Mister Rogers - September 28, 2021

Is this Mister Rogers neighborhood?

2021 SBISD GOOD NEIGHBOR HONOREES

In an earlier post, I promised to come back to the topic of one of SBISD’s most notable 2021 “Good Neighbor” honorees, Barry Abrams. For those who may not know, Barry Abrams is an attorney who represents Virginia Elizondo, last election’s loser who is now suing the district, claiming that she didn’t win because we are an at-large election system. Abrams writes in the Original Petition that "voting in SBISD school board elections...is racially-polarizing" (Para. 39) and that "SBISD's neighborhoods also evidence a troubling history of residential segregation and racial conflict" (Para. 47).

Abrams served as a director on the Spring Branch Education Foundation (SBEF) for many years. He "stepped down" around the time of the filing of the lawsuit. During his time on SBEF, he served with Janet Horton (of Thompson & Horton, the law firm that represents the district against his lawsuit), Dr. Jennifer Blaine (Superintendent), Linda Buchman (Asso. Superintendent for Communications) and current SBISD Board trustees J. Carter Breed (up for re-election in 2022), Pam Goodson (up for re-election in 2022), Minda Caesar, and Chris Gonzalez (current President of the SBISD Board). Please don’t get me wrong, SBEF does great work each year raising money for the children in our district, but I would be remiss if I didn’t point out the existence of these relationships. You can make your own decision about how those relationships affect decisions being made on your behalf.

Per their website, SBISD says of their good neighbor program:

“Who is eligible?

Any corporation, local business, government entity, non-profit, faith-based organization, educational institution or individual who completes three or more strategic activities in support of SBISD or The Spring Branch Education Foundation (SBEF) in a school year.”

On the heels of being sued by Barry Abrams, the district has to make decisions about who they are going to honor as their 2021 Good Neighbors. Approximately 195 people received the honor and are listed alphabetically on the public release. Abrams is the first name listed.

When this was first announced last week, I was appalled that the district would CHOOSE to honor someone that seeks to tear the district apart and cost it hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees. Even if Dr. Blaine and other administrators believed that he had “checked all the boxes”, they should have removed him considering the extraordinary circumstances the district now finds itself in with this lawsuit. At first, I thought that perhaps those in charge didn’t actually realize he was on the list. Because I believe in action and not just talk, I emailed Dr. Blaine and Linda Buchman to inquire and bring to their attention this incredibly tone deaf and offensive Abrams award. I am disappointed in her response, pasted below:

Ms. Andrews,

The Good Neighbor Designation is obtained through an application process that opens in the Spring for the following school year. The application requires the individual or entity to complete three activities in support of a school, the district or the Spring Branch Education Foundation. If the individual or entity completes the application and the activities, they are given the Good Neighbor Designation. The Class of 2021 Good Neighbors are being recognized for their support last school year. This is the list on the website.

We cannot arbitrarily remove the designation from anyone who applies and successfully completes the process.

Thank you,

Dr. Jennifer Blaine

As I analogized in my second email to her, under that reasoning, if a senior is ready to walk for graduation, having completed their required credits, and has a disciplinary mishap, doesn’t the school have a right to tell them they aren’t allowed to walk? Is the school powerless because the student has otherwise completed the credits? Of course not. To act as if the district couldn’t take away this honor is nonsense. What’s he going to do about it, sue them?

This is another example of the questions I continue to have about whether these trustees that serve together on various Spring Branch boards really care what we think-the taxpayers, parents and voters. Her response tells me everything I need to know about the district’s allegiance to Barry Abrams.

LA

#lawyermom #LNS #SBISD

Posted on 28 Sep 2021, 15:32 - Category: Facebook Blog