Thread: New Britain superintendent faced national criticism for 'weeding out' Mexican student

New New Britain superintendent faced national criticism for 'weeding out' Mexican students

Saturday, March 3, 2012 9:11 PM EST
By ROBERT STORACE
STAFF WRITER

NEW BRITAIN — Newly named New Britain School Superintendent Kelt L. Cooper had a stormy relationship with some members of the Mexican-American community for his policy of weeding out Mexican students — who did not live in the district — from going to school in Del Rio, Texas.

Cooper’s policy included sending school staff members to the International Bridge, which connect Mexico and Texas, to see if young people were heading to neighborhood schools. If they were headed to a school, according to Del Rio News-Herald education reporter Jennifer Killin, they were sent to pupil services where they had to prove residency.

Cooper’s hands-on style of dealing with the issue in 2009 brought with it attention from the national media, but some Board of Education members are expressing outrage that the superintendent search firm never told them in writing about Cooper’s background. Cooper, superintendent in Del Rio since 2008, will not be named schools boss until a site visit is conducted by several school board members later this month.

“The information on him came in the last minute (on Wednesday), said school board member Aram Ayalon, who voted in favor of Washington D.C. educator Sadia M. White. The board Wednesday voted 6-4 for Cooper. Ayalon said Cooper’s background was a “factor” in the four dissenters voting for White. The original vote was 5-5, but Board of Education Chairwoman Sharon Beloin-Saavedra changed her voted for Cooper so the process would not be null and void.
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“We paid the search firm (Ray & Associates of Cedar Rapids, Iowa) $17,000 and they never reported this (about Cooper),” Ayalon said Friday. “For each of the seven finalists they gave us a 3-or-4 page summary in addition to their resume. They were charged with screening the candidates’ backgrounds, calling references and giving us a report. If they did a thorough job, we wouldn’t have been surprised.”

Dr. Bill Adams, northeast regional search director for Ray & Associates, said Friday Cooper’s past was not in the written report “because it’s a non-issue and did not rise to putting it in the confidential report.” He did say the board, through Beloin-Saavedra, was notified verbally of the item in mid-February.

Ayalon said he heard this past week about the controversy involving Cooper from a resident who Googled him.

Cooper was asked by the school board about his policy related to residency in Texas on Wednesday, the day he was chosen. Cooper heads the San Felipe Del Rio Consolidated Independent School District in Del Rio, Texas. The board’s vetting of Cooper in the final interview Wednesday afternoon took about 45 minutes, of which about 20 minutes was on the issue of barring non-residents from the school district.

Beloin-Saavedra said many school board members knew about Cooper’s policy in Texas prior to Wednesday, noting, “Dr. Ayalon was not at every meeting. Sometimes, he came in late and sometimes he left early. But, other members knew about this (since mid-February).” Of Cooper’s policies in Texas, Beloin-Saavedra said, “the bottom line is this was a residency issue, not an immigration issue.”

While Ayalon said the four no votes for Cooper were due, in part, to his policy related to Mexicans in Texas, Beloin-Saavedra disputed that. She said Democrats Judith Greco, Carlos Pina and Dr. Nicole Sanders did not vote for White over Cooper because of the controversy, but rather because they thought White was a better candidate. Greco, Pina and Sanders could not be reached for comment Friday.

For his part Cooper, 51, said the issues is being “overblown.”

“There is a national debate on immigration, this has nothing to do with immigration,” Cooper said. “The law is perfectly clear on this. I’m not a legislator, I do not write the laws.”

Some in the region expressed frustration with Cooper.

David Hinojosa, a lawyer with the Mexican American Legal & Education Defense Fund, said back in 2009 that he could not recall checkpoints similar to what was done at the International Bridge.

“I think it’s outrageous,” Hinojosa said at the time. “If he’s so concerned about residency, why doesn’t he go to the eastern or western boundaries of his county to see if any students are crossing into his school district.”

In October 2009, Robert Ruiz of the San Antonio Public Policy Examiner wrote, “Instead of intimidating students, Cooper should be happy that those enrolled were attending school. Why would an educator want to punish students that simply want an education no matter where they live?”


New Britain superintendent faced national criticism for 'weeding out' Mexican students

In October 2009, Robert Ruiz of the San Antonio Public Policy Examiner wrote, “Instead of intimidating students, Cooper should be happy that those enrolled were attending school. Why would an educator want to punish students that simply want an education no matter where they live?”

Gee, think it might have something to do with the fact that they are crossing over, claim residency , pay NOT ONE RED CENT in taxes and yet think they are entitled to be educated by AMERICAN taxpayers? JEEZ, they live lies even if they don't live here.