Spring’s spending leaves people puzzled
Wednesday, October 28, 2009 | 6:51 AM
HOUSTON (KTRK) — 13 Undercover has exposed the questionable use of your tax money on travel by the Spring Independent School District. Spring is using more of taxpayer’s money in a campaign to question our investigation.
[MORE: Spring ISD’s response to our report]
[MORE: Letter from Spring ISD’s superintendent]
A summer trip to Cozumel, Mexico. Nice beach. Great diving, and a cruise ship brings you to the island paradise.
Check out the on board casino and the miniature golf course. You didn’t get to go — but you paid the bill. And it’s all in the name of education, Spring style.
A four-night Caribbean cruise — that’s where Spring ISD trains the teachers who will teach other teachers how to teach the kids to play chess. In between the shopping in Key West and the visit to Cozumel, of course.
The first three days on the boat there’s only five hours of chess training. No wonder the chess vendor calls it lots of fun.
The First Move curriculum says only one teacher needs to be trained per campus. Spring has 25 elementary schools, yet 76 Spring employees have already taken the cruise.
Some principals even used their own campus money to go along to watch the training. Imagine the sacrifice — interrupting your summer vacation to spend five long days on a cruise.
But it’s all for the kids.
First Move claims chess can help second and third graders improve math and reading skills, and self-esteem. And all Spring elementary schools now have to teach an hour long class of chess at least once a week in place of other subjects.
Vandi Redfern’s son loves to play.
“He loves it,” she said. “And I think it’s a great idea and i think it helps him mentally.”
Here is the full article.
Chess is important for kids but sending 76 teachers from one district on a luxury cruise in the name of chess for children is ridiculous. It’s a bonehead move and improper at the very least, especially in this economy.
This is one more reason why a free and active media (news papers, radio and TV) are needed to keep some sense of transparency in local government.
The core idea (teaching kids to play chess) is sound. But along the way, some adults decided to twist it into a vacation for themselves. Now, the whole notion is tainted by this.
The administrators and teachers involved deserve to be called out on this.
Yup, keep child hustlin! We gonna wipe yall azzes out soon,hope you enjoyed your boat ride! Damn idiots.
But Lester and Rerun found love on the Chess Loveboat!
AF4C is a good organization. This is simply a one time error. No biggie. So what if it costs $390,000 to the schools. The benefits are much greater.
Good one Morgan! hehe, thats right i forgot about that!!! My son and i like your movie Lean on Me, we watch it all the time! We wait for the Mayor to say “your sitting there set me up” hehehe then we fall out! thanks!!! Thats what im doing to the “Russians” hehehe. Susan be quiet! ssssssshhhhh. Please keep this thing on the DL. hahaha. Afro-American Code words! hahaha.
“Call me Batman!”
You can’t train teachers to tech chess with only a few days instruction.
Why not give them a 4 day cruise to learn to teach Spanish or piano too?
“Why not give them a 4 day cruise to learn to teach Spanish or piano too?”
Why not? Sign me up!