McAllen Supe Up to Bat
By Gregg Wendorf
Advance News Journal
One person is talking into my left ear, telling me how great Dr. Rene Gutierrez is, as he’s set to begin work as McAllen ISD’s new superintendent next week, while another person is talking into my right ear, telling me that McAllen ISD made a mistake hiring him.
Time will tell. On the school board, there are hard feelings, call it what you will, according to a handful of sources, who say that some board members, backed by some teachers, thought they were in agreement during past elections that McAllen ISD would move in a different direction when replacing the former superintendent, Dr. J.A. Gonzalez, who wasn’t a fan favorite among some, although he, too, had his supporters. Instead of campaign promises, a board majority hired someone with the same characteristics, management style as Gonzalez, goes the argument.
By the way, when James Ponce left the district as superintendent in 2009, Dr. Gutierrez was one of the five finalists, but lost out to Gonzalez. From there, he went to Edinburg CISD before moving to Brownsville.
Last week, McAllen ISD posted the following on its website, which isn’t going to mention, for obvious reasons, that the board vote made last month to name Gutierrez Lone Finalist was 5-2. That’s allegedly where some contention comes in among some board members and varied campaign supporters — they thought more than two (School Board President Debbie Crane-Aliseda and Trustee “Lizzie” Kittleman) would oppose the Gutierrez hire (naming him Lone Finalist).
Even though the vote to name Rene Gutierrez as its choice to lead the district in the coming years (3.5-year contract with a base salary of $300K and perks worth approximately $90,000 more) wasn’t unanimous, the vote made last week board to execute a contract with Gutierrez was. One perk, by the way, includes 20 extra vacation days, which is on top of the almost seven weeks of vacation already included in his contract (226 days)
From the ISD website:
On its website, McAllen ISD posted this last week: One of the most decorated educators in the Rio Grande Valley is coming home.
The McAllen ISD Board of Trustees officially approved Dr. Rene Gutierrez as the district’s new superintendent of schools at a Board Meeting held Monday night (Nov. 13).
The approval paves the way for the two-time Regional Superintendent of the Year to return to the district where he attended school and graduated from McAllen High in 1983.
“We are elated to have Dr. Gutierrez as our new superintendent,” School Board President Debbie Crane Aliseda said. “He will bring a wealth of experience and expertise to the district. He is a leader who comes in with proven results and will be fully committed to success – one child at a time.”
The contract is for three years. Dr. Gutierrez was named the lone finalist on October 16. He will start officially on Monday, November 27.
A life-long educator, served as a Superintendent for Edinburg CISD for 10 years before taking over as superintendent for Brownsville ISD in 2019. He led both of those districts to become state “A” rated districts in the Texas Accountability System.
Twice, he has been named the Region One Superintendent of the Year, winning in 2012 while in Edinburg and earlier this year at Brownsville. He brings 36 years of experience to McAllen ISD.
Public Comments
As is the case with most jobs that put you in the public eye, being a superintendent requires thick skin, because the negative comments always sting.
In the case of Rene Gutierrez, McAllen ISD’s new superintendent, the comments left on the McAllen ISD website recently numbered 27 positive – Welcome to the District; Congratulations to Dr. Gutierrez – while only one was negative: “Good riddance.”
Meaning, someone from Brownsville must have chimed in.
That was on the district’s Facebook page after he was officially hired Nov. 13th.
Before that, though, while he was just set to begin the 21-day waiting period (per state law) after being named Lone Finalist, before the district could execute a contract, the district’s Facebook page wasn’t so kind.
From that page dated Oct. 17, both the good and the bad: # “Congratulations, Dr. Gutierrez. He was my superintendent at Edinburg CISD. He is an excellent choice!”
# “So sorry, McAllen teachers.” # “Terrible. I feel bad for teachers, students and staff. Worst ever.”
The next 20 comments were all positive.
“Congratulations, Dr. Gutierrez.” Over at the Brownsville Herald Facebook page, however, there was about a 66-34 percent split about his performance at Brownsville ISD and his future prospects at McAllen ISD: # “He’s the finalist?? Maybe no one else applied.”
# “Like City Managers, they simply get on this revolving door…every school board is always afraid of hiring someone new, and hiring these guys just because they know how to play the game.”
Yep, thick skin needed. It’s like the true-crime book I have for sale at Amazon and Barnes & Noble, “Murder for the Love of Money” (shameless self-promotion). The 5-star comments are great, but the one-stars, not so much. Most people, I think, who get criticized in a public setting can’t help but read the negative comments, reviews. It’s like a rotten egg. You just have to take a whiff.
Back to the Brownsville comments about Dr. Gutierrez, courtesy of the Brownsville Herald: # “All hat and no cattle.” # “Hope he takes his cronies with him.”
# “Good, they can have him!!! Good for nothing!!! Good riddance!!!”
It was a woman who wrote that last comment. Obviously not a fan. I wonder why. Who knows. Some posters feel they have a real axe to grind perhaps, while some are disgruntled employees who always find fault in other people, but never themselves.
Hard to tell the difference.
Among those same posts, there are a lot of “congratulations” as well. Didn’t take time to count the fans vs. the detractors, but the detractors outnumbered the former.
Question is, how long will it take for McAllen ISD staff, teachers, administrators, parents to form an opinion of Dr. Rene Gutierrez? Certainly, by the end of the spring semester?
To really form an objective opinion of a person, you have to spend some time around them, or learning of their new policies, who they hire as their high-ranking admins, how they treat people. Isn’t that true? The only way to really judge Gutierrez at McAllen is to give him a chance, say his supporters. If we hear stories of what he did at a former district, true or not, does that have any bearing on how he will perform at McAllen? I say, with every district you start fresh. Same with every new job. Different dynamics. Different people, different supervisors (board).
Let the business of running a school district begin.
McAllen ISD does need a new policy though, if one hasn’t already been implemented following alleged hanky-panky in various settings earlier this year: No school equipment, video or audio, shall be used in the production of any sexual-related material, whether for personal use or not. Also, no school furniture shall be used for any reason, or act, unrelated to the educational process.
Let the district start anew. Welcome aboard, Dr. G.