By Juan Montoya
As the November 8 Brownsville Independent School Board elections approach at least one "stakeholder" in their outcome is getting antsy.
That person is none other than BISD Superintendent Esperanza Zendejas.
At a recent meeting between with members of the local business community, Zendejas did the unthinkable. She told the assemblage that there were people she could not work with in her quest to remain at her $200,000-plus position.
As astounded school district administrators and business people listened, she said that she did not need Dr. Sylvia Atkinson, Catalina Presas-Garcia, Minerva Peña, or Otis Powers on the board if she was to lift the district to higher levels of achievement.
"We couldn't believe that the superintendent would use the meeting to campaign for specific candidates," said a person who attended. "She also said that she preferred to have Philip Cowen and (Hector) Chirinos to remain on the board. It was pretty unseemly for an administrator to openly campaign for members of the board who will be her bosses."This is not the first time that Zendejas has been heard addressing the desirability of having her hand-picked candidates elected before local business and civic groups.
Superintendents, as we all know, live and die with a majority on the school board. If they cannot have the support of and keep a majority happy, it's time to get packing.
Well, Espy (or shall we say Adelita Zendejas) knows this all too well. She has demonstrated this to Brownsville residents when, in 1995 – with three years left on her contract with the BISD – she left to seek greener pastures elsewhere after her majority vanished.
As survivor of educational bureaucracies, she knew that the writing was on the wall when candidates who questioned her leadership won over her supporters on the majority.
When Zendejas left Brownsville in 1995 she landed a job with the Indianapolis Public Schools that lasted another three years until she was replaced with her assistant superintendent for facilities management.
At the time, a news account of her departure indicated that she had a "bankrupted relationship" with the board there.
When she left, she said that the board's support for her reforms had been "lukewarm."
The Indianapolis board paid her $158,100 – a year's salary and benefits – for her early departure.
It's a pattern that has followed her since.
In San Jose, California, Zendejas resigned two years before the end of her contract with the East Side Union High School District over criticism of her management style. According to Zendejas’ contract in San Jose, she made $225,000 a year. The board also paid her a portion of her salary when she left the district. As part of the separation settlement, she continued working for the district as a consultant until Jan. 31, 2001 and collected a monthly payment of $14,000 (about $168,000 a year) plus benefits, according to the consulting agreement
At the Alisal Union School District in Salinas, Calif., Zendejas also agreed to leave in 2010 but negotiated a deal where she stayed on as a consultant with the district paying her $168,000 a year to do the same job.
Now back in Brownsville where she has family, Zendejas has nowhere left to go and she is out on the hustings trying to make sure that the "right" candidates win in the November elections so that she won't have to clean up her office of her personal belongings and seek another place to alight.
The math is simple. She has in her corner a majority of the school board that is made up of Joe Rodriguez, Cesar Lopez, Chirinos, and Carlos Escobedo.
Chirinos, who holds Position 7, and who everyone considers the weak link because he won his position in a runoff with Linda Gill by four questionable votes four years ago, is being challenged by the formidable Atkinson, the not-so-formidable Orlando Carlos Treviño, and firefighter/activist Rigo Bocanegra who has campaigned for just about every candidate for every position.
To make matters worse, Chirinos has not formally filed to run for reelection, so her majority on the board is not guaranteed.
If either Atkinson or Bocanegra wins, the majority vanishes. Treviño, Otis Power's uncle, is said to be in the race against Chirinos to avenge his vote to replace Otis as board president. Chirinos voted for Peña to replace Powers as president after she decided to play with the Rodriguez majority. They discarded her after they gained the firm majority with Elizondo.
The same goes for the post held by Peña on Position 6, a former ally who is no longer considered her supporter on the board. Peña is facing challengers Kent Wittenmore (a retired BISD administrator considered Rodriguez's ally, though not necessarily a sure vote) and Roberto Uresti, a gadfly who might be considered a spoiler in the race.
Even more uncertain for Zendejas, is the candidacy of Anna Elizabeth Hernandez OQuin, a successful businesswoman who owns two McDonald's franchises in town. Although Hernandez-OQuin has not filed formally, her appointment of a campaign treasurer form lists Place 6 as the post which she is seeking.
As if that wasn't enough to keep Esperanza up nights, Argelia Miller has entered the running for Position 3, throwing off the equation between incumbent Herman O. Powers and Philip T. Cowen. The Powers-Cowen race was going to be a tossup, but with Miller in the race, the Latina "blind" vote factor could tilt the race in Powers' favor, something that Zendejas dreads.
With such a chimerical mixture of candidates, Zendejas is seeing "moros con machetes" everywhere and has moved to gird her loins for battle the potential hazard to her reign.
25 comments:
https://www.princeton.edu/~erp/ERParchives/archivepdfs/R8.pdf
Que, que dices? Por favor, Juan. No seas un cagapalo.
Zendejas was a huge mistake the first time around. Only morons would have picked her up a second time. Do you think there maybe could somehow possibly be a reason she leaves every position before the contract is up???
The woman is a conniving backstabbing (and front stabbing) bitch who has done exactly what to improve the education our children receive?? Zendejas is only concerned with Zendejas. Her inappropriate comments at the meeting should result in disciplinary action. A superintendent serves at the pleasure of the board...who serve at the pleasure of the voters.
What is really weird is that anyone, much less business leaders, would sit around and listen to the woman unless they had to.
Didn't she just get a raise from these people daaaam!
Zendejas was a BISD mistake.....but the saga of Superintendents vs Trustees continues. Zendejas has done little to improve the academics in BISD...it continues to be a social experiment...and so the kids and parents are starting to look at Charter Schools or Private schools so their kids can get an education. That leaves Zendejas to recruit more "undocumented" students for a free education and even bus service from the bridge daily, while English speaking kids have their learning pace slowed to accommodate the illegals.
I support our Superintendent, Dr. Zendejas, because I know she has what it takes to lead and oversee BISD. She has what a lot lack and you know where you stand. Change can be good, but only if it is for the good. I hope voters will give her the board members she needs to continue moving BISD forward. For her to publicly state who she does not want to see on the board is a clear message to the community to move BISD forward or to regress to the compadrismo and vidictive politics instead of making the children, teachers, and personal the mission. We cannot always agree with Dr. Zendejas, but over all her mission is to make BISD better and it is up to voters to decide if that will be true, or will it be like the city that has regressed to an abyss of compadrismo, corruption with fraudlent deals, mismanagement, and regressing.
I will support candidates who are supporting Dr. Zendejas, but be weary of the wolves in sheeps clothing, as we witnessed when Kirby Lilljedahl and I supported Jackie Lockett for commissioner, only to find out she had ulterior motives and lost no time to fire Kirby. She turned out to be vindictive and a special interest representative passing herself as one that was going to work with Kirby, but her agenda was to fire Kirby and he rest is history. Since then the city has not had a city manager of his caliber and our city has paid the price. Also, I urge all candidates that support Dr. Zendejas to say it publicly and not take money from OP:10.33 aka and Mike Hernandez and Carlos Marin and surrogates.
The back room deals and shell game will commence with under the table funding to those who will do their bidding, but we must be vigilant and careful who is genuine and who is a wolf in sheeps clothing. I believe and support Kent Whitimore, Phillip Cowen, and Rodrigo Bocanegra, thus far. I believe they have no ties to special interest and are sincere in wanting to serve and will work with Dr. Zendejas.
I ask voters to give her a mandate to continue at BISD, enough is enough. We need dedicated BISD board members who will be engaged with making BISD the agenda, period. My vote is for Dr. Z.
Hey patty if Zendejas runs BISD like you ran city hall then she really needs to go.
Zendejas is a cancer that got attatched to BISD due to the inept board of Trustees. All shw has done is put people into cushy high paying jobs so they can ride into retirement. Mr. Fisher comes to mind. There has been absolutely no improvement to the district, on tne contrary parents have literally no voice and bad principals and assistant principals get shuffled around instead of being demoted or fired.
If her jobis to undermine the district and give parents more reasons to put their kuds on charter schools then she is doing a bang up job
BISD has lost over 2,000 students per academic school year to charter schools such as IDEA, Harmony and the other newest charters while Dr. Zendejas has been superintendent.
During her tenure, several incidents have been covered up. These incidents include demoting those not in agreement with her, her friends, those under some of her friends, etc. Principals and assistant principals are moved around and labeled "interim" while the position is not advertised even internally. The district has given salary increases but those at the bottom of the barrel still make poverty level salaries (custodians, construction workers, bus drivers). Aside from soccer, football, basketball, track, tennis, baseball, and many of the other sports have given this town no pride and joy, yet,there is an inside athletic area being build in one of the high schools while teachers are using old dilapidated portables that are an eye sore to visitors at the schools. Coaches without post-graduate work make above the salary of a math or English teacher, athletic coordinators who don't do even half of the work with the athletes are paid a salary compared to the one made by the main principal.
Zendejas was not hired to clean up house. She was hired to clean up to clear up the space for those that agree with HER board, and HER friends. We will always be behind Mcallen, or even Harlingen as long as our city, county and school district is run by special interests and as long as the people don't go out and vote them out.
Conservative 2:39 pm, goes to show there are liberal conservatives. To vote for OP 10.33 candidates and incumbents on the BISD is to continue the divisive and unproductive way of doing BISD business. The city was like that with council members pushing personal agendas instead of the city's agenda. My Vote is for Kent Whitimore, Phillip Cowen and Rodrigo Bocanegra. We need a mindset for the teachers, children, staff and for the superintendent.
.( We need a mindset for the teachers, children, staff and for the superintendent.)
Wish I knew how much this moron got paid to have our town be rid of plastic bags. Fucking imbecilic shrimper.
Jethro Bodine.
I will definitely vote for the candidates that our former mayor Pat Ahumada supports. This is a good start in improving BISD!!!!
Very well written. On top of c everything you mention, now the super has her own "dollars for schoolars" fundation in which the employees are encouraged to donate about 5.00 a month, payroll deduction. This will tell her who is a good boy or girl.
Anonymous 10:59, the only imbecile here is you and you do not even have the half the courage I have. How does it feel to be a coward?
Man Pat go away you tried your best,time to back to shrimping
THE SUPER MAKES TO MUCH $$$ SHE CAN DONATE ABOUT EASY 5000.00 A MONTH FOR DOLLARS FOR SCHOOLARS FOUNDATION.
Very well written. On top of c everything you mention, now the super has her own "dollars for schoolars" fundation in which the employees are encouraged to donate about 5.00 a month, payroll deduction. This will tell her who is a good boy or girl.
This will cause the BISD election to vote for Dr.Sylvia Atkinson
Dr. Z you should of waited after the election.
How does it feel and know you are a coward? You crawl out of the scum hole you live in and keep thing of me, because you know you will never have half the courage I have and that makes you feel inadequate. This is why you attack with your hate, because of your inadequacies. You think I do not know who you are, but I do. You are the same and the one that is vulgar, foul mouth with no class. You need help! I feel sorry for your kids and your wife to be around a weasel and a coward. Get help!
Giving pay raises that are not within the scope of regular step increases for public employees could be considered fraud, so be careful making those kind of accusations.
(you tried your best,time to back to shrimping)
Se la van a meter por todo el culo a ese pinche camaronero.
Jethro.
right now it is in big mess. all departments. school starts Monday. let's see what enrollment will be at. you have food service still in shake up, transportation , you have principals moved around and noticed recently that acacia ameel is not at Brownsville Early College as principal. Yes, chirinos is a one term, he can't take the heat from maybe the superintendent and the rest of the board. maybe the incumbents will be out or maybe two of them will win their race. morale is low at this point. everyone is concerned for their job at this point. bad recession. even the vice president does not make that much money. that is taxpayers money. I would rescind that vote and lower the amount for the salary for the superintendent. it should a month to month basis. also, keep in mind that this election is at the same time of the general election of the presidential. there will be change. good or bad. there will be poll watchers during early voting and election day. election workers and judges will be trained in next few months as well in early October. the politicians will be out campaigning and having meet and greets in next few weeks and next 2 months. it will be make and break time. it is time to get a board that will listen and unified again and let's not forget the children of this district. all employees matter !!!!!
If Zendejas said she wanted Cowen on the Board, why are you supporting him???
God help us!!
This BOARD which is being run by Joe Rodriguez, with the help of Cesar, Chirinos and Carlos, extended Zendejas contract for 4 years, they knew a new majority was/is about to sit in and she'll be fired. Z would cry wolf, then be sent packing with hundreds of thousands of dollars. Mean time the stupidity and greed continues on the BOARD, all of them are greedy BASTARDS and BITCHES!!
No one, absolutely no one on the current BOARD gives a shit about the students and/or employees.
Wow look! It's the disgraced former mayor beaner Pat Ahumada! Certified account no less!!! Still little Mexican balls though we see.
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