Monday - January 12, 2009
Good morning!  I hope you had a good week coming off our Winter Break and got a lot accomplished.  I certainly want to congratulate all the Texas Longhorns on their win over Ohio State.  I received many e-mails and comments about the OU/Florida game and all I can say is another BCS bowl defeat.  Of course, I wish OU could have won, but certainly Florida played well.  We can all look forward to next year and see what the season holds for us.  I, as nearly everyone, wish that a playoff system would be initiated rather than the BCS ratings.  Several teams could lay claim to have the opportunity to play for the national championship, but only a playoff system will really settle it.  So much for college football this year!

This past week I really enjoyed reading Inside Northside Weekly.  The "holiday roundup" stories really showed the caring and giving attitude of our schools during the holiday season.  The collection of food, toys, money, etc. to be given to those in need was amazing.  I could mention several of them, but I simply encourage you to read what many of the schools did for those in need.  I know that much more was done by schools not mentioned in Inside Northside Weekly, and I want to thank all of you and especially our students for all they did to help make the holiday season special for so many families.  When we talk about "We Believe," this shows how much we believe in our schools, our community, and our families, by having such a caring and compassionate attitude.  Northside, you are great!

The City of San Antonio, as well as some of our Congressmen, has asked us to put together a list of projects for consideration when President-Elect Obama and Congress consider an economic stimulus package for our nation.  The projects were to be ones that would be "ready to work" and could be completed in about a two-year period.  The projects we submitted for consideration would be projects that would be contracted which would entail people performing the jobs for contractors that would complete the jobs.  The areas in which we submitted projects were student safety, technology, repair and renovations, and energy conservation.  The total amount submitted for consideration was $183.2 million.  We may or may not receive any of the funding, but I would hope that if an economic stimulus package is passed that school districts will be considered for funding of projects.  Infrastructure needs of our states, counties, and cities are important, but so are the infrastructure needs of our school districts.  I have submitted our list to the City and to each of the Congressmen and U.S. Senators that represent Northside.

Last week was also an interesting week in politics as the Texas Legislature prepares to begin their session tomorrow and end on June 1.  Of course, I am speaking about the change that took place in terms of the position of Speaker of the House of Representatives.  The Speaker's position is a very powerful position in Texas and whoever occupies that position has a large influence on the legislation and funding that affects public schools.  I am extremely pleased that Representative Joe Straus of San Antonio is the one that will probably be selected as the new Speaker.  Although his legislative district covers Alamo Heights and some of North East school districts, he has always been very receptive to our concerns in Northside.  He has always been one who took the time to listen to us and ask for our input on issues related to education.  I truly believe Representative Straus being Speaker will be good for San Antonio and good for Northside.

Last Tuesday our Board of Trustees Policy and Intergovernmental Relations Committee met with several of our legislators and their staff about issues for their consideration in the upcoming session.  We had a great meeting in which we focused on school finance and funding, accountability, unfunded mandates, exemption of unschooled refugee children from the accountability system, and local control.  I really appreciate all of our legislators and their staff for taking the time to meet with us and wanting to do what is best for our schools.  A big thank you to Senator Leticia Van de Putte and also our Deputy Superintendent for Business and Finance, George Torres, for coordinating and arranging the meeting.

I was invited to attend a meeting on Friday in Austin with Senate and House education committee staff and Rep. Rob Eissler, Chairman of the House Education Committee, to discuss some of the concepts that might be considered in a new or revised accountability system.  There were about ten superintendents from across the state that met with them and discussed our ideas about some of the things being considered.  This opportunity to provide input is very important and I do believe that consideration will be given to a more equitable and fair accountability system that will be more than just an accountability system that is punitive.  I can only hope the same will occur at the federal level with NCLB.

As I close this Monday Message, I want to say congratulations to Calvin Howell of Warren High School who participated in the 2009 U.S. Army All American Bowl.  Calvin was chosen as an All American high school player as a defensive tackle.  I attended a banquet honoring all of the Army All Americans and enjoyed it very much.  Calvin is planning on attending the University of Texas, and we are very proud of his accomplishments.

Thanks for all you do, and have a great week.  We Believe in the power of public education!