LETTER SENT BY TERRI MAJORS TO ALTON FRAILEY IN 2011:
June 8, 2011
Dear Mr. Frailey,
Thank you for your letter dated May 26, 2011. Certainly, I am
aware of the district’s grievance procedures, and I also understand that the issues I have
brought to the Board at the past three Board Meetings cannot receive a response during the
meeting. The act of filing a grievance in Katy ISD is a futile attempt to address
disagreements in an open-minded and unbiased forum. Allowing the administrators
about whom the grievances are filed to be present at the hearings is an egregious
miscarriage of justice!
Attached, please find the letter I wrote to you on January 10, 2010.
Over a year ago, I asked that you investigate what was going on at Golbow. You did
not respond to me, but asked Patti Paetow to intervene. I did meet with Mrs. Paetow
in January, 2010, and she informed me that I should stay away from Golbow. I am
aware that Mrs. Paetow has spent a considerable amount of time at the campus, but she has
not resolved the issues that concern me. In fact, the very idea that she will be an
objective “third party” is ludicrous to those who have concerns (80% of the staff).
In your letter to me, you stated, “Your suggestion regarding the
creation of a committee of private citizens to evaluate a campus principal is not feasible
because Board Policy DNB (LEGAL) and the Texas Education Code at 21.355 state that: ‘a
document evaluating the performance of an administrator is confidential.’” Please
peruse the attached copy of my comments. I did not ask for an evaluation of the
campus principal. Instead, I requested a committee to investigate the many
occurrences at Golbow that have forced teachers to leave in large numbers. Ms.
Smith’s evaluation was not mentioned.
I am confident that you will review your notes from the Board Meeting of
May 23, 2011 and adjust your contention that I asked for an evaluation of Ms. Smith.
The problems creating a change in staff of more than 80% still need to be investigated.
I am asking you to amend your decision about forming an unbiased committee to talk to
teachers, staff, parents and students at Golbow and determine if the actions of the
administration have been reasonable and fair. A response will be expected within ONE
business day; after that, I will send my concerns to the media.
Sincerely,
Terri Majors
Below is the letter to which she responded:
May 26, 2011
Mrs. Terri Majors
XXXXX
Dear Mrs. Majors:
You have made presentations during the public forum section of Board Meetings over the past several months regarding specific issues pertaining to Golbow Elementary. The issues that you have presented are not issues on which the Board can comment.
In March, I had asked Bonnie Holland, Assistant Superintendent for Governance, Legal Affairs, and Special Programs, to provide you with written information about the grievance processes that are available to employees, parents, and community members who wish to file a formal complaint. It is my understanding that legal council for ATPE has also explained to staff that they must follow local policy. Despite having been provided with this information, it appears that you have deliberately chosen to ignore established procedures for addressing complaints by attempting to present your concerns directly to the Board of Trustees. In doing so you may have inadvertently caused other individuals (employees and/or parents) to believe that they can bypass the established formal complaint processes resulting in the possibility of their being outside the timeline for having their complaints heard.
Your suggestion regarding the creation of a committee of private citizens to evaluate a campus principal is not feasible because Board Policy DNB (LEGAL) and the Texas Education Code at21.355 state that: “a document evaluating the performance of an administrator is confidential.” However, Patti Paetow, Area 2 Assistant Superintendent, has spent a considerable amount of time at Golbow Elementary in order to be accessible to any staff member who has a concern.
It is my recommendation that you encourage individuals with whom you are in contact to follow the appropriate complaint procedures outlined in Board Policy. If there are individuals who are reluctant to file a complaint for fear of retaliation, please assure them that there are Board policies that protect them from such action.
Sincerely,
Superintendent
AF/BH