Although I have my issues with the management of Indianapolis Public Schools, I have been trying to give them the benefit of the doubt this school year.   However that was shot down this morning when I read at  Tuesday’s budget hearing,  board member Kelly Bentley was denied an itemized copy of the District’s $448 million budget.

According to the Star’s behind Closed Doors, board members were given a general overview of the budget, but not an itemized breakdown of expenditures.   Bentley said as a board member she should know how funds are allocated, however IPS Superintendent Eugene White said he would not “waste the board’s time”  by giving it a total budget to review.  He said Bentley could make an appointment and come in and see the numbers.

No offense Dr. White, but the Board is made up of the duly elected representatives of the people and are entitled to review the budget line-by-line before they vote on it.  And a a majority of the Board members (the budget passed 5-1) don’t have the political spine to demand such information, I  will.

Below is a copy of  my Freedom of Information request that I will be dropping off by your office Monday morning.

31 August 2009

Dr. Eugene White
Indianapolis Public Schools
JMF Center For Education Services
120 E. Walnut
Indianapolis, IN 46204

Dear Dr. White:

Pursuant to the Indiana Access to Public Records Act (IC 5-14-3), I would like to obtain the following public records:

1. A printed copy of the District’s $448 million budget adopted this past Tuesday by the board by a vote of 5-1.
2. An electronic copy of the District’s $448 million budget adopted this past Tuesday by the board.
3. Any and all Executive summaries of the budget, as well as a line-by-line breakdown of funds by character, department  and school.

I understand that if I seek a copy of this record, there may be a copying fee. Please inform me of that cost prior to making the copy.  I can be reached at 317-XXX-XXXX.

According to the statute, you have 24 hours to respond to this request.  If you choose to deny the request, then you are required to respond in writing and state the statutory exception authorizing the withholding of all or part of the public record and the name and title or position of the person responsible for the denial.

Thank you for your assistance on this matter.

Respectfully Submitted,

Abdul-Hakim Shabazz, Esq.
WXNT-AM
9245 N. Meridian, Suite 300
Indianapolis, IN 46260
(317)816-4000

I get very suspicious when school districts aren’t willing to open up and provide full disclosure and individuals have to jump through hoops to get public information.  It makes me think they’re hiding something.  For example, it’s been rumored IPS hired an “Activity Director” at Broad Ripple High School for $85,000 at a time when teachers are getting laid off.   A good look at the budget would put that to rest.  Taxpayers could also find out how much they are paying to put gas in Dr. White’s car.

This attitude by Dr. White is the epitome of intellectual arrogance (which I of all people am a expert on) and a total disregard for the taxpayers.  It’s amazing that someone would spend all legislative session crying poverty, but when asked to show their budget line-by-line, as my lovely grandmother would say, “they start acting funky and talking crazy.”

I am dropping off my request Monday morning after my radio show.  I will let you know what happens.  And if I get an electronic copy of the budget, I will make it available for you to inspect yourself.

I got a tip late Friday afternoon that dozens of IPS teachers and staff were at the main building downtown mad as all get out because they were not getting paid.

When I got to the building they were waiting in the hall looking for their pay.   None of them would speak on the record but I overheard one teacher say this was the second time in a row he hadn’t been paid and another teacher she her pay check reflected five years of service, when in fact she had been in the district for 15 years.

I did manage to speak to Jane Ajabu, director of human resources for IPS, she told me the district has installed a new pay system, but they haven’t worked out all the bugs and will probably take years to get the entire system fixed.

Jane Ajabu

I’ve been hearing stories about IPS teachers either not getting paid or major errors in their paychecks.   It was something to see it up close and personal with all the issues the school district is facing.

There’s nothing like starting out the week with a good bunch of gossip, rumor and political innuendo.  Most of  it falls on the Democratic side today.  And as always, take it for what it is worth…

Marion County Sheriff Frank Anderson apparently has felt the need to justify some recent purchases in these tight budget times.  Anderson reportedly sent letters out to members of the council justifying the acquisitions of some motorcycles and other vehicles, saying he got a good deal on them.

Wayne Township Trustee David Baird is offering up retirement benefits to members of the Wayne Township Board.   However, my sources say the Board is going to tell him, thanks but no thanks.

A new name is being surfaced in the nomination for U.S. Attorney in the Southern District.  I’m hearing Marion County Superior Court Judge Tanya Walton Pratt as a likely nominee.

The new City-County Council maps are expected to be complete by December 2010.  It will be interesting to see how they are drawn now that there is a Republican Council and Republican Mayor.

Expect a major change to occur in the Mayor’s Office in about two weeks.

Rumor has it there was a serious mix up in the pay of some IPS teachers this past week.  It was reportedly so bad that IPS spokeswoman Mary Louise Bewley had to send out a formal apology to staff.

As I was looking for something to talk about during the first hour of my morning radio show,  I had a person call in who identified themselves as an IPS school teacher. He told me that during their first general meeting of the semester, Dr. Eugene White berated the teachers and told them the reason students got poor test scores was because of their inability to teach.

Now I don’t know if that’s exactly what went down, but it does bring up an interesting question.  When schools fail, whose fault is it?

Is it teachers who can’t teach?

Is it administrators whose policies aren’t based in reality?

Is it parents who are uneducated themselves and could care less?

Or are some students just incapable of learning, regardless of the teaching style you use?

I personally put the blame more so on the shoulders on parents.  And if a student has parents, or in most cases a parent, who is uneducated and has no appreciation for education, that attitude is going to transferred down to the kid.

I’ll be interested in your thoughts.