BELL EXPECTED TO RESIGN TONIGHT
Sam Bell, the superintendent of the Brenham Independent School District, will apparently tender his resignation tonight when the School Board meets at 6:00.
The district issued an agenda late Friday afternoon for Monday’s meeting. Then about a half-hour later the district issued an amended agenda that includes a public hearing and public comment on the superintendent’s resignation agreement.
The hearing and comment will be followed by an executive session and board action on the resignation.
Bell has been the superintendent since April of 2009 when he succeeded David Yeager, and his current contract runs through July of 2016.
Recently, though, Bell has become embroiled in conflicts with several board members who have made critical comments in public session over Bell’s performance.
Recently emails from several board members, extremely critical of Bell and members of the BISD administration, came to light after an open records request.
The board will meet tonight at 6:00 at the Brenham High School.
So sad that the world has people in our community acting this way. It is sad when the school board should be leaders. What will happen to BISD since they got there way.
To say the decline of BISD started at the beginning of Mr. Bell tenure is just not accurate. I have a graft from the states website that shows the decline of BISD started in 2008; again, this is from the state’s website. It also shows the reason for it, and it’s not an administrative issue, it’s demographical. In the same period of time another graft shows free and reduced lunch increasing at the same pace as the decline. What this tells me, there is bigger change taking place in BISD that we are totally ignoring, and if that is not addressed properly, it won’t matter who you replace Mr. Bell with. We can’t continue to operate in the same manner and expect different results.
I am praying that this community would come together and really take a look at, or should I say, vision and determine our preferred future. Everyone seems to have an opinion and can point blame, but no one seems to have solutions other than replace Mr. Bell. I hear a lot of symptoms but clear diagnosis. What is it that we need, better pay for teachers, better morale, really? Another program to bring discipline to the student body? No, what we need is vision and then a plan to get us to that future. Where there is no vision, the people are unrestrained.
Don’t you think the question here is why did we lose 70 teachers on his watch ??
I am so surprised at how many people are blaming the school board for creating a hostile environment for Mr. Bell. The members, that we as a community elected, are trying to stop this man from running our school district further into the ground. Teacher moral is lower than I have ever seen, test scores have consistently dropped while Mr. Bell has been here, good teachers have fled our district to find better pay and a better work environment, administrators have been hired against staff recommendations or without our input, positions have been eliminated to save money without giving thought to the impact those positions had on student performance. I could go on and on. Please just remember, that if the majority of the school board is against the current leadership of our district it is for a good reason. The members are former teachers that know what it takes to have a successful district and are only looking out for the students and staff that work here.
Does anyone else recognize the irony of a Brenham native having recently “retired” as the Superintendent of the Spring Branch ISD?? Perhaps he has a position waiting here, as soon as Mr. Bell can be eliminated?
Yep. Duncan Klussmann is next!
There are some serious ethical issues with several members of the BISD Board of Trustees. I can tell you from what I have personally witnessed in open meetings and what I have read in open records communications, that there is a clear agenda to harm Mr. Sam Bell and his BISD administration. Intimidation, Harassment, Undermine/Undercut, Micro Management, Misrepresentation of the facts, and the like are what is obvious.
Mr. Bell I commend you sir. What you have achieved despite the constant efforts of several BISD trustees to negatively impact everything you tried to accomplish is tremendous. The patience and professionalism that you have displayed is beyond the call of duty. I thank you and apologize for how you are being treated. The despicable behavior towards Mr. Bell and several other BISD employees is unacceptable and should not be tolerated. Yes it is that bad and worse. The BISD Board of Trustees, with the exception of Dr. Donald Draehn and Mr. Ray Weiss should be ashamed of themselves and should resign as to save the BISD from further embarrassment . Mr. Weiss you were correct for speaking out against this reckless behavior. The term Toxic was used to describe such actions. I could not agree more.
Jerry Homan
While not always a fan of mr. Bell, I think the school board is the bigger issue.
If they don’t get their head out of the sand and get our teachers more money and up to date on salary’s Brenham will get in a hole it can’t get out of. Brenham is a great district but the “good old boy” days are gone.
So we are going to remove a good Christian man and some reason that has yet to be shared. I have not read anything or heard from anyone on what Mr. Bell has done to make him lose his job.
So we will pay out his contract. Then we will have to hire a headhunter firm to find our next superintendent. Then pay that superintendent more than Bell (more than likely). There is also the chance that if Bell leaves ASAP we would have to find some type of interim and pay them (that won’t be cheap either).
So we are going to pay a lot of tax payers money because of the board’s personal issues with Bell? Makes sense.
This is so sad. Sam is a great Godly man who has the district at heart. To many people in Brenham are used to having their way, Its the classical case of Bib vs Bob. Brenham doesn’t accept outsiders very well and will push anyone out of the way standing to cause conflict with their own personal agendas. May God Bless Sam Bell and his wife in what ever they do they will achieve greatness.
I am so tired of people saying that Brenham doesn’t accept outsiders very well, but if you look at almost everything that has changed about Brenham, it is because of outsiders. Our downtown does not look as it did when I was growing up. We now have one way service roads that are a bigger headache than the two way ones were. We have stop lights going in on our highways. We have people who didn’t grow up here running our little league, our football programs, and the Maifest. Granted, change is nice, but our cute little small town is nothing but a place for Houstonians to live as they make the big bucks and drive back and forth, raising the property value so the people who have lived here all their life have to sell their land cause they can not afford the taxes. Now we have a race track coming in-again by an outsider! Look at Chappell Hill-very few local people there, much less in any form of authority there.
I am curious as to why none of the teachers have spoken out either for or against-could it be that they will lose their job?
The school board will have to decide what is more important academics or athletics! Mr. Bell’s hands were tied by certain board members to allow him to make decisions. Several board members have their own agenda which is not in the best of interest of BISD especially when it comes to making a few campuses be accountable. The “three Musketeers” of the board are the major problems!
I can only ask how many of you have stepped in a classroom, reviewed the curriculum changes issued by the state (not Sam Bell) over the last several years , or done any investigation other than listening to un-informed people. Anyone that says that you can run a school district by looking at short term goals has never run anything. Every complaint that I am seeing has little to do with a superintendent. I am embarrassed at the climate being created by our board. I am wondering if our school board has created this negative climate for their own personal gain. I see the issue with the board not with Sam Bell. I feel that each person needs to get facts from people that are in it for the students. I hear how hard the schools are working and how supportive Mr. Bell is. I am a little confused.
If you think the issue is with the school board and not Sam Bell, then you haven’t been paying attention. The new school board was elected because of Sam Bell. I hear talk of the school board causing a “hostile work environment” for Sam Bell. Before that, Sam Bell created a hostile work environment for teachers and a hostile learning environment for students. Look at how many experienced teacher we lost since he took over and look at how our student’s test scores have dropped during that same time. Ask ANY of the teachers who left for other districts if they left because of Sam Bell or the current school board members. I think the facts will dispute the opinions of those who continue to defend Bell.
The school board doesn’t stand to personally gain from BISD. Sam Bell does. As a matter of fact he asked for a raise this spring when he was still cutting teacher positions to save the district money. The school board doesn’t get paid for what they do.
Sam Bell would be a great candidate for a private business that needs someone to help them cut costs. But for our young people and the future of this community, we need someone who sees education as an investment.
Thank you. Your comment is exactly in line with the thoughts of the teachers who have not fled the district.
I agree with the “old “teacher”, Mr. Bell created a lot of the issues he is currently dealing with, he and his assistant superintendents made it common place to harrass teachers and faculty and to intimidate any contrary thoughts or opinions. If the faculty or staff tried to stand up for themselves or students they were “re-assigned” to another position in the district to allow another yes-person to step in and agree with Mr. Bell. There may have been several changes implemented from the state, however moral and enthusiasm is taken from the leader which in this case is Sam Bell. Under the prior leadership the pay scale for Brenham was still low but the enviroment in the work-place was good and good teachers were willing to take a little less because they knew they had the support of the administration. I feel the new school board members are doing the job they were elected to do which is to oversee the administration and call them out in areas where they are not performing. We hold students to a high standard with testing the administration should be held to a high standard also and this one is failing.
I was one of the teachers who left this summer. The school board and administration was as guilty as Sam Bell for the mass eviction from BISD!
The phrase, “I heard talk” mistake number one. Where I’m from, we call that gossip. Where are the facts. I keep hearing accusations, but nothing has been affirmed. Sad. As for BISD teachers leaving the district because of pay, that’s a budget issue and not all on the Superintendent. The Board votes and approves the budget proposed by the Super. Where in the minutes or in any documentation did Sam Bell ask for a raise? Gossip??
I agree with the old teacher. I left too, and not because of the board. I support them 100% and voted on them because we needed a change. The steady decline in the district came long before our NEWLY elected board. I’m just glad someone finally defends the teachers. And yes, WE, as teachers, were in the hostile environment.
On another note…what does being Christian have anything to do with this? Simply being a Christian does not mean you are fit for the job. I’m a Christian but that has nothing to do with what I do in the classroom everyday! Get real! Most of the people supporting him in those comments don’t have kids in school anymore and don’t work for the district. You really have no idea what’s going on.
And to comment on the post about teachers not commenting… They know better. They are not allowed to have a public opinion.
@I left too? You’re absolutely right, the decline started way before the new board was elected. According to the State’s website the decline started in 2008, long before Mr. Bell too. On the contrary, you being a Christian should have everything to do with you being in the class room. Our faith should prevail everywhere; we are called not to be perfect but exemplary everywhere, especially in the classroom.
I am sadden to hear this. I think those school board members who caused him so much grief need to go. They are an embarrassment to our community and should be ashamed. Who would want to work in this district with those board members!! I am really concerned about the future of BISD.
After three straight years of test scores declining and over 70 teachers having left the district over the last two years, a Board would be derelict to ignore those facts.
This is a terrible reputation to have as a city and as a school district. What well qualified candidate would want to apply for this position?
If this is true, it will be the best thing Bell has done for BISD. Perhaps this will boost the morale of the people working in the district.
No moral boost until we have a new school board!!
And some changes in central office and administration!
And some changes in central office and administration! I do not believe this can be fixed by the resignation of Bell. I so believe that there are other personalities involved in the school board, central office, and even campus administration that have run off alot of good teachers and ruined the district!
I have to believe that Sam bell is a Christian man and believes in what is good for man. However we can’t be certain for sure that his beliefs do not follow that of his Christian followers.
It is very obvious (that from day one) there were major issues but BISD swept it under the rugs.
Brenham ISD has providedno support ( in any position) and we all want to be fixed. What does it take?
I don’t know anything about what is going on here but I know that Sam Bell is a great and honest man of God.
What a shame! Mr. Bell is a good Christian man with the district’s best interest at heart. BISD is in trouble with this school board. I am constantly amazed by some of their actions!
If he really does have the district’s best interest at heart, then he won’t ask for his contract to be bought out during the meeting on Monday night. He has always been concerned about the district saving money….now is his chance to show that he truly does believe that.
To hell with that!!! The school board members (admittedly not all of them) have made his life a living hell, and have created a “hostile work environment” by EVERY definition. He should make his resignation contingent on them buying out his contract.
You are exactly right Josh!! Amen to that!!
I am so sad to hear this and agree that it is a shame! BISD is a great district and runs very well. What is the board’s problems? I hope these issues come to light so we’ll be more informed!