Special to El Rrun-Rrun
The message has been made abundantly clear. If you criticize (even constructively) the superintendent or administrators of the Brownsville Independent School District, pack your gear because you're headed for the gulag.
In the past, the whistle blowers would be shunted off to the Food and Nutrition Service with the so-called "Hairnet" set.
That happened to people who worked in the insurance department, the transportation department, and even the purchasing department. People with complaints bout the way their departments was being managed expect to be targeted and for their bosses to ask the administration to transfer the "trouble makers."
Remember Rosario Pena? She was director of Purchasing until she ran afoul of former BISD trustee Cesar Lopez and Superintendent Esperanza Zendejas over the a presentation by artificial-turf vendor Paragon Sports before the company had been vetted by her department. Zendejas and trustee Joe Rodriguez rammed through the Buy-Board vendor without going through the department, and when Pena voiced her concern, she joined the "hairnet" crowd pronto.
Paragon has now netted upwards of $7 million in BISD projects, but Pena remains at FNS keeping an eye on that budget.
Another example is that of Tom Chavez, a former BISD Athletic Director and head football coach at Rivera Early College High School given a cubicle office at the Brownsville Learning Academy and doing...not much.Years and years of experience in athletics and administration go wanting, and wasted. Even though he has a grievance pending, he must be satisfied to be a glorified hall monitor and gets the $100,000-plus salary to go along with it.
We are told that just as Pena and Chavez, there are numerous individuals in other departments languishing in do-nothing make-work jobs while they draw their professional salaries.
We heard of learning disabilities professional with decades of experience who is relegated to an empty office because the Special Services Interim director Adriana Lippa was tired of hearing her complaints about the level of services to these children.
The exiled instructor reported discrimination against three- to five-year-old intellectually/physically disabled students in two separate PPCD (Preschool Program for Children with Disabilities) classrooms. The first group of students were being denied a FAPE (Free Appropriate Public Education) under IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) due to not having a certified teacher since mid-September.
As gratitude for having these deficiencies pointed out to her, Lippa directed th instructor to remain in an office with no work assignments. That was approximately four months ago.
The classroom environment was not conducive to learning. (The student’s still do not have a certified teacher, which Is against the law if the school has not notified the parents of the situation) the other classroom's restrooms Changing area was not ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliant.
In the report, the instructor said they and reported students being screamed at and tugged on by the arm in both classrooms. The unjust, discriminatory behavior towards these intellectually disabled, non-communicative students is still occurring as they are not yet receiving a FAPE under IDEA, the instructors say.
Although the problems reported still fester, the situation remains the same. Lippa's solution to the problem - with the approval of Area Administrator Dr. Timothy Cuff - has been to retaliate against whistle blowers by stripping them of all duties and remanding them to make-work duties to keep them out of their hair in retribution.
To a trained professional with a dedication ti special students, this amounts to psychological torture Not only do they suffer isolation from their coworkers and students who need them, but they are also excluded from trainings and presentations for their professional development.
And why this punishment? Just because they advocated for the kids and attempted to remedy problems in the Lifeskills and PPCD classrooms.
19 comments:
Who gives a shit? Not I, said the bear.
whatever happened with the spoiled barbacoa from mexico investigation?
DRain the swamp their sucking too much money from the tax payers
6.19 pm nada nada nada, the land of manana, the food director committed suicide and our Great cameron county DA Luis EL Mostacho Mojon duro saenz didnt do a damn thing about it just liek the Joe Alvarado case years ago. Lots of corruption at the County DA's office but of course NO ONE CAN SAY ANYTHING. Grand jury should ask the Da el mjon duro and joe Gavito where are all the skeletons buried, cuz both of them know lots of shit.
folks lots of people in this same situation but hey they get to kee their nice huge salaries while the grivence process moves very slowly tax dollars awasting
We should all care... And this needs to be reported to TEA! Otherwise, we all pay with $$$$ settlements because BISD administrators don't follow the law.
Juan,
Forward these complaints to Erasmo! He said he was going to end retaliation!
Tu Amigo,
El Guardián Del Pueblo
What happened to the Scumbag Rene Oliveira and the DUI he was charged with, and Captain Bob's Ex, who lied for him.
Isn't there a law banning retaliation against whisle blowers? BISD needs to change other wise they need to be voted OUT AGAIN!!!
TEA is a cover up organization for the teachers they never do any thing to punish anybody.
Se quemo el HEB. Juan, you are behind on your stories about BISD! Ask around and find out just how many more people have been reassigned or moved to a non-existing position. I was certain Dr. Hatton would wear some pants and put a stop to all the micromanagement by the school board. They are paving their way to place a certain area adm into the super's chair and are making room for that move and filling in the aa's position with someone who will be a yes-yes-woman to whatever SPA se le inche! Minerva goes up for re=election in 2020 and so she is faking her vote to win the votes and for that got in deep trouble with the dictator who tells her when she can breathe. When does SPA go out for election again? Those two need to go and with Prici and Drue next but Cowen comes first and also Erasmo. Erasmo es puro pedo and I realize why no one would vote for him before - this time only because he was the lessor of all the evils. BISD,
my condolences to you for your near death. I used to be so proud to be a part of the district, but now it shames me to hear others talk about us the way they do.
What's up? Is Sp Ed not the favorite baby of La Sylvia? Oh, but was not Ariana Lippa one of the cronies Sylvia took with her to Rio Hondo? Were both of them dismissed from Rio Hondo and Lippa comes back and gets this head job?
Something is not right here! I hear Lippa is in trouble so the next move with be to get Sandra Powers in charge and that Syliva will not vote on the selection. She will only pinch everyone else under the table to get them to vote for her, starting with Erasmo. Erasmo, what happened to the swearing in cerermony where you said you would never embarrass your father - again?
Student enrollment is down and they want pay raises??? What's next 6 months off with pay and vacation? WOW...
The elected board needs to be replaced "AGAIN" if they give out pay raises. STOP THE INCOMPETENCE NOW!!!!
Yeah..you vote them out and there are more cockroaches waiting their turn. Whatever happened to serving for the good of all and not for self serve?
We need to stop paying taxes to bisd and the port vote all of them OUT.
6:22 blogger, you hit the nail in the head. That is why so many people are so burned out and don't bother to vote cause we just have a fruit basket turn-over and get a younger set of idiots to lead. Morals and values are gone; our President sets the example. What will our kids follow?
Erasmo should be hired as the next sup he knows all the chismes at a local salary of $7.50 hr.
Is he sitting on a commode?
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