Spying and Stalking at the Panera Information session.

It has come to my attention that a group of individuals spied on the Newton School information session yesterday and then publicly posted information about attendees on the TGS Watch blog. One of the individuals complicit in perpetrating this act has been identified and is an employee of Panera. There is evidence of who the others were and this evidence will be pursued. I find it very disturbing that the privacy and safety of a group of law abiding citizens, including two young children, would be so severely compromised. As the attendees exited Panera, they were watched and followed. It seems that bullying and intimidation by Bonnie Cerace and Dot Woodfin are techniques that extend beyond the walls of the Galloway School. Blatant disregard of the law may be easy to hide behind the walls of a private school, but when perpetrated in public and enlisting other individuals outside of the school to be complicit in these deplorable acts, it will be exposed and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. It is my understanding that an investigation into the matter will be initiated today.

Dot Woodfin, President of The Galloway School Board, admits to Ethics Violation

Our friends at TGS Watch have new information from a session Dot Woodfin had with HISD auditors regarding an ethics investigation related to the sale of MindOH! software to HISD schools while Dot Woodfin was both employed by HISD and owned a stake in MindOH! LLC - the company that marketed the software. This is a clear conflict of interest.

Read more at:

http://tgswatch.blogspot.com/2012/06/dot-woodfin-admits-ethical-violation.html

Supporting HISD Memo:

https://www.box.com/s/19e47089527baeaaf3ff

June 9th Information Session for The Newton School at Panera

INFORMATION SESSION JUNE 9th, 2012 at 2PM, Panera in the Baybrook Plaza, at the intersection of Bay Area Blvd. and Gulf Freeway, Webster. This will be a catered event with no cost to all interested parents who would like to attend. Feel free to bring your children. We will have school Administrators as well as teachers available for an open question and answer session. Kindly RSVP by June 4th so that we can appropriately plan for space. You may RSVP by completing the Contact form on the website www.thenewtonschools.com  and entering "Confirmed attendance for the information session for (# of persons)." in the comments section, or you can call Farah at 862-262-2149, or email her at info@thenewtonschools.com. We look forward to meeting you all.

UPDATE: There is no enrollment fee and for those who have already paid an enrollment fee at another school, we will discount that full amount from the tuition at The Newton School. In addition, all inaugural families will receive a permanent 20% reduction in tuition that will remain in effect for the entire duration of their children's enrollment at The Newton School.

Who are Farah and Ekram Khan?

From the Khan family:

It has come to my attention that rumors are being spread about the character and credentials of my wife and I. I can understand why these rumors have taken on a life of their own. Our children were only enrolled at The Galloway school for 4 months before they were withdrawn. So, many of you don't really know who we are. In addition, we moved here from NJ three years ago. I hope the following does not bore anyone, but it needs to be said.

My wife is definitely the more reserved one in the relationship. ;-) She is originally from Toronto, Canada and left her entire family/friends behind to move to NJ to marry me because I was such a catch! ;-) She has dual degrees in Environmental Science and Business. She worked at a leading hospital in Toronto and then in the banking industry here in the US, quickly rising to the executive levels. Then, she decided to leave the workforce to stay home and give more time to the kids once they started school. She is a stay at home Mom now and works as a consultant for my companies. She has a long history of raising children (she has an older sister with many children) and worked at Montessori schools during her tenure in college. She and I have been discussing the possibility of starting a private school for many years and felt this was as good a time as any to do so. The Newton School is her idea (but I came up with the name - after Isaac Newton) and I am simply lending my expertise in running a business so that an efficient operations infrastructure is implemented. Many of you have met her and know that she is a very warm and caring person and will step up to the task of helping anyone in need.

I am definietly NOT the reserved one in the family - as evidenced by my presence on the blogs and my decision to post comments under my own identity. Part of my personality was formed by being one of eight boisterous children (I am #6) and having to fight for everything I got as a child. Two years after graduating from college, I was injured in an accident and my right leg was paralyzed. I tenaciously pursued treatment and physical therapy for three years and made a 90% recovery. I am no longer the athlete I used to be, but my injury taught me the values of humility, tenacity, and hard work.

I am the founding CEO of a 13 year old diagnostic imaging software technology company, and the co-founding CTO of a dental digital radiography technology company. I hold one patent, 3 software copyrights, and 5 patents pending. I hold a degree in Psychology and Biochemistry, and dropped out of a Master's program in Computer Science for Healthcare Informatics to start my first company. I typically work 7 days per week and average 16 hours per day actively participating in two technology businesses in a highly competitive industry. I have learned much in my tenure in the business world and know that when you need specific expertise to accomplish a defined task, you can find that expertise in very talented people around you. I have formed and managed teams of MIT and Stanford scientists/engineers, as well as entered into partnerships with industry leading companies. Therefore, I am confident I bring relevant business accumen to the task of forming a new private school successfully. It is obvious that neither my wife nor I have formal training as educators. However, that does not mean that we are not qualified to start a private school. If you do a Google search of the leading private schools, you will find that most of them were not founded by educators. My wife and I have identifed highly qualifed educators in the local community who will work with us in establishing a school with a world class curriculum that focuses on preparing children for the highly competitive, technology based future.

Farah and I are simply parents who adore our two children and want the best for them. Just like most of you reading these blogs and trying to make a decision about your children's future. I openly invite any of you to come meet with us at our home and really find out who we are. I think that would be an enjoyable experience and would go far towards dispelling the rumors about us. We have most everything in place for The Newton School, except for the real estate. We are currently in negotiations for two different locations. Frankly, we are waiting to see how many parents would commit to being founding families for The Newton School and enroll their children before I invest a significant amount of money towards the establishment. This is a ground floor opportunity for progressive minded parents to take control of the education of their children and actively participate in running the school. Farah and I hope to have the honor of meeting some of you soon. Thank you for listening...

Best Regards,

Farah and Ekram

Letter from The Galloway School attorneys to Ekram Khan

From Ekram Khan:

Mr. Jay Aldis from Bracewell & Guiliani sent me a letter to cease using the school directory to communicate with current and former parents. Aside from the lack of attention to detail by Mr. Aldis since my name was spelled incorrectly (it is Khan, not Kahn) and my home address being incorrect, the content of the letter is baseless. Perhaps Mr. Aldis does not realize that I and my wife have been friends with many parents at the school and already have their email addresses and phone numbers. It seems Mr. Aldis needs to be reminded that the email addresses belong to the parents and not the Galloway School since these are personal email addresses and not ending in @thegallowayschool.org. It would be advisable that if The Galloway School wants to restirct future communication amongst parents, then they should issue email addresses on The Galloway School domain ending in @thegallowayschool.org, and only publish those email addresses in the school directory. Then Bonnie Cerace and the Galloway School would have a right to limit the use of the directory since they would own the email addresses. This letter is just another desperate attempt by Bonnie and TGS to trample on our First Ammendment right to assembly and free speech.

I think all parents and teachers should ask themselves why Bonnie Cerace and The Galloway School feel so compelled to stifle communication between parents? I think most of us know how to differentiate between the truth and the lies. In the interest of transparency, the letter can be found at the following link:

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/382228/Aldis%20Cease%20and%20Desist%20Letter.pdf

Financial Discrepencies at the Galloway School...

It has come to my attention that the financial records at the Galloway School are not what they should be. Anyone interested in finding out the truth should know that as a non-profit, The Galloway School is required to provide their financial records upon request. I think all parents paying tuition should request a copy and review the financial records of the school. As always, your comments here are appreciated or you can email them to:

concerned.galloway.parents@gmail.com

Teachers, it is time to speak up.

Bullying of Parents and Students by Galloway School School teachers and administrators...

This one ought to be interesting. It has come to my attention that many current and former parents and students have been bullied in various forms by Bonnie Cerace and her cohorts at the Galloway School. For those of you who want to share their stories here, please post your comments. If you feel more comfortable emailing me directly, then send your stories to:

concerned.galloway.parents@gmail.com

Offer to buy the Galloway School

From Ekram Khan:

To Bonnie Cerace and the Galloway Board, I am openly offering to buy the Galloway School. My terms are:

1.       Immediate resignation of Bonnie Cerace and all members of the current board.

2.       Settlement of ALL pending lawsuits prior to the sale.

3.       No personal indemnification of Bonnie Cerace or any of the current TGS staff.

4.       The name of the school will not be changed in order to preserve the original intent and legacy of James and Marie Galloway.

5.       I will pay market real estate value for the school and continue to build and improve the facility and the curriculum. Parents will vote on all decisions involving the school and elect board members annually.

Bonnie, or any board member, should take this generous offer to Mrs. Galloway since the future of the school is now seriously in question.

Best Regards,

Ekram Khan

Citysearch Reviews of the Galloway School...

I wish I had the same experiences that the parents Mbernalmorris and Mbernalmorris did. However, my experience was similar to the majority of the others.

http://houston.citysearch.com/profile/43125452/friendswood_tx/galloway_school.html#profileTab-reviews

"Balanced" Comments from other sites...

Date	Who	Comments
9/29/2010	parent	My children love attending school here, and I feel priviledged to have them attending school here. Emphasis is on advanced education, but apparently it is still "fun" enough that my children look forward to going. We have been quite pleased with the extracurricular activities offered, which range from academics, to sports, to art, to music, to horseback riding! This is definitely the right school for our children. I have the utmost respect for the administration and teachers.
9/20/2010	parent	I can't believe that I allowed myself to get talked into this! My son's teacher actually told me that she moves on after only 50% of the class has mastered a concept. That is terrible educational practice. My daughter who has never received anything other than an "E" in conduct received and "S" because she was 5 mins. late turning in three assignments in a week. Take my advice, go elsewhere and save your family a great deal of stress!
9/17/2010	parent	I don't know what it is about this school but it wasn't a good fit for us. The school expects parents to stay out and give more money. My child was unhappy and stressed. I was unhappy that he did not retain much of what he learned. He made good grades because he has an excellent memory. Kind of sad that it didn't stick with him.
8/25/2010	parent	This is by far the best school in the bay area. I have looked everywhere. If your child is not ready to for a highly structured education this is not the school for you. Children need to pushed and not be held back. Parents need to get real about american education. Public schools are preparing your kids for just being average. Sad...........:(
8/24/2010	parent	I as a parent don't feel the nurture and warmth from most of the lower school teachers and the Administration Staff. The assistant principle last year (2009-2010) was the best thing to the school in a long time, and they couldn't keep her. The school is very demanding on "donation". Requests such as "... consider to donate large and expensive items like big HD TV, a nice photography package with s/w and quality camera .." for auction events are very common. I noticed if you make good with donations, the principle and the registrar lady would be very nice to you. Otherwise, they are cold as ice. Don't be fool with the increase enrollment in 2009-2010. A nearby (Pearland) private school closed. The Galloway picked up some student from there. The enrollment in 2010-2011 has gone down. I give 2 stars for low teacher/students ratio and the catered food is good
5/27/2010	parent	I think the school is too expensive for what it offers. Quite a few of its rules and regulations feel like public school. The administration is reluctant to work with the parents when things go off track. The expectations for K are just too high. School is suppose to be fun and not stressful. However, if you want to fast track your four year old for college this is the place.
4/26/2010	parent	This is my daughters first year at this school. There are many of tests they are required to take in 1st grade. I don't feel like the children get enough time to learn the material before they are moved to the next lesson. Two things that happened during the year that bothered me. One is they held an election for class president which was nothing more than a popularity contest. The April fools joke the teachers played on the children went a little far. They moved 'bad' children to another class and told them they were in trouble. Some of them were very upset and crying . The teachers went ahead and gave them the weekly spelling test without letting them in on the joke. We are staying in hope that 2nd will be better.
2/2/2010	parent	Both my children attend this school and I am more then happy with the education they receive. The extraciricular activities (after school ativities) are minimal, but that is not what this school is about. It creates a foundation to ensure you children will LOVE to learn. For the parent that stated the cirriculum is limited, I do not know what she is comparing it to. The work my son is doing in K far exceeds what the children of many of our friends are doing in 1st and 2nd grade. The enviroment is warm and friendly. This is also an amazing school if you are looking for a private school where religion is not in the forefront. EXCELLENT!!
1/9/2009	parent	My children attend this school. We have been very unsatisfied with many aspects of the school. The administration has been very difficult to deal with, the teacher turnover rate is high this year and the extracurricular activities are not to the scope promised when we enrolled. For all of the money I pay in tuition, the school offers limited programs and a narrow curriculum. I would not recommend this school.
3/9/2008	parent	My children were moved to this school in the middle of the semester. They were very welcoming and dedicated every step of the way. Excellent Teachers and administration. They are set high above the rest in theri standards. It is a more challenging academic environment and my children love it there.

New Private School forming in League City Area

There are many current and former Galloway parents as well as those with children currently in local  Public Schools discussing the opening of a new Private School in the League City Area. I attended one of the information sessions and found the focus of the school to be a modern curriculum based on a core of Science, Math, Technology, Languague Arts, and Social Studies. The second half of the day will focus on electives in a variety of subjects and individual instruction addressing the unique needs of each child. The handout is available at the following link:

School Information Handout

Bad Experiences at The Galloway School

As a former parent, I would like to hear about what other parents expereinced at the Galloway School. While most of the teachers are good and genuinely interested in the students, some of them engage in bullying tactics that I consider abuse. The self esteem of a developing child is extremely delicate and has an influence on how the child learns, as well as, interacts with others. I know many parents who conveyed that this type of bullying by teachers and administrators has been expereinced by many children and is part of the reason a mass exodus is developing. It is a shame that people we entrusted with the care and development of our children have hurt them in this way.

The Galloway School Watch

TGS Watch is the original Blog about the issues at the Galloway School. Please visit by clicking on the link (above right). There is a wealth of information there.

Access to Student Records

All parents of any school, public or private, have the legal right to the full academic records of their children. You must submit a formal written request. If anyone at the Galloway School denies that request, you should retain an attorney to make the request. It would be highly unlikely they will deny an attorney's request. I was able to get my chilren's records by simply asking. Do not give in to bullying and fear mongering by Bonnie Cerace or any other adminstrator at the Galloway School.

Dissatisfied with the Galloway School?

To all current and former parents of the Galloway School in Friendswood, TX, please feel free to post your stories of your expereince and that of your child at the Galloway School. Also, please feel free to read the posts at the TGS Watch blog:

http://tgswatch.blogspot.com/

There will be more to come. Come back often.