UPDATE: Isquierdo withdrew his name from consideration this afternoon; interim Superintendent Sylvester Perez will remain through the 2013-14 school year. “Isquierdo withdraws candidacy for SAISD superintendent”, Maria Luisa Cesar, San Antonio Express-News, April 12, 2013; “Letter from Board President regarding lone superintendant finalist”, Ed Garza, SAISD news release, April 12, 2013.
As noted earlier, San Antonio ISD has named Dr. Manuel L. Isquierdo as the sole finalist for the position of superintendent, but he has a record of tax and legal problems, as noted here. Now it’s time for the community to evaluate Isquierdo.
“The Banker” at Bankers Anonymous, an SAISD parent, writes:
The selection of Manuel Isquierdo reflects terribly on the SAISD board.
At the end of the day, this process has reminded me that I don’t believe in coincidences.
Members of the SAISD board have stated that they knew this was a candidate with “some history,” or “baggage.”
Unfortunately my immediate thought was the following: A superintendent with a known history of financial distress and a record of desperate moves to correct it could be just the kind of guy that members of the SAISD Board could do business with.
If you see the board the way I do, it just doesn’t seem like a coincidence.
“Do You Believe in Coincidences?”, Bankers Anonymous, April 12, 2013. The Bankers Anonymous post is worth reading in its entirety because of the detailed research about Isquierdo’s tax and real estate problems.
In this video, “Superintendent Finalist Addresses His Past”, Robert Price, KABB Fox 29, April 11, 2013, parents of Bonham Academy students express concern about Isquierdo’s integrity. (More about Bonham here.)
Recent news coverage:
- “Grand jury investigated financial dealings of SAISD superintendent finalist”, John Tedesco, San Antonio Express-News, April 11, 2013.
- “Some trustees backing away from their selection”, Maria Luisa Cesar, San Antonio Express-News, April 11, 2013.
- “Isquierdo: ‘I’ve learned from my mistakes’“, Maria Luisa Cesar, San Antonio Express-News, April 12, 2013.
- “How well did SAISD board vet superintendent finalist?“, Michael Barajas, San Antonio Current blog, April 11, 2013.
SAISD board elections are May 11, but only one race is contested, as noted in this earlier post.
