After a marathon executives session that lasted six hours and a meeting that started at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday and ended at 1 a.m. Wednesday, the board of trustees of the Brownsville Independent School District decided to let things be until a special meeting at the end of this month.
Trustees basically discussed legal and personnel matters in executive session and emerged only to vote on approving the employment and salaries of district personnel and to pay the bills. Yet, lurking in the background of the meeting, are issues that may ultimately result in the replacement of BISD Superintendent Esperanza Zendejas with either Terry Alarcon or Bertha Peña.This must seem ironic to Zendejas since some of the first actions she took amounted to no more than what is expected of a hatchet lady at the whim of the majority that hired her.
Alarcon is said to be Zendejas' hand-picked replacement, while Peña is said to be the majority's favorite and was in fact asked to come into the closed session. Inside, Zendejas' staunch supporter Carlos Elizondo tried to make a defense of the beleaguered superintendent but was quickly silenced by the other members.
Elizondo, a city employee, is said to be facing a "paycheck or board position"
option given the city's personnel policy hitherto unenforced which states that an employee may not serve in an elected position which might result in a conflict of interest.
Section 702: Political Activity
"B. Specifically, City Employees may not engage in the following activities:
4. Hold an elective City office or hold an elective or appointive office in any other jurisdiction where service would constitute a direct conflict of interest with City employment, with or without remuneration. Upon assuming such office, an Employee shall resign or shall be dismissed for cause upon failure to do so."The issue has surfaced repeatedly, starting with the move by the BISD administration (Zendejas) to move up the schedule of the meetings to an earlier starting hour than 5:30 p.m. to accommodate the fire chief who has to be present at the city meeting which is held on the same day at the same hour. If you were Elizondo, which meeting would you attend, the one with the entity which pays you your paycheck, or the one where the majority needs your vote? It may come down to that. Which hat will Carlos wear?
Among some of the complaints against Zendejas are:
1. allegations of questionable purchasing procedures on a number of items including $1.5 million in computer tablets for BISD 5th graders, $25,020 for golden rings for the Porter Early College High School 2016 5A Soccer Champions, and more than $2.5 million (and counting) spent to install artificial turf in three high schools to one company (Paragon Sports)
2. Potential violations of hiring procedures including coaches
3. A surge in litigation over personnel policy violations (you name it)
At one point, some BISD insiders said that Zendejas was asked to step outside the board room and that she wondered if she should request legal representation. The same insiders said that board counsel Salazar Baltazar was directed to meet with Zendejas' lawyers to work out an "exit strategy" and smooth out the transition.
Exiting may not be what Zendejas wants, but, given her average of 20 months duration at previous school districts where she has worked, the current 22 months would seem to be breaking the mold. Why would Zendejas want to stay given the tumultuous nature of her administration and the rocky relationship between BISD staff and with her board?
Right before the last BISD elections, the outgoing board voted to extend her contract for three years until 2020, saddling the incoming board with an obligation to keep her or pay her to go away. As usual, she has a lucrative payout awaiting her if she is fired. Take a look at the section in her contract dealing with compensation:
Given her history as superintendent in other districts, she won't stick around to clean up the mess, but will negotiate a settlement that will leaver her sitting pretty in her ripe old age. Not bad for a woman who was earning $75,000 as a charter school principal before trustee Joe Rodriguez dusted her off and placed her on the BISD pedestal, is it?
32 comments:
That wasn't very smart of Sylvia giving you detail discussions of executive discussions. Now we know who is your inside source.
So what?
Juan, you are the town's Biggest Puto!
All this fucking and Browntown is still the insatiable slut. Pity.
So once again BISD taxpayers will be stuck with paying off a superintendent. Johnny Pineda retired from education. Had to go to a different town. Hometown, way too many problems, way too many headaches.
Bertha Pena, IF SHE HAS the Superintendent certificate, would be a good choice. No, I am not related to the lady, I don't work for BISD, but I've seen her work as a principal at Lopez, an area administrator and in her current position. She knows BISD inside out. Problem with that? Board knows her strenghts and weaknesses and can twitch the fingers.
Keep in mind the school district will be punished by TEA if they buy her out. I personally think she needed 5 years to be vested in Texas in order to receive retirement.
How sad that Esperanza does not know how to treat people. Esperanza YA! Por favor necesitas irte POR FAVOR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You are a mean spirited individual who dislikes everyone and everything, even thou you have everything you need and want.
Sylvia Atkinson is KICKING ASS! GET PENDEJA ZENDEJAS OUT SYLVIA!!!! And get Carlos out too!
SHE IS NOT WORTH IT !
El joe se la Estara picando?
Why does the city allows an employee to violate their policies? Total conflict of interest, according to policy, an employee can't hold an ellected position. If this fire chief was Lenny Perez, the fire union will have already already fired him.
Now? Everyone has known since she moment she bought her way into the board that was her intention. She messed up before Zendejas got here and now blames Zendejas for suspending her. Coach Joe did not nominate Dr. Z. It was Caty Presas Garcia and she had a 7-0 vote, including la two faced Pena - both of them. All those projects were identified as the main ones through the TRE election when Zendejas presented it to the public. All the fuss is because la Minnie Mouse no le dieron un
anillo. Oh, and I can almost bet this won't be printed because you,
Juan, le lambes a Sylvia. Stupid us for even bothering to read you
bs journalism.
Mr. Montoya, how many school board meetings have you attended?
I guess you have your faithful reports sitting on the board.
Just like you want the Ring Buyer identified, we want the person
who is abusing their position on the board to report to you, to be hung by her/their tits. They are trying to intimidate everyone into their side which started with the giving of a pinche ice cream cone for a vote. I think it is time for a call to TEA on them.
Se te olvido la rica barbacoa.
I challenge you all Brownsville folk to contact TEA..............................http://tea.texas.gov/About_TEA/Contact/
The Firefighters union use to be the strongest union in brownsville now that the old guard is out and retired there's only the biggest ass kissers in brownsville on the board, fking sad.They totally ruined what was fought for the last 25 years to earn.I don't even think they no the true meaning of union.
Jefe...what does usurp means??
Juan, you intend to make fun of Dr. Zendejas with the picture you
insert, but this lady has you and your chismosas top. She is an honor graduate from Stanford University even though she grew up working in the fields with her family. She has been the best superintendent that BISD has had and ever will have. Those who do not agree or those on whose toes she has stepped on and call upon the coals for failure to do what they should be doing. He dicho!!!!
For the anonymous of march 10,2017 at 1:02pm
The best superintendent for bisd was Raul Besteiro.
Another good superintendent is Carl Montoya good fair and very good people skills.
She has not step on my toes however she needs to do some explaining to the board.
She is a proud superintendent ever 25th of the mouth you know what I mean. $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
That's true Mine was pissed when she heard that she wasn't getting a ring.
I've talk to the superintendent on many issues in BISD she has done nothing to improve any of the issues we talked about.
SHE DOES NOT EVEN WHAT TO RETURN PHONE CALLS.
SHE TO BUSY PLAYING POLITICS WITH THE CITY.
She is an honor graduate from Stanford University with a toilet paper degree with no common sense.
what happen with the porter rings ?
what happen with the food service administrator ?
what happen with the barbacoa ?
what she doing on conflict of interest, according to policy, an employee can't hold an elected position.
PURAS PINCHES RATAS
The majority of the board can vote to let Zendejas go.
WHY corruption ?
She knows to much on the majority of the board.
JOE RODRIGUEZ connected with the vendors with artificial turfs and the rings .(kick backs $$)
Carlos Elizondo connected with a vendor for CATE EMS AND Firefighters program at web. ( secret partner $$)
Cesar Lopez connected with vendors for food service and many more and more (kick backs $$)
P.Cowen Connected with the above board members. (kick backs $$)
You speak about not knowing how to treat people. You should take classes from the tyrant, Dr. A and then you'll really know how it is done. And as far as Berta Pena being supt. if she is it is because she is backing la so called Dr. A. because she is eleven cookies short of a dozen. If she doesn't read her reports and stutters when she does, she would not know any answer, yet she runs neck to neck with Dr. A on treating people, especially some who have supported her previously. Little by little people find out who is really there for the "passion" and not the stuffed pockets. Teri is not ready to take over and know all about what it takes to run a district, and neither is Berta. The one that was probably ready messed it but by misbehaving while she was here. Por sonsa!!!
Ya Minnie Pena and Atkinson. Minnie what's happened to you? this is not the Minnie that you used to be.Have you watched yourself at the board meeting Minnie? You don't say a word without looking at Atkinson for approval, check it out, everyone talks about it. You never say anything positive anymore, puro hatred towards everyone except Longoria. Everyone knows that you only support Pace and the principal. What about the other schools minnie? Don't you always say that you are there for the kids, or only the Pace kids? Your hate for Zendejas is because Rita wants her job. Rita and Longoria need to quit using you , like Atkinson is using you. Do you know how you are affecting the Porter students? Have you thought about how they feel with all of your nagging about the rings!! I guess it's more important that you find something to fire Zendejas, right?
Didn't Atkinson get money from BISD in order to leave $250,000?????? You would think that she would be thanking Zendejas for all that money, but she can't get over the fact that someone is smarter than her. She wants revenge, maybe she wanted more money!!
La Minnie Weinnie is all about herself and sure, she was boiling because she did not get a ring. I hear she is planning to run for a state office and I will vote for her to get her the hell out of the school board she thinks she owns. Good for Cesar Lopez that tells her to shut up, but Cesar, you need to do it more often. No se calla el osico and it is all "fake." Even her beating on her chest is bolony. Pone gorro esa vieja; como la aguanta Lupe!!!!
Minnie aka Cara de Weinie needs to go!! Vieja loca she lies and manipulates to get $$$! Plus she has a bad case of TRENCH MOUTH. No joke. Someone give that woman some LISTERINE.
I'm glad other see la Minnie Weinee like I do. You are right about her attraction to Longoria and Rita. You are right about her not being her own person anymore. At least, before she was speaking for herself and never bothered to get an approval from anyone before and after she opened her big mouth. When is her time up?
Your robot is getting so silly just like this blog and me for writing to it.
Why should she thank Zendejas for the quarter million dollars she got for leaving BISD. It was the running-scared board that granted her the grievance, knowing what she had done to have caused her dismissal. They dismiss her for right causes and they give her spending money. Those are the people we have on the school board that approve such. Where was Minnie Weinee when the vote was taken? She could not stand Atkinson when she was here and no she "kisses her hindnee." But she bangs her chest to show you she cares.
Hey it is obvious that those posting here are Esperanza's right hand principles and administrators. Be careful, when Esperanza retires where is that going to leave you. Think about it.
Some of these comments are hilarious. Many of you are clearly district employees who have chosen sides about someone who you probably have no direct contact with. I only pray to God that you all aren't classroom teachers, because your grammar and syntax are pathetic and embarrassing. God help the students you teach if you can't seem to compose a grammatically correct sentence.
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