The Board will do nothing because to do so is to admit they were the ones responsible for hiring him and then letting him get on a payment plan when he skedaddled in the first place. They were fully aware of his sketchy financial past, they are all lemmings who follow their leader. Look how many woke points they scored! Let’s face it- $25k is a drop in the bucket compared to how bad we got fleeced under this guy and this Board. From the completely unnecessary security to the free lunches, to the pet projects, to the Daley-esque nepotism and on to the fiasco we now call the 5th Ward Money Pit. $25k is nothing. Were it only $25k we are out!
I’m not shocked, based on this thief’s recent history. But we pay administrators to catch folks like Horton. I admit it’s probably difficult, but still he stole our money and our town’s educational future.
At all future Board meetings, we place an extra large glass jar on one of the tables at the front of the room. Every time a Board member starts to talk a good game about being financially responsible, they have to put $5 in the jar, since we all know by now that it is just talk. Actions speak much louder than words. Kind of like a swear jar.
$10 for using the phrase "financial stewardship."
$20 for using the phrase "transportation savings" .... unless it is used in the sense of fictional transportation savings, unrealized transportation savings, etc.
It probably won't amount to much, but it should help underwrite the costs of free lunches for D65 administrators which is still a thing.
Maybe if we attend we could have an audience game/version of the same. I’m not saying a drinking game because we’d all be blotto within 20/30 minutes but I’m sure we could come up with something…..
It is so wildly inappropriate, I literally cannot even comprehend calling a coworker and being like, "Hey, so I owe my old company where you still work $700 this month but I don't want to send a check, can I send you a Zelle and then can you go to the bank branch and get a money order?" Like, the person would think I am doing some kind of fraud scheme or something. It's so out there.
It also puts her in a weird legal position too - is this considered doing state business with her personal account? She was just hired in Dekalb and now they're going to have to look into this. It's just so bizarro and slows a complete lack of judgement - I put this 100% on Dr. Horton - he's in the position of power over her.
And there are STILL Board members who support this clown. The Board and Horton took a great district and gutted it. I would love to see the turnover rate in teachers and principals over the last few years - a rate that I predict will only continue to climb.
There are other journalists doing some good work on this front, stay tuned. The turnover is not good. Last summer alone we had job recs out there for 70 teachers, which is almost 10% of the total number of teachers in the District. So the turnover there has been bad. The turnover on the admin side, I'm told, is even worse and we've hit a point where there's starting to be issues with things like payroll systems, etc because we're losing competent people that can run operations.
Good - glad people are looking at this. Payroll has been an issue for awhile. Over 2 years ago, taxes were not properly taken out for many of the new hires, stipends were not paid on time, custodial pay was disrupted ... I could go on.
Probably all of them. The only one who joined the board post-Horton is Omar Salem and he has done little to distinguish himself from the old guard who sat around while people like Tom and the Roundtable were pointing out issues with the district's finances, crazy claims about the cost of the school, and poor educational outcomes, the board sat around and let things go without any actual oversight.
The Board will do nothing because to do so is to admit they were the ones responsible for hiring him and then letting him get on a payment plan when he skedaddled in the first place. They were fully aware of his sketchy financial past, they are all lemmings who follow their leader. Look how many woke points they scored! Let’s face it- $25k is a drop in the bucket compared to how bad we got fleeced under this guy and this Board. From the completely unnecessary security to the free lunches, to the pet projects, to the Daley-esque nepotism and on to the fiasco we now call the 5th Ward Money Pit. $25k is nothing. Were it only $25k we are out!
You gotta start somewhere…
Color me shocked.
I’m not shocked, based on this thief’s recent history. But we pay administrators to catch folks like Horton. I admit it’s probably difficult, but still he stole our money and our town’s educational future.
And people wonder why D65 is in such horrible financial shape. If I shook my head any harder, it would fall off.
I have a modest proposal .....
At all future Board meetings, we place an extra large glass jar on one of the tables at the front of the room. Every time a Board member starts to talk a good game about being financially responsible, they have to put $5 in the jar, since we all know by now that it is just talk. Actions speak much louder than words. Kind of like a swear jar.
$10 for using the phrase "financial stewardship."
$20 for using the phrase "transportation savings" .... unless it is used in the sense of fictional transportation savings, unrealized transportation savings, etc.
It probably won't amount to much, but it should help underwrite the costs of free lunches for D65 administrators which is still a thing.
Maybe if we attend we could have an audience game/version of the same. I’m not saying a drinking game because we’d all be blotto within 20/30 minutes but I’m sure we could come up with something…..
The Sarita Smith go-between is so wildly bizarre, inappropriate, and incomprehensible I don’t know what to say.
I’ve worked with people who I became friends with, but I could not imagine calling on them to be a money courier for me in this way.
There has to be more to that story than what she revealed.
It is so wildly inappropriate, I literally cannot even comprehend calling a coworker and being like, "Hey, so I owe my old company where you still work $700 this month but I don't want to send a check, can I send you a Zelle and then can you go to the bank branch and get a money order?" Like, the person would think I am doing some kind of fraud scheme or something. It's so out there.
It also puts her in a weird legal position too - is this considered doing state business with her personal account? She was just hired in Dekalb and now they're going to have to look into this. It's just so bizarro and slows a complete lack of judgement - I put this 100% on Dr. Horton - he's in the position of power over her.
It’s so incredible bizzare. Good riddance to her as well.
And there are STILL Board members who support this clown. The Board and Horton took a great district and gutted it. I would love to see the turnover rate in teachers and principals over the last few years - a rate that I predict will only continue to climb.
There are other journalists doing some good work on this front, stay tuned. The turnover is not good. Last summer alone we had job recs out there for 70 teachers, which is almost 10% of the total number of teachers in the District. So the turnover there has been bad. The turnover on the admin side, I'm told, is even worse and we've hit a point where there's starting to be issues with things like payroll systems, etc because we're losing competent people that can run operations.
Good - glad people are looking at this. Payroll has been an issue for awhile. Over 2 years ago, taxes were not properly taken out for many of the new hires, stipends were not paid on time, custodial pay was disrupted ... I could go on.
Actually the turnover rate affects ALL staff. It appears no one wants to work at D65.
That's what happens when staff are heavily micromanaged, overworked and bullied!
Which board members still support him? That’s just unconscionable.
Probably all of them. The only one who joined the board post-Horton is Omar Salem and he has done little to distinguish himself from the old guard who sat around while people like Tom and the Roundtable were pointing out issues with the district's finances, crazy claims about the cost of the school, and poor educational outcomes, the board sat around and let things go without any actual oversight.
I think Omar has been OK, he's got some catching up to do on the mess, though.
Should we start a Go Fund Me for Horton to pay this off?
OMG, they have to name the new school after him now.
I've thought about this a lot
Truly wild. Unsurprising, but wild.