For the most part, my life has been blessed with wonderful friends, acquaintances, and business associates, but with the good has come some less-than “happy” folks.
I’ve already mentioned my first grade “run-ins” with Ricky! Remember, this was the boy that walked with me to school every morning, and beat me up every afternoon on the walk home. I really don’t place Ricky in this “bad person” category. He was adversely influenced by his nasty cousins who had continuous run-ins with my Mom. Ricky’s Mother provided him much needed guardrails, but after her untimely early death, there was no wholesome guidance in his life.
My first real “bad kid” lived several houses from us in Houston. This kid always wanted to throw a knife at me! My Mother would often tell me she couldn’t believe his parents wouldn’t provide better guidance. I found I could usually sidetrack his thoughts and direct his attention to the latest Sci-Fi movie.
This didn’t work one afternoon when he grabbed me and challenged me to a knife fight. I told him I wasn’t interested, but that wasn’t good enough! He unfolded a switch blade and threw it at my feet sticking it in the ground between my feet. I walked away trying to avoid a confrontation, but he wouldn’t have it! He picked up the knife again and threw it at me, but this time, it went all the way through my forearm.
I ran home to find Mom hosting a weekly canasta card game with seven other ladies from the neighborhood. This included the knife-throwing kid’s mom. I walked in holding my arm, walked up to the card table and proclaimed that I had been “stuck.”
I proceeded to pull the knife out in front of the other ladies. One lady fainted. I looked at the offending kid’s Mom and said: “I think you have a problem with your kid.” Horror crept across her face. She stepped away from the card table and ran out the front door sobbing uncontrollably.
Luckily, the knife blade missed major blood vessels, but there was still plenty of blood. It required stitches and lots of antibiotics, but I would escape with a really cool scar to “show-and-tell” at school.
This didn’t end the incident. If I learned anything from Ricky’s beatings, I knew I had to stand-down this kid. I confronted him later in the week. He was an unusually tall kid for a fifth grader, but a bit uncoordinated. I took advantage of this and knocked him down first. He was slow to get up which gave me the opportunity to land several more blows on his face and head. He decided not to get up . . . . he was shocked that I was giving him a “thumping.”
After just a few days, the knife-throwing kid’s parents sent their son to live with grandparents in Missouri. I never saw him again.
Yes, I had to confront my high school bully, but I have already talked about this guy early in my coming-of-age years. I still love the nickname that came from this incident: Mad Dog Marks!
Texas Senate Bad Guy
The next “bad buy” in my life was a legislative aide to a Lieutenant Governor (not Preston Smith). I lived through the horrible prejudices and injustices of the 1960’s Civil Rights Movement, but I didn’t realize anti-Semitism was so prevalent. I remember standing on the Senate floor and over-hearing this aide distinctly say: “So you want me to fire all the Jews?” The answer he received from the Lt. Governor was “Yes.”
These words drove a knife into my heart. Firing someone because of religious affiliation seemed so inappropriate, but I was ill-prepared to handle these sick people. I never told anyone about this incident, nor did anything to the people involved, but it still leaves a “burn mark” on my soul.
Executive Services Inc.
I have already discussed the bad people who threatened Executive Services Inc. because we were reporting on the Texas Legislature. Being beaten-up, shot-at, and office burned-out . . . definitely underlined the words “bad people” in my life. I was only able to stop the threats by publishing each day’s happenings in my daily Executive Information Network newsletter. This brought the “bad people’s” overt actions to an end, but underhanded actions continued.
I was able to determine who was behind these events by focusing on the money. I discovered who was losing money because of my non-profit reports, and who was paying money to the thugs to terrorize! There was to be no more childhood knife-fight challenges, but these bad people needed to know they didn’t win! I was determined to bring this to their attention by affecting their pocket books.
These bad people bribed a bank employee to get access to Executive Services’ bank records. With this information, they could see our clients, and used this data to strong-arm them to discontinue using our services. It didn’t work! The clients alerted me to the problem. I traced it back to a breach of security at my bank. We even discovered the employee who accepted the bribe.
We expanded the distribution of our legislative reporting, often distributing it at no charge. I wanted to make sure no one would be able to profit from this kind of public information. This dramatically cut into their underhanded payments. I later discovered one key recipient of these underhanded funds lost almost $150,000 a year.
I overcame the challenges of political opponents by suing the Lt. Governor/Senate and the Speaker/House of Representatives for “fair treatment.” The law suit filed in Federal Court was quickly resolved to avoid bad publicity. Executive Services got everything we wanted: access to the legislative floor for better reporting, and desk space in the Capitol News Room.
We survived, and did such a good job the State of Texas eventually took over all of the services we provided. This was right and proper. Our non-profit corporation had accomplished its goal by bringing better information to the People of Texas, and providing better research for the Texas Legislature.
Seeing the end of Executive Services was bitter sweet. Yes, it was great to see the State of Texas realize the importance of our legislative research and reporting, but we had endured several years of anxiety, pain, and bruises to help improve Open Meetings, Open Records, Legislative Research, and Bill-Tracking.
Secretary of State’s Office
I started my career working for a lovely lady who didn’t want anything to do with me. It was indeed a privilege to work with Mary Kay Wall in the Secretary of State’s Office, but she didn’t want anything to do with this young “upstart.” My appointment was politically earned through my service to the Texas Senate and Lt. Governor Preston Smith.
Mary Kay wasn’t a bad person. She just didn’t have time to bring me into her career project: the codification of Texas Election Laws into an Election Code. I found relief when Secretary of State Martin Dies Jr. took me “under his wing” and used me to help promote the Texas Election Code. I was later assigned to be a liaison between the Governor and a less-than supportive Attorney General. I could speak both of their languages!
The Winston School
I ended my career working for a less-than-supportive person. I flourished under some amazing, inspiring leaders at the Winston School including Paul Erwin, Beverly LaNoue, Walter Sorensen, Dr. Rita Sherbenou, Richard Hayse, and Dr. Pam Murfin, but I found the leader at the time of my retirement didn’t like me. She never once told me I did a good job, or that she was proud of my efforts to support Winston. Never!
This really hurt because all the previous Winston leaders had often complimented me for bringing wonderful science programs to the Winston School including Winston Science, the Winston Solar Car Team, and the Winston Solar Car Challenge.
For a small private school, we had developed a huge reputation in the Science Community which provided prestige for the school and put pride in the hearts of our students. I found out in my first years teaching at Winston that some students felt “less qualified” than students in other schools. This was absolutely not the case! These were bright, intelligent kids who just learned differently. I set about to give them reasons to take pride in themselves.
One of the biggest reasons I created Winston Science was to give Winston students the opportunity to compete with students from other schools. They did compete and WON! They learned they possessed the same qualities that made students everywhere a success! I always “busted” with happiness when I saw our Winston kids taking pride in themselves.
All of these events also put “bucks” in the Science Department Budget so we could afford some “bells & whistles” needed to teach good Science.
I think this discomfort at the Winston School arose in 2008 when I tripped on a sidewalk as I was walking towards the school building. I did a 270 degree flip landing on my back and breaking several vertebrae. I was in lots of pain, but was determined to get into the building and take some Excedrin. (Excedrin has always been my “go-to-remedy”)
I headed to a Plano Back Surgeon to discover I had severely injured myself and would require surgery. I remember sending a school email to my colleagues advising them I might be a little “slow” because I had slipped and broken my back. The leader was irate I used the words “broken my back.” She prohibited me from referring to my injury as a broken back even though my doctor and specialists said I had a broken back.
At this time, I was just months away from the next Solar Car Challenge. If I went through surgery now, I wouldn’t be there to run the event, so I postponed surgery until after the race. I was willing to endure the pain for months so thousands of students wouldn’t be disappointed; I was willing to endure the pain so I wouldn’t let down the Winston School.
The day after the 2008 Solar Car Challenge, I was on the operating table getting three titanium rods, a dozen screws, and bits of cadaver bone “installed” in my back. I would have a full six weeks to recover before school started, and should be able to perform all my regular duties when school resumed. I was up walking in three days and really pushing myself so that I could restart school in September.
One thing really provided me some comfort. I knew our school benefits package included Disability (Inability-to-Work) Insurance. If I were not able to work, I would still receive 60% of my salary for a certain period of time. I applied for and received this benefit.
The school was reticent to allow me to come back to school. They required a doctor’s letter saying I was qualified to return. I had that letter ready in early September, but they would not let me return until mid-October. I still had to do the work for my classes providing all the lesson plans.
I never could determine any reason why the school would not allow me to return to work since I had a Doctor’s Letter, and had already resumed my college teaching at Richland College.
I was so very glad to get back to school mid-October, and to see my students. Being a small school, Winston gave teachers a great opportunity to develop friendships with your students, particularly my Solar Car Team.
The next shock I had was receiving my first pay check after returning to school. My family had struggled to make “ends-meet” since we were living on 60% of my salary. This first check was for half of my salary! I remember running upstirs to the Business Office Manager and asking what was the problem.
I will never forget her answer: “You will have to pay back the money you received from your Disability Insurance Benefits. I pleaded: “How can this be? This insurance benefit is designed to help when you’re sick without a payback.” I was entitled to this benefit. Then I learned that the leader was requiring this payback.
The Business Office calculated it would take me almost a year to pay back this money. I would have to continue on this reduced salary almost all year. I realized I couldn’t live on what was left. I started a Saturday Science Academy to supplement my income, but this could not fill the financial void, and meant I would be working seven days a week. Sundays were devoted to working with the Solar Car.
I took this issue to two Dallas Law Firms. They both told me I had a good case to sue the school, but of course, this would have ended my teaching career at Winston, destroyed the Solar Team, and compromised the Solar Car Challenge.
I was a great believer in the Winston School. It had provided me countless opportunities to innovate and teach wonderful students. Previous administrations, teachers, and families had believed in me and supported me. I decided that suing Winston would not represent the love in my heart for this great school. It certainly wouldn’t show faith in all the trust and support I received from the parents.
It was at this point in the fall of 2008 that I realized I was in serious trouble at the Winston School. I designed a plan to help me survive to 2010. This would give me the time to accomplish three things: (1) graduate my current Solar Car Team; (2) transition the Solar Car Challenge into a non-profit foundation; and (3) allow me to reach 65 years of age for Social Security. The tough part was just getting through the next two years.
The year that followed proved to be personally challenging. I helped the solar car team survive by placing so many expenses on my personal credit cards. After 18 years of solar car expenses, I had over $65,000 in unsecured debt. I realized I could support my family only if I made minimum payments for a year, and then just walk away from the debt. I refused the idea of bankruptcy.
The school’s requirement that I pay back my Disability Insurance Benefit drove me to the brink of bankruptcy. I did my best to cover-up the financial pain from my students, but I just couldn’t believe I worked so hard for so many years to now find myself on the edge of a financial precipice.
I discussed this crisis with the leader. I remember stepping out of my classroom into the hallway to have this conversation. She told me that nothing was going to change. I asked if I could please plead my case to the Winston Board of Directors, many of whom were my old friends. She said “No,” and flatly told me they would not be receptive.
Over my almost 25 years at the Winston School, I received so much great support from wonderful Board Members. Much of the funding for early Winston Science and Solar Car Projects was personally sponsored by several Board Members. Unfortunately, many of these super-supportive Board Members had cycled off the Board. I later learned my support from the remaining Board Members had been undermined.
I tried to smooth-over these incidents when school started in 2009-2010. I put forth a special effort helping open In-Service Training by doing a half-day presentation showing how faculty could participate in Winston Science. Of course, no “thank you” or “good job.”
The 2009 Winston Science was a huge success with thousands of students taking part in the projects. I always used the guide that every Winston Science Registration represented 2.4 participants. This includes family and teachers that take part in making that student’s participation a success. I also used this “2.4 guide” for media releases, school administrators, and participating schools.
I remember being called to a meeting with the leader, Board Chairman, Board Attorney, and several other school personnel. They wanted to talk about Winston Science. They asked me if we really had 30,000 participants in that year’s event. Based on those attending this meeting, I could tell they thought something was wrong.
At that time, any student could pay $5 to participate in any or all of the forty-five Winston Science Competitions. The Business Office took in about $60,000, so the people in that room seemed to be questioning what happened to the rest of the money. If 30,000 participants paid $5 per competition, shouldn’t the registration fees total approximately $150,000?
I immediately stood up and reminded all those present that I had historically used “2.4” as a guide for how many people took part in Winston Science. Using this guide, it was totally legitimate to say that we had 30,000 participants. The funds received, which were collected by the Business Office (not me), was based on the $5 for about 12,000 registrations.
Although they never said anything, I am sure if I had not stood up and strongly clarified the 2.4 guide for participation, these “fine people” were going to accuse me of something. I got the clue when the discussion was being led by the Board Attorney.
After I clarified this situation, everyone in the room looked like they had “egg on their face.” It became obvious this meeting was a trumped-up crisis organized by the leader to again discredit me. I defeated this action with my abrupt standing up at the meeting and clarifying the 2.4-guide. Again, it was my doing the unexpected that saved me from being tromped-on by uninformed people with not the best of intentions.
I took the time to make eye contact with everyone in the room, followed by exiting the conference room with confidence in my stride. I never heard anything more about Winston Science or this crude attempt to crucify me.
Now, I was totally distressed. I couldn’t be rude or provide cause to be fired! I had to survive until the end of my 2010 contract year. Even so, I was so greatly distressed by my inability to do anything to remove myself from this toxic environment. But I did find that I could achieve some satisfaction by “misrepresenting” things. I was amazed how good this made me feel.
I was called in for a meeting with the leader who remarked that she had become aware of my misrepresentations. I put on my “duly appropriate down-trodden face,” while at the same time I was laughing my nose off inside! Of course I was misrepresenting things! This was my humble plan to resist tyranny, and to survive.
I ended the school year with a massive case of strep throat. This even kept me from attending Graduation. I was deeply saddened I didn’t get a chance to see some wonderful Solar Car kids graduate, but the long term effect of these financial problems and administrative tyranny had finally worn me down physically.
2010 Solar Car Challenge
With great luck and planning, I made it to the July, 2010 Solar Car Challenge, a cross-country solar car race from Fort Worth, Texas to Boulder, Colorado. As with previous races, I would pre-pay all possible expenses, including hotel bills, food costs, banquet deposits, etc. This meant I would need to take less cash on the trip, except for funds for staff food, gasoline, ice, etc. I had discussed this plan with the leader to make sure everything had her approval, and received a positive response.
The 2010 Race began with fanfare and excitement as solar cars left the Texas Motor Speedway and headed west. My procedure was to draw sufficient funds for each day, but you had to have a certain amount of cash to pay for seven Race Staff vehicles, and fifty race staff members.
The leader went with us on the trip. I thought this was a display of genuine interest in the Race, but I was soon to learn there were other intentions.
At the end of the first day, the leader met with me and said I would not receive any additional funds from the Solar Car Challenge Account until the Business Office back in Dallas received the receipts for that day’s race. We were 150 miles West of Dallas by the end of the first Race Day.
This new, unexpected procedure had never been mentioned prior to the race! Here we were out on the road and didn’t have money! Again, another engineered crisis!
I met with staff, and was able to put together enough money to fund the second day of the Race, but how were we going to deal with the remaining ten days? My solution was to take one of our Racing Staff and turn them into our Official Race Accountant.
This race staff member’s total responsibility was to keep track of minute-to-minute expenses and share this documentation in real time emails with the Winston School Business Office. These communications reached such a transmission peak the Business Office asked us to reduce the flow of information, accounting, and receipts.
Again, taking an unusual action was able to save the Race! We were able to find a way to continue the race even in the face of adversity. We fully complied with the leader’s request. The School Business Office was therefore required to provide the funding. This was funding from foundations and race sponsors, not Winston funds.
We survived the crisis; the Race was a success; I retired!
Clearing Out my Classroom
The school told me I would have until July 31st to clear out my room when I got back after the Race. I gathered together some students and headed to my school room to begin the process of disassembling 25 years of teaching, and packing my gear to transport home.
I can never forget the expression on my face when I walked into my classroom and found 25 years of my work, my collections, my animals, my files, and priceless artifacts from the Solar Car Challenge and Winston Solar Car Team had been removed from my classroom or just trashed.
I found some items in a six foot high pile of debris in a garage area, but my turtles I raised for 20 years had been taken and later killed at a local hunting/fishing supply company. I worked hard at controlling my outward emotions. I didn’t want the students with me to see a personal melt down. I also didn’t want to give the leader the satisfaction of seeing my outrage.
I lost my entire science fiction film library (102 films) and over 1000 indexed science related films and videos. The entire 15-year history of the Winston Solar Car Team had been thrown out. Almost all of the items I had personally bought for my classroom were gone or destroyed. The maintenance staff who demolished my room couldn’t look me in the face. I lost thousands of dollars of equipment and priceless collections.
There was one good thing to follow. The Winston School provided a wonderful Retirement Party for me in September. It was hosted at the home of the Board Chairman. I so greatly appreciate the many courtesies extended to my family, and friends that September evening. Thank you Winston Board of Directors!
It took me many years to get over this abuse, but I reached the conclusion that things would be settled before God, therefore why should I dwell on these events. I would throw my energies into building the Solar Car Challenge Foundation.
In all fairness, I have to add the leader allowed me to take the small Solar Car Challenge trailer (that I paid for). Unfortunately, the wonderful solar car donated by the St. Thomas Academy Experimental Academy was intentionally destroyed. I had asked to take this car with me to use for teaching purposes.
I am happy to say the Winston School now seems to be in good hands, including having a new Solar Car Team Adviser who shows outstanding dedication to her students. Bravo Head-of-School Rebbie Evans for finding such a wonderful science teacher to support the solar car project!