Eight Dallas ISD Trustees voted against democracy at the monthly Board Briefing held at 11:30 A.M. on Thursday, September 11, 2008. Board Briefings are not convenient for public participation.
A special Board meeting was called by the President and Superintendent to adopt a single item on the same Board Briefing day it was first requested by Ron Price and Leigh Ann Ellis. Obviously someone wanted the policy to be in effect immediately so that it will apply to the September Board Meeting to be held two weeks later on September 25, 2008.
I wonder why? Maybe it has something to do with Agenda items like the proposed Ethics policy that will appear on the September 25th agenda for approval.
The Board passed the following amendment to Board Policy BE(Local) that previously required one Trustee but now requires two Trustees to pull an Agenda item for separate vote at the monthly Board meeting:
"Except in the event of a possible conflict of interest, a request to pull an item from the consent agenda for a separate vote must be made by at least two Board members."
Those Voting Yes
Jack Lowe
Ron Price
Leigh Ann Ellis
Lew Blackburn
Jerome Garza
Edwin Flores
Adam Medrano
Nancy Bingham
Those Voting No
Carla Ranger
They might call this the Carla Ranger policy. It was designed to keep me from pulling items from the consent agenda. The Trustees want a dictatorship of the majority. They want corporate domination. That want short meetings with no dissent. They want decisions made in secret not before the public. They don't want democracy or equality. They want to prevent public disagreement, debate, and discussion.
They think they have silenced Carla Ranger. Instead, they have done great damage to democracy and their own rights as Trustees. Truly amazing what selfish politics does to people.
This is one of the worst Boards in Dallas ISD history. It is driven by an anti-democratic ideology that is self-serving. It is pursuing an ideologically driven agenda that undermines public education. It is a cold and callous Board that disrespects the public and acts against the public interest.
All this Board needs is one rubber stamp.
