Montenegro in controversy: Honorarium questioned for schools chief

Former Ysleta Independent School District Superintendent Hector Montenegro is under scrutiny in Arlington for accepting a $3,400 honorarium in possible violation of state law and could face a similar review in ...

[OGI]

A total smoke show. Dig a little deeper. The snake is bigger than anyone knows.

[GentleCynic]

Montenegro will eventually be a total embarrassment to the school district in Arlington. Trouble is, boards of trustees do not readily admit errors. Hiring Montenegro was a big one. Let's see if they ever do admit they made one in hiring him.

[ParanoidFree]

What are you people talking about?! If you have incriminating evidence against Montenegro, post a web link or inform the authorities. Anything else is just hearsay!

[Double-dipping]

I believe Dr. Robert Duron should be investigated for the same - while serving as SISD superintendent. He donated his check to the SISD foundation after being payed for a speaking engangement in California.

[Raul Marquez]

This is much ado about nothing. Obviously, if you are a heralded school leader like Mr. Montenegro, people across the country want to hear what you have to say. My guess is that he is 99% of the time working long hours in his district way beyond the call of duty.

It is also extremely hypocritical of board members from his former district to come across as bastions of ethical behavior. When they go to the school board conferences, who pays for those fancy dinners they get invited to? My guess is the same companies or law firms that they conduct business in the district they serve.

Ysleta was very fortunate to have someone of Mr. Montenegro's caliber leading the district after its reputation had been so tarnished. Arlington--you are very lucky to have him!

[ejm]

Mr. Montenegro is an outstanding school leader. One of the very best I have worked for.(33 years of teaching in Texas)

[AISD Insider]

Raul Marquez wrote:

This is much ado about nothing. Obviously, if you are a heralded school leader like Mr. Montenegro, people across the country want to hear what you have to say. My guess is that he is 99% of the time working long hours in his district way beyond the call of duty.
It is also extremely hypocritical of board members from his former district to come across as bastions of ethical behavior. When they go to the school board conferences, who pays for those fancy dinners they get invited to? My guess is the same companies or law firms that they conduct business in the district they serve.
Ysleta was very fortunate to have someone of Mr. Montenegro's caliber leading the district after its reputation had been so tarnished. Arlington--you are very lucky to have him!

Oh if that were the case! Since the time he has arrived in our district, it has been total mayhem. You can only imagine the turmoil he has caused. Yes, change is good and needed. But Hollywood Hector's dictatorship will soon come to an end. Our teachers and community will not stand for his dishonesty, lack of integrity, and his self-promoting egotistical ways. We demand to be treated with respect and dignity- and that seems impossible with Hector the Corrector on the throne.

[Teacher]

Raul Marquez wrote:

This is much ado about nothing. Obviously, if you are a heralded school leader like Mr. Montenegro, people across the country want to hear what you have to say. My guess is that he is 99% of the time working long hours in his district way beyond the call of duty.
It is also extremely hypocritical of board members from his former district to come across as bastions of ethical behavior. When they go to the school board conferences, who pays for those fancy dinners they get invited to? My guess is the same companies or law firms that they conduct business in the district they serve.
Ysleta was very fortunate to have someone of Mr. Montenegro's caliber leading the district after its reputation had been so tarnished. Arlington--you are very lucky to have him!

Are you one of his secretaries?

[Whats really going on]

Why did Montenegro leave in the first place and suddenly take off? It seems like many targets in FBI probe are suddenly "retiringz" and taking off or no longer accepting new clients or patients.

[El Paso]

Raul Marquez wrote:

This is much ado about nothing. Obviously, if you are a heralded school leader like Mr. Montenegro, people across the country want to hear what you have to say. My guess is that he is 99% of the time working long hours in his district way beyond the call of duty.
It is also extremely hypocritical of board members from his former district to come across as bastions of ethical behavior. When they go to the school board conferences, who pays for those fancy dinners they get invited to? My guess is the same companies or law firms that they conduct business in the district they serve.
Ysleta was very fortunate to have someone of Mr. Montenegro's caliber leading the district after its reputation had been so tarnished. Arlington--you are very lucky to have him!

Better Question - How many Dinners has Mr. Montenegro been treated to by vendors? These same vendors now paying him to be a guest speaker. Are you completely blind to the concept of conflict of interest????? He was worried about his reputation why did he not make it clear to these people prior to speaking that he could not be compensated - IT'S THE LAW!!!!!!

[Lower Valley]

AISD Insider wrote:

<quoted text>
Oh if that were the case! Since the time he has arrived in our district, it has been total mayhem. You can only imagine the turmoil he has caused. Yes, change is good and needed. But Hollywood Hector's dictatorship will soon come to an end. Our teachers and community will not stand for his dishonesty, lack of integrity, and his self-promoting egotistical ways. We demand to be treated with respect and dignity- and that seems impossible with Hector the Corrector on the throne.

Please tell us more about how AISD won't stand for his "dictarship"-more like his "showmanship". As a former educator of YISD (I moved from EP to SA)
I saw how "brainwashed" everyone was by this guy. He was treated like he invented those buzz words he always was spewing out "change, action, results" and at the same time conveying that he must be regarded as the "saviour" himself. The Super that leads NISD is a true professional and would never conceive of the idea of arriving on campus to "put on a show" and "receive praise" for what should be happening on the campus: LEARNING

[spit]

Read in the Star Telegram this morning he was wining and dining on the school credit card. Steaks and salmon steaks. Pisses me off I'm having to help pay for all that. He's only been in the super seat for 3 or 4 months and is already stealing out of our pockets.

[MOM]

thanks for not letting us know about this guy

[wanker]

How's it feel to take it up the wazzo Arlington?

[Concerned AISD employee]

Raul Marquez wrote:

This is much ado about nothing. Obviously, if you are a heralded school leader like Mr. Montenegro, people across the country want to hear what you have to say. My guess is that he is 99% of the time working long hours in his district way beyond the call of duty.
It is also extremely hypocritical of board members from his former district to come across as bastions of ethical behavior. When they go to the school board conferences, who pays for those fancy dinners they get invited to? My guess is the same companies or law firms that they conduct business in the district they serve.
Ysleta was very fortunate to have someone of Mr. Montenegro's caliber leading the district after its reputation had been so tarnished. Arlington--you are very lucky to have him!

We know for a fact that there has been budget spending for ellaborate dinners served for Board members and such. Our last Superintendant did not do this! This man is scaring some of the best employees off and there have never been as many vacancies as long as I have been living in Arligton as this year! If you don't believe me-look on the AISD Website for employment. July has just begun and school will be starting soon! Other districts got raises this year, but because of this scandal, we probably won't and that's just not fair! Also, there is a possibility that unless you are bilingual, you may not have a job anymore. That's all we need- a spanish dictator for a superintendent!

[Ears]

Concerned AISD employee wrote:

<quoted text>
We know for a fact that there has been budget spending for ellaborate dinners served for Board members and such. Our last Superintendant did not do this! This man is scaring some of the best employees off and there have never been as many vacancies as long as I have been living in Arligton as this year! If you don't believe me-look on the AISD Website for employment. July has just begun and school will be starting soon! Other districts got raises this year, but because of this scandal, we probably won't and that's just not fair! Also, there is a possibility that unless you are bilingual, you may not have a job anymore. That's all we need- a spanish dictator for a superintendent!

Hang in there. Our district went through the sam bs. You one good thing going; your board caught on to him less than six months. It took five years and three new board members to show him to the door.

[JARL]

lets see here, you want specifics. He got rid of 3 assistant principals at my school, all the same color, replaced them with 3 all of another color. He is lobbyist pretty much for FINO then brings it into the schools. Conflict of interest big time.
Wants to use oil and gas money to build a new administration building, nothing for the students or the teachers.
Recently when he visited a school, he wanted his picture everywhere so the kids would know who he was.
We have had a huge turnover in this distict in unprecidented numbers. My way or the highway philosophy ( contrary to what his program with FINO says)

[Arlington is Embarrassing]

I had not heard about the Administration Building plan ... I heard about what happened at your school with the assistant principals. It has happened at other schools, too - handing picking by surname. I am not surprised about the credit card issue, also. He spent big tax dollars for a dinner with the Arlington principals to try to impress them - they used to just get bar-b-que ... that money could be spent on increasing the salaries of teachers or heaven forbid reading/writing/math programs for the kids! So far, the NEW Board seems to be on top of things. I hope that turns out to be the case. I hope he is gone.

JARL wrote:

lets see here, you want specifics. He got rid of 3 assistant principals at my school, all the same color, replaced them with 3 all of another color. He is lobbyist pretty much for FINO then brings it into the schools. Conflict of interest big time.
Wants to use oil and gas money to build a new administration building, nothing for the students or the teachers.
Recently when he visited a school, he wanted his picture everywhere so the kids would know who he was.
We have had a huge turnover in this distict in unprecidented numbers. My way or the highway philosophy ( contrary to what his program with FINO says)

[Smiley]

Funny how it took a New board at YISD to show him the door!

[Smiley]

Where are his supporters in El Paso? The people that sang his praises? He conned you and the community of Ysleta.