PSJA ISD about to decide on one of its biggest decisions in district history

Ed. Note: PSJA ISD teachers are tentatively scheduled to vote next week on a new plan – EmpowerED – made public earlier this month by the district’s superintendent, Dr. Daniel King, that is proving to be one of the most controversial issues to
What is the primary purpose
of this proposal?
The primary purpose is to accelerate PSJA’s improvement. We have come a long way over the past decade, but we want to become an even stronger district. This proposal includes a strategy to provide support to all participating campuses with two primary areas of focus: 1) Enhancing our teachers by developing processes and practices to significantly increase voice and input through participatory decision making
Why do I oppose the proposal?
First, I oppose the proposal because the final proposal has not been presented and/or approved by the PSJA ISD School Board of Trustees and there are too many uncertainties. The Superintendent indicated to the school board that the proposal will proceed only if there is a “consensus” from the school board. Consensus meaning that all school board members agreed and approved the proposal. There is no consensus; therefore, the proposal should
hit this district in, well, I can’t remember when. King says when he first brainstormed this idea, he had no clue that it would prove so controversial. The teachers will vote, then the school board, then it will be sent to the TEA for final approval. Looking at the board, it looks like it’s a 4-3 split in favor, although that isn’t entirely clear just yet. Jesse Zambrano, Jorge Zambrano, and Victor Perez have already said they will vote against it when it is presented to the board. Ronnie Cantu and Raymond Gonzalez have said they will vote in favor of it. Ben Garza hasn’t been available for comment, and Jesse Vela says he’s still looking at EmpowerEdD’s pros and cons before he decides to vote yay or nay.
This week, The Advance has decided to publish a list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) sent to this newspaper by Dr. King, which lays out the plan in detail.
Also included, are the reasons why Board President Ronnie Cantu favors it, and why Board Vice President Jesse Zambrano opposes it.

Read the entire story on the e-Edition of our newspaper. http://www.etypeservices.com/Advance%20News%20JournalID455/