A group of people down in Cleburne decided to do an Open Records Request to the school district and then decided to create a web site and post some of the questionable expenditures.
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3.22.2007
That Dang Internet
A group of people down in Cleburne decided to do an Open Records Request to the school district and then decided to create a web site and post some of the questionable expenditures.
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19 comments:
Bet these ticked off people have no clue what it's like to be expected to travel a lot to school functions, training and conferences; nor host others and have professional meetings. The superintendant has responsibilities they are just not able to relate to. It is a position of leadership. Any professional or person of similar responsbilities can look at those receipts and understand just about all of them, having experienced similar situations. Why should the CEO of a large school district be under such unfair scrutiny? Maybe some of the local mad mommies and daddies should pay more attention to their kids, as it seems obvious they have some vendetta and it's probably because their "babies" have been treated "unfairly" in their minds. It really sucks to be a school official or a teacher. What will we do when we finally make it such a miserable profession that we don't have any more?
Do I understand that 1 glass of tea cost $35? There's something wrong if the school district has their employees being exploited by some goofy hotel that charges these ridiculous prices.
Hallelujah and amen, Anon 8:21! Someone who finally gets it!
Sales tax is included on the billing, so a school Master card was not used. Was this submitted for reimbursement?
the differance between a real ceo and admin at a school is real simple.
they r spending MY MONEY. real ceo's make me money .
I'm inspired. Hey 8:21 pm, catch a clue. Go to that website and view all the questionable expenditures. Washers, dryers, dishwashers etc, etc. 8:39 am is right on, ceo's spend there company money and superintendants spend the taxpayers.
8:21PM, because the school district is funded with taxpayer's money. They should be under a microscope constantly. Its been proven over and over when people have access to money and no oversight, they can't keep their fingers out of the cookie jar, as seen here. As a leader, they should set an example. The example I see is spend, spend, spend. Part of the complaint these people have is that teachers are being denied pay raises while this goes on. They have the money, but they choose to spend it on Ruth Chris' Steakhouse instead of the teachers or children.
If the administrators cannot handle the fact that they will be scrutinized, they can find another job.
If you had read the story, one of the people making the complaint owns a company. Its a fairly well-known and successful business. I'm sure he understands everything you've tried to use against him quite well. Saying "Well, you just don't understand!" is a poor defense.
Is that web site for real? Do the people contributing to it expect anyone with two brain cells to tke them seriously? That's the best example of how not to grind an axe that I've seen in a long time.
8:21: You typify the attitude of most of these kinds of public employees that get caught with their hand in the cookie jar.
We, the taxpayers, "have no clue" and are "not able to relate"?? That is offensive. What are we, stupid? We can't understand what it is like to "travel a lot" or have "professional meetings"?
I am a "professional person" in a corporate environment, and I can promise you that if I suggested that my company pay to have my office furnished by Pottery Barn I would be laughed out of the room.
You are exactly right, I cannot relate to being given a free reign to spend like this.
By the way, if you had read the article you would see that the "mad mommies and daddies" (clearly you are just disdainful in general of parents who complain about the performance of school employees, whether or not they have a point) in this case send their children to private school. They are simply angry with the wasteful spending.
Obviously you are some kind of school employee. It would be in your best interest to remember that you work for the taxpayers. When it becomes a "miserable" profession for you, you can go and get a job in the real world. If you are able to actually get a job in the private sector, you will quickly learn that corporations don't rubber stamp expense reports, and if you fudge them you will not be slapped on the wrist and allowed to reimburse the company. You will most likely be fired on the spot, because, you see, in the private sector you CAN and often DO actually lose your job for dishonesty and/or incompetence.
9:11pm: That's what I thought at first, but it actualy doesn't say "iced" tea, so probably it is some kind of exotic tea blend.
I am hoping that Tea is of the Long Island variety; and then I am hoping that the liqour was top-shelf.
I hope 8:21 is not a local educator/administrator...he/she makes it sound like it is ok to spend taxpayer money frivolously. The really bad thing about 8:21's post is that they obviously are not a professional person and have obvioulsy not been in a position of leadership, or maybe they were and were fired because of their spending practices and are just a little bitter still! Any good professional CEO with a private company is still mindful of company dollars! There is a line between entertaining clients to get business and abusing the expense account for personal gain/pleasure!
School functions, training and conferences should not be play time. They should be ran effieciently and conservatively!
"you can go and get a job in the real world" ?????
REAL WORLD??
I'm not 8:21, but 10:24, are you saying that school teachers are not employees in the REAL WORLD? Public school employees are not in REAL WORLD jobs?
You just lost all your credibility! Idiot!
Can't we all just look the other way and let things like this pass?
Man!!! Hope I never get 10:34's kid in my classroom. Leave that chip on your shoulder out in the "real world."
Shame on public officials who do not account for expenses or who use public funds for personal reasons or frivilously. They give the rest of us a bad reputation.
However, working in a "for profit" company and in a school district are completely different. Having done both, I can tell you that there is very little comparison.
How many "business" people have to take sick leave days in order to get your paperwork done? I see teachers every year who do just that.
How many business people would accept an employment contract that doesn't state the exact rate of pay, a contract that says, "and other duties assigned by the administration" so that you can be forced to do any job at any hour of the day without additional pay?
Most adults grew up in the world where a teacher "taught" the first half of the class, and then sat down to grade papers and prepare for tomorrow's lesson the other half. The "curriculum" consisted of a textbook that we followed page by page.
Classrooms don't operate that way anymore. In order to teach the students everthing that is required, teachers MUST teach the entire class period.
That's great. That's how we want it.
But, have you stopped to think about when the teachers are grading and when they are preparing for the next day? Do you think they have time to do that in a 45 minute conference period?
Teachers and administrators are being asked to do more and more; they should be doing more and more. But, they can't do more without more time to prepare, more time to study, more time to grade, more time to contact parents.
That is not an excuse to waste public funds. Administrators should be held accountable. The problem is that that web site is not going to fix anything.
Tax-payers can't "fix" education by applying "business-world" principles or those that worked 10 or 20 or 30 years ago. Taxpayers can't fix it by posting receipts on the web.
6:38 pm I don't think their purpose is to fix education. That's a totally different subject. It seems to me their purpose is to put a stop to the mis-use of taxpayer funds by those involved in education. Which seems to be mainly administrators and board members etc.
Besides, it seems to have worked so far, since the Cleburne ISD is under investigation by the state.
I have worked in the "Real World" versus the "School World." The school environment is a better work environment. There's less stress, no fear of being fired, a guaranteed job once you are in, and the work year is not 12 months. Granted the pay is not as high, but you are only working 9.5 months per year.
I don't know what "school world" you worked in, but obviously it wasn't on this planet! No stress?
GUARANTEED job? Evidently you had no clue about the educational profession, and had to look elsewhere, because your description of the "school world" is way off base! ...especially if the job is taken seriously. Glad you are out of the EDUCATIONAL REAL WORLD JOBS!
Whoa 9:40 pm. Well, I work at one of those so-called schools, and I can tell you that most weeks, my 40 hours gets here before Thursday is over. Do I get overtime pay? Yeah, right! OK - so I guess there is a huge difference in education and your real world. And, I'm not alone - many coaches, teachers, administrators, etc. rarely put in a mere 40 hour work-week.
And, please, please share with me those schools who only work 9.5 months. I've worked in 4 different ones, and I've never only worked 9.5 months. In fact, last summer, I had approximately 6 weeks off.
And, you want stress - step foot in a local high school. This is, by far, the most stressful job I've ever had - and yes, I've also worked in the real world.
Granted, the pay is not high - that's a consolation prize for horribly late hours, high-stress, disrespectful students, bosses who just don't care, unsafe working conditions?????? I think not! But somebody's gotta' do it, huh? Who else would teach your kids?
No stress - that one really gets me!
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