Paige defends his sojourn with Bush

By MELANIE MARKLEY

September 1, 2000 Web posted at: 12:02 PM EDT (1602 GMT)

HOUSTON, Texas (The Houston Chronicle) -- HISD Superintendent Rod Paige said Thursday that his appearance with George W. Bush on the presidential campaign trail in Maine this week was on his own time and not at taxpayers' expense.

Paige's trip had been questioned by Janie Reyes, chairman of the Harris County Tejano Democrats, who sent letters to three Democratic HISD board members -- Esther Campos, Olga Gallegos and Karla Cisneros.

"The superintendent is hired by the board of trustees to run our schools, not to get involved in partisan matters," Reyes' letter said. "His actions send the wrong message to all taxpayers."

But Paige said he was at Bush's education forum Tuesday in Portland to discuss educational achievements in the Houston Independent School District.

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"I love the opportunity to tell the Houston story anywhere," said Paige, who was invited last week by the Bush campaign office to attend the forum.

Paige, a Republican who supports Bush, said he used vacation days for the three-day trip, including a stop in Austin on Monday.

Dan Bartlett, a Bush spokesman, confirmed that the Bush campaign paid for Paige's trip.

Bartlett said Paige, along with a teacher from Brownsville and former HISD reading manager Phyllis Hunter, attended the forum to share their first-hand experience about the state's education system, including the way it holds students and schools accountable with tests and ratings.

Bush is promoting an educational platform that makes schools more accountable for their students' performance.

Paige said if Democratic candidate Al Gore's campaign invites him, he would willingly make the same trip to talk about academic strides in HISD.

"I'm still a citizen of the United States and of Texas," Paige said. "And I'm proud of the Texas record in education."

HISD Board President Larry Marshall said Paige's contract does not restrict his freedom to take part in political activities when it is on his own time and at no expense to the district.

Campos said that although the trip may be legal, she has ethical concerns. She worries that Paige's endorsement of Bush may be perceived as an endorsement by the entire district.

"It just makes me feel uneasy," said Campos. "Rumors are that he could possibly be the secretary of education. And so it just leaves it open to question whether it's really educationally related or politically expedient for him to take advantage of these opportunities if indeed he is considering a post, if it is offered to him."

Paige said he has never been approached about the secretary of education job. And though he said he would be flattered to be considered, "whether or not I'd be interested is a whole other issue."

He said that even though the trip took place two weeks after the opening of school, he considers it "a very good, convenient time" since there had been no problems.

Cisneros said she had no problem with Paige's trip. She said the board members were notified by fax before Paige's departure that he was taking vacation time.

"That's his own time. I think that's perfectly fine," said Cisneros, who is supporting Gore. "That's what is wonderful about our country. You can support who you want."

Paige said his main goal is to make HISD the best urban district in the country and to let others know about it.

"Houston is achieving a national prominence," he said. "And I think the national agenda for school reform is switching to Houston."

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