BAD BISD PRINCIPALS

The Brownsville Independent School District has had many outstanding principals during its storied history. Dr. Arnulfo Oliveira immediately comes to mind. He was a gentle person who could penetrate a student's soul and inspire the latter to transcend himself.

Raul Besteiro was another iconic leader who preferred to slap a kid in the middle of his back and build his courage with fighting words. Unfortunately, Besteiro wasn't quite as successful as the BISD's superintendent and CEO of the Port of Brownsville. He misplayed the political game. Some say it led to his early demise.

During my four decades I worked for many top principals: Hanna's Don Breeden, Porter's Tony Ortiz, Vela's Johnny Pineda, Rivera's Amy Garza-Limon. They were consummate professionals in every sense of the word. They not only loved their students, but they loved their teachers and other employees as well.

Sadly, the BISD has grown with more than 50 schools that require professionals. Unfortunately, quality can't keep pace with quantity and the BISD is paying the price for hiring inferior administrators who more often than not display by their many failures that they are victims of the Peter Principle.

"There are too many administrators who want more money and are moving up the ladder too quickly," offered a Pace veteran. "They didn't like the classroom. They never paid their dues. They don't have the experience. They are blinded by ambition and the desire to earn more money. As a result of their inept leadership, more and more parents are sending their children to the charter schools.

"But nobody is kept accountable. Instead of returning these farces to the classroom, they keep their same salaries, inhabit a cubbyhole until retirement and spend the rest of their BISD years shuffling papers. The BISD is too top heavy because it is the only way the district deals with incompetence. I wish somebody would finally stand up and call a spade a spade."

The McHale Report is answering the call. Over the next months this blog with its reprinted articles on Facebook will be identifying the worst principals in the BISD. And there are some really bad ones. We planned on outing many of our local doctors in the same way, but it is already understood that if you are seriously ill, you go to Houston for real medical care.