Dallas ISD Trustee Ranger Not Pleased Interim Super Talks Took Place Behind Closed Doors

By Robert Wilonsky Thu., Jun. 2 2011 at 11:00 AM

Photo by Patrick Michels

This back-and-forth between Blackburn and Ranger Tuesday led to this morning's item on Ranger's blog.

A fellow Dallas Independent School District parent, who recalls Tuesday's sparring match between Carla Ranger and newly installed board president Lew Blackburn, suggests I take another look at the prolific Ranger's blog. That's because, moments ago, she posted yet another item about the interim superintendent debate -- this one suggesting that when the board went behind closed doors Tuesday afternoon to discuss what to do about choosing a temporary replacement for Michael Hinojosa, who was in Cobb County again yesterday for another community chitchat, it violated at least "the spirit" of the Texas Open Meetings Act.

As Patrick reported earlier this week, Blackburn began the called board meeting, where the lone agenda item was the interim super, by saying the board would immediately go into a closed-door executive session to pare down the list of 10 maybes to a handful of finalists. At which point Ranger said: That's what you think. Or, more accurately: "Whatever we do, the process should be open, should be transparent and should be one that the public is fully privy to." Only, not so much. Ranger writes this morning that, unfortunately, that's par for the course:

Since becoming a Trustee I have seen first hand the almost automatic desire of certain Trustees to conduct important public business in private so the public will not know what Trustees said and what they did.

Example, on Tuesday I left the closed executive session because I felt the Texas Open Meetings Act might be violated. There were discussions about process being held outside of the public view. Trustees were expressing their opinions. Nothing that could not have been discussed in full public view.

The Board President appears after the closed session and and open session and later announces the 'decisions' of the Trustees to certain members of the press. The question is: When and where were those decisions made? I am a Trustee; and I do not recall any votes being taken on process in open session. There were certainly discussions and opinions in the secret session but no official action was taken as required by state law.

If no official Board action was taken, by what authority does the President announce decisions that the Board has not officially made in open session?

Of course, as we noted last week, there's no love lost between Ranger and Blackburn.

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Wylie H.

I think Ranger is right most of the time; but she does need to be careful..... she is making so many powerful enemies that all it takes is one misstep and they will be all over her, questioning her credibility, etc. (while the more worthless members of the board, like Adam Medrano, continue to get a free pass, because they view their role as that of "order takers" for the powers-that-be).

Bettyculbreath

Ranger knows the law , rules and regulations.If you follow what Ranger says most time she is correct. The Chief Counsel for the District should be present in any closed meeting to make sure board members adhered to the closed session law.DFW board does not hold a closed session meeting without legal counsel present and they let us know if we speak out of order.

Rhinosaur

As high-profile as it is, the discussion of a new superintendent...interim or full-time...is still a personnel discussion. That happens in executive session. I wouldn't know Ranger if she was sitting at my kitchen table, but from this little nugget of info I can tell that professionalism (blog?) is not one of her strengths.

Math Whiz

Look, I'm a fighter just like Ranger. But, she is way beyond that.

I like that she monitors and questions things. It's just that her antics are beginning to appear as nothing more than tit-for-tat against the other trustees who do not cowtag to her never-ending demands.

Someone needs to teach Carla the meaning of the words: Pick your battles.

She's starting to sound like the 'Boy who called wolf--once too often.' As a result, no one is listening to anything she says.

Tey

Good post, Math. I like her too. Alot. But I wonder, after swinging that hammer for so long, if everything's starting to look like a nail.

LaceyB

Ranger is the only rational trustee up there. Why would they include her in any non-vimeo-ed discussion?

Chris Danger

While I love the tenacity and courage Carla Ranger holds, i'm starting to wonder if she's about to go off the deep end when it comes to her mental state..