As a first time reader of your blog, I really appreciate that you have a forum to vent on things near and dear to my heart, especially DISD. As a parent of public school students in DISD, a taxpayer, and a concerned activist, I have enjoyed the experience.

First - In my early driving days a 'fuzzbuster' was a radar detector that was usually permanently installed on or under the dashboard. Long before we had those little, easily concealable, flat cd-player-looking, powered by the car lighter devices that we have now, they were one of my first experiences of a way to use my constitutional rights against my own govt. Since airwaves are (at least they WERE) free, the govt couldn't limit the signals that the fuzzbuster sent out and received. I don't think that the current "Macarthy-esque" society will allow that much longer, but as a strict constitutionalist I will continue defending to the death the right to say things that I do NOT necessarily agree with. (Sorry, bad grammar.) This leads to my second thing.

Second - A friend told me about this site today and I have to tell you that I was very interested in reading it tonight. I jumped around and I found several posts about my neighborhood schools and the school board meetings. I happen to agree with you that without actual facts or charges, the ones who complain about principals, staff and teachers cannot be taken seriously. I really mean that they cannot expect redress from our government [an individual right guaranteed by the First Amendment] unless they are willing to speak out at least as a "confidential source" to an entitly that can shed light on the topic or controversy. I do appreciate that you are trying to ferret out someone who is not afraid to speak on record on these issues. I also saw the Alliance/AFT President, Amiee Bolender's post and I wonder that she didn't post info she has on one of those controversies. Maybe she needs her affected members' permission to let us in on what she knows, but I would be interested in hearing from someone who doesn't have to answer to, therefore cannot be fired or retaliated against by an administrator.

Third - I may be mistaken but the educators I have spoken to throughout the state (since I was a kid in DISD) told me that any school district employee could be sanctioned up to and including contract terministion for 'speaking their mind' publically and let me tell you that if that is true, then where are the fighters like Ann Richards who were both politically active and educators? Is this why teachers cannot strike in Texas? Is this because they have been told that they are 'State employees' and therefore prohibited like Police officers from having 'blue flu'? I believe the reasoning behind that is that in each district there is but one spokesperson. Do you think that in our No Child Left Behind, Patriot-Act loving society that anyone who utilized their constitutionally guaranteed rights to free speech could still get away with keeping their job? Especially in an 'AT-WILL' state?

As badly as I would be interested in hearing about some of the things that affect my area schools, especially safety issues, I sadly believe that no one is willing to fall on the sword for helping educate the rest of us.

Good luck and keep up the good fight.