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Watchdog
watch·dog (wŏch'dôg', -dŏg')
n.
- A dog trained to guard people or property.
- One who serves as a guardian or protector against waste, loss, or illegal practices.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Retrieved February 12, 2008, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/watchdog
Unlike police dogs, which are trained to apprehend and restrain criminals, the watchdog only sounds an alert to warn others. If the property owners do not respond to the warning over time, thieves will be emboldened to relieve the property owners of their property.
Texas public schools are like the Wild West.
There is little law enforcement, no sheriff in town and parents are on their own to protect their children and property.
This web site only serves as a watchdog to warn residents. It is up to parents and taxpayers to monitor finances, curriculum, contracts, stipends and nepotism. It's called "local control".
If YOU are not watching....no one else is.
The only financial accountability Texas public schools have is a worksheet that the school administration fills out called FIRST (Financial Integrity Rating System of Texas).
Not surprisingly well over 90% of school districts award themselves the highest rating available, Superior Achievement. Lovejoy ISD has awarded themselves Superior Achievement as well.
The only other fiscal accountability is an annual audit. The auditor is hired BY the administration that is being audited. These are not forensic audits and they do not look for fraud, embezzlement or financial mismanagement. That is up to the school board and parents, neither of whom have ever taken a close look at Lovejoy ISD's budget. (Partly because until October of 2007, Lovejoy ISD refused to provide a line-item budget and only then after six long years of constant pressure from taxpayers.)
Texas public schools have over 43 billion tax dollars that no one is accountable for.
Surprised?
We sure were.
Many public school scams and schemes have come to light in recent years, and generally only because of a watchdog informing the press.
Some of the watchdogs that we have been proud to work with include...
Peyton Wolcott (www.peytonwolcott.com)
Americans for Prosperity Texas (http://www.americansforprosperity.org)
Nancy Gadbois
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