The new Board of Trustees for the Harris County Department of Education has called a special meeting to be held Monday, January 9, 2017 at 1:00 pm. They are going to elect officers and do a couple other things, some good, some not.
1. Consider election of President and VicePresident of the Board of Trustees
The easy money is on Don Sumners being elected President and Mike Wolfe Vice-President. I’m not so sure about that. Wolfe has his own ambitions and would love to be President. With the new board being 5 R’s to 2 D’s, it is going to be one or the other. Wolfe was instrumental in getting George Moore and Eric Dick to run, perhaps they swing their allegiance to him. If that is the case, he only needs to persuade Louis Evans to support him. On the other hand, Dick is very independent minded. Will the two D’s decide that Sumners is the lesser of two evils and back him, with Dick being the wild card?
2. Consider appointment of Board delegates to the Public Facilities Corporation
Who cares?
3. Consider terminating the contracts of current political consultants Pat M. Strong and Hill Co.
Good. This should have been done years ago. The idea of elected officials spending taxpayer funds to lobby other elected officials is repulsive. Don’t let the door hit ya where the good Lord split ya.
4. Consider rescinding prior authorization for expenditure of funds for the recovery high school previously approved by the Board and consider action directing that no HCDE funds be spent on the recovery high school project, employment or improvements, without subsequent Board approval, until a comprehensive feasibility and development plan is completed and approved by the Board
What a waste of time and money. These studies have already been done, this is the direct result of the changing composition of the board. The HCDE has been in Republican hands for years and is one of the few examples of Republicans actually governing well. Now the new board is determined to screw it up so that they can claim the ‘conservative’ mantel which these days means the inability to govern. Lord have mercy.
5. Consider action directing that no additional HCDE funds be spent on the new ABS West campus without Board approval until a comprehensive feasibility and development plan is completed and approved by the Board
Ditto #4.
6. Consider changing the regular January 2017 Board Meeting from January 19,2017 to January 25, 2017
Most likely so that Mike Wolfe can attend the inauguration in Washington, D.C.
7. Consider changing the regular Board meeting dates to the third Wednesday of the month, including possible revision to Policy BE (Local)
I liked it when the meetings were on Tuesday afternoons. Oh well.
In case you have forgotten what the Harris County Department of Education does, here are a couple of videos.
https://youtu.be/XZ8cAgnOjW0
