"Title I" is the federal program that provides funding to local school districts to improve the academic achievement of disadvantaged students. It is part of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act first passed in 1965. That Act is reauthorized by Congress from time to time, and often given a new name. According to Bright Hub Education: "Title 1 funds aim to bridge the gap between low-income students and other students. The U.S. Department of Education provides supplemental funding to local school districts to meet the needs of at-risk and low-income students."
The bottom line is this: Title 1 schools get additional funding from the federal government to help with the income gap.
So why are Title 1 Schools suffering in Phoenix, Arizona?
Personally I think the buck stops at the leadership level. There is no transparency that will hold the Pendergast School District leaders accountable, and I know this because there are no video recordings and/or accurate minutes on their website. Minutes of the board meetings are very broad and general thus opening up the door to the continued a ongoing bullying problems at Pendergast.
Take for instance a school district performing well in the Phoenix metro area with regard to the Scottsdale Unified School District -- not only do they have a full account of the Governing Board meetings, they also list documents and presentations, and recordings. In fact, they live stream the meeting for persons who cannot by physically present at the board meetings, then after they live stream they post all of their videos up on their website.
"Kingmaker" Pendergast school board member Martin Quezada is instrumental in getting carpet bagger Lily Matos DeBlieux in as Superintendent, and it appears he will do what it takes to protect her decisions even though teachers and students are leaving her school because of the bullying problems that are not being handled very well.
Why aren't there bully problems at the Scottsdale Unified School District? And why are there neglectful bullying problems in the Phoenix area Title I schools?
A good start for Pendergast School District is to install cameras for their public board meetings in order for transparency to begin with regard to the decision they are making. A good model to begin with is taking a look at how SUSD conducts itself in the live streaming / recording transparency department. This is what Chicano / Latino parents deserve for their children and it is not a sin to raise the bar and the level of expectation for Chicano children.
For the Pendergast Parents: Please contact the below leadership and demand board meeting transparency.
Jose Arenas, President
Email: [email protected]
Ruben B. Gutiérrez, Vice-President
Email: [email protected]
Susan Serin, Member
Email: [email protected]
Hilda Ortega-Rosales, Member
Email: [email protected]
Senator Martin Quezada, Member
Email: [email protected]
Dr. Lily Matos DeBlieux, Superintendent
Email: [email protected]
Brian Mee, Chief Business Officer
Email: [email protected]
Dora Barrio, Chief Academic Officer
Email: [email protected]
Patti Tussey, Executive Director for Human Resources
Email: [email protected]
