HISD Head Says CEP Will Grant Contract Extension, Giving Him Time To Study Whether To Renew It

By Margaret Downing Wed., Dec. 9 2009 at 10:32 AM

Categories: Education

Pin It

Houston ISD Superintendent Terry Grier told Hair Balls today that he has a verbal agreement from the leaders of Community Education Partners that they will extend their contract renewal deadline until March 1, 2010.

Grier wants a more thorough review of CEP, the private firm that operates two alternative schools in Houston and several more throughout the country. In recent years, CEP has lost some of its contracts and Austin ISD decided not to employ the firm for its troubled kids.

Grier says he expects to receive a formal letter later today from CEP granting the extension, CEP's contract with HISD costs the district more than $19 million a year, and possibly as much as $24.5 million when other district-borne costs such as transportation are factored in.

And in other CEP news today, CEP critic Robert Kimball, stung by veiled and not-so-veiled allegations that the only reason he has been so against CEP is because he tried to get it to enter into a contract with him a few years back, issued this statement:

"I have never asked CEP to serve as a paid consultant which has been rumored. I have never discussed a contract to consult with CEP nor would accept a contract if it was offerred. I will sue anyone for slander and defamation who reports that I am motivated in expressing my concerns over CEP because they did not give me a contract. Anyone who makes that statement is being malicious and defamatory."

Like this Story?

Sign up for the Weekly Newsletter: Our weekly feature stories, movie reviews, calendar picks and more - minus the newsprint and sent directly to your inbox.

Write Comment

Email to Friend

Print Article

Related Content

When are the people will stop blamming CEP for the problem that already was a problem at HISD .When the students get over here they are already failing, disrepectful , no parent envolment. We tried to get them to understand that they can make it , When they are absent we make home vist we have counseling for the one with angermangement ,drugs, abuse , a place like CEP is needed because I know for a fact that they don'nt get it at HISD Lets stop pointing the finger at anyone and take care of the students.
I Just want to say regardless of the system of CEP.or How people percieve it.I Believe it is a Fine School.Regardless of the criticts.I Worked at CEP for two years 2007-2009 as an Instructional Assistant.I gave it all that I had on the Job Because it was more than a job .One Thing We Must Reconize all kids are the future.even the ones At Cep.Im Planning on Going Back TO Cep Because i Have a Passion For the Students.For The sake of the Kids we must drop our differences and found comman ground to make it work.The Kids are not worried about if the School is gonna Close.The Kids are just crying out for help.They are not worried about a contract also.So many times we sweet the small stuff and waste precious time.My Life IS nOT about a paycheck its about passion.I Pray a special Blessing not only for Cep,But all surronding schools.Lets Promote UNITY....... REV.D.ATKINS
I Just want to say regardless of the system of CEP.or How people percieve it.I Believe it is a Fine School.Regardless of the criticts.I Worked at CEP for two years 2007-2009 as an Instructional Assistant.I gave it all that I had on the Job Because it was more than a job .One Thing We Must Reconize all kids are the future.even the ones At Cep.Im Planning on Going Back TO Cep Because i Have a Passion For the Students.For The sake of the Kids we must drop our differences and found comman ground to make it work.The Kids are not worried about if the School is gonna Close.The Kids are just crying out for help.They are not worried about a contract also.So many times we sweet the small stuff and waste precious time.My Life IS nOT about a paycheck its about passion.I Pray a special Blessing not only for Cep,But all surronding schools.Lets Promote UNITY....... REV.D.ATKINS
I Just want to say regardless of the system of CEP.or How people percieve it.I Believe it is a Fine School.Regardless of the criticts.I Worked at CEP for two years 2007-2009 as an Instructional Assistant.I gave it all that I had on the Job Because it was more than a job .One Thing We Must Reconize all kids are the future.even the ones At Cep.Im Planning on Going Back TO Cep Because i Have a Passion For the Students.For The sake of the Kids we must drop our differences and found comman ground to make it work.The Kids are not worried about if the School is gonna Close.The Kids are just crying out for help.They are not worried about a contract also.So many times we sweet the small stuff and waste precious time.My Life IS nOT about a paycheck its about passion.I Pray a special Blessing not only for Cep,But all surronding schools.Lets Promote UNITY....... REV.D.ATKINS
Lordie lordie there are so many of you missing it. I happen to love working at CEP. I love the kids. YES some of them are BAD, but they are still just the children some of YOU refuse to deal with. Some of YOU shouldn't have even had them, let alone complain about them. Some of YOU didn't have no business having them anyway. Last I heard, RESPECT, TRUST, LOVING, MORALS,AND UNDERSTANDING ALL START IN THE HOME. Now where do you guys get off saying we are not competent to be dealing with behavior problems. Ask our principal to have you on our campus for a week and see how WE OPERATE. I know I don't just show up for a paycheck, I earn my living by loving and giving back. Do some of you do the same?
God - I see and hear the cries of my people.
That is probably why the students leave CEP worst than they came. That explains why there has been so many fights in the your class and your community. See HISD, this is what you are spending your million dollars on stupid people, fake educators ilike this. This is another problem - ignorant people like you working in an environment encouraging students to fight rather than finding other avenues to resolve their problems. You are one of many of CEPs problem people. You are just plain S T U P I D! You are BIG TIME STUPID! You are the CEP Michael Vick version for humans.
.... and the kids are supposed to be the ones with all the problems!? Come on now! Seriously!? How old are ya'll!? Its nothing but a bunch of mud slinging that needs to stop bc its not going to solve anything! I feel like I'm sitting in the middle of a girls pod where they talking mess to eachother but neither of them are going to do anything! So I'm telling ya'll like I would tell them, either fight or SHUT UP!
here we go
Blah Blah Blah Blah! so funny to see how ya'll hipocrites worry about these kids. Oh and if they hire ESL teachers or not, the kid HAD A CHOICE of staying in a REGULAR public SCHOOL or SCREW UP!!! STOP focusing on the CEP organization and FOCUS on the screwed up PARENTS!!!!
FloridabornTexasaise, you are absolutely correct. CEP only has its company best interest at heart. They will court you as long as you will �give it up" to and for them and them only. The minute anything happens under your watch to bring attention to their flawed system they will kick you to the curb. Ask S. Baker, former principal at the Beechnut Campus. She sold her soul to the devil for CEP and when the gang fighting and rioting was brought outside the walls of CEP into the surrounding neighborhoods and business community they dropped her like a hot potato. It was beginning to bring media attention to the hidden evils of this company. She got what was coming to her because she was the hatchet women for the company for so many years. But the good ole boys turned on her.
This has been a long time in the making. I totally understood the premise of CEP, but their application and/dedication always came to play as dismal. How do you have business owners in one city/state, rotating upper management in the states that CEP schools are located and their salaries are six figures and however the population of the students are at the poverty line? No names should be given, but the foolishness, wreckless dealings with children's education and well being didn't just begin. No one has ever been brave enough to call CEP on the carpet. There's no loyalty between CEP management and everyone else who works for CEP, so it's about time they get their comeuppance. Now, there's just someone who is challenging them who have nothing to gain or lose by the challenge. Whoever Grier is, I'm sure he's nothing like those heartless idiots in Nashville.
I wish Mr. Grier good luck keeping backstabbers away. The interconnected mafia in HISD will get rid of Grier if he doesn't get rid of CEP. Mr. Grier, please have a plan for CEP, because they already have one for you.
I started out with this company this year. I left as soon as my certification papers were official. I was thoroughly pissed when I found out that Hispanic speaking students who could hardly speak a lick of English were sitting in classes failing because CEP does not have an ESL teacher. I still do not think there is one on the campuses. The entire Special Education team of teachers is the real joke. You talk about stealing money. They just show up to collect a check. Doesn't this violate some federal laws? Does the NCLB apply to CEP? Does the State Department of Education govern CEP like other public schools or are they exempt? Since you are pulling the covers back, invite them to do an evaluation and get feedback when making the final decision if to kick em to the curve. Maybe they will have to give back a few million to HISD (tax paying citizens) when you find out how they have violated the contract and how many laws have been broken through the years.