This election cycle is a big one for the Houston ISD Board of Education. There are nine, single-member trustee seats on the board, and trustees serve four-year-staggered terms. This means that, normally, every other year, four or five of the seats are up for election. This year will be different for a number of reasons.
In the past, there have been other races on the ballot with school board elections, namely city council. But, because Houston voters approved a change in city council terms in 2015, and since this is an off year for state and federal elections, there are only a few things to vote on during this election.
On November 7, the ballot will include just the HISD School Board elections, the HCC Trustee elections, and some state and local propositions. Turnout will be different than past years, probably lower--making every vote count even more than usual.
I’ve written about this conflict before with regard to both negotiating a separation with Dr. Terry Grier, the former superintendent, and when the board was negotiating with Mr. Carranza to become the new superintendent. I warned about the inherent conflict in those dealings. Now when I attend board meetings and workshops, I can see that conflict manifest itself right in front of me. I wonder what they were talking about this morning.
The board of trustees represent us and their lawyers represent them. If we are to believe they are working in our best interests, we must demand that they receive independent advice.
But the public deserves more transparency. I have written before about the potential conflict of interest between the lawyers advising trustees on superintendent contracts and how those same lawyers can benefit from millions of dollars in business controlled by that same superintendent. The students, the parents, the teachers, the career educators, the taxpayers and all the stakeholders in our public education system deserve more transparency on what might be the most important decision this board makes for years to come.
