BISD BOARD RELECTS OFFICERS AMID CALLS FOR RESIGNATIONS
The Brenham School Board quickly re-elected their incumbent officers at Monday night’s meeting at the high school but there was some dissension.
Melvin Ehlert will continue as president, Marshall Harrell remains vice-president and Natalie Lange will be the board secretary for the next year.
The vote was not unanimous however. Dr. Donald Draehn and Ray Weiss opposed the re-election motion. It was Weiss that got into a contentious discussion with Board President Melvin Ehlert at the May 5th noon meeting. Weiss had called Ehlert’s actions ‘toxic’ and said he should be removed from the Board.
School District activist Jerry Hohman called on Ehlert and Harrell to resign because he said the discussion at that meeting violated the Open Meetings Act. This was in reference to the district’s hiring practices and the hiring of Dr. Bryan Bryant as the new principal of the Junior High School. Board Member Ray Weiss said the discussion should be in executive session.
Hohman went on to say there was an agenda to remove Supt. Sam Bell. Hohman says such actions could result in legal action and the Texas Education Agency could remove Ehlert and Harrell from the Board.
Hohman said that their resignation would spare them ‘embarrassment.’
Also speaking at Monday's was Ed Kruse of Blue Bell Creameries. He noted he was a 1945 graduate of Brenham High School, and was troubled by some of the recent discussions of the board. He said the administration and teachers were doing an excellent job and the district was a great district.
The board also heard from Assistant Supt. Byron McAdams gave an update on the construction of the new Alton Elementary School and said the sign is now visible from South Market Street. He said the Middle School will be ready as well.
Leslie Broesche, the special education coordinator for the Brenham School district recommended that a rubber ground surface be installed for the Brenham Elementary School pre-school program for children with disabilities. The board approved the measure.
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How much do I know?
Yes, I attend many school board meetings and have for years. I’ve been relieved to see a new school board that is informed and willing to question administrators to make the right decisions before voting on an issue. If the proposals being made are the best options, administrators should have no problem defending them and should not view those questions as personal attacks. I have seen a co administrator condeceningly ask a board member if she knew “how averages work” when she questioned numbers regarding student/teacher ratios on a staffing report for our campuses. When all was said and done, those questions revealed flawed and even incomplete data was used to complete the staffing report for which Mr. Bell hoped to use as support in his decision not to replace teachers who were leaving the district.
Yes, I do know of correspondence. I know of teachers and administrators being threatened by central office administrators and told not to tell board members how they felt about everything from curriculum to scheduling to morale. A central office administrator even called several teachers and asked how they voted and why they voted the way they did in the last school board election. And don’t think teachers who voted on election day didn’t notice Mr. Bell’s secretary present at the polls most of the day. Was there correspondence to undermine decisions that were best for the district? Was taking a 7% raise and pushing for and receiving raises for all but one of the central office administrators “best for the district” in the same year teaching positions were absorbed and class sizes grew?
Yes I have heard comments directed at Mr. Bell from school board members. I’ve heard Mr. Ehlert imply he does not trust Bell, and heard Hohman and Weiss erupt with indignation and then make personal attacks on the board president.
As far as the “after hours meetings” of small groups of board members, no, I don’t know of that one. The only evidence that can support one ever took place was the “emergency” meeting held the week before the school board election to push CSCOPE through before the new board members were sworn in. Thankfully, that board no longer exists.
Yes, I know about the over staffing. On the elementary, middle, and junior high campuses it happens in the form of “academic” or “curriculum” coaches- teachers who don’t teach, but get paid an extra stipend to tell other teachers what to teach. At the high school, it is in the athletic department. If the administration wants to address the over staffing, it should look at these areas rather than showing the board a flawed report that would make the average citizen believe the student/teacher ratio in Brenham is 11 to 1.
I’m not a former employee of the district, but since the current administrator’s regime began, the “former employee” category is growing, so that was a logical guess. You are right about one thing; the school board is about making things better for the students. That will never be done with unhappy teachers. I also welcome a “tell all” but not from the mouths of irrational “activists.” I’ll wait for the results of the investigation Mr. Hohman called to action. I know the “secret correspondence” will reveal many diconsolant teachers imploring the school board members for the support they do not get from their central leadership.
I hope you are satisfied that I am sufficiently informed to comment on a KWHI post.
The question is how much does the general public really know about what is going on in the school district?? Have you attended school board meetings to see how Mr. Bell and the other Central Office Administrators have been treated by several members of the school board? Do you know what types of correspondence have been sent to the administrators to undermine decisions that are trying to be made for the best interest of the school district or to just say hateful things? Do you know what types of comments have been made by several board members directly to Mr. Bell during board meetings? Do you know what type of meetings are being held after hours by a small group of board members to discuss their own agendas? Do you know about all of the over staffing on certain campuses in which the administrator refuses to cooperate for the best interest of the district and board members are supporting this. It’s not about everyone’s personal agendas or what you are angry about as a former employee of the district. It’s about the students of this district and making things better for them. It’s about giving the teachers the support they need. It is very sad that so many of our current school board members are truly are on a mission to run Mr. Bell out of town!! I think maybe it is time for a tell all by the Central Office administrators and Mr. Homan — then maybe we will realize how much people really don’t know about all of the unethical things that are being done by some district employees in key positions and some school board members and how they don’t know how to follow the rules. Perhaps if Mr. Bell is allowed to run the ship the way it needs to be run and make the necessary changes that will support the entire district things would be better for everyone!
I urge you to Get Informed before you form your opinion.
Thank you to the school board for all you do. It is unfortunate you have to tolerate such abuse. The five minutes given to the public is not meant for personal attacks and wild accusations. Please know many caring citizens appreciate your efforts on behalf of our community and its students.
This so called “activist” is nothing more than a bully who has repeatedly tried to intimidate the board. It is tragically ironic that he accuses the board of such acts against Sam Bell. One can’t help but question the integrity of Mr. Ray Weiss when his ideas are supported by someone of this mentality; while respected, informed, and most importantly, rational members of our community repeatedly support and praise the efforts of Mr. Ehlert and our current school board. It appears Mr. Ehlert’s crime is having the temerity to question the central administration. The irony continues because this is precisely the responsibility the board has to the community. Teachers and principals, parents and community members made it clear at the last school board election that few are satisfied and even less are happy with the direction BISD has taken with Bell and McAdams at the helm. If holding administrators accountable for their actions is an “agenda against Mr. Sam Bell,” then more power to our board. I have not agreed with every decision they have made, but a logical person wouldn’t expect that. What can be expected is the board members will sacrifice their time to study and understand each issue presented to them and make informed decisions rather than quickly and blindly approve administrators’ requests and recommendations without question. That is what the board members who are repeatedly enduring unfounded accusations being hurled at them are doing every week. My compliments to Mr. Ehlert and Mr. Harrell for maintaining their integrity while vicious attacks are made by an “activist” and another board member.