Good morning,

Yesterday, we asked readers about the "golden parachutes" for school district superintendents. Below, you will find the survey results and a sampling of reader feedback.

This is the Texas Minute for Tuesday, October 8, 2024.

– Michael Quinn Sullivan 

Texas Ban on Paid Vote Harvesting Is Back in Effect

• A ban on paid vote harvesting is back in effect in Texas. A lower court had blocked its enforcement, but as Erin Anderson reports, the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals put that earlier ruling on hold until October 10.
            
• Texas enacted the ballot harvesting ban in 2021 as part of a comprehensive election integrity measure known as Senate Bill 1. The law criminalizes paid vote harvesting, a business that often crosses into illegal influence and fraud.
       
• That lower court's order—issued late last month—had barred the Office of the Attorney General and other law enforcement officials from investigating paid ballot harvesting schemes. 
      
• With the law back in effect, Paxton said he will “continue to use every tool available to secure our elections.”

Ken Paxton Demands Biden-Harris Administration Assist in Identifying Noncitizen Voters

• Attorney General Ken Paxton is pressing the Biden-Harris administration for access to citizenship data as part of his ongoing efforts to investigate potential noncitizen voters in Texas. Brandon Waltens has the details.
        
• According to Paxton, federal laws are preventing Texas from effectively confirming the citizenship status of voter registrants. The administration's actions are complicating Texas' ability to ensure noncitizens are not voting.
         
• He sent a letter yesterday to the Biden-Harris administration insisting that they comply with their legal obligation to assist in verifying the citizenship of individuals who registered to vote without a Texas-issued driver’s license or identification card.
          
• “I demand full cooperation from the federal government to ensure that any noncitizens remaining on Texas’s voter registration rolls are identified,” said Paxton. “The Biden-Harris Administration is legally obligated to assist states in doing so, and it is imperative that we use every tool available to uphold the integrity of our elections.”

Land Office Takes Ownership of Alamo's Cenotaph

• Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham has signed a deed taking ownership of the Alamo Cenotaph from San Antonio. As Valerie Muñoz reports, this is part of a $400 million project approved by lawmakers in 2023 to preserve the Alamo and its legacy.
         
• The Cenotaph—which means empty tomb—is a memorial honoring those who defended the Alamo. It was erected to celebrate the Texas centennial in 1936. Nearly a decade ago, lawmakers and citizens alike were outraged by plans put forward by former Land Commissioner George P. Bush to "reimagine" the Alamo—which included relocating the Cenotaph and diminishing the importance of the 1836 battle.
         
• "The Alamo Cenotaph, also known as the Spirit of Sacrifice, stands as a reminder of the brave defenders who refused to surrender and sacrifice all for freedom," said Buckingham. "I am proud to have delivered this significant victory for all Texans who cherish our rich history."

San Antonio Apartment Complex Raided

• Law enforcement officials have confirmed that a vacant San Antonio apartment complex had fallen under the control of the violent Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, which was using it as a base for criminal activity.
       
• Emily Medeiros reports a multi-agency task force was involved in a raid, which included the San Antonio Police Department, Texas Anti-Gang Unit, Texas Department of Public Safety, Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Border Patrol, and U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Numerous individuals were detained, including four TdA gang members.
       
• San Antonio police had received several complaints about the complex regarding narcotics, human trafficking, and threats to apartment personnel. The weeks-long investigation is part of a broader effort to disrupt Tren de Aragua’s influence in Texas.

San Antonio-area Teacher Arrested For Relationship With Student

• An art teacher at Davenport High School in Comal Independent School District has been arrested and charged with having an improper relationship with a student.
       
• Police were called to a construction site where they found the teacher, Jennifer Massey, and an underage boy. The two had engaged in sexual contact.
       
• Davenport High School Principal Angela Looney told parents Massey has been placed on administrative leave and will not return to campus.

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Quote-Unquote

"The most urgent necessity is, not that the State should teach, but that it should allow education. All monopolies are detestable, but the worst of all is the monopoly of education."

– Frédéric Bastiat​

Y'All Answered

Fort Worth ISD's superintendent will be paid nearly $1 million after one year on the job.

Yesterday, we asked readers if these massive "golden parachutes" for public school superintendents benefit students' academic lives. Just over 1 percent of readers support such payments to the administrators, while 98.9 percent oppose them.

Here's a sampling of what readers had to say after taking part in the survey...

• “We pay teachers to teach. We pay superintendents to manage. We don't pay them not to work. School districts complain they don't have enough money. If you spend it frivolously, you don't deserve more.” – Tom Nobis
      

• “These golden parachutes essentially reward poor performance and bad behavior, diverting essential funds from educational resources and support, which ultimately harms students and undermines accountability for leadership.” – Sharla Mills
      

• “Often, the 'very best' are actually not. Incompetence and/or bad behavior should not be rewarded.” – Roy Leatherberry
      

• “Paying for unnecessary positions to unqualified people drains the funds meant for teachers and children. Our children are more important. The majority of funds should go to their education in ensuring our nation’s future.” – Dianna Galando
      

• “Just another example of misuse of taxpayer money. No wonder our property taxes are so high.” – David Clark
      

• “The problem with our school districts is overpaid administrators and endless land speculation. The worst part is it's funded by what they think is a ‘bottomless bank account’ funded by WE THE PEOPLE.” – Rick Goncher
      

• “Public Schools in Texas are CESSPOOLS, that are nothing but Leftist Indoctrination Camps.” – Karen Stinnett
      

• “Give power to the parents and see how much better each school district responds.” – Dave Dorsey
      

• “In today’s education climate, educators are not worthy of this astronomical payoff.” – Molly Gail
      

• “Paying bad administrators is like giving participation trophies to kids. It emphasizes that bad behavior or not doing your job still gets rewarded. Someone recently said, ‘The problem with $20 an hour job is that most employees still have a $5 an hour mentality.’” – Glenna Speed
      

• “The State of Texas should establish a standardized pay scale for all school administrators just like it has for teachers with similar guidelines.” – Walt Millet
      

• “The funds obviously did not attract the best, or even close to the best, in this case.” – Patricia VanderVeen
      

• “School Districts waste way too much on overpaid “administrators” while still failing to properly educate children in their care!” – Michael Edinburgh
      

• “No, not only should they not receive a payoff, but should have all credentials revoked.” – Cathy Hess
      

• “Wasting money on excessively high salaries for administrators not only does not attract ‘better or best’ candidates for these positions, it demonstrates how out of touch the hiring practices have become. The sad state of our public schools is glaring evidence of that fact; big money has not produced a solid education for our children. Money has not bought quality in education, and this practice must be stopped.” – Mary Roan
      

• “We shouldn't even have a "superintendent" in the first place. Go back to neighborhood schools, get rid of the bureaucratic ‘ISD,’ and eliminate all that waste.” –  Chris Breaux
       

• “Not only should these crazy pay packages and golden parachutes be stopped, the entire concept of school administration should be reviewed. We have multiple layers of bureaucracy in these schools that produce no educational benefit for the students. Remove 50 percent of the administration level in our schools, and you will see test scores start to rise and costs come back into line with results.” – Pat Clonan

Directory of Your Current U.S. & Texas Lawmakers

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