Category Archives: Commentary

Voices United: GCISD Trustee Rodriguez speaks about Board Policy Violations

Before the Board of Trustees meeting on April 24, Trustee Jorge Rodriguez requested several items to be added to the agenda. Board President Casey Ford did not add them. You can listen here to the meeting, when Rodriguez asks Ford why they are not on the agenda.

Click above to hear the voice of GCISD Board Member Jorge Rodriguez.

Below are the eight questions that Trustee Jorge Rodriguez asked Board President Casey Ford to add to the public meeting agenda on April 24, 2023. Ford did not add these items to the Board’s agenda, nor did Ford explain why.

Despite Rodriguez’ request for transparency from Ford, the public still does not know the following:

  1. Update on the lawsuit by James Whitfield against Trustee Tammy Nakamura and GCISD (with specific request that the district’s counsel, Brackett & Ellis, be present at the meeting to answer questions)
  2. The agreement reached in the lawsuit by Mitchell Ryan against GCISD and Jorge Rodriguez as the Board President including an update on the contents of the agreement reached by Casey Ford and his attorney Tim Davis with Mitchell Ryan and Mitchell Ryan’s attorney (along with a specific request that Brackett & Ellis also be present to answer questions)
  3. Report on instructional materials and new books — including a list of books to be approved by the school board and, if any books had been removed from the libraries and the reason for removal.
  4. The two-way dual language program — to continue the discussion from the March 2023 meeting along with a vote from the school board on whether to continue or eliminate the two-way dual language program.
  5. Personnel Report — an update on the job openings and resignations (along with a comparison to the numbers of resignations from last year).
  6. High school schedules — block scheduling versus an 8-period day (continuing discussion from March 2023 meeting and getting answers to questions that were not answered during March 2023 meeting)
  7. Advanced Academics — a GCISD district comparison to surrounding districts.
  8. GCISD evaluation for the previous year (2022) and the district’s 2023 goals.

More Outside Influence in GCISD: Consider The Source

Before you get too far into dissecting the inaccuracies included in the Op-Ed that Shannon Braun “wrote,” make sure you consider the source: Dallas Express – a news publication owned by Monty J. Bennett (yes … that same Monty Bennett).

1. Monty Bennett donated $5,000.00 in April 2022 to get Tammy Nakamura elected to the GCISD board of trustees.

2. In June 2022, Monty Bennet, Chris Putnam and Aaron Harris formed Texans for Education Rights Institute.

3. In October 2020, Aaron Harris donated $15,000 to a PAC supporting Casey Ford.

Why do we continue to find evidence that the new GCISD board majority are being influenced and controlled by individuals outside our district who have no real interest in improving GCISD?

But, rather, are cavorting with individuals who consistently push to destroy public schools in order to make way for school vouchers and charter schools?

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