FAMU, public records, patience

Five weeks after we asked, The Gradebook finally got answers to most of the questions we asked FAMU regarding out-of-stock test forms – forms that professors need to give tests to students (which, last we checked, was part of the core teaching-and-learning mission of a university). Before we give you the answers, we think it's important to detail the process it took to get them.

Beginning on Sept. 14, a FAMU professor complained to The Gradebook several times, saying the FAMU test center was out of test forms, and that an official at Pearson – the company that supplies the forms – told the professor it was because FAMU was behind on three bills. We thought it was worth a call.

So on Sept. 27, The Gradebook called a FAMU spokesperson and asked what was going on: Was the test center really out of test forms? Was FAMU behind on its account? If so, how much does FAMU owe, how long have the bills been past due and how many professors and classes have been affected?

Getting no response, The Gradebook asked again on Sept. 27, a Friday, this time in an e-mail. On the following Monday, Oct. 1, a FAMU spokesperson called The Gradebook in the evening and left two messages. The first said she was going to look into the matter and asked for time "to really check and find out what's going on." The second said, according to Provost Barnes, that the Pearson account was up to date and the test forms were scheduled to be delivered the next day. If you want more info, the spokesperson said, just give us a call.

The following morning, Oct. 2, The Gradebook posted an item about the test forms. But since a number of basic questions were still unanswered, The Gradebook called the spokesperson back, left a message and repeated the earlier questions in another e-mail. When no response came, The Gradebook asked in writing for all Pearson bills, invoices, purchase orders and other correspondence this year.

On Oct. 3, we repeated the request in an e-mail to FAMU that outlined a half-dozen outstanding records requests. We also cc'd Pat Gleason, Gov. Charlie Crist's special counsel on open government.

On Oct. 15 – 12 days later - the requested records arrived by fax. But guess what? No info about payments to Pearson. Why? Because we didn't specifically request payments to Pearson (though we did request other correspondence). So, on Oct. 23, we requested that info. And when we didn't hear back by Nov. 5 – 13 days later - we asked again and cc'd Pat Gleason again.
The additional info arrived by fax the next day.
Now for the answers: The records show FAMU owed Pearson a total of $3,348.83, for three bills going back to Nov. 20, 2006.

The kicker: FAMU paid all three bills on Sept. 21 – six days before The Gradebook called.

Couldn't somebody at FAMU have simply explained that?  So we could have all moved on?

For what it's worth, The Gradebook still has a number of outstanding records requests, including one dating to Aug. 24. The request regarding the test forms isn't the first time FAMU officials have not responded in a timely manner. And the Gradebook is the only entity that has aired this issue publicly. (See Gradebook post here.)

- Ron Matus, state education reporter

Comments

[addiction treatments]

Hello. Do not be awe struck by other people and try to copy them. Nobody can be you as efficiently as you can.
I am from Greece and now study English, tell me right I wrote the following sentence: "A baseline interview regarding their motivation, drinking behavior and personal treatment.Our mission and values are realized through a continuum of integrated alcohol and drug addiction treatment, education, mental health, medical detox and."

Thank you very much :). Kenn.

[drug rehab treatments center]

How are you. Oh, I don't blame Congress. If I had $600 billion at my disposal, I'd be irresponsible, too.
I am from Jamaica and now teach English, please tell me right I wrote the following sentence: "Alcohol addiction treatment and alcohol addiction recovery takes more than just a day get clean program it needs a full month program to get the.Alcohol and drug education, treatment, and relapse."

THX :D, Sven.

Ronald Holmes, an assistant principal of Banneker High School in College Park, Ga., has been selected as the new superintendent of the FAMU Developmental Research School ( kindergarten through 12th).

Holmes, the brother of FAMU Trustee R.B. Holmes, was given a three-year contract that starts on Jan. 21, that will pay him $110,000 a year. He has an undergraduate and a doctorate degree from FAMU. His specialty is in "test-score enhancement, an area of expertise that is critical for the school.

R.B Holmes recused himself from voting on his brothers contract.

"In the interest of full disclosure, I want to report that Dr. (Ronald) Holmes is the brother of trustee R.B. Holmes," FAMU President James Ammons said. "However, trustee (R.B.) Holmes was not involved in the search process, nor the selection of Dr. (Ronald) Holmes as superintendent."

FAMU DRS, has been without a permanent superintendent since June 29, when the former head of the school district retired. There were eight applicants for the job, a list of finalists was established by a committee of university administrators, DRS faculty and community members.

posted by NuRattler @ 12:42 AM

29 Comments:
At 1/03/2008 6:43 AM, Anonymous said...
Article published Jan 3, 2008
Advisory board must have a say in future of FAMU DRS
Thomas A. Jackson
My View
Re: "FAMU DRS has plan for improvement" (news article, Dec. 29).

I am compelled to respond to certain matters in the story concerning the report given by the university provost to the Florida A&M University trustees.

First, it is important to state two facts that seem to be missing when we talk about the FAMU Developmental Research School. First, DRS is a separate organizational unit (a school district) and is not operated by the university. Second, Section 1002.32 of the Florida Statutes states, in part, that policy matters of the FAMU DRS are made, with several exceptions, by its school advisory board, not the university trustees. So, the presentation of matters dealing with the FAMU DRS to the university trustees is both inappropriate and misleading.

I cite as an example a Sept. 30 Democrat article that states that the "board of trustees approve a budget of more than $3.1 million for the school." The board does approve budgets for the DRS. But the money is made available to the school by the Department of Education based on Florida Education Finance Program calculations.

These factors suggest to me that, even if the university administration were to change every year or every day, the FAMU DRS has, by law, its own policy-making body, an administrative structure and funding from the DOE to sustain its operation.

Now to the Dec. 29 article, I suggest that the establishment of the FAMU DRS task force was a fatal flaw that has been made by university administrations for the past two decades.

These actions have accomplished very little, as is evident from the current status of the school. If a task force was needed, it should have been initiated by school's advisory board.

FAMU DRS has known that it needed reading and math coaches since its designation as an F school by the DOE at least a year ago. There was no need to be told this by the task force. To my knowledge, no one has been hired as a math coach, despite constant requests for assistance.

Yes, salaries need to be significantly increased for the school to compete for a quality faculty. But giving a $3,000 bonus does not change the salary structure; a bonus is just that, a bonus, and it does not become a part of the faculty member's base salary.

This, too, we have known for years, so why the need for a task-force report to bring this to our attention?

The article further states that "school officials hope to hire a superintendent next month."

Again, the school advisory board has had no involvement in this process. I was invited to a Sept. 17 meeting and found myself involved in interviewing candidates for the director (superintendent) position. It was apparent that someone had screened the eight applications received for the position and an interview team had been selected without the involvement of the school advisory board or the stakeholders of the FAMU DRS — its faculty, parents, students and staff.

I offered my services to the university administration to assist in any way possible, and I was given the opportunity to work with the FAMU DRS situation, despite limited K-12 experience.

I was willing to learn what I needed to know to make a contribution. One of the non-K-12 things that I have learned during the past three months is that there are an awful lot of people who want to assist in improving the quality of education at the FAMU DRS.

I have also learned that we have wasted an awful lot of time waiting for a report that outlines three well-known factors as a plan of action.

The real question is: Where do we go from here, and who is going to provide the leadership?

If the school advisory board is to provide that leadership, then there needs to be some straight talk among board members, the DRS administration, the members of the school advisory council (the unit responsible for the school improvement plan) and the university administration.

Thomas A. Jackson is chairman of the FAMU DRS advisory board and a retired Florida A&M professor of education. Contact him at thomasjackson-01@comcast.net.

At 1/03/2008 7:13 AM, Anonymous said...
Something is not quite clean in this mail! Rev Holmes' "brother"....naaaah! Recuse himself or not, he was involved, and cannot deny that..come on now "Rev", lots of people know that you're a shister! Plllllleeeeeaaaasssse!

At 1/03/2008 10:18 AM, Anonymous said...
Thanks, R.B., for giving SACS another reason to be suspicious while we're already under the microscope!

At 1/03/2008 10:23 AM, Anonymous said...
R.B. could recuse himself, because it appears that deal for his brother was already greased!

At 1/03/2008 10:52 AM, Anonymous said...
SACS could care less what happens with FAMU High. Self hating negroes and their self destructive attitudes and comments are factors that greatly influence SACS & others.

At 1/04/2008 12:13 AM, Anonymous said...
If Rev. Holmes was any kind of leader, he would have instructed his brother, not to apply for the position seeing that it would (and has) put him into an uncomfortable predicament. Maybe he is qualified, but seeing that that isn't the norm as of late for FAMU, it will look to all as yet another hook up on the FAMU totem pole.

Lack of leadership.....let's talk about it. Rev. Holmes was on the board and sat idly by as the university went into its demise. He is PROVEN ineffective as a board member and should have had the dignity to resign seeing that he and EVERYONE else that was on the board FAILED the the university. He will continue to milk the university for his vanity, pride and own agenda as long as the university lets him. What do we expect when a "LOCAL" (minister) gets to have a say on a non secular state university board. For shame for a person supposedly of and for God.

At 1/04/2008 10:06 AM, Anonymous said...
3:33 it is exception, not acception. Who gives a damn about what "White America" thinks. That is in my view why we are in the situation we are in where black children are becoming infected with the "White Man Diease" and our race is going to hell (and I aint talkin about a make believe lake of fire) in a hand basket, I am talking about Filling up the Prisons of "White America" and our children Failing out of these intergrated schools that were suppose to be our great saviour! WE NEED HELP AND I PRAY THAT GOD HAVE MERCY ON OUR PEOPLE!! BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY I PRAY THAT WE START DOING SOMETHING HERE ON EARTH!!!!! HOLMES IS WRONG FOR FAMU AND SO IS HIS BROTHER!!!!!

At 1/04/2008 10:32 AM, Anonymous said...
^^^^^
You are right about Holmes. He is like a CANCER. I wished he was headed for the door with the rest of the board members the left with the other folks that set FAMU on this course.

We need to start a movement to get his selfish, self-serving butt off of our board.

And shame on Ammons for hooking up with this fool and his brother. If he can't stand up to Holmes over this nepotism (hire Ron Holmes) then I don't know if I can trust him to go into a room with Mark Rosenberg and not sale FAMU out.

At 1/04/2008 10:43 AM, Anonymous said...
Thank you Dr. Tom Jackson for exposing those lies told during the press conference naming Dr. Holmes as the next superintendent of DRS. If not for you, many of us would have believed our new president hook line and sinker that this selection was a collaborative effort by your advisory board, the parents, students, administration and faculty. Secondly, that the university was pretending along with the board, probably the good Rev. Holmes regarding the plans for future progress. I won't be surprised if this was all orchestrated to usher in Holmes's brother.

Now I am more apt to believe the rumor circulating that the search for the provost was not kosher. Prior to the end of the semester, it was rumored that some board members were bullied by the chair to fall in line and support the pre-determined provost or else risk the wrath. Let's wait and see what the fallout of the search committee members is and who got rewarded for not asking the tough questions during the search process and who got punished.

At 1/05/2008 3:11 AM, Anonymous said...
The committee recommended another candidate and Holmes was rated the 3rd best by the committee.

At 1/05/2008 11:16 PM, Anonymous said...
1:54am, what good does it do to go from one D/F school to another D/F school. If you weren't getting it done at the former, what in heaven's name make you think they can do better at the latter?

At 1/06/2008 12:24 PM, Anonymous said...
11:16, did you read my 1:54 comment. Can you comprehend? I said NOTHING about the school moving from an "F" to a "D". My comment was in response to a poster who said (something to the effect) about some kind of fancy web site and a bunch of business programs. What I said, AGAIN, since you obviously have a learning disability, is that the students at DRS need help in reading and math, that fancy web sites aren't going to help them at all. I was responding to a poster's notion that banking and finance programs were all good, but what the kids need at FAMU DRS is assistance in math and reading. Maybe YOU need help in reading and understanding what has been written, because your response to me was WAY off somewhere in left field. Damn

UF gets an "F" for its security at P.K. Yonge and an "F" for the way it operates myUFL. Why can't myUFL properly report $580M in federal money?

UF sets the standard for financial mismanagement in Florida!

PK is an A school little rattler, and FAMU is an a F school. There is a big difference here. Keep reaching though I like it.

I think FAMU's administration define huge mess. Did you the janitors ever find the athletic receipts? Maybe they stole all the office and computer equipment.

How is the chaotic law school doing? My prediction is the ABA shuts it down.

The state auditor's gave P.K. Yonge an "F" for its security. Why isn't UF doing timely background screenings for the employees who work there?

UF's administration is a huge mess!

You have to love these FAMU posters, bless their aching little rattler hearts. Their post are cute! PK Yonge High School is more academically challenging and has a better reputation than FAMU, and I am not just talking about the High School.

Is not this thread supposed to be about how FAMU has historically not paid bills on time, which continues to this day?

How childish this posters look dragging another institution through the mud.

[SaveFAMU]

We won't talk about UF's little dirty secrets: the rapes on campus, burglaries, drunken driving incidents, oh and let's not forget the lil bribes to make these things go away.

St. Pete Times don't come to UF and look too hard. You might not like what we are hiding down here. I don't know where people get off trying to dis other people, but we have our share of issues.

Go to the police station and ask for a crime report. You'll drop dead literally, if they give up the reports for this fall semester only.

[SaveFAMU]

We won't talk about UF's little dirty secrets: the rapes on campus, burglaries, drunken driving incidents, oh and let's not forget the lil bribes to make these things go away.

St. Pete Times don't come to UF and look too hard. You might not like what we are hiding down here. I don't know where people get off trying to dis other people, but we have our share of issues.

Go to the police station and ask for a crime report. You'll drop dead literally, if they give up the reports for this fall semester only.

[SaveFAMU]

We won't talk about UF's little dirty secrets: the rapes on campus, burglaries, drunken driving incidents, oh and let's not forget the lil bribes to make these things go away.

St. Pete Times don't come to UF and look too hard. You might not like what we are hiding down here. I don't know where people get off trying to dis other people, but we have our share of issues.

Go to the police station and ask for a crime report. You'll drop dead literally, if they give up the reports for this fall semester only.

P.K Yonge is an A school little rattler. FAMU DRS is an F school and a disgrace, but expected.

Should you not be calling the Feds now!

If you want to talk about developmental research schools then let's talk about UF's. Why is security at P.K. Yonge such a mess?

http://www.myflorida.com/audgen/pages/summaries/2008-045.htm

P.K. Yonge Developmental Research School

"Finding No. 16: The P.K. Yonge Developmental Research School had not established written policies and procedures for obtaining fingerprints and background screening of School employees after initial employment and of contractors. Also, the School had not timely provided for background screenings of employees."

If this is the best that UF's administration can do to supervise the DRS they should be fired!

Call the federal government and have them investigate. They are already on FAMU's campus just to the north.

How is your F rated high school? Did the janitors ever find the athletes receipts the university blamed them for throwing away? Maybe the janitors are behind the grade changing scandal. Ha Ha Ha!

How's the effort to repair myUFL going? Why can't UF properly report in $580M federal money? Why does UF have some administrators who cannot add or subtract?

Hey how FAMU's F rated high school doing these days?

FAMU can never match the financial mismangement at UF. Bernie can't get myUFL to properly report $580 in federal money. That amount is more than FAMU's entire budget.

UF's financial management is a joke!

Get Dr. Ammons to "invite" the feds, while they are get knee deep in fraud at FAMU, on a road trip down to Gainesville.

Maybe they can put a little lipstick on "Hog"town.

Wow $1.8M in FAMU athletic ticket receipts versus $580M in federal money that myUFL can't properly report.

UF is a financial mess that needs to be investigated by the feds!

Call the federal government and "invite" them down. I am sure Bernie will tell them the janitors threw it out! Ha Ha....

myUFL can't produce a report on how UF spends $580,426,350. Don't forget about that!

Don't forget the grade changing investigation. It looks like FAMU is in the business of defrauding both state and federal governments.

Can it get any worse? My feeling is yes.

UF received $580,426,350 in federal money in 2005.

http://www.fedspending.org/faads/faads.php?recip_id=901167&sortby=u&detail=-1&datype=T&reptype=r&database=faads&fiscal_year=2005&submit=GO

The state auditors said UF "had not developed and tested a methodology to extract data from the myUFL systems required to produce a schedule of expenditures of Federal awards."

FAMU's $39M was spent without the proper approval from the board of trustees and the president who did it is now gone.

Why can't Bernie and myUFL produce a proper report on how UF spends $580,426,350?

6:25 is that all you got? FAMU can't account for 39 million and the can't even qualify its books, and this is the best you can do?

I looked up dysfunctional in Webster's Dictionary and this is what I found....FAMU.

FAMU can't even point fingers, but I am really laughing watching its blind supporters try.

UF for reimbursed travel expenses and FAMU for 39 MILLION DOLLARS!!!!!

Here's what the state auditors said about UF:

Finding No. 18: Employees were reimbursed for travel expenses at rates that exceeded those authorized by Section 112.061, Florida Statutes.

More law-breaking antics at UF! Follow the rules!

Well call the feds up and "invite" them to G'ville. UF has nothing to hide, but FAMU on the other hand.....

I think the definition of financial mess is FAMU. Point fingers all you want but the last I checked FAMU was on SACs probation, had the federal gov't investigating fraud, and had a student accusing the law school in the form of a suit of something very similar. And not to forget but is still facing possible criminal charges by the FDLE.

FAMU has no credibility to point fingers anywhere!

Here's what the state auditors said in UF's 2005 operational audit:

"In addition, the University had not developed and tested a methodology to extract data from the myUFL systems required to produce a schedule of expenditures of Federal awards."

That's an issue that the feds should look into. Why isn't UF's data system in good enough shape to handle basic reporting on how it spends federal money?

There is no change in the story. Dr. Ammons invited the feds in to takeover the investigation and they confirmed it.

Lipstick on a pig or rattler. The feds were brought in because a federal offense was committed. Spin it all you want, and I have noticed your story has changed, Dr. Ammons had no choice.

I wonder if federal money was also involved?

Federal authorities often wait for local and state officials to finish their preliminary investigations before coming in. Dr. Ammons asked the federal authorities to takeover at this early stage because it's in the best interests of coordinating an effective effort to bring the guilty parties to justice.

Contact the Board of Governors. There phone number is on the web site www.flbog.org. Bill Edmonds would the contact person on the investigation. Sometimes I think the BOG is asleep at the wheel.

Does anyone have any contact information to the Federal agency that will be conducting the investigation in Tallahassee. If Dr. Ammons is not going to "invite" the Feds to the Law School in Orlando, we students will "invite" them ourselves. The grade changes that occured in Tallahasse are a drop in the bucket compared to the conspiracy at the Law School. Please post information.

Dr. Ammons asked because there was a federal offense. Thus....YOU MUST GET THE FEDERAL GOV'T involved. Ammons does not have a choice period.

If Ammons was smart he has a choice right now at the law school. Maybe he should invite an investigation there? Lots of skeletons in FAMU's closets.

Lipstick on a pig!

The feds stated that Dr. Ammons asked them to takeover the investigation. That proves that he had a choice and did what he felt was the best way to bring the guilty parties to justice.

And you talk without logic! A federal offense was committed. So if Dr. Ammons does not invite the feds, then they would not be there now? Again you put lipstick on a pig. Ammons did not have a choice, inviting implies that you do.

Oink Oink!

The feds stated in the press that Dr. Ammons invited them. Once again, you're talking without any facts.

Dr. Ammons did not invite anyone. When those responsible for the investigation realized that it was a federal offense, they had no choice but to hand it over. The pig simile is good.

The Federal Government will soon be in Orlando. Too bad it has taken so long.

If Dr. Ammons has nothing to hide then I would recommend he extend the invitation to investigate FAMU Law. Can it be that he has something to hide? Oh yes, he has so much to hide.

Dr. Ammons invited the feds to handle the investigation because he has nothing to hide. The feds, with Dr. Ammons' help, will find the people who tampered with the grades and prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law.

I don't have to stop anything. FAMU, the pig with lipstick, is it's own worse enemy. Let us see how deep the rabbit hole goes. The Feds will tell us soon!

No matter how much you try, you can't dispute all the clean audits FAMU received up until 2002. And no matter how hard you try, you won't be able to stop FAMU from lifting the SACS probation.

FAMU is moving forward.

I want to see you put lipstick on the often absent Bill Proctor!

FAMU is a pig that you are tying to put lipstick on!

The financial statement audits from the Humphries years had no findings. They all read like this:

The following provides a summary of the findings of our audit of the financial statements of the Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University:

*

We found that the financial statements presented fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University and of its discretely presented component units as of June 30, 2002; the revenues, expenses, and changes in net assets; and the cash flows for the fiscal year then ended.
*

The results of our tests disclosed no instances of noncompliance that are required to be reported under Government Auditing Standards.
*

We noted no matters involving the University's internal control over financial reporting and its operation that we considered to be material weaknesses.

You should read the audit more carefully. Has Bill Proctor gone to any classes this semester?

FAMU=no accountability

The missing equipment is from Castell's years. All Humphries' financial statement audits were clean. Just look at the state audits.

You read the auditors report wrong. The equipment was not accounted for before Castell Bryant.

Talk to the business community in Tallahassee or the faculty at the engineering school about FAMU paying vendors on time. They DON'T!

"It is well know in Tallahassee that FAMU has never paid its vendors on time."

That isn't true and there are plenty of clean financial statement audits prior to 2002 to prove it.

"Did you ever find all the computer and office equipment that was "missing". I am sure you think Castell took it?"

According to the state auditors, those are problems from Castell's administration. Ask her if you want to find them.

It is well know in Tallahassee that FAMU has never paid its vendors on time. It cannot pay employees on time, and it gets financial aid checks out notoriously lates.

Did you ever find all the computer and office equipment that was "missing". I am sure you think Castell took it?

"To little to late for FAMU. The public views FAMU has corrupt and not accountable."

The state auditors don't believe that FAMU is historically corrupt. They found no problems with any of FAMU's financial statement audits during the Fred Humphries years.

Castell left James Ammons with a huge mess to clean up. That includes the bills going back to 2006 (when Castell was in office). He's uncovering the problems she left one-by-one and fixing them.

To little to late for FAMU. The public views FAMU has corrupt and not accountable. Lets see what the Feds have to say. It looks like FAMU still can't pay it bills on time, according to the article above.

That is no stereotype that is a fact! FAMU represents FAMU!