News
Kids First Volunteers,
It is time to gear up for an action-packed April as we work to elect 3 outstanding leaders for EPISD Board of Trustees!
With your help, Omar Villa, Susie Byrd, and James LaMonica are sure to win and EPISD will become a leading example for public education.
Please plan to join us for block walking, phone banking, hosting, and more. Please contact Lauren Pace, Kids First Reform EPISD Campaign Manager at lepace@miners.utep.edu, 915-474-5439.
Thank you!
Lauren
Kids First Volunteers,
It is time to gear up for an action-packed April as we work to elect 3 outstanding leaders for EPISD Board of Trustees!
With your help, Omar Villa, Susie Byrd, and James LaMonica are sure to win and EPISD will become a leading example for public education.
Please plan to join us for block walking, phone banking, hosting, and more. Please contact Lauren Pace, Kids First Reform EPISD Campaign Manager at lepace@miners.utep.edu, 915-474-5439.
Thank you!
Lauren
Kids First Endorses Candidates for EPISD School Board
El Paso, Texas (March 21, 2013)—Kids First, a political action committee formed to enact reform within the El Paso Independent School District (EPISD), has announced its endorsement of candidates running for EPISD school board election on May 11. A Press Conference will be held 10am at EPISD, today.
Candidates who have received the endorsement of Kids First are:
- Omar Villa, District 1
- Susie Byrd, District 3
- James LaMonica, District 5
Candidates were given the opportunity to schedule time with the Kids First interview committee and be vetted by El Paso citizens with a vested interest in rebuilding credibility and accountability among the EPISD school board. Endorsements came about as a result of that interview process.
“After interviewing the non incumbent candidates of Districts 1, 3 and 5, we are confident that the candidates we are endorsing have the necessary skill, diligence, and resolve to reform EPISD in a child-centered manner and to lead real change. That is exactly what El Paso needs right now,” said Lisa J. Soto, chair of the Kids First interview committee.
Kids First sprang up across El Paso after revelations of a cheating scheme whereby former Superintendent Lorenzo Garcia removed students from class in order to increase TAKS scores, then pay himself and others bonuses. In response to this corruption, Kids First demanded: resignation of trustees and any employees who broke the law or failed to perform duties after being informed of irregularities; recovery plans and additional help for all students harmed by Garcia’s scheme; public disclosure of economic interests relating to EPISD; full independent audits; implementation of best practices in contracting; and comprehensive training for all Board members.
“All across El Paso, people want to see change EPISD. Our community is all about educating our children,” said Analisa Cordova, co-chair of the interview committee.
In 2012, after the Lorenzo Garcia scandal at EPISD spread across national headlines, Kids First organized block walks, town hall meetings and citizens to petition for change. As a result, 2800 El Pasoans have pledged to reform EPISD and restore schools. With the Kids First endorsement, candidates will now receive donations to cover campaign expenses, along with volunteers to block walk and phone bank.
“Taking back EPISD is simply the most important election for El Paso’s future,” said former Senator Eliot Shapleigh. “We ask all El Pasoans to join us by signing up at ”http://www.reformepisd.org">www.reformepisd.org to make change happen now!"
Letters of Endorsement
The following candidates have responded to Kids First, and have been scheduled for an interview. The starred candidates are still able to schedule an interview with Kids First at info@reformepisd.org.
District I
Omar Villa
Bob Geske*
District 3
Susie Byrd
District 4
Diane M. Dye*
District 5
James Lamonica
Julián González
Charles N. “Chuck” Taylor
If you are a non-incumbent running for EPISD School Board and seeking the endorsement of Kids First, please contact Interview Committee Co-Chair Analisa Cordova at info@reformepisd.org or 915-253-8665 to schedule an interview. All interviews will be conducted the weekend of March 15. Those seeking Kids First endorsement must submit a position paper via email to info@reformepisd.org by March 13 at 5pm. Position papers must be a one page single-spaced document in12 point font addressing what you seek to do as a board member to bring about reform in the district.
Kids First is hard at work.
We hope everyone who cares about our children will pitch in now to reform and restore EPISD. Please consider running for school board or supporting strong candidates who are willing to run.
It’s now or never!
Here are the questions that folks ask us:
- What is a Board of Managers?
Under Texas law, TEA can intervene in school districts that fail to educate and lose full accreditation. At EPISD, TEA has already ordered several ’interventions" and now, TEA ordered a whole new Board of Managers to take over. EPISD has appealed that decision at TEA.
*When do they get in?
The TEA ordered a new Board of Managers to take over but EPISD appealed. On February 8th, the hearing on the EPISD appeal was heard in Austin and is currently pending.
*How long will they be there?
The new Board of Managers can be at EPISD for up to two years. TEA will make the decision as to when the Board of Managers can return the Districts governance to an elected Board of Trustees. TEA Commission Williams has indicated that a strong elected board of trustees will ensure that that transition happens sooner rather than later.
*Is there any chance that the new Board of Managers will not get in?
Most observers believe that the new Board will be seated as soon as March 2013. But that decision rests with a hearing officer at TEA who is considering the appeal and the Voting Rights Division at the Department of Justice in Washington, DC which has to approve any change under Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act.
*If they are running EPISD, why do we need to write a check, sign a petition or walk a precinct to elect new Trustees?
If the Board of Managers takes over it will be temporary. The Board will be tasked with firm resolution of key issues like removing lawbreakers, cleaning up business practices and other issues which face the District today. After TEA finds that the Board of Managers has completed tasks, it will return the district to elected Trustees. The first four of those Trustees will be elected on May 11, 2013 just a few weeks away.
*Which Trustees are up?
Imagine a map from Mission Hills around central El Paso, to downtown, to Bowie, then up to Austin, then north to Irvin then to Andress. All of the trustee positions from these areas are up for election on May 11th. Currently, those positions are held by Rocio Benedicto (District 1, EPH and Bowie), Fred Borrego (District 3 Austin), Joel Barrios (District 5 Andress) and Russell Wiggs (District 4 Chapin and Irvin). None of these current trustees have indicated publically if they will resign.
*What is the filing dead line?
Anyone who wants to run must go to Central Office on 6531 Boeing Dr. to pick up a candidate packet. The filing form must be turned into Central Office by 5pm on March 1st 2013.
Basically, to run as Trustee all you have to do is fill out the application, sign the application, file it with the EPISD filing officer, Elizabeth Carrasco, and you are off and running! She will answer your questions about specific information, just call (915) 230-2000 and ask for her.
*What is the election date?
The election date is May 11, 2013.
*Who is running?
As of February 12 only two people have filed to run: Retired Army Command Sgt. Maj. Chuck Taylor in District 5 and Bob Geske in District 1.
*What happens to the four new Trustees? What do they do if the Board of Managers is in?
When the Board of Managers steps down, the new Trustees step up. In other words, we are electing four of the Trustees who will take over after the Board of Managers leaves the District. The new Trustees will all be invited to meetings to see how the District is run and get valuable training before taking office.
*What happens to the three old Trustees?
Kids First, the El Paso Times, the Greater El Paso Chamber of Commerce and many, many citizens have asked these Trustees to resign. All three were Presidents of the EPISD Board under Lorenzo Garcia. None have indicated that they intend to resign. So, electing a working majority to reform and restore the District is even more important than ever.
*Has Garcia’s scheme gone to other Districts?
Yes. TEA has open investigations at Canutillo and San Elizario based on facts very similar to what Garcia conspired to make happen at EPISD.
*What happens to the schools and children?
In our democracy, the buck stops with us. Elected Trustees represent us in running the schools. The very best thing we can do for our children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews who are in EPISD is to elect the best Trustees in El Paso history. This election is that important. Please, get involved. Our children, our schools, our future is too important to sit this one out!
*Will it really make a difference?
You will make the difference! When it comes to schools, elections matter. Only a few votes maybe 300 in total can elect a Trustee in a typical EPISD district. Candidates now win by a majority for school board.
Consider this: 64,000 of our children are at EPISD. $795,000,000 of your tax money is spent at EPISD every year. More than half your property tax bill goes to EPISD.
What happened at EPISD is the worst scandal in US education history. Take a look at the photo above. Is that the legacy you want to leave? In cities all across America, people see the same headlines. From the NY Times, Washington Post, LA Times, Time Magazine and every Texas daily, El Paso is in the news. Now, for the first time since the scandal spread across the El Paso Times, it is our turn to act, our turn to do what we can to help our children.
Roll up your sleeves. Strap on your chanclas! Write a check, make a call, dedicate two Saturdays from here to May. That’s all it will take to turn it around!
Keep hope alive-and let’s get going now!
Dear Fellow Paseños,
Today’s headline was well, “Gobsmacking – Workers Asked to Sign Statements Against FBI.”
On January 11th, 2011 based on the EP Times story, six current EPISD Board members voted for a contract that resulted in sworn statements to ’call off the FBI."
Remember, on January 7, 2010 your Senate office confronted Lorenzo Garcia, Terry Jordan, Damon Murphy and two Trustees directly in person with all the key details about Garcia’s scheme. That was 369 days before the contract mentioned in today’s El Paso Times.
Did anyone ask “what really happened here” or “what about an independent audit before we hire another lawyer” or “how does this contract help educate our kids?”
Want our schools back? Want to feel proud about real education for our children? Want new leaders strong enough to clean up EPISD?
Here’s how:
*sign up four friends right here on this website to help put Kids First;
*walk a precinct for strong, new leaders who run for trustee;
*send us a check for $50, $100 or even $250 to help pay for walk lists, mailers and all we will need to elect great new folks; make it to “Kids First – Reform EPISD” and send it to 701 N. St. Vrain 79902; or
*better yet, make the decision now to run yourself!
Regardless of what happens at TEA, new trustees will soon be elected by El Paso voters to someday run El Paso Independent School District. Filing closes on March 1, 2013. Here is the place to sign up to run. El Paso’s most important election in a long time is just a few weeks away on May 11th!
Please, get involved. From the Washington Post, to LA Times, from Time Magazine to the New York Times, Garcia’s scandal at EPISD is the worst in US education history. Now it is our turn to put Kids First and write the next chapter in our own story.
Keep hope alive,
Eliot Shapleigh
Dear Fellow Paseños -
Last week, the scandal at EPISD was headline news from the Washington Post to Rueters, from the New York Times to Anchorage Alaska. That’s not news that makes me proud about our great community.
Now, it’s time for a change. Some of our students that were ’disappeared" by Lorenzo Garcia and others have been out of school longer than Garcia got on his sentence.
We can no longer wait as trustees and TEA dither about who does what. Our job is to restore great schools, support great teachers and remove every lawbreaker at EPISD. Our children, our schools, our future are our responsibility.
Please, join us on Tuesday, October 23 at 4pm as we “Rally to Put Kids First” at the EPISD HQ at 6531 Boeing. Come early and bring the whole family!
It’s time.
Eliot Shapleigh
EL PASO, Texas (AP) — A federal judge sentenced the former superintendent of El Paso Independent School District to more than three years in prison Friday for his participation in a conspiracy to improve the district’s high-stakes tests scores by removing low-performing students from classrooms.
Lorenzo Garcia’s scheme to prevent hundreds of sophomores from taking the accountability tests fooled authorities into believing that academic standards had improved in his West Texas district — resulting in a boost in federal funds and personal bonuses totaling at least $56,000.
Garcia pleaded guilty to two fraud counts in June; one in the testing scandal and another in which he misled the school board so that his lover would receive a $450,000 no-bid contract to produce school materials.
On Friday, the judge sentenced him to 3½ years in prison on each fraud count, to be served at the same time. Garcia also was fined $56,500 — the exact amount of money he took as a bonus from the district for its success on test scores.
“As superintendent, I am responsible for everything that went on in my district,” Garcia said before the sentence was read to him by federal judge David Briones.
Court documents indicate at least six other people helped Garcia organize the testing scheme. An FBI investigation continues.
Mark Morgan, the FBI director for El Paso, said outside the court building that the investigation continues, but he would not comment on whether more arrests are coming.
The 3½-year sentence had been agreed upon in a plea deal between Garcia and the government. Robert Pitman, U.S. attorney for the Western District of Texas, described it as “fair” and “a significant deterrent.”
“Garcia abused the trust of the citizens of El Paso. He shamefully turned his time and attention to fraudulently obtaining performance based bonuses for himself. Today, he was held accountable for this breach of trust,” Pitman said in a statement.
Garcia, who was hired in 2006, implemented a plan with several other administrators that allowed for the pre-testing of 10th-graders to identify those who were likely to fail the standardized tests. He had one employee photograph students crossing the border so they could be forced out on the grounds that they were living in Mexico rather than within the school district.
The whole idea, said former state Sen. Eliot Shapleigh, was to make those students “disappear” so they would not be counted among the students who were tested. Although these actions happened to a degree across the district, the most and worst cases happened at Bowie High School.
In the short term, the strategy worked. Test scores improved in most high schools and the district’s overall rating improved from “academically acceptable” in 2005 to “recognized” in 2010 — the second-highest rating possible.
Three educators and two students affected by the scheme testified before Garcia was sentenced about the hardships they faced during his tenure.
Stephen Lane, the former principal of Jefferson High School, said Garcia came after him “with a vengeance” when he resisted the scheme. Lane recalled the moment after Garcia fired him and had police escort him from his office. The then-superintendent told Lane to have a great weekend and say hello to his wife.
“I can’t think of anyone you helped other that a few misguided mistresses, your cabinet and yourself,” Lane said. He added later, “I could stand today here and tell you to have a great weekend and say hello to whatever female is with you, but that would be childish.”
Jeanette Valenzuela, a 20-year-old former Bowie High School student, transferred from neighboring Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, with grades she thought would put her in 10th or 11th grade. But instead, she was placed in the ninth grade.
“They said it was because I had no English. But now I see what happened with my grades, why I was flunked,” she said. Valenzuela dropped out and became pregnant three months later. Now she works in a clothing store in downtown El Paso.
“I want to go back to school, so I can provide for myself and my child,” she said.
The Texas Education Agency cleared Garcia in 2010 of allegations made by Shapleigh. But in late 2011, the El Paso Times filed a Freedom of Information Act request for correspondence between the federal Education Department and the school district. When the attorney general ruled that the records must be released, the district acknowledged the scandal.
State officials placed the district on probation, named a monitor to oversee it and said the schools showed “utter disregard” for the students’ needs.
Other large districts have been ensnared in scandals to raise test scores, most recently in Atlanta, where educators gave answers to students or changed answers after tests were completed. But none has been so brazen as to cast off low-scoring students.
Source: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=162386255
On Friday, October 5th at 11am Lorenzo Garcia will be sentenced in US District Court located downtown at 525 Magoffin. The courtroom is on the seventh floor, Room 722. We ask every El Pasoan who cares about the 64,000 students, the teachers and parents of our flagship school district to come and bear witness. Come early – find a good place to park—leave cell phones at home—plan on time in line at security. Best parking is at the El Paso County Courthouse parking garage.
Let’s show our children that we have the courage, resolve and cariño to make sure that every child in our great community receives a quality public education.
Click here to download document.
Fellow Paseños—
During the last week, several of you have told us that you got in the mail an anonymous mailer about the principal at Coronado High School. Kids First did not send that mailer, does not operate anonymously and condemns any smear campaign at EPISD or any other agency against any individual.
In moving forward, we want to work collaboratively and openly based on the facts to positively put kids first in reforming our schools. We appreciate all that you do to make that happen!
- Eliot Shapleigh
Kids First! Reform EPISD! has been working to collect signatures on our petitions seeking the resignation of EPISD trustees. If you have not signed the petition yet, you can do so at www.reformepisd.org/petition. Make sure your friends, family and neighbors also sign the petition. Our goal is to obtain 5,000 signatures by October 1 and we have a little over a month left to achieve our goal!
Already our petition is having an impact. At tomorrow night’s meeting, the board will be discussing how to make sure the public has sufficient information about agenda items and will receive a report on what the District is doing to identify kids who were harmed by the cheating scandal. Please join us at the meeting (Tuesday, August 28 at 5 P.M. at the Education Center at 6531 Boeing.)
The signatures gathered do not need to be signatures of registered voters, but we would like to use this as an opportunity to organize weekly block-walks to go before voters and educate them on the issues. It is critical that the public be informed of the measures we are asking to see in place by our trustees to move towards reform. We will be handing out walk lists containing names of registered voters in your precinct.
If you are interested in block walking to help obtain signatures on the petitions, please e-mail me your precinct or address so we can have a walk-list ready for you. My email address is angelicaandrea@yahoo.com.
We will be meeting at 1011 W. Yandell in Sunset Heights every Saturday at 9:00 am from now until October 1. Please e-mail me your precinct or address if you plan to block-walk. My email address is angelicaandrea@yahoo.com.
We look forward to working with you to reform EPISD! Let’s take back our district for our children!
Angelica Talavera
Mother and concerned El Pasoan
Dear Fellow Paseños—
A Declaration of Victim Losses PDF can be downloaded below. Last Friday, several of us met with US probation to deliver a detailed summary of economic loss to EPISD, especially losses related to students.
We ask that you complete your own form and send it directly to US probation at:
US Probation Office
700 E. San Antonio Suite 500
El Paso, Texas 79901
915.585.6500
Ms. Raquel Cano Austin can answer any questions you may have.
Thanks for all you do to put kids first!
Eliot Shapleigh
Download the Declaration of Victim Losses PDF
We are Kids First! Reform EPISD!, a working group of parents, teachers, retirees and taxpayers who are determined to reform EPISD so that its main focus is on providing a quality education for all kids and making sure that every tax dollar is directed towards this important mission.
As part of that effort, we have laid out a plan of action to address the critical issues facing EPISD. We are asking the EPISD board to act immediately in the face of this crisis or to resign to allow others to fix this mess. We have drafted the plan of action as a petition and are asking all concerned citizens to sign. Already the petition is having an impact. The trustees will be discussing many of the items outlined on the petition at today’s board meeting.
Many of you have asked what you can help to reform EPISD. Here are some suggestions.
Sign the petition and ask your neighbors, friends and colleagues to sign also. We are going to present the petition in October and want to show the board that there is a broad and diverse coalition of El Pasoans who expect them to take action NOW to improve the quality of education for ALL students and to stregthen the organization against private interests that have corrupted it. You can circulate the petition via email or you can pick up paper copies to circulate. (Email or call Susie Byrd if you want paper copies. Her email is susiebyrd2009@gmail.com and her phone number is 204-9813.)
Attend EPISD board meetings and speak out. Start with today’s board meeting (Tuesday, August14) which starts at 5pm at the Education Center-Boeing (6531 Boeing Drive.) Items 7, 8 and 9 are critical to the rebuilding of the organization.
Donate to the Kids First! Reform EPISD! Political Action Committee. This movement is about a reform agenda for EPISD focused on quality education for ALL kids. It is a political movement whose end game is to have strong, ethical political leadership at the healm of EPISD solely focused on the mission of quality education for ALL kids. We are raising money to gain build this political movement with an eye towards May 2013 when a majority of the board will be up for re-election. If you want to donate, send a check to Kids First! Reform EPISD! at 701 North St. Vrain, El Paso, Texas 79902.
Dear Fellow Paseños-
Wow! What a great town hall at Valle Verde! That story by Bowie teacher Pat Padilla on how her students got ‘disappeared’ at EPISD made me really want to do more. So many more teachers, students and parents are now coming out with their stories.
Let’s do our next Town Hall – mark your calendar now — UTEP on August 2nd at 5:30 pm at Union Cinema. Strap on your chanclas-and let’s get going!
Over the last few days, dozens of you have helped on a petition, work on a website and share great ideas about great schools. Let’s first thank all the great students and teachers at EPISD for a job well done. But let’s roll up our sleeves now to un-do the monumental mess Lorenzo Garcia made at our largest district.
If you want a road map to corruption, here is Garcia’s federal information. When school starts, our job is to stop the corruption, kick out the culprits and restore great education to a great district.
Join me at UTEP, Thursday, August 2nd at 5:30 pm at the Union Cinema. Please, send this email to ten of your friends-don’t wait. Do it now. And on August 2nd give each a call to get them to UTEP. Better schools start today.
For all of us, for all our children and grandchildren, it’s worth the fight!
Eliot Shapleigh
Proud Paseño
Today, citizens from across El Paso have announced a drive to Reform EPISD NOW! Kids First sprang up across El Paso after revelations of a cheating scheme whereby former Superintendent Lorenzo Garcia removed students from class in order to increase TAKS scores, then pay himself and others bonuses.
Kids First demands resignation of trustees and any employees who broke the law or failed to perform duties after being informed of irregularities, restoration of all students harmed by Garcia’s scheme, public disclosure of economic interests relating to EPISD, full independent audits, best practices in contracting and training for all Board members. To see all proposed reforms, view our petition page.
“There is a clear path to reform. It starts by recognizing that EPISD is broken and has failed in its mission to provide quality education for ALL students. It starts by recognizing that it is far too easy to use connections and influence to win contracts. We must rebuild the organization, refocusing it on its core mission and on strengthening it against corrupting influences. We call on the EPISD Board of Trustees to take action now,” says Susie Byrd, a city council representative and a mom with three children in EPISD schools.
On June 13, 2012 former Superintendent Lorenzo Garcia pleaded guilty to illegally procuring a $460,000 EPISD contract involving his former mistress and to authoring a scheme whereby EPISD students were removed from class to increase TAKS scores. Under Garcia’s scheme, after scores went up Garcia paid himself and other bonuses with federal “No Child Left Behind” money intended to educate at risk children. Garcia’s federal information named six other unindicted co—conspirators along with others known and unknown who participated with Garcia in cheating EPISD kids.
“With everything Garcia did, we have to take down his failed policies and dismantle his empire. His models were so harmful to our children” said Terry Diaz, mother of EPISD students. “Where are the poor kids who were disappeared and never came back? We need to find them. What about their future?”
Starting at Senator Shapleigh’s UTEP Town Hall Meeting at the Union Cinema at 5:30pm on August 2nd, Kids First will collect signatures all over town to push the Board to put kids first.
“I am appalled that personal greed took over EPISD instead of student’s education. With the petition, we ask all El Pasoans who are as incensed as we are to stand for children now so that this never happens again” said Frances Wever, former head of the El Paso Federation of Teachers.
“I am very hurt and disgusted with what has happened at EPISD. As a former employee who worked 47 years, who was so proud of the work we did, I think we need to reform EPISD now. Garcia’s ‘patron’ system affected every single one of us in the community” said Javier Diaz, a longtime EPISD educator.
“Without education, we have no future. I am a graduate of EPISD with family there still. The best way to improve El Paso is to improve education” said Lauren Pace, UTEP student.
“We are now on the right track. We have much work ahead. We need all the Bowie Bears to get behind us. With the help of God, we’ll do it” said Super Sanchez, great Bowie Bear and longtime community activist.
