estherspeaks

• 6 months ago
  estherspeaks's comment on:

  Lancaster ISD wants public in on superintendent search

  This is an extremely poor survey. If the search team does not ask more specific questions than this then we will get another Larry Lewis. This team and the board of trustees need to be asking how a superintendent can turn this district around as far as community trust, budgetary and financial issues as well as academic standards being raised. We do not need the continual educational legalese that sounds good but does nothing to change the direction of this district. We need to ask the hard qustions and demand specific answers before we put our faith in another leader. Lancaster does not need another fiasco like we have had in the last five years.
  

• 1 year, 5 months ago
  estherspeaks's comment on:

  Common sense trumps spin at Lancaster ISD meeting

  It has been the practice at Lancaster ISD to ensure that the only news concerning the district came from the lips of Larry Lewis. Lewis has threatened his staff with termination if they spoke to the media and the last Board let him continue in this mode. This new board wants to try and become more transparent in its dealings with the community and that is something some are scared to death of.
  

  Lewis will continue to have problems with this Board if he thinks he can carry on business as usual. Yes, he has his supporters, but most of them have not been inside the schools to see what is really happening. Low tests scores, low teacher morale, lower in standards of behavior are just a few of the problems that are in the campuses. This does not even touch the financial problems that are continuing throughtout the district. It is time for new leadership and a fresh start-we have started with the Board of Trustees and now it is time for the administration to get a new leader.

• 1 year, 5 months ago
  estherspeaks's comment on:

  Lancaster ISD board of trustees to reprimand board president

  This source misused the Pegasus news to say the Baord President was to be reprimanded. This was an agenda item and was voted down by a 5-2 vote. The reprimand never came and should not be reported as if it did.
  

  Ms. Morris, Board President is trying to find out the truth about the current administration and some people in Lancaster have been duped by a very slick "Larry."

• 1 year, 5 months ago
  estherspeaks's comment on:

  Lancaster ISD superintendent should be held more accountable for credit card use

  Lewis is once again trying to gloss over the problems at LISD. It seems appropriate that Cedar Valley College is now playing "The Music Man" as Dr. Lewis could play the part very well. He never gives a straight answer and dances over all the problems.

  At least in the district, we have a new board of trustees and new leadership and it is imperative that this board not be hoodwinked by him as the last president was. They will need to seek out the truth concerning budgets, personnel and programs. Hopefully these new members have the intestinal fortitude to do what is best for Lancaster and our schools.

• 1 year, 9 months ago
  estherspeaks's comment on:

  Lancaster school board receives 5-year report

  What was not noted in this article is that the board still is less than open with the public about it financial statements. Repeatedly the public has asked that the agenda for the district spell out what the board is voting on as far as general financial reports. So far the board and this administration continue to hide the facts behind a blanket statement of "financial reports." to be voted on in a consent agenda. The public has no idea what is taking place and what is being voted on.

  This board was elected to represent their constituents and not to hide behind closed doors. Since this board refuses to act in good faith, it is necessary for the public to act in unison and vote in people who choose to do as the constitution requires, and "act in the best interest of its citizens."

• 1 year, 10 months ago
  estherspeaks's comment on:

  Lancaster ISD audit raises questions

  Dr. King is one that refuses to let the superintendent or even a CPA firm do her thinking for her. If anyone remembers the Enron debacle, they would recall that the board put their head in the sand also and look what that led to. If this board does not wake up this district will have the Wilmer-Hutchins legacy also. We cannot keep borrowing money and think we will not eventually have to pay the piper.
  

  Transparent government is what this nation was built on and yet we keeping hiding behind Lewis and accepting anything he says as gospel. Ed Kirkland, please don't let every good thing you ever stood for go completely down hill. Be a man and demand Lewis answer to the board instead of the board answering to him.

• 1 year, 10 months ago
  estherspeaks's comment on:

  UPDATED: Lancaster school trustees attempt to conceal truth about LISD finances

  It is the policy of the administration to hide anything doing with finances and to intimidate anyone (even a board member) if they question why or how things happen in LISD. Lewis continues to lead through intimidation and accusation. It is time for the public to rise up and ask for his resignation as well as those on the board that continue to hide their heads in the sand. It is time for a revolution of ideas in LISD!

• 1 year, 10 months ago
  estherspeaks's comment on:

  UPDATED: Lancaster school trustees attempt to conceal truth about LISD finances

  It is imperative that Mr. Allen and others continue to tell the whole truth about what is happening in Lancaster. The president and the majority of the board continue to put their heads in the sand as to what is happening in the district. Dr. Lewis is the tail wagging the dog. Since the Board president knows so little about parliamentary procedure, he has ridden rough shod over the other board members and their rights to get information or their right to question what is happening with the paid staff.
  

  Dr. King's request to pull an item from the consent agenda concerning finances was voted down by the majority of the board when as a member of the board she has the right to ask any question prior to any vote being taken. Point of order gives a board member the right to ask questions and to debate an issue unless the majority of the members vote to close debate(which was not done). Since the rules of order were violated, Dr. King had the right to question the clear violation in which her item was denied. Since none of the board seems to know the rules of procedure, then these unjustified mistakes will continue.
  

  If the voters really want change, we need to get people willing to run and release the present members from their positions and get people in there who are willing to learn, listen and ask the proper questions. Dr. King and Carolyn Morris cannot do it by themselves.

• 1 year, 11 months ago
  estherspeaks's comment on:

  UPDATED: Belo8 attack on South Oak Cliff coach should not be tolerated

  This problem is not a problem just in Dallas but in most high schools in Texas. There is so much pressure in schools to win that the teacher must decide between one's ethics or one's job.
  

  Players are being recruited and paid to go to other schools and given all types of incentives to be on the "winning" team. Coaches and administrators are pressuring teachers to change grades either overtly or out and out retaliation of one's job. No wonder kids do wrong and don't play by the rules--neither do the adults.

• 1 year, 11 months ago
  estherspeaks's comment on:

  Texas Education Agency statistics susceptible to "spin"

  Once again Lewis is trying to explain away these statistics by saying the numbers were keyed in wrong. It is amazing that all the district's mistakes are either the fault of Pentamation or some lowly employee that cannot type of a computer. It seems to me that a good manager would hire competent people if for no other reason than to keep him from looking incompetent.

  If this administration keeps doing as it has in the last few years, the classrooms will all be holding at least 40 students in a room at secondary level and we will continue to hire administrative people who walk around giving work to the teachers so they can have purpose for their jobs. We have another grant the (TAP) grant which will pay the salary for a master and mentor teacher. They will not teach children but rather teach teachers. Wouldn't you think that after four or five years of college we should know our profession well enough not to have another level of bureaucracy to hand in reports to?

  Anyone with any knowledge knows that a lower class sizes increases academic achievement - We do not need more administrators.

• 2 years ago
  estherspeaks's comment on:

  Lancaster ISD superintendent speaks at educators' conference

  How in the world did a man who has made Lancaster ISD a laughing stock of the metroplex area get to speak on how to raise academics in schools? Apparently the conference organizers did not do much of its own research.
  

  If we are doing such a good job, then why on Friday did Lewis start doing personnel changes. It seems that Randall is being bumped up to the administration level to work on federal and state programs and Roosevelt Nivens is being moved from the junior high school to the high school. This is very strange timing. I wonder if this has anything to do with the TEA audit.
  

  Speaking of the audit, originally TEA said they would just be here 2 or 3 days. We now have had them here over 3 weeks. Do you think maybe they are realizing it may take quite a bit of digging to find all of the problems and cover-ups that Lewis and crew have made?

  Hopefully the house of cards is beginning to fall?

• 2 years ago
  estherspeaks's comment on:

  Lancaster approves $37.5M in municipal bonds

  Isn't it strange that the City can get its bond packages passed but the school district cannot? Do you think it might be that the city leaders are trusted more than the school leaders? Just wondering????

• 2 years ago
  estherspeaks's comment on:

  Lancaster ISD approves purchase of Lancaster TODAY newspapers

  Dr. Lewis once again believes that he can do whatever he chooses and the citizens of Lancaster will buy whatever propaganda he professes. We are not ignorant but see this purchase for what it is - a bribe to get the LT to cover his side of the district events the way he wants them to be reported. After he blatantly called the DMN liars, for their accurate reporting on the daily mishandling of the district's finances, Lewis needed another outlet for his outlandish diatribes.

  There is absolutely no objective way to prove this will increase student academic improvement, parental involvement, or reading skills. Those of us who want the paper already use our money to pay for it and why should we use our taxpayer money TWICE so that others can have a paper they did not want in the first place. Put the money into the classroom where the kids and teachers can actually see it. We don't have enough equipment, paper, supplies and too many children are crowded into one classroom. If Lewis claims to research his proposals, then he should see that smaller classrooms produce better academic gains than any other form of program or gimmicks.

• 2 years, 1 month ago
  estherspeaks's comment on:

  Lancaster TODAY: back by popular demand

  Even though as a taxpayer of Lancaster, I am pleased to see a local newspaper back in Lancaster, I truly am sceptical about this relationship between the newspaper and the schools. There is no way that the newspaper can report objectively on a government entity if the paper owes its very existence to that entity.
  

  It is apparent that if Steve Snider had still been at the Lancaster Today paper as editor, that the deal would never have occurred. It makes one question as to the motives of Dr. Lewis for proceeding with this venture. Is it that Brian is of the same ethinicity or is it that the paper was bribed to print propaganda for Lewis?

  It seems strange that the purchase of 4000 or 5000 subscriptions has been purchased for $120000.00 before the Board of Trustees has met in session to approve such a budgetary move. Also one wonders why the district does not have enough money to cover necessary supply budgets for its teachers, but it has enough money to purchase subscriptions for parents who do not even read a paper. The parents and taxpayers should be questionsing once again what are Lewis' motives and how does he continue to get away with this type of LISD budget squandering.

• 2 years, 2 months ago
  estherspeaks's comment on:

  UPDATED: Garland and Lancaster ISDs come up "substandard" in Financial Integrity Ratings

  Although Pegasus and Socraticgadfly are banned from LISD, it is refreshing to see that apparently, Lewis is scared of the truth. This reminds me of pre-Civil war days where the "Master of the Plantation" refused to allow the slaves to learn to read for fear that knowledge would encourage them to rise up and revolt. It did not work then and it will not work now. Massa Lewis can try all he wants to keep the people from Lancaster from hearing the truth, but it will not work. The people know what type of dictator he is and they will not stay quiet much longer. The saddest thing about all of this is that it is dividing the town and we all know what Lincoln said about " a house divided against itself." Let's hope the board opens its eyes before they let that happen.

• 2 years, 3 months ago
  estherspeaks's comment on:

  Lancaster vote on budget, tax rate postponed until Aug. 21

  It is my suggestion, that questions that seemingly do not have answers should be sent to our elected representatives and insist that they get the right answers from Lewis. The LISD Board of Trustees have email addresses and you can make sure they read them by sending them to "firstnamelastname@lancasterisd.org"
  

  Even though, Lewis does not care about what the community thinks (his words-not mine), we still have the power of the vote and come May we will exercise it. Remember, a new board can demand Lewis' departure.

• 2 years, 3 months ago
  estherspeaks's comment on:

  Beleaguered Lancaster School District takes another blow

  Regardless of whether or not there is outright stealing taking place at the LISD administration, the fact remains that the promises this superintendent made when he came to the district, he has not kept. He promised to have at least a 3 million dollar fund balance after the first two years and now we are down to just around $500,000.00. He said we would be an exemplary district in five years of his coming, but we are academically further behind than when he came. We now have two campuses that are unacceptable with no recognized campuses. In his first convocation to the district employees, he said we would be the best predominately African-American district in the nation, but our state ratings proved that to be untrue.
  

  When he speakes to the board he brags on the sports and the fine arts departments, but the academics are not his top priority. He speaks about the IB program he is bringing in, but that is not a done deal. That final determination is not even to occur until the late Fall semester or early Spring semester and with our TAKS and AYP status, it is very doubtful that it will be approved.
  

  When the bond issues were put out, the information he gave to the community was that we had to have more buildings because we did not have enough seats for all the children coming to Lancaster. His new proposal is to not even open the East Campus and to leave that campus unopened. If we are running our of seat room, why would you leave an entire campus vacant, especially in an emergency situation. Dr. Lewis, you cannot have it both ways-either we don't have enough seats and we need the buildings or we have enough seats but they aren't in the new buildings that you have pushed so hard for. Which is it?

  At the board meeting, you said "I don't care what the community thinks of me, as long as the Board knows me." Well, Dr. Lewis, you and the BOT need to care what the community thinks about you, because it is the community that replaced one board member, (Vick) and it will be the community that votes on who will be on the board come May. The community spoke last May and they will again this May and you may have to eat your words. The community is the final boss of all school employees and that includes you.

• 2 years, 3 months ago
  estherspeaks's comment on:

  Lancaster ISD rescinds request for 4-day school week

  Once again LISD, dodged a bullet, but this does not end the battle. When Lewis wants something, he is determined to not give up even if the community is against him. I'm afraid, we still have a fight on our hands.
  

  Thanks, Ms. Morris for your hard work.

• 2 years, 4 months ago
  estherspeaks's comment on:

  Lancaster ISD Board votes to approve 4-day school week

  Jeff wants many of us to come out from behind the anonymous curtain and tell who we are; it is a dangerous thing to do if we work for the district. As a teacher or staff member in Lancaster, if you speak your mind or have a different point of view from Dr. Lewis, then it is a certainty that you will be demoted, harassed, or intimidated by him or one of his henchmen.
  As a staff member, we were told we should not speak to the media about the four day week proposal so we would not try to influence TEA with our comments. When Lewis tells you not to speak, you better not or you do so with great peril coming your way.
  As an educator, our first responsibility is to our students and the only reason we should ever do anything is to improve the instruction to those students. This plan was ill-conceived and was not given time to be researched and planned for the betterment of our kids. When we went to block scheduling, we sent surveys to parents, ex-students, community members, staff members and educational experts throughout the state for over two years before we went to a major change that affected the way we taught kids. When we decided to go to uniforms for the district, we studied the idea for over a year. Ideas that affect the entire community and student body should be studied far longer than four days. Dr. Lewis made the decision to go to a four day week on Thursday night before the board meeting on Monday night. He decided to make this decision because we needed find 2 million dollars in savings-not because it was educationally based.
  Although as a teacher, I may want to only work four days a week, this is educationally unsound and not good for our kids, and after all isn’t that what education is suppose to be about. "Children first."

• 2 years, 4 months ago
  estherspeaks's comment on:

  Lancaster ISD Trustees vote to reinstate demoted social studies coordinator

  Finally, the district has corrected a major mistake. Mr. Moore has dedicated his life to the kids and district of Lancaster for 20 years and this is how Dr. Lewis rewarded him. The social studies TAKS scores have been the best throughout the district and what does Lewis do-he demotes him and leaves the coordinators with the worse scores in place. What is wrong with this picture? It seems the better you do your job in Lancaster-the better chance of harmful repercussions.

  Thankfully the Board righted this wrong.

• 2 years, 5 months ago
  estherspeaks's comment on:

  Lancaster ISD school capacity analysis

  Racism has nothing to do with why support for Dr. Lewis has waned over the last year. “Canyouhearme” tells us to get our information from Dr. Lewis or the district. That would be wonderful, if we got correct information or “ANY” information from the district that was not slanted or misconstrued. What we get is a spin doctor and false, flawed, or no information when open record requests are requested. If you continue to have doors closed and information is slow or does not come at all, then mistrust begins to set in. As a supporter of Dr. Lewis for the first three years of his tenure, I wanted so to believe that the African-American community finally had gotten someone here that would be a good role model for our ever-growing population of African-American students, but at every public meeting, parents and those who asked questions were rebuked or ridiculed because they did not fall into lock step with the spin doctor. Parents started to question why our kids were not achieving in the academic areas that we were promised. We got bigger and better bands and choirs and bigger and better sports teams, but our academics are still below standards. We wanted our schools to be like those in Plano and Richardson, but not all kids are high achievers in fine arts and sports, some want a better learning environment. It seems this is the height of racism when we tell our African-American kids, we want you to excel in basketball and music, because academics are not as much fun or rewarding. This may be why those of Dr. Lewis’ early supporters turned against him. Look at where the most money was spent in the last bond—a football field, three gyms, band hall, choir, theatre, orchestra rooms. All of these are great things and I know our kids want them, but the academic facilities should have come first and then the sports facilities. That is why when we opened the new high school, on day one we had, teachers that had to float from room to room, because we did not have enough class space. Staff told this administration that what was needed but Lewis turned a deaf ear and did it his way. Once again input was disregarded.

  At every turn supporters of the bond claim that voters voted against the bond because they are against doing what is right for kids-- this just is not true. Voters voted against this administration being in charge of new money after a proven track record that Larry Lewis and his administration will not listen to his staff, or this community. A vote against the bond was not a vote against children, but against this current administration. You do not give a blank check to someone who continually pulls the district to lower levels than ever before.
  

  Look at the graduation rate. Over 50 seniors did not pass the exit level TAKS test. The exit level results in the areas of Math and Science are deplorable (the 30% range). Repeatedly we are told that this superintendent will bring students to greater levels of success than ever before, but we still are not there. Dr. Lewis is always saying that we need to look at the research--well, research says that lower classes sizes will result in higher academic success. Rather than spending huge amounts of money on an International Baccalaureate program for the few, put the money with the regular and lower academic success students and add additional teachers for those students so we can get the higher academic success. Research those schools that have an IB program and it shows that they graduate less than 2% of their students from the Diploma Program. This is just another program that is being forced on this district’s teachers and students just so it can look good on the superintendent's resume'.

  We have a good school system with great kids, teachers, and staff, but their input and the community’s input is routinely ignored. "Children First" must be more than a slogan, it should be our first concern. Let’s put ‘children first’ and get someone at Centre Street that wants what is best for our kids. Our Board of Trustees must ask themselves, will they allow this feud to continue within the realms of the community or will they wake up and do the right thing and replace Dr. Lewis with someone that truly will put "Children First?"

• 2 years, 6 months ago
  estherspeaks's comment on:

  Lancaster ISD Bond Referendum fails

  As a taxpayer of Lancaster, I believe that good schools increase the tax base and the housing market in our area, but all that being said, until the district provides the citizenry of Lancaster a manager that will guard and protect our financial interests, no taxpayer should entrust this to the present superintendent and his financial wizards. The board of trustees must open their eyes and realize that this vote was not a vote against the schools but rather those in charge of the schools. We realize our schools are growing and new buildings will need to come, but this superintendent has not kept his promises to be a good steward of our tax dollars and therefore does not deserve our trust or money,

• 2 years, 6 months ago
  estherspeaks's comment on:

  Former North Mesquite football player/Lancaster grad gets second chance at sentencing

  In reference to the number of actual students who walk across the stage for their diplomas, the public might be interested that as many as 35-40% of the class of 2007 may not get their diplomas this year. There is a very high number of students who did not pass all four parts of the TAKS test and many more that are in denial of credit due to lack of attendance to class.
  

  The state of Texas says that a student must be in a class 95% of the time or they are denied credit for that course. Even though as many as 187 students of the 2007 class are in that number, LHS will find a way a reducing the number by letting them go to "Saturday or night class" to make up the time. Of course they only put in time, and no learning takes place, but the school can say the time was put in. LISD is more interested in ensuring we meet the minimum standards than making sure students are held accountable for their actions and get a quality education. It seems once again adults are making sure their CYA is in place than doing right by kids.

• 2 years, 6 months ago
  estherspeaks's comment on:

  UPDATED with meeting coverage: Three town hall meetings planned for Lancaster ISD

  During the town meeting, the question was asked how many teacher assaults have happened this year by students. The questioner was a staff memeber in LISD. She was reprimanded by Lewis because she asked the question in a public forum. What the superintendent did not seem to care about was not only does Ms. Wade work for the district but she is also a district taxpayer. The superintendent's answer to the question was there had only been one assault this year that he knew of at the high school. Either the superintendent has not been given correct information, or he has not taken the time to discover the truth for himself.
  

  At least six occurrences of assault have happened this year. A scence teacher was hit in the eye, students from an entire class threw calculators at an Algebra teacher ressulting in her resignation, another Math teacher had toys cars, paper wads, and many other objects thrown at him, a reading teacher had to be home for months due to students hurting her arm and resulting in major injury, several teachers were hit during a major disturbance with a student as he hit another science teacher in the hallway. Many teachers have already turned in their resignations as they are afraid to continue to work in the school or many will be turning in their resignations as soon as they can find other employment.
  

  Many will ask what does this have to do the bond. First, if the superintendent will not tell the truth about the events that happen at the campuses on a daily basis, why would one think he would tell the truth about how money is to be spent from tax dollars. Secondly, if staff is being intimidated from speaking and asking legitimate qustions in an open forum meeting, then it is indicative of how this superintendent controls the district-intimidation and fear. Many of the same people that he wants to vote for the bond are the same people who are being berated for having a difference of opinion. As he has said in many faculty meetings, "I know what you do and to whom you speak and I watch everything you do." A good leader leads by example and this is not the example we want for our children nor for our community. Let the Board of Trustees know through your vote that we need a trustworthy superintendent before we will trust him with anymore bond money.

• 2 years, 7 months ago
  estherspeaks's comment on:

  UPDATED: Lancaster ISD to hear 2006 financial report at tonight's meeting

  I think the defintion of mismanagement must have a completely different meaning for Dr. Lewis than what the general public knows it to be. Webester describes it as "to manage or adminster badly." If you are the man in charge and those under your supervision do not do their jobs correctly or if they cannot find where 14 million dollars was spent, then it seems to me that this is bad management or the epitome of very sloppy oversight. Either way the buck has to stop at the man at the top. Regardless of whether or not Lewis takes the blame for this or not-it is extremely poor management of public funds and that is the reason he was hired. When is the board going to wake up and hold this man accountable? If we do not watch it, we will be so far gone that we cannot ever climb out of this hole.

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