By MICHAEL RODRIGUEZ
Managing Editor
editor@sbnewspaper.com
Oscar Medrano
Oscar Medrano of the San Benito CISD Board of Trustees has called into question the recent transfer of a middle school principal.
On Tuesday, Medrano expressed concern with the manner in which Interim Superintendent Alfonso Obregón moved Mary Alice Martinez from the principal post at Miller Jordan Middle School to the Gateway to Graduation Academy, where she’ll serve in the same capacity. Specifically, Medrano said he felt as though Obregón should have contacted board members before making the decision.
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School morale is at an all time low, misplaced priorities and misuse of millions of dollars. Bring Limon back ASAP.
The principal that left MJMS was a good man. He cared about the students. He is doing great at his new district. Those teachers at MJMS will out stay whatever principal they put there. Go ahead and place the former VMA principal there. If she is suppose to be so curriculum oriented, then let us see what she can do. SBCISD needs a re-vamp of all instructional people at central office beginning with the head lady and special education lady. Their idea of instruction is outdated…. just look at their projects.
When this community holds all directors and principals accountable then maybe some positive changes will occur. So waiting for may 2014.
word around is that a certain principal from PRC school is taking over at Miller Jordan. heard from multiple sources . if true, then would really like to know how do decisions get made in this district? how is he the best person to turn around this poor campus? a couple of years as an asst prin and a couple of years as a principal at alternative campuses of gateway and prc with a couple hundred students (at the most!) and handful of teachers, and now he is going to run miller????? were there even interviews or a committee to select or make a suggestion? was thinking that we might have a chance with Servillon, but I can’t see this guy getting the job done. might be just rumor, but knowing how things work around here, won’t be surprised. another example of “putting students first”
Filli, I know the principal you are talking about. He left on his own. He could of stayed if he had wanted too. He just got tired of running into road blocks from people that were suppose to be helping him administer the grant that had been awarded to Miller Jordan. Your incident had nothing to do with his departure.
Ms. Filli, you have certainly gone beyond any explanations. Where have you been allllll this time? To bash all your fellow educators is beyond what any REAL TEACHER would do. Thank goodness you are no longer teaching at MJHS.
If you want to make a difference, run for school board….
“Many people, especially ignorant people, want to punish you for speaking the truth, for being correct, for being you.
Never apologize for being correct, or for being years ahead of your time.
If you’re right and you know it, speak your mind. Speak your mind.
Even if you are a minority of one, the truth is still the truth.”
~Mohandas Gandhi
@Jim, your child would have at least learned in my science class. I’m letting the people of San Benito know the truth about what really happens in school and why the district doesn’t progress, at least from the specific school and administration. If you’re offended then it’s because you are part of the problem instead of the solution. Changes need to be made, but obviously there are people like yourself that prefer for it to remain the same.
@Selena, the recording was used to prove that even though he agreed on the recording to provide them, he did not do so. That’s why he is no longer a principal and had to take a position as an assistant principal at another district.
Rafaela, the principal made it known that he had a recording where he offered you accommodations. You know that the principal recorded most of his conversations and meeting for his own protection. You know that you set up the “district” to get your money. If you were so confident about your case why did you settle?
Mrs. Filli, All I can say is I’m glad my child did not have you as a teacher. You have some major issues.
If you have all the answers, then run for school board and TRY to make a difference. Pretty easy sitting on THE OTHER SIDE OF THE FENCE.
Filli- Rafaela- You continue to put Miller Jordan down yet during that time you mention it was the only secondary campus that met AYP. This year it Met Standard, something not even IDEA can say. I don’t know how much money you settled for but whatever the amount it was too much. If it was really a matter of principle why did you settle? Don’t put your follow teachers down because they did better. You yourself said it was your scores, but I also remember “happenings” going on in your room that the principal was concerned enough to recommend your non-renewal.
Selena, I’m not putting anyone down that hasn’t done what I have said they did. I don’t need to put anyone down except to tell the truth. Yet, you don’t want to know the truth but feel entitled to spread rumors. I have nothing to hide, my life is an open book. I do as I say and I say as I do whether you like it or not. I settled because they agreed to put a form available for all the employees to use so they don’t have to go through the same thing I did. It really wasn’t about money, it was about bringing attention to make changes. Limon and Medrano were at the settlement meeting, yet neither one of them took any action to implement their part of the agreement after it was signed. But you consider him a great leader. And although, they agreed to provide the form on the school’s website so employees could have access to it, they have failed to do so even though its been 10 months. Apparently, now the school district is beginning to put it together. Plus, if I wasn’t right about my claims, then the judge would have thrown out the complaint during summary judgment, but he didn’t, because the Limon, Medrano, and the principal violated my rights when they refused to provide accommodations and signed the non-renewal because of my absences while on medical leave.
And get it right, not once did I have any type of disciplinary action. And my scores were the same as the other teachers, except for the coach on the benchmarks but we know why. The truth is that science had some of the higher scores when I taught the 7th graders and prepared them for 8th grade the following year. As for scores, the two male teachers had a combined score of 48 the year after I was moved to 7th grade. The coach is still teaching now, and what was the score last year, a 44. It’s a matter of record, and just because the principal (not Mrs. Martinez) padded the scores during those years doesn’t change the fact of what the true scores are. Yes, there are records of the raw scores before the padding.
As for happenings going on in my room, it was the choir teacher, when elective teachers were assigned to tutor in science classes by the principal and the dean, that threatened a student to bash his head in and the principal did nothing about it except remove the teacher from my classroom. Regardless of what happenings you think occurred, you really don’t know the truth about anything that happened, except the rumors you hear from others.
And do you really think you had discipline in the classroom just because you were always in the hallway yelling at the students. Do you know what the kids were doing inside the classroom while you were outside with the door closed yelling at the student? You didn’t teach with me, you were in a whole different area but my students told me about what went on in your elective class. So, please look at yourself before you try to make a statement, especially if you don’t know the truth. The principal made that recommendation because he didn’t keep his word on providing me with the accommodations and thought that if he got rid of me it would be forgotten so he jumped at the chance while I was on FMLA to recommend the non-renewal. Or maybe it was because I spoke out about what went on at that school like the time a student had a sharp knife in the class and wasn’t disciplined, or the time that the five students were caught smoking pot on campus and he only gave them five days in-school suspension and released them after two days back to the classroom. Anyone with any knowledge of federal laws would have known it was a violation to release someone who is on federal medical leave. Apparently, Limon didn’t care so he signed it and then lied to the investigating agency about our meeting.
And by the way, trying to put me down is not going to change the truth, nor will it hurt me because God knows I am telling the truth and I have faith that the community will open their eyes and see what really goes on while their children are at school and the school district will begin to make the changes that are needed in order to provide the appropriate education to all students. And it’s time that positive changes are made to a stagnant district that must make changes in order to educate students to succeed in today’s times.
WE SHOULD TEST THE KIDS THEN USE OUR SCHOOLS LIKE VOCATIONAL COLLEGES WHERE WE TEACH KIDS UNER THE HIGHEST SCORES TO BECOME DOCTOR’S, LAWYERS. TEACHERS, COPS, OR LABOR’S SUCH AS CARPENTERS OR ENGINEERS, MAYBE SCHOOL PRINCIPLES, PRIEST’S. STOP WASTING PEOPLES TIME AND GET THEM READY FOR A CAREER THEY ARE QUALIFIED TO GO INTO COLLEGE AND COME OUT WINNERS. COMPUTER TECHS , NEWS ANCHORS, WRITER’S NURSES, THE SKY THE LIMIT , PILOT’S , COOKS, MAKE THIER DREAM COME TRUE INSTEAD OF TRYING TO MAKE UP YOUR MINDS A ADIMSTATOR’S WHAT’S BEST FOR YOU.
I told Limon MJMS would end up like this, but he dismissed my concerns, continued to pamper his favorites, ignored the ineffective teachers, and wasn’t concerned that the students were not receiving an appropriate education, especially students with special needs. Now, three years later, it really shows, Besides all the negative comments flung around on here or at the school board, it still doesn’t change that Limon refused to see it for what it was and take corrective action. And, by the way, Medrano has known all about it since then but rather than face what was going on in that school, they swept it under the rug and thought it could remain hidden forever. But the school’s struggles reflect the ineffective teaching and leadership that takes place within the school. By the way, elementary schools do an amazing job at educating the students going to MJMS, it’s there that the students regress and fail to progress. A former teacher/coach there, now teaching at VMA, always said ‘just pass them and let the high school sort them out”. Yet he is still teaching with the school district, and that teacher’s favorite coach is now the science department head at MJMS. And he is just as ineffective, but because one of Limon’s favorite teachers was all gaga over him, he has remained and praised even though he cheats by giving his students exactly what will be on the benchmarks so they pass with high scores and then they don’t do as well on the actual state tests. Not to mention he was always on his cell phone and on the computer when he should have been teaching. So, those are just a few reasons why all that is happening at MJMS. There has got to be checks and balances throughout the district. “Compadrismo” and favoritism are not the solution. They only serve to hinder the school district, fail to provide the appropriate education students deserve, and highly qualified teachers leave the district or transfer from MJMS.
What is going on at MJMS? Same thing happened last year. They didn’t have a principal until a week before school started, which is not fair for the staff and the well being of the students. Why is it always happening to MJMS and NOT the other middle schools. Is it because SBCISD doesn’t think highly about this school as much as they do the others? RIDICULOUS!!!! I hope it doesn’t come down to the principal that was at ED DOWNS and VMA.