about it if we were,” Hansel told us in January.
It’s April now, and we’re still receiving comments from people who think otherwise. But Hansel insists there are no plans to sell the Yates property.
Stadium view“Nothing has changed,” Hansel said Monday. When Texas Watchdog told Hansel about the comments we were receiving, he said he has not heard anything, “not even a rumor.”
The Yates High School campus is between that of the two universities’ campuses. The building directly across the street from Yates’ front entrance is a parking garage belonging to Texas Southern. And from the parking garage, you can see the top of the scoreboard at U of H’s Robertson Stadium, which is a pretty quick drive down the street.
See a map of the location of Yates High School below.
City can’t pay Houston ISD more for crossing guards, mayor says
by Lynn Walsh on Jul.21, 2011, under In the News, Investigations, What's New
A story written for Texas Watchdog:
City can’t pay Houston ISD more for crossing guards, mayor says
Thursday, Mar 31, 2011, 02:57PM CST
By Lynn WalshThe city of Houston can’t pay the Houston school system any additional money for crossing guards, Houston’s mayor said.
Meanwhile, the school system says it doesn’t plan to get rid of crossing guards, despite the superintendent’s recent statement at a school board meeting that the school system is “going out of the crossing guard business.”
The city is already giving the Houston Independent School District all the money it can, Mayor Annise Parker said at a Wednesday press briefing.
“We spend the money that goes into that fund, and we spend all of the money that goes into that fund, and if we don’t generate enough money in that fund, then that’s all they get,” Parker said, as reported by KHOU-Channel 11 and MyFoxHouston.
HISD says the city still owes more than $400,000 from its most recent invoice it sent for reimbursement for the districts crossing guard program. The unpaid bills come at a time when the school system faces possible budget cuts of hundreds of millions of dollars,along with employee layoffs, due to the state’s budget problems.
Representation balanced for schools, trustee districts on Houston ISD budget advisory committee
by Lynn Walsh on Mar.26, 2011, under Investigations, What's New
A story written for Texas Watchdog:
Representation balanced for schools, trustee districts on Houston ISD budget advisory committee
Wednesday, Mar 23, 2011, 03:14PM CST
By Lynn Walsh
Most of the people who sit on an advisory committee for the Houston school system’s budget are school system employees, documents show, but representation on that committee seems pretty balanced between schools and trustee districts.
Each of the nine school board trustees have a teacher or principal representative from a school in their district on the 32-person advisory committee — except for school trustees president Paula Harris. However, Harris said one of the advisory committee members, the Rev. Leslie Smith, is someone she knows personally and serves as her appointment to the Superintendent’s Public Engagement Committee.
Members of the advisory committee weren’t chosen with regard to ensuring that every trustee district had a representative, HISD spokesman Jason Spencer said.
Trustees Manuel Rodriguez, Harvin Moore and Anna Eastman each have two schools represented, and Juliet Stipeche has three.
Westside, Chavez and Lamar high schools are represented by principals or teachers, as are Marshall, McReynolds, Stevenson, Project Chrysalis and T.H. Rogers middle schools. One early childhood center, Martin Luther King, is represented, as are four elementary schools: Janowski, West University, Cage and Felix Cook.
In December, HISD employees provided the district with suggestions on how it could save money. Some ideas included cutting district travel, eliminating breakfast in the classroom, reducing magnet funding and turning off lights at night. (To submit a suggestion, send an e-mail to CFOcomments@houstonisd.org.)
To see a map of the trustees throughout the district click here.
The suggestions and the budget advisory committee’s work are intended to help the nation’s seventh-largest school system prepare for state funding cuts that could range from $203 million to $348 million next year, according to HISD. State law requires the district to approve a budget by June 30.
HISD also recently considering revamping its $17 million-a-year magnet program. Superintendent Terry Grier put those proposed changes on hold earlier this month.
HISD is also looking at the $10 million it will spend this year to help dozens of low-enrollment schools offer the same programs and services as larger ones. Part of the recommendations include possible closures or consolidations at four elementaries: Love, McDade, Grims and Rhoads.
More than half of the campuses with representation on the advisory committee have magnet programs. McReynolds and Project Chrysalis middle schools, Janowski and Cage elementaries and Martin Luther King early childhood center do not.
Of the eight campuses that do have magnets, five were recommended for removal by an outside consultant: Westside, Chavez and Lamar high schools, T.H. Rogers Middle and Cook and West University elementary schools. The consultant recommended keeping the magnet programs at both Marshall and Stevenson middle schools.
Only one of the schools represented on the committee, McReynolds, near the Denver Harbor/Port Houston neighborhood, is on HISD’s “small school” list (schools that are under-enrolled and at the center of closing/consolidation talks in December). The middle school has just over 635 students at the campus, below the 750 the district would like each middle school to have.
View the latest Trent TV online: Tips on obtaining and reveiwing public officials’ emails
by Lynn Walsh on Mar.26, 2011, under Video, What's New
A story produced for Texas Watchdog:
View the latest Trent TV online: Tips on obtaining and reveiwing public officials’ emails
Tuesday, Mar 22, 2011, 03:04PM CST
By Lynn Walsh
Missed our latest episode of Trent TV? No worries. You can learn tips and suggestions on obtaining and reviewing public officials’ emails anytime you want by watching the archived video.
From how to write the public record request to get the emails to tips on cutting down the potential costs of the email documents, Texas Watchdog’s Jennifer Peebles goes through it all in the March episode of Trent TV.
Watch the entire video below or on our Vimeo page.
Texas Watchdog TrentTV: Obtaining and reviewing public officials’ emails from Texas Watchdog on Vimeo.
And if you are wondering why you would want to look at a public officials’ emails, Peebles has plenty of examples of stories that would not have been possible without the email correspondence of public officials included.
Some useful websites highlighted in this episode:
The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press website has information about the public information laws in your state and a public information request letter generator that is very easy to use.
The Brechner Citizen Access Project website also has information about the public information laws in all 50 states.
Have more questions about the topic discussed in this episode of Trent TV or any others? Get in touch with us: news@texaswatchdog.org, Twitter @TexasWatchdog (#TrentTV) or on Facebook.
Trent TV is a free monthly journalism webinar focusing on open government issues. It airs LIVE on www.newmediatv.org to help journalists, citizen journalists, blogger, activists and you!
6 Ways for Journalists to Survive Public Meetings
by Lynn Walsh on Mar.21, 2011, under In the News, What's New
A story written for the Radio Television Digital News Association:
6 Ways for Journalists to Survive Public Meetings
Mar 12 2011
By Lynn Walsh, Texas Watchdog & RTDNA Blogger
Everyone has been there and if you haven’t yet, don’t worry, I am sure it will happen sometime.
Covering public meetings, whether it is the school board or city council can sometimes mean long hours and lots of discussion. From comments from the public to back-and-forth-discussion from board members, controversial issues may keep you tied up in a meeting for hours.
Before you get discouraged or begin dreading it, here are some tips to make the experience more enjoyable for yourself and more importantly the coverage better for your community.
1. Consider LIVE coverage. If you are tasked with needing to constantly update a blog, social media account, etc. you will be less likely to zone-out. Recommend that your station add some kind of live reporting component to your coverage of the meeting. Whether it is live Tweeting, live blogging or live streaming on the internet, they can add to your overall coverage of the event, be informative to those following you and keep you sane. Be sure to advertise that you will be doing this so people can join in on the conversation.
2. Build sources. Every meeting has its down time. Whether it is the repetitive comments from board members or presentations that last longer than they should, there are plenty of times that you can step out for a few minutes and not miss out from what is happening. Use this to your advantage by talking to people in the crowd, introducing yourself to the influential members of the community there, local lawmakers, etc. It is a great opportunity to take a quick break from the meeting while networking for future stories.
3. Be prepared mentally. Be sure you have an understanding of the agenda and how the meeting will take place. Ask questions about agenda items or proposals beforehand so you know what people are talking about and are not confused. Make sure you are clear to your editors and producers that the meeting may last a long time, the more you tell them the better. Also, make sure to do that with personal obligations as well. Don’t try to squeeze in a dinner meeting with an old friend the same night, it will just add stress and make you more impatient!
4. Bring needed resources. Electronics are great but without charged batteries they are not very useful. Make sure you have your phone, computer, camera, recorder, etc charged beforehand and be sure to bring extra batteries and even power chords to charge them in case the meeting lasts longer than your battery. Print-out agendas and/or proposals as well if that will make it easier for you to follow along.
5. Work other leads/stories. Your news director may have sent you for one piece of the meeting (and of course it will be the last thing discussed) but do not ignore the rest of the conversation. While public meetings may not be the most entertaining they can provide a lot of insight for future stories. Listen to what board members are talking about and pay attention to what is not being said. Sometimes details like dates, dollar amounts, companies may be left out — those can be great follow-up stories for you and sometimes take just a few phone calls to get the information.
6. Be prepared physically. Be sure to eat. This may sound silly, but believe me trying to cover a meeting hungry is no fun! If you think the meeting is going to last late into the evening, eat a late lunch, snack on something right before the meeting, etc. If the building allows you to bring in food, bring some snacks to eat. The same goes for sleep. Make sure you are prepared and ready to stay up late for the meeting and even later to publish the story.
The same tips can also be used for events or live coverage. I would also add: be ready for any weather in and outdoors. Meeting rooms can sometimes be very cold, bring a sweater or wear a long sleeve shirt. If the room is packed, you will most likely be standing, so wear comfortable shoes.
