Robert Canright Endorsement

After endorsing Steve Navarre for Trustee Place 6 last week, I received numerous responses that encouraged me to also endorse Robert Canright for Trustee Place 7, like the email excerpts in italics inserted below:

Since you are endorsing Steve Navarre, have you seen this article: http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/stories/041209dnmetemails.3cd76a6.html and do you know if Robert Canright is having similar problems with Plano ISD?

I sure don't care to see Missy Bender get re-elected. She has been a disappointment to say the very least. At one time I thought she was behind parental rights, but she proved too weak to stand up and protect those rights when the time came to vote.

I was floored with the recent article in the DMN regarding non-punishment for cheaters and kids who turn in their work late.

This article is imperative to read http://www.txcn.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/tv/stories/wfaa090408_wz_planograding.b4c30aec.html.The article outlines PISD's 'Alternative Grading' program. Do the kids these days really need another step to unaccountability? Many of us moved here because we knew the Plano schools were among the best in Texas. Our property taxes prove it!

As stated in the article they believe they need to be creative in retaining the children that are not graduating. Well, by all means PISD, shoot for mediocrity and adhere to the non-performers!

You will see from the video report that DISD is very interested in adopting this from PISD. WOW! We are setting the standards for DISD?!

Why not just give these kids a degree and be done with it! Don't all of our children deserve better?

When this came out in the Dallas Morning News last month PISD denied the validity of the article. It turns out PISD was working on this initiative. When I called PISD today they admitted the article was true. They advised me to email askpisd@pisd.edu and someone would contact me.

I didn't put this in my earlier email but yesterday they totally were disrespectful of me. Dissing me to just do the askpisd@pisd.edu was a complete cop out. {omitted} I don't have time for these people that don't keep in mind that THEY WORK FOR US!

Pretty impressive responses. I think this race has the possibility to be an “upset”.

Robert's campaign speech, responses to questions, and analyses (charts inserted above) speak for themselves. The charts show that Plano spends the most but has one of the worst records; whereas Allen spends the least and has the best results. This was also an issue last year when the Dallas Morning News showed that Plano has a dropout rate of 21.2% http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/040608dnmetgradrates.2f633e0.html; then I suggested that Plano adopt the Allen ISD approach http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/city/collin/opinion/stories/DN-north_dropout_21edi.ART.North.Edition1.b3251a.html; however, in response, Missy Bender stated that Plano does not need to consider Allen's approaches that yield outstanding results compared to Plano's lower effectiveness http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/city/collin/opinion/stories/DN-north_bender_29edi.ART.North.Edition1.4da7a4a.html.

Early voting begins April 27nd, so please vote early to avoid any hitches in making your vote count, and vote for Robert Canright.

David Lee Hall

http://www.texas-ideas-progress.blogspot.com/

Robert Canright’s OPENING STATEMENT for the Plano Homeowners Council, April 9, 2009

At this moment Robert Canright is at Plano Senior High School, watching his daughter’s class present a senior project.

His daughter has gone through all 12 grades in Plano, so Robert knows there are problems in the elementary school curriculum. As so many parents in Plano have done, Robert has provided tutoring for his children to compensate for these problems.

Not everyone in Plano provides private tutoring for their children. There is a “tutoring divide” between the haves and the have-nots in Plano. The have-nots fall behind in elementary school and never catch up. Plano is perfect for the cream-of-the-crop students, but short-changes the average student.

Robert has provided charts for you from TEA data proving Plano has a serious problem: Allen, Frisco, and Richardson all provide the average student a better education for a lower cost than Plano.

Robert says the budget problems and poor school performance prove the Plano ISD board is mismanaging our schools. The board needs new blood, and Robert can provide the good judgment that is missing on the board.

Robert Canright’s CLOSING STATEMENT for the Plano Homeowners Council

Ladies and gentlemen, Robert Canright says the purpose of the board of trustees is to represent the citizens of Plano by overseeing the Superintendent and his administration. Robert’s analysis of school performance proves the schools are mismanaged. The board makes excuses for poor performance and denies there is a problem. The board is representing the Superintendent, not the people. The board is failing in its duties and the incumbent must be replaced.

Robert sees difficult times ahead for our children and suggests his Texas Ascendant Campaign could lead to a better future for our children.

Robert’s charts prove he cannot be hoodwinked by the Superintendent. Robert will provide the oversight missing from today’s board. Robert’s Texas Ascendant Campaign demonstrates he is a man of vision. Robert will provide the strategic thinking needed to guide the district through a challenging future.

Vote to give your children a better education. Vote for Robert Canright

Responses in bold from Robert Canright, PISD Candidate, Place 7

1. Will you vote to post the check register online including date, number, payee, amount, and option to view the check stub (list of line items being paid by the check)?

Non-payroll checks issued by the Plano ISD definitely need to be available for review by the public online. I agree that invoices or purchase orders paid by check also need to be linked to the check and be available for online review. Furthermore, there needs to be a link from each check to a section of the budget and enough description to make clear what has been purchased. Additionally, there needs to be comments section by the public linked to the check and appropriate responses by the administration. We need complete and full disclosure.

2. Do you favor replacing some of our property taxes with sales taxes (City) and PISD do you favor replacing some of property taxes with a statewide sales tax to be allocated based on the number of students? -- i.e. if elected will you personally lobby Austin to help make those changes?

Our State Legislature is failing the people of Texas. Perhaps it is time for the people of Texas to make their own proposals for the school tax problem, perform the financial analysis, debate the issue on a state-wide basis, and have a state-wide referendum. I would not presume to know the best answer, but experience shows our legislature is incapable of solving difficult problems. I have an open mind and I believe we need objective analysis, free of political ideology.

3. Do you think that it is acceptable to continue running a deficit?

Running a deficit is unacceptable. Repeated deficits are a symptom of mismanagement.

4. Assuming NO to 3 above then are you in favor of increasing taxes, cutting costs, and then which of each.

Cutting costs is always a good idea, but we must be careful about what gets cut and who gets hurt by the cuts. Property taxes might be complicated in falling economy. If property values are being assessed downward, then taxes paid by homeowners might be decreasing while the tax rate is unchanged. So when we talk about increasing taxes, are we talking about increasing tax rates in order to maintain the aggregate revenue raised by property taxes? Or are we talking about raising the tax rate to increase the aggregate revenue from property taxes beyond the aggregate revenue that preceded the economic downturn that started in 2008? And can we address the problem of citizens facing property taxes while they are unemployed? A fair solution that hurts no one will be difficult, but should be a goal.

5. Are you in favor of more, less, or the same amount of outsourcing?

Outsourcing is always something worth considering, but we need to also consider if the outsourcing is actually a decrease in services. If the outsourcing is actually a decrease in services, we can consider decreasing the services we already provide instead of outsourcing in order to reduce layoffs. If we do not intend to reduce services when we outsource, do we have contracts written clearly enough to maintain the level of service and quality? And can we outsource without a conflict of interest? Everything done to reduce costs must be done carefully in order to maintain quality of service and minimize the harm to our employees. For example, if the outsourcing saves money only by paying lower salaries, would employees whose jobs are to be cut be willing to take that pay cut in order to save their jobs? If outsourcing saves money by charging a lower overhead cost, what could PISD do to reduce its overhead to be competitive with a private company?

Outsourcing is competition for our staff and administration. They must have a chance to compete fairly instead of being callously thrown overboard.

6. Assuming you are in favor of outsourcing then what are good options?

The PISD must take an objective and fair assessment of outsourcing, without unwarranted prejudgments.

7. Are you in favor of curfews during certain hours of the day and/or night for unaccompanied minors?

Communities first need to determine if there is a reason to consider daytime curfews. I have not yet heard that Plano needs such a curfew, but perhaps we do. Some parts of town have more trouble than other parts of town. This is not directly a school board issue, but it could contribute to reduced truancy and dropouts, so it could indirectly benefit our children’s education.