ECISD still needs work

At least 70 people attended Tuesday night’s standing-room only board meeting, but no one argued that the Ector County Independent School District is where it needs to be — including the top administrator.

Superintendent Hector Mendez addressed several issues brought before the board concerning changes made too quickly for teachers, lack of communication and scores in student population subgroups needing the attention of the Texas Education Agency. But he said the district is moving forward.

“We have to learn to work different,” Mendez said to trustees. “We need to share information.”

Mendez said ECISD is on the verge of having a credit warning from the state, meaning it could lose the ability to grant credits to students, or it could have a monitor from the TEA step in to monitor every move the district makes. He said the discomfort some employees feel with changes would only be made worse through control of the state.

“We don't have a program that is free from any type of discomfort,” Mendez said as he spoke prior to the board’s approval of an Educational Philosophy, root of three big changes — Eduphoria, CSCOPE and the required weekly meetings of teachers — that have drawn the ire of many teachers.

Mendez then talked about some of the issues in the district, admitting students are not where they need to be. In 2011, only 410 of nearly 1,200 graduating seniors took the SAT or ACT exams for college. He also spoke about the students in advanced placement courses and that less than half are passing the exams for college credit.

“Is that the teacher’s fault?” Mendez said, pausing. “It’s the system’s fault.”

Mendez said he knew the changes were difficult, but welcomed ideas from others for a better approach to change.

“There’s no magic bullets, but we can’t let it be left to chance,” Mendez said, noting the changes made in the last year have been difficult but claimed they’ve also been necessary.

At that point, Mendez singled out Chuck Isner, who is regional president for the Texas State Teachers Association.

“It’s not perfect, Chuck,” Mendez said.

Isner had addressed the board during the meeting’s public forum, prior to Mendez’s comments.

“From the beginning of the year my message has been the same: it is too much too fast. Please slow down,” Isner said to board members, and then talked about the district’s positions on listening to concerns. “I can tell you making our concerns known has not felt welcome.”

Isner’s comments went over the five minute limit, as mandated per public forum time, however,  trustees unanimously approved Isner be allowed to go over his time limit.

“Teachers want to do better, but we do not have unlimited time to meet unrealistic expectations,” Isner said.

The Educational Philosophy was approved with a vote of 5-to-2, with board member Donna Smith and Yollie Wilkins voting against the board policy.

“I think it’s a good document. I think the goals and core beliefs are good, but it’s just a document and it’s just a system,” Smith said, expressing the desire to do something where teachers hurting are heard and issues are better addressed.

The superintendent’s goals, which are the same as the educational philosophy, was approved unanimously. At the Feb. 7 board workshop, trustees discussed that some of the goals are difficult to monitor and evaluate, such as committing to staff and student well-being. During Tuesday’s meeting, board members were presented with a new software called Data Dashboard, which will be available as early as April and serve as a system to monitor the accomplishment of the district’s goals.

Board members also heard about another new online system, which was discussed in a first reading, that will look to address some of the concerns community members and teachers present to board members. The system could be adopted as a board policy as early as the next board meeting.

H.T. Sanchez, chief of staff, said the flow chart will allow board to input a concern they hear from constituents into a system and then the superintendents cabinet will be able to send the issue to the correct department. He said there be will time logs and areas to follow up to see that each concern is addressed and done so in a timely manner.

“It’s a collaborative process,” Sanchez said.

The meeting was adjourned by 8:40 p.m.

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