"To ACQUIESCE or Not to ACQUIESCE,..... that is the question"

Dear U.S. Senators & Candidates for U.S. Senate: "To Infinity & Beyond"

I am not going to say your names right now. Everybody knows who they are in the Grande Scheme of Political Infrastructure.

The Politicians are living in the Dark Ages, with sub-standard representation, and personal growth. This doesn''t mean we should ACQUIESCE.

Whatever the definitions, lynching existed on a mass scale for as long as it did because it was socially sanctioned in American society through silence, indifference and acquiescence.

Our current Political Infrastructure is tired and dated. The responsive incumbent in election season he is your best friend as of recent "vote needing". Positive Change is the resultant of an Engaged Public and responsive leadership. We need Education Reform here in Corpus Christi. Over the next few months we at Kenedeno & Associates will be giving you guys in Washington and you guys who want to ascend to Washington as the Honorable United States Senator from the great State Texas or any other State and D.C. For that matter; we are going to bring some real world, real time problems into the discussion show us your skills and demonstrate your responsiveness We the Public are waiting; represent the Public. For all of the stale stogies, and the boring rhetoric we bring a new and improved filibuster to your doorstep.
Persuade us, tell our local governments listen to us,tell our School Districts to provide Education incentive$ for our youth and the ones closest to our youth the Teachers. Take the legislation fining our Parents and Students and toss it in the recycle bin;Take the TAKS and toss it in the recycle bin. Without the Established Administrators practicing Due Diligence who wil set the tone?

CCISD is waiting to hear from you.

Mr Eliff needs your support in his worthwhile endeavors.

Education is for our Children, our Youth, our Future. Children and Youth need constant redirection and set boundaries at home and at school as well. When a minor is allowed to run at large during the school day hours whether it is in the halls, leaving or returning a closed campus or simply unaccounted for is irresponsible of the caretaker whose custody in which he / she is placed.

We will be watching who does WATT.

The Streets are calling your name, who will we vote for?

The process the CCISD Board used is unethical and unfair

Dear CCISD Trustees, Without Due Process & Community Input; No Choice Will Be Bona-Fide

I disagree with this whim of a decision.

Where is the criteria the process for "narrowing the list"?

The process the CCISD Board used is unethical and unfair. Every single applicant took the time to fill out an application, and the thought process for the letter of interest and update of their resume and references. For all intensive purposes this CCISD Board just threw that work product into the trash can while opting for business partners, friends cronies and industry allies.

It is not about the 5 selected it is about how the 5 were selected. It is not about Barrera or Prezas or Bill Clark or Lucy Rubio.

It is about a change of policy where policy is defined by processes of the past. Lucy is the only one with the guts to make the motion, "for the board to scrap the current process and start over. There was no second to the motion." Are there others in that room who agree with her, but politically, they are bound & gagged. The current process is in conflict with current policy. The current process is now a civil rights issue. Is that what CCISD wanted, another Cisneros v CCISD?

We have 19 Candidates who deserve Equal Opportunity and fair consideration. It is called due process.
1. Herbert Cromwell Arbuckle, III Retired Teacher
2. Rolando G. Barrera Insurance Agent
3. Tony C. Diaz, Ed.D. Retired CCISD Administrator
4. Victor Frazier, Ed.D. Minister and University Instructor
5. Cezar Galindo Business Owner and College Instructor
6. Marsha Lynn Grace Professor of Education
7. Coretta Graham Lawyer
8. Helen Gurley, Ph.D. Educator, Director of Academics
9. Patricia Harris Educator
10. Robert Elliott Jones Pastor and Business Manager
11. Deborah W. Johnson Retired Firefighter
12. Bradford Lee Kisner Director of Music and Fine Arts
13. Verna Faye Portis Retired CCISD Administrator
14. Raul R. Prezas, Ed.D. College Professor
15. Norman Haden Ransleben Certified Public Accountant
16. Woodrow Mac Sanders Medical Social Worker
17. Ronald G. Sepulveda Athletic Aquatic Superintendent
18. George Wetzel Retired Public School Administrator/Consultant
19. Goldie Lamarr Wooten Retired Educator

Rubio has said she disagrees with the selection process and would have preferred to use a scoring system instead.

Trustees selected the five candidates to be interviewed by each nominating one from a pool of 20 applicants.

We elect you guys to represent the district with honor & integrity

"Particularly disturbing is the fact that three new trustees elected last year - Carol Scott, John Longoria and Dwayne Hargis, all of whom emphasized their intent to bring new openness to the board - appear to have bought into the mum's-the-word ethos that has dominated this exercise.'

Self Dealers Usurp Vote of the Public Citizenry. We need to have a recall election and replace the Self Dealers. More to come.......

Dont think you guys got away with anything, now is when the tough get going. This board sells us process to the tune of 100K + and now cannot even interview 20 applicants. You guys are a sorry excuse for equal opportunity. Not even a phone call for the applicants. You will be hearing from the people! And this guy Ransleben is YOUR SECOND CHOICE!

CORPUS CHRISTI - CCISD school board members announced their choice to replace Rev. Harry Williams. Williams stepped down from his post in April. Monday, after going through a field of 20 applicants, board members chose local CPA Norm Ransleben with a vote of 5-1. Not everyone was happy with the school board's decision.

Out of five remaining candidates, certified public accountant Norman Ransleban was voted in as the newest CCISD board trustee. But many in the crowd came to show support for another candidate, college professor Raul Prezas, who they believed to be more qualified.

"Dr. Raul Prezas has been a trainer of school boards, he's been a principal, a teacher, an administrator and someone well versed to be able to take that position," said LULAC member Susie Luna Saldaña.

"We share the vision of Mr. Elliff having a world class school system at CCISD. For that reason, that's why we think that makes Dr. Prezas an ideal candidate for the job," American Federation of Teachers president Juan Guerra.

Board member Lucy Rubio nominated Dr. Prezas to take over Rev. Harry William's seat, but that motion was shot down.

"The board members each have a vote and they voted they way they saw fit and so Mr. Ransleben was chosen and like I said I'm very excited about Mr. Ransleben being on the board," said CCISD school board president Louis J. Garza.

About 20 candidates initially put in an application for a spot on the board, but those not happy with the board's decision accused trustees of choosing the final nominees based on who they wanted to win rather than who was more qualified.

"Without a process, without even talking to them, at least give them a phone call for consideration of their efforts," said LULAC member Nick Adame.

"Time will tell what happens now, but one of the things we have to remember is there's always another election coming up," Saldaña said.

Mr. Ransleben was not at Monday night's board meeting. He will serve out the rest of Harry William's term, which runs until November 2008.

Online Reporter: Melissa Monti

Freedom of Information Request: exactly what criteria did the school board used to pare down it's list of school board candidates from 20 down to five

Dr. Nick Adame is the LULAC Council 1 President. He told 3 News,
"We haven't received anything
yet we're going to give them till the next 2 or 3 days to see what happens, if nothing happens, we'll go one step further." He's talking about CCISD and it's school boards search for a new board member. Adame says his group handed CCISD officials an open records request on May 25th. LULAC wants to know exactly what criteria the school board used to pare down it's list of school board candidates from 20 down to five. Adame believes thing's just don't look right, "It sure looks like these people were selected based on who they knew, their friends, their working collegues, associates, so to me that's not a process." And and here is the list of the remaining candidates and who nominated them and any ties to each other.
Rolando Barrera selected by John Longoria. Barrera is the chairman of the R-T-A while Longoria is on the R-T-A board of directors. Bradford Kisner is Carol Scott's candidate. He's a professor at TAMUCC. Another A&M professor, Dr. Raul Prezas was nominated by Lucy Rubio. Deborah Johnson is a retired firefighter who Dwayne Hargis is backing. Norman Ransleben is an accountant and is supported by Bill Clark, of Clark Tax Pro. Clark tells 3 News that he decided to select a new board member partly based on how well the candidate would get along with everyone. Board members have met with the five finalists and even asked 2 questions of each hopeful. Not the kind of due dilligence lulac is looking for from the board. Adame wants the board to put down it's selection criteria on paper. "Let's put a process in place let's do it on a point system if not, lets do the whole thing all over again with all 20 candidates." But first, Adame wants the district to respond to his open records request. if not, the two sides could end up in court over the matter.

Original Freedom of Information Request

This Publication request any and all communications including email and written correspondence from one week before Trustee Harry Williams resigned.

Must I formalize it on Monday?

Think I am bluffing?

You gotta ask yourself

Do you feel lucky?

Well Do ya?

Go ahead.........


You guys get the idea?



Now, don't go and seek the OAG's opinion as it will delay our children.

Just fess up and conduct business with honor and integrity and at least give us an appearance of due process. Not one black appointment. You guys are definitely walking on thin ice or maybe already fallen through but just don't know it. Such inadequacy is unacceptable.

CORPUS CHRISTI - CCISD school board members interviewed five candidates Friday to fill the board position vacated by Reverend Harry Williams.

The school board said it will set another meeting to discuss the finalists, and will possibly make a decision then, but still no word on when that would be.

Williams served the school board for more than seven years before resigning last month.

Nick Adame

"Do not be a disservice to our community and choose because this guy is my friend or this guy is my business associate," Dr. Nick Adame said. "I don't want to hear that. I want to hear that we're going to choose somebody because they're going to do right for the community."

Last week, the board narrowed the list of 20 candidates to five

Kenedeno:

Where is the criteria the process for "narrowing the list"?

The process the CCISD Board used is unethical and unfair. Every single applicant took the time to fill out an application, and the thought process for the letter of interest and update of their resume and references. For all intensive purposes this CCISD Board just threw that work product into the trash can while opting for business partners, friends cronies and industry allies.

It is not about the 5 selected it is about how the 5 were selected. It is not about Barrera or Prezas or Bill Clark or Lucy Rubio.

It is about a change of policy where policy is defined by processes of the past. Lucy is the only one with the guts to make the motion, "for the board to scrap the current process and start over. There was no second to the motion." Are there others in that room who agree with her, but politically, they are bound & gagged. The current process is in conflict with current policy. The current process is now a civil rights issue. Is that what CCISD wanted, another Cisneros v CCISD?

We have 19 Candidates who deserve Equal Opportunity and fair consideration. It is called due process.


1. Herbert Cromwell Arbuckle, III Retired Teacher
2. Rolando G. Barrera Insurance Agent
3. Tony C. Diaz, Ed.D. Retired CCISD Administrator
4. Victor Frazier, Ed.D. Minister and University Instructor
5. Cezar Galindo Business Owner and College Instructor
6. Marsha Lynn Grace Professor of Education
7. Coretta Graham Lawyer
8. Helen Gurley, Ph.D. Educator, Director of Academics
9. Patricia Harris Educator
10. Robert Elliott Jones Pastor and Business Manager
11. Deborah W. Johnson Retired Firefighter
12. Bradford Lee Kisner Director of Music and Fine Arts
13. Verna Faye Portis Retired CCISD Administrator
14. Raul R. Prezas, Ed.D. College Professor
15. Norman Haden Ransleben Certified Public Accountant
16. Woodrow Mac Sanders Medical Social Worker
17. Ronald G. Sepulveda Athletic Aquatic Superintendent
18. George Wetzel Retired Public School Administrator/Consultant
19. Goldie Lamarr Wooten Retired Educator

Rubio has said she disagrees with the selection process and would have preferred to use a scoring system instead.

Trustees selected the five candidates to be interviewed by each nominating one from a pool of 20 applicants.

We elect you guys to represent the district with honor & integrity

But before trustees interviewed the first candidate, trustee Lucy Rubio motioned for the board to scrap the current process and start over. There was no second to the motion.

Rubio has said she disagrees with the selection process and would have preferred to use a scoring system instead.

CCCT Editorial

The trustees' refusal to lay out the cards is beyond irritating; it borders on the outrageous.

Particularly disturbing is the fact that three new trustees elected last year - Carol Scott, John Longoria and Dwayne Hargis, all of whom emphasized their intent to bring new openness to the board - appear to have bought into the mum's-the-word ethos that has dominated this exercise.

To be sure, they (and their colleagues) could, and should, reverse their field.

CCISD Trustees: Pick and choose Policy Making with malice. Shame on YOU.

CORPUS CHRISTI - CCISD school board members have decided not to change their policy which forbids seniors who fail the TAKS from graduating.

One parent we spoke with Thursday said the policy didn't make sense, because while students who fail the TAKS test during the school year aren't allowed to take part in graduation ceremonies. The same doesn't hold true for summer school grads. They're allowed to participate in summer graduation ceremonies without knowing whether they passed the test.

The decision didn't sit well with some parents and students.

School board member Lucy Rubio had hoped to amend the policy, and allow seniors who failed the TAKS to at least walk in with their class during may commencement. But other school board members didn't agree.

"I have a feeling it's going to be too late for this year, I think it's something that we should look at [next school year]," said board member Dwayne Hargis. But Rubio wanted to talk about it at Friday's meeting.

"I didn't have a second motion so why are we still discussing it, unless someone will second it, so we can have a discussion," she told the board.

CCISD superintendent Scott Elliff didn't want to change the policy because graduation invitations had been printed, and school officials would need more time to review any changes. It was upsetting news for Carrie Bass who was at the meeting.

Her daughter Cassandra, who's an honor student, won't be graduating this may after failing the TAKS a fifth time.

"It's disappointing, it's very disappointing. I was hoping for that second motion," Bass said. Like Rubio, she worries seniors who don't get to graduate with their class this May, may end up dropping out of school.

"If we are in the business of being there for our students we're not listening...I'm disappointed, because I don't want to have any student, just give up. I think we're there to support them, we're there to encourage them, and obviously it didn't happen today," Rubio said.

In the meantime, CCISD has released the schedule for next weekend's high school graduations on Saturday and Sunday at the American Bank Center Arena.

• Carroll High School - 10 a.m., Saturday, May 26
• Ray High School - 1 p.m., Saturday, May 26
• Moody High School - 4 p.m., Saturday, May 26
• King High School - 1 p.m., Sunday, May 27
• Miller High School - 4 p.m., Sunday, May 27

Students who earned their GED diplomas from the Adult Learning Center, will receive their diplomas next Tuesday, May 22nd, in a ceremony at the Selena Auditorium.

Online Reporter: Roxanne Carrillo

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Posted By The Advocate to CCISD at 5/20/2007 02:34:00 AM

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Kenedeno & Associates

Dear CCISD Trustees, Without Due Process & Community Input; No Choice Will Be Bona-Fide

"That Just the Way It Is. I Gotta Get Paid"

I must say the tactics being carried out right now are transferring from a division between majority & minority groups to a division of within the minority groups. This concept is how CCISD manipulates. Think about it? Investigations, Colloquial Intelligence, Manipulation of one’s JOB opportunities, personal & political missions and nanotechnology to forecast, design and carry out plans ranging from 0 to at least a good 20 years. WIA slush fund is all about the final data in each category. There are many exemptive solutions & creative methods that are encouraged. The WIA allows the creation of multiple programs and agencies to create JOBS or JOB training. WIA is the DARE program, COPS program, Communities in Schools, and anything they can draw up a quick blueprint of. Innovation and Malleability produce stellar new programs from dedicated grant writers given the concepts and goals of a brainstorm. This is a brilliant concept for our youth. The problem is the adults take candy from the babies. CCISD is way to big for their britches. A board much too elevated to consider input from the community. Such audacity to condescend to engagement of the community they fleece in the justification “they know WATT is best for us”. Furthermore, contrary to their schmoozing persona-ism they do not know it all “we wouldn’t understand the process so why do we need to know how they conduct the business of running our school district?”. We would never understand anyway? The concern is to make the numbers JIVE with each other and the terminology is dynamic so are the variables applicable for each method of calculation.

“I guess it just depends on WATT your definition of is………..

IS?”

"I see no changes all I see is racist faces
misplaced hate makes disgrace to races
We under I wonder what it takes to make this
one better place, let's erase the haters
Take the evil out the people they'll be acting right
'cause both black and white is talkin smack tonight
and only time we heal is when we love each other
it takes skill to be real, time to heal each other
And although it seems heaven sent
We ain't ready, to see a black President, uhh
It ain't a secret don't conceal the fact
the penitentiary's packed"
tupac