Well, we are in a New Year and we need to close up our 2008 SAUSD corruption thread before it becomes overwhelmed with comments. Consider this to be our new 2009 SAUSD corruption thread.
Click here to read our 2008 thread. And here are links to all our previous SAUSD corruption threads:
- SAUSD-Mijares corruption thread, 2008 Comments
- SAUSD-Temporary Thread (Migration 5/16/2008) Comments
- SAUSD-Mijares corruption thread, 2007 Comments
- SAUSD-Mijares corruption thread, 2006 Comments
The results of last year’s SAUSD School Board elections were disappointing. The incumbents were re-elected. Shame on the teacher’s union for supporting them! And the one new Trustee, Roman Reyna, is not likely to make a difference.
The SAUSD budget is a mess and our Governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, appears primed to make it worse. So this is going to be a very tough year. As always, this forum will be here to allow you to vent about what is going on at the SAUSD!
Al Mijares is long gone, but the corruption at the SAUSD continues unabated…
There seems to be just one boor left, set on spamming and attacking. Please make your own message site and just post the links so that you can satisfy your desires elsewhere. Quit bothering folks with your hostile, circular blather.
Thank you.
Here are some current rumors, suggestions and observations sent in by OJ readers. Thank you for the contributions.
FOR REPOST
Regarding parents:
A Justice in Education event for Due Process was attended by several people who read our blog or who get SAUSD Board Member John Palacio’s email blast. Reports are that it was well attended and informative. The meetings are on the first Thursday of the month. Information available on post #622.
During testing week at Spurgeon, there was a food fight involving over 200 boxes of milk and 6 SAPD (not SAUSD) officers during state testing week at Spurgeon. The new principal screamed over the loud speaker that there will be no more beverages at the school (of course, legally, something that can’t happen). The day after that, teachers called in sick enmasse .. An Assistant Principal who was put in charge of a room for kids who could not or would not take the test was told “Fuck You” in the testing room in front of the other students and a mob of students beat another student to a pulp and apparently will not be suspended for it. Unfortunately this kind of chaos is the standard for Spurgeon.
Gang activity has increased drastically this past year. Younger tagging crews are leaving NFR (No Fucking Respect) graffiti around Santa Ana High School.
Last Tuesday’s SAUSD Board Meeting:
The board expressed extreme displeasure with Dawn Miller, Cathy Olsky and Juan Lopez last night and there were many teachers who brought the issues to light during public presentations. The two big issues were the 8 period day and the new crazy report cards which were being rammed down everyone’s throats without board or teacher knowledge.
The district decided that we would all go on an 8 period day, called the principals to secure their support (without teachers). The teachers were alerted and planned to attend. They knew full well this was a negotiable item that added an extra class to every teacher in addition to a shortened prep period, reduced all electives by more than 75%, loaded up the PE classes thus requiring fewer PE teachers AND made all math and language arts teachers become “elective” teachers of a 3rd period of language arts and math (called an “elective”) for the majority of students.
This occurred on the day they planned to present it to the board as a “great idea that everyone supports”. They went ahead with their presentation that evening. Teachers called the union and a memo from Dave Barton was issued immediately stating that this would not, could not happen. Two glowing reports were given from the 2 schools that have the 8 period day were presented by administrators. The item was again placed on the agenda for the following board meeting in order to address issues that the board had questions.
A group of teachers from MacArthur, Spurgeon and McFadden attended the meeting. When the teachers spoke, the board suddenly realized that all teachers believed (rightly) that the district had decided to implement this over the objections of the union (and thus planned business as usual, “let them grieve it, it takes years anyway”). John Palacio was particularly clear in his indignation for what was being attempted and seriously reprimanded these methods asking why this was being discussed in a public forum when it was a negotiable item and he had a letter from the union president in front of him. Major backtracking (and lying) occurred on the part of Juan Lopez while Dawn Miller stood there with egg on her face. Three board members assured the audience that it was far too late in the year to discuss this and this is only “one idea” and they are open to others to discuss at another time. Their idea and sneaky plan to implement this immediately crumbled right in front of their eyes. As it turned out, this was the easy part of the meeting for these district people as later in the meeting they were essentially forced to publicly apologize for another sneaky attempt.
Jane Russo did not attend this board meeting.
SAEA Union:
Half of the current SAEA election has already been thrown out over procedural errors. It was the small ballot portion with two candidates running for the State Rep position.
Elections Chair, Maureen, apparently does use email – to the elections committee members. She does not use email to communicate with site reps, which makes Jennifer Isensee’s move to notify all of the site reps to vote for her and her slate of candidates all the more confusing. There are reasons that the current group of insiders wants to remain as un-transparent and as un-helpful as possible. Keep digging!
District-paid grievance chair, Jennifer Isensee, and SAEA “ChalkTalk” editor, Scott Miller may be using SAEA union offices for personal gain as “Anger Management” service providers:
http://www.angercertification.com/Certified-Provider-City.aspx?state=CA&city=Santa+Ana
Information per that site:
Century Anger Management Provider List for Santa Ana, California
Century Anger Management provides two levels of certification:
• Level 1 — Content Training
• Level 2 — Certified Anger Management Professional
Level 2 Providers
Jennifer Isensee
c/o Santa Ana Unified School District
2107 N. Broadway, Suite 305
Santa Ana, CA 92706
Phone: 714-317-6636
jennisaea@hotmail.com
Scott C. Miller
2107 N. Broadway
Suite 305
Santa Ana, CA 92706
Phone: 7145426758
csmiller@pacbell.net
Jennifer is running for SAEA Secretary. Scott wants to be in charge of union funds as the Treasurer. Both are candidates in the current and controversial election.
What are those two doing using the SAEA offices for mail that is not directly related to the union?
Who is that Needs to Know person? This is getting weird.
I got a response from Jane Russo. Here it is:
Summary from Jane Russo to Jill Puich
on Sun May 17
I received an email back from Jane Russo at approx 8:38 p.m.
I will simplify it.
Counselors are mandated in grades 7-12, but not for K-6.
Music teachers are not mandated at all.
Can stimulus money be used to keep non-mandated programs? Yes.
The RIF process is for those in teacher status only. It does include some administrators who were categorically funded. The layoff process for the other administrators is part of the Reassignment of Administrators, they are reassigned to the classroom. It shouldn’t be confused with the RIF process.” (Jane Russo)
Do you plan to keep QEIA or not? It is not a matter of intent. It is solely an issue of funding. Due to the budget crisis, it is still possible that CTA may agree to suspend it for a year or two. Once we know that the funding is guaranteed, we will be able to staff those positions.
regarding the Spurgeon food fights etc. It was not SAPD at the schools, it was School Police Officers. Students involved in the food fights were suspended. Students involved in any other fights were suspended/and or charged with assault.
REPOST
More on Spurgeon
Spurgeon classified- food workers- went to the front office for confirmation when they were told to remove water and liquids from the nutrition and lunchlines on Thursday. I have never been so proud of these unsung heroes. They displayed more character and guts and humanity than the “education professionals” running the show.
SAEA
I was handed a slate of endorsed candidates- a bookmark- with my SAEA ballot. Has this happened anywhere else?
I watched the candidates’ statements at the last board meeting. What was with David Barton clapping for only the candidates on that were on the endorsed list Jennifer sent out? It was subtle. Not like he was crossing his arms and throwing raspberries. But he only clapped for certain people.
And finally- congrats on blowing open this anger mgmt scam. How many grievances has Isensee recommended anger mgmt ? Is it possible to find out just how much she made on this scam?
The Grievance committee has voted to cease Level II and Level III grievances. WTF??!
Jennifer Isensee does not return phone calls. She’s rude.
Last Tuesday’s SAUSD board meeting
Over the past few years a few schools have piloted a very labor intensive, alternative grading system which they observed in some farm town community (Galt school district?). For some reason the district footed the cost to fly people there to see what they are doing (IMO, more grasping at straws to prove to the state that they are doing something).
Anyway, however good intentioned, it just seems a bit ridiculous to most of us. The goal of the grading system is to provide parents with two different assessments of their kids: their actual level of proficiency towards standards and their actual performance in class (which apparently can be two COMPLETELY different things at many schools).
Anyway, we’ve been hearing whispers of a new grading system that will begin next year, we will no longer give kids the traditional A-F grades.
A group of administrators is scheduled to present this information to us this week (and we’re supposed to implement it in September). Apparently, each child received 3 grades from each class, they are FBB, BB, B, P, or ADV and each supposedly correlates to the standards from the state, each kid is tested in each subject area anywhere between every 2-4 weeks to get this part of the grade. This would add a minimum of an additional 15 days where kids do nothing but take tests (in addition to the useless district benchmark tests, regular teacher tests and state testing). Another grade is given as a 1-5 with 5 being what is directly translated as an A (all of these numbers translate directly to the A-F grades but are just re-named). There is also another grade that is a 1-100 and I still can’t get straight what the hell that is. Anyway, in the meantime the district has held an informational meeting to explain this to parents, the meeting was held on, get this….Cinco de Mayo in the evening.
Ten teachers showed up (because they didn’t know anything about it either) and no parents attended. Please remember that we are talking about limited English proficient PARENTS, not just students, and they are supposed to understand this report card. This item was not on the agenda but all of the points I just made (and a few more) were presented to the board during the open presentation time for the public by one MacArthur teacher (with the rest standing behind him). His time ran out (3 minutes) and Palacio insisted that he continue.
The board became increasingly furious and demanded that Dawn Miller and others answer their questions. Apparently, they had been told that such a program was to be piloted in a few schools a year ago and they had never heard a word about it since.
While I personally dislike Mr. Hernandez, I understand that he is not someone I would want to personally have to deal with if he was extremely angry. What ensued was a basic horse whipping from the board towards Dawn Miller, Cathy Olsky and others. People likened it to being tarred and feathered in public. They were again furious with the fact that it is May and these things are just now being discussed but the teachers had been told that it was a done deal. Hernandez called a recess and told Olsky to meet with him immediately. They all apologized and at this time the grading program has become an “optional” thing that schools are welcome to discuss among themselves.
I’m not sure if you realize just how big this is as far as a clear message to the teachers that “business as usual” is not going to be tolerated by some of the schools and teachers. We became very empowered by this and now feel that we have a voice. The district administration has not only been pulling the wool over teachers eyes and forcing them to try untested theories randomly in their classrooms, but they have kept the board in the dark about these things also.
These events occurred about 2 ½ hours into the meeting if anyone has a DVR.
I also want to make it clear that Susan Mercer was part of this action by the teachers and she was there to cheer us on and help us make our points.
Beginning with the 2007-2008 school year, Carr Intermediate students received three types of grades in every class each grading period:
Standards-Based Grades: This grade will be based on a limited number of common assessments that will be given to all students according to grade level and course. This grade will be our attempt to predict how well the student will perform on the California Standards Test which will be taken in May of 2008, because these assessments will be closely aligned to the California Content Standards.
Student Performance: This grade will be based on all other assignments that students are expected to complete for a given class. This grade will also include the teachers’ assessment of a student’s effort within the class.
Citizenship: This grade will reflect the students’ behavior in class and will reflect factors such as participation, readiness to learn, cooperation, following class rules, attendance and punctuality.
A student must earn a minimum of 16 grades of “3” or higher in their Standards-Based Grades and Student Performance Grades (5 of each per semester, for a total of 10 per semester or 20 per school year) in order to earn a promotion to the next grade.
The district has been using this grading system since 2007. Why didn’t Carr present its findings? Why the urgency at the last board meeting?
All Classified except office manager at our school got a lay off notice.. I hope there is something that is going on regarding our classified..I hope this does not go down.. If so get ready to do all this other work yourself fellow teachers..!! All yourself..
#858 .. how can a school operate with only 1 Classified employee?
Jill,
Not knowing all the questions you asked Russo but based on your recap of the reply I’m guessing you were given the typical party line answers that “Kneed to No” and other union minions were spouting here over the last 2 weeks. Isn’t it interesting that “flow of BS” has slowed down to a trickle. As I predicted most would disappear once the election was over. These unions are obviously as subversive as any I’ve ever seen and it probably isn’t over yet.
I am not surprised at the report of union staff members using the union office for private gain. When you review the “Century Anger Management” program; What a scam. People pay $600 ($595) for either 8 hours of live training, or a DVD version. The rest (32 hours) is all online. The phone number Jennifer Insensee provides is her own cellphone number and the number Scott Miller provides is actually the SAEA business phone number. The phone number of “Century Anger Management” appears to be an umbrella phone number providing referrals for a Care Counseling center, Law offices of Staycie R. Sena, Children and family law Center, a Bail Bonds company, Tustin Psychologists, and the list goes on and on including such things as Santa Ana shopping. The kicker to me is a backhanded admission on their website that not all courts accept all anger management certificates and anger management companies are “unregulated”.
RV. These private e-mails you are posting are interesting at the very least. To say the administration has kept the board in the dark, FOR YEARS is an understatement especially when it comes to beating up classified employees. Teacher 2 says the entire classified staff at his/her school received layoff notices. Twenty years ago I would not have believed that possible and while I still have some doubts because no school can operate that way, nothing this administration tries to pull would surprise me anymore. If true this sounds like a ploy to use subs and long term subs as our union looks on.
Good luck with your attempt to communicate with CSEA unless you believe they sent you information on hard copy instead of disk by accident. They still can’t get their website right to inform members of meeting dates and locations. Presently that information has been removed again except for the meeting last month. There are still no newsletters or updates of any kind. Hopefully they will realize the OJ won’t go away and will give you some information to put up here.
Espinosa is the all-time poster person for rewarding ineptness. I faintly recall reading on this blog about Espinosa’s kissing antics with the gal who headed up the school cafeteria. Unfortunately the previous superintendent allowed this scumbag to prowl Valley HS.
Hey! Let’s keep it relevant, okay?
Why are you living in the past?
Is he here to defend himself, or are you just taking a cheapshot?
Willard, in the year 2002, had in the downstairs main office 1 office manager, 1 secretary, 1 attendance person, 1 registrar and 1 health clerk in the front office with the nurse on regular days. Upstairs in the counseling office there were 2 secretaries, 3 councilors, 3 assistant principals, 1 outreach consultant. (and 1 uci/ avid something) Approx 1800 students. (and a busload of parents who were in and out!)
Today, the downstairs office holds 1 office manager, 1 secretary, and 1 attendance person. They all cover the health clerk position and often times the nurses position. Heck, I’ve seen the DSO cover the nurse’s position! There is little left upstairs! The assistant principals aren’t in their offices and the councilors are often swamped with no secretaries to help. The registrar is acting as both counselor and AP. I’m not sure who does any sst paperwork or suspensions.
Now they are calling for more cuts? So Mr. Bishop is to work the attendance window, answer the phone (in Spanish) or type up the multitudes of suspensions and expulsions? Or maybe the teacher is supposed to do this? Maybe the few aides that are still around? The teacher is never allowed to *Know* any of this; how can they do the paperwork on any of it? Worse; Mr. Bishop doesn’t suspend or expel easily (it counts against his numbers, don’t you know) so when all the secretaries are gone, all the AP’s are transferred, all the assundry classified that were drafted (registrar, special ed aides, anyone in the office, my gosh!!!) to do these jobs have been cut ….who exactly is going to do them?
Wake up, district! Stop bullet proofing and wiring your entry ways and see what is happening! Yes the answer is that the district is going to have to step outside their coveted asylum and help! Particularly since they are now limiting the subs the number of days at a site. With multiple vacancies and no help but down town dictating what is to be, and not hiring anyone to take the position, who is the loser? Of course the kids!!!!! They already don’t have a teacher, now they don’t have a sub! In one class they haven’t had a teacher since October!!!!! In 4 others they haven’t had a teacher since January!!!!! And in all of them they are losing out because the district has called its 120 day rule.
Does anyone care?
Dear NeedToKnow: The following comments are in response to the questions you asked last week.
NeedToKnow asked: “[C]an you explain to everyone where all this amazing new found knowledge and wisdom regarding budgets comes from?”
My interest in School Finance is not new, but dates back at least ten years. My knowledge comes from attending numerous CTA Summer Institutes at UCLA, precisely on the subject of School Finance. It was due to this training, for example, that I insisted on including contract language addressing deficit reduction about ten years ago, which later resulted in a double-digit salary increase. It was only after the contract had been approved that the State announced deficit-reduction money for that year. While other chapters were struggling to negotiate this money, we actually had language that guaranteed it would be applied to our salary schedule. Although it may have been serendipitous, it serves as an example of the value of understanding school finance.
NeedToKnow wrote: “Also, while you’re at it, maybe you’d like to explain to everyone that it was during your illustrious term of treasurer that the books at SAEA became so screwed up that CTA had to come in and repair all of the damage caused by you incompetence and correct all of your errors. The damage was so bad, that SAEA came just short of being taken into receivership an run by CTA, just like Long Beach.”
You are definitely misinformed. While I am not sure this is the place for this discussion, you have made serious allegations, so I will respond. I urge you to contact Executive Staff for confirmation of the facts. SAEA was never on the verge of being taken into receivership by CTA, at least not for anything related to my term as Treasurer. If you must know, I served as Treasurer during a transitional time in the history of our chapter, prior to the hiring of a bookkeeper. I took over the bookkeeping, preparation of financial statements, and bill-paying. This had not been required of previous Treasurers. I transferred our record-keeping system from yellow legal pads to QuickBooks. I was enthusiastic about bringing to the 21st century our manual system. I implemented what I had been taught in the CTA Treasurers’ Training. This task I met under difficult circumstances, including restricted access to financial records and a delay (not of my making) in submitting prior years’ records to the auditor. Furthermore, I encouraged transparency by reporting SAEA reserves to the membership and advocating for Representative Council approval before major changes were made to the adopted budget. Thank you for giving me a chance to discuss my accomplishments, which I would not have done had you not brought it up.
Sorry…
Wouldn’t have spoken up at all,
except
when names are named, I just hate it that maybe people aren’t here to defend themselves.
Especially when I know the people have qualities that are way better and beyond what is being said about them.
just saying….
so I’ll pop up now and again to defend…cheapshots.
Cheapshots,
What’s your BFF doing now? What an absolute fiasco and embarassment that school was under his direction! Amped up crazy!
Maybe if your BFF was actually literate he could post his own rebuttals. ~just saying!
There is this one persistent rumor that Vice Principalships were going for $5k not too long ago. Anything to that rumor that you know of?
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Thursday, June 4, 2009
6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
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□ Unsigned IEP??
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□ Pending IEP??
□ Broken IEP??
□ Angry??
□ Frustrated??
□ Lots of questions??
Team JIE: □ Nat Chavira, Attorney
□ Mike Clements, Advocate □ Kim Smith, Attorney □ Tom Hua, Advocate
2101 North Tustin Avenue, Santa Ana
JIE CLINICS GRACIOUSLY SPONSORED BY LEGAL AID SOCIETY OF Orange County
I met with Chad Hammitt today to discuss a few things. This is what I learned:
1. Many teachers think that this shall pass (the storm) and the $$$$ will flow in over the summer as it has in the past and everyone will be re-hired.
2. Although his hands are tied and he is not a Genie in a Bottle, he gave me honest answers that it is looking really bleak. In fact, he said that they could possibly be forced to make $23 million MORE cuts even after we (the 2001-2009 group) are laid off. He has no idea where to cut.
I’m sure that the counselors and music teachers will be cut the next go round and the year 2000 and 1999 so I wouldn’t be out buying a new car or anything. *Jill (on who will be next?)
I also think that the district could eventually be in the Red & I don’t mean Vixen.
close to $100 million (that’s a figure he used for worst case scenario). Granted, I have not cared for many from SAUSD, but I do consider Chad to be personable and honest. I don’t think he is snowing me.
I simply needed to hear YES (wait around…your chances of being rehired are good) or NO…we won’t be calling people back (slim and none chance). My # is 116 to be rehired back by the way. During the hearing it was 124, so whatever your # was during the hearing (-8) take 8 from that.
I plan to begin looking immediately and not waiting because folks…it is just not happening this year. I know many could be in denial (I want to be in denial myself at times), but start looking for a new career…the money will not be there this year.
In fact, he said they may not receive money until September. I am sorry to inform you of this and I feel your pain. Please (everyone) take good care of your health and look for plan B and C. I wish you well. If I learn anything else, I will post it.
Summary: The stimulus $$ means nothing in reality because basically the state will take it from the county level or city. In other words, it’s like it didn’t even arrive so don’t count on it to bail anyone out.
borrow from Peter to Pay Paul <—summary
What happens when an ex-school board candidate gets mistaken for an Oj resident blogger? Clarification ensues!
http://orangejuiceblog.com/2009/05/is-irene-ibarra-aka-red-vixen/#comment-87932
In case you missed the Rv-Irene Ibarra mix-up, promoted by the local democrat party leader, Phil.
#864 Patricia,
I don’t know if you will be getting a response from NeedsToKnow b/c they are busy responding on the old thread SAEA CORRUPT ELECTIONS: VOTE EARLY, VOTE OFTEN!
You know, fighting the good fight as proxy for anyone at SAEA.
Here’s a question for anyone here: If a member calls the union about something they are confused about, what happens? If the union is unclear on the issue would they call CTA and get some clarification? Is that allowed? Is there some kind of competing goals between the local SAEA and the larger parent organization? Isn’t it best to get the answers of any controversy asked right away?
Anonplus: “RV. These private e-mails you are posting are interesting at the very least. To say the administration has kept the board in the dark, FOR YEARS is an understatement especially when it comes to beating up classified employees. ”
The board could really help itself by releasing video tape of the board meetings. Not all teachers can view the cable coverage of these meetings, but it sure is enlightening when attendees give their observations! I would have loved to have seen that “horse whipping” that was described!
The classified employees certainly have gotten shortchanged again and again. The local refuses to send over just basic membership notifications for us to repost in case someone might have missed the paper version. Yeah, Yeah, we KNOW. CSEA does not HAVE TO do anything for a blog, yadda, yadda, but why not?
I sent a note over to the Young Democrats at UCI and offered to post up some information on their event sponsoring universal health care. Those young folks didn’t rush around emailing each other to see if they could do it. They send off a press release and then THANKED OJ FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAD THE WORD AROUND WITH THE INFORMATION.
Duh. That’s how it’s done. Released information IS fair game to post someplace, unless you have no idea what the hell you are doing and what the hell your real mission and focus should be.
As you’ve noted, the CSEA website is not reliable. So sad for them, too, who have paid out dues for all those years and to be left in the cold when things get difficult.
Did you see that the Superintendent in Pomona was just named as nominee for Assistant for Elementary and Secondary Education for the Federal Department of Educatioin. I think that her district was one of the ones that committed to saving employee jobs. I wonder how much salary SHE was making in Pomona.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/President-Obama-Announces-More-Key-Administration-Posts-5/19/09/
We are now officially out of REPOST material. It seems to kind of come in waves and it wound down to just a trickle yesterday. Enjoy!
REPOST
District Office:
In what capacity is Susan Mercer negotiating with the school district right now? What position does she hold that she is supposed to be doing that? She was again in the district office cutting deals with Chad Hammitt Tuesday, May 19, 2009 after school hours.
Rumor has it that the registrars are being let go. Middle school counselors will now be doing those jobs along with the duties of assistant principal
Juan Lopez is extremely corrupt, dishonest and I personally believe he is a pig. He goes around doing inservices on inappropriate behavior yet I have actually caught him gawking at women in the hallway at the district office, then running off when they turned around and looked at him, he’s a creep. In meetings with him regarding class size the tactics he pulls when he is up against a wall are absolutely shameless. He lies and distorts numbers and knows how to play the game. I can’t for the life of me understand what it could be that he has on SAUSD to keep him in this position and actually get a raise during these times. Whenever someone should obviously be fired in SAUSD, it seems they have something on someone that the district doesn’t want to come out. Anyway, that’s my rant on Mr. Lopez.
A few of us are noticing that the sub desk is conveniently not working on Fridays or Mondays….I am trying to use some of my sick days and they conveniently have it “not working” so people can’t report off and have to go in. Also, many subs show up at 9:00 (an hour late) and still get full day…and they have a starbucks in their hand so they were not in any big hurry to get there on time…this should be brought up. What ends up happening is we all have to watch other peoples’ classes until the LATE sub comes waltzing in with their Starbucks (VERY annoying).
SAEA
The next Rep Council meeting will be held on Tuesday, May 26, 2009 at 4:00 p.m. at the SAEA office. Put it on your calendars! Free food at every meeting. All you Rifed teachers come and get it and see the fat asses who eat on your dime for all their meetings as they represent you. Last chance to get back some of your dues before you get the ax!
With many school sites having no copy paper at all, why is SAEA sending out paper notices to all the members in envelopes instead of using email? Everyone knows that Jennifer has the emails of all the site reps. Why not take it to the next level and go paperless?
If Scott is using SAEA phone numbers for his side job, is he paying for Paul and Rue to answer the phone and take messages for him?
Can teachers opt out of paying dues to be a member of SAEA? I feel very ripped off right now. I have 7 years at this district and I feel so helpless. I wish I had the dues money that I have paid all those years.
Needs to Know is a union hack sent out to attack anyone who wants answers and expects more for what we get for our dues.
It’s true – all Reistrars at the intermediate schools were eliminated in the latest round of budget cuts. And there’s now talk, with the failure of the latest propositiions, that counselors will be next.
Voters say “no way” to budget ballot measures
swiegand@sacbee.com
Published Tuesday, May. 19, 2009
“Proposition 1A . . . drew opposition from some of the state’s most powerful and well-heeled labor unions, which have opposed any restrictions that might keep money from being spent that would benefit their members.
To prevent the unions from campaigning to defeat 1A, legislators included $16 billion worth of temporary taxes, which union leaders favored as a way of assuring the state had enough revenues to limit spending cuts that might affect the unions’ members.
But the taxes – extensions of $12.8 billion worth of tax hikes included in February’s budget-balancing – didn’t mollify all the unions, and in fact have become the focal point of opposition to 1A from anti-tax groups and others.”
Even though CTA was for these propositions, other unions were against it. Has CTA lost its clout among its union friends? Why would one union throw another union under the bus? CTA members are the losers – who, then, are the union winners?
RV,
As I wrote previously good luck with CSEA, but there is always hope. Districts tend to ride roughshod on classified unions because they are easy to manipulate and bully. I’ve seen it in 3 districts over 30 years, but SAUSD has to be the worst.
I did read the announcement of Thelma Melendez de Santa Ana as Assistant Secretary. It’s not surprising when a little research reveals how politically active a superintendent she is in Pomona. She was invited to Obama’s inaugural, the president visited one of the schools in Pomona recently, and the district rescinded all of the teachers lay off notices. However that may have been a premature mistake since they were counting on the stimulus money for this year and the propositions for the future. Oops.
In answer to your question about her salary as Superintendent; A quick Google search indicates she earned $189,000 a year when she was appointed in 2006.
My wife has taught in Pomona USD for 20 yrs. It’s no model of efficiency or integrity. It’s SAUSD’s twin, but a bit more clever and bolder in its malicious doings.
SAHS Teacher,
I hope I didn’t imply Pomona was a model of efficiency or integrity because that was not my intent. If anything I was attempting to point out the superintendent appears to be a political insider.
Patricia O’Neil (Candidate for SAEA President) (#864) Really? Wow, that’s not what the records show.
Red Vixen (#870)
If a member calls the union about something they are confused about, what happens? Every attempt is made to provide the member with accurate information
If the union is unclear on the issue would they call CTA and get some clarification? SAEA leadership is in constant contact with CTA when clarification is needed. In addition, CTA provides a full-time executive director that is supposed to be an immediate and comprehensive resource for answers.
Is that allowed? Yes
Is there some kind of competing goals between the local SAEA and the larger parent organization? No
Isn’t it best to get the answers of any controversy asked right away? Yes
RE: Superintendent in Pomona saves jobs. Actually, there is a lot more to this story than you realize. The teachers union threatened Pomona with a potentially embarrassing lawsuit (I don’t have the details, sorry) if the didn’t rescind the layoffs. Pomona was banking, in part, on the Props passing. If the Props failed (which, of course, they did), they expect mid-August layoffs.
So now, which makes more sense – to know NOW that you don’t have a job or to wait around all summer thinking you do and then get told in August that you’re services are no longer needed?
FYI,
Robert Chavez from CSEA has promised to send some pertinenet information in the next few days.
I think its time for SAEA members to take our destiny in our own hands.
The time has come for us to consider opening our own charter schools.
Who says that big-city teachers’ contracts are obstacles to reform? Certainly not the United Federation of Teachers, and to prove it, the union representing New York City’s public school teachers last week moved ahead with plans to open its own charter schools. The 100,000-member affiliate of the American Federation of Teachers will submit applications to the State University of New York for charters to open an elementary school serving grades K-5 next fall and a secondary school for grades 6-12 in September 2006. (N.Y.C. Teachers’ Union Moves to Open 2 Charter Schools By Caroline Hendrie)
A committee of the State University of New York’s board of trustees yesterday voted to approve an application by the New York City teachers union to start a charter school in Brooklyn, meaning the state’s first such union-backed school is likely to open this fall. (By BRIAN McGUIRE, Staff Reporter of the Sun | June 10, 2005 ALBANY,NY)
“I would love to have the opportunity to run one of these,” Ms. Weingarten said. “I think it would say a great deal because we would actually let teachers teach and do something that engages teachers as the professional people they should be.” “Dade has formed a partnership with Edison Schools, a for-profit school management company, to open 10 charter schools. And Albert Shanker, the former president of the American Federation of Teachers, was a strong and early advocate of charter schools. Ms. Weingarten said that a union-run charter school would be a showcase for top teaching techniques and a model of respect and professional freedom. “We want to show that we practice what we preach,” she said. She also said that operating a charter school would give the union a chance to prove that city education officials were wrong to vilify the teachers’ contract. “To prove that the contract is not the obstacle, I would use the current contract,” she said. (Let Us Run Charter School, Teachers’ Union Head Says By DAVID M. HERSZENHORN Published: Thursday, October 30, 2003)
NeedToKnow (#877): As I said, I urge you to contact CTA Executive Staff for confirmation of my statement. It is easy to make false allegations behind the cloak of anonymity. Please identify yourself if you have accusations to make. I would be happy to meet with you so that you might show me these “records.”
Bishop bragging today that the Union as we know it is gone. Guess that is his response to the proositions failing.
Anon #882 – Get your head out of the sand – this is the state’s attempt to bust the teacher’s union – with the propositions losing – school districts will be asked to cut even deeper! This budget fiasco isn’t a drill! It’s obvious schools won’t be closed – we will get federal monies with different rules – and that’s a good thing – because now the district administration won’t be able to mess with the money as they have in the past. The game is over for the district.
SAUSD Trustees Rob Richardson and Jose Hernandez squeezed money out of SAUSD employees and vendors
Anonplus and SAHS teacher,
You might find this interesting: I have google alerts set to a variety of topics related to sausd and santa ana. Ms. Thelma came up on a fairly regular basis for not much of anything at all. But someone has been managing her press releases very well and she was in the google alerts a lot because of her “de santa ana” name caught by google.
Many of the press releases were not of anything significant, but her name was in little stories: She ate a cupcake at a party! She held a board meeting! etc
While we were all goofing off here, anyone else notice that SAUSD PD got a new chief?
#881 Patricia,
You are way too kind and way too patient with that poster. They are only here to twart the conversation – not to add to any base of information that the rest of the posters are trying to build.
Just received word that Susan Mercer will be SAEA President.
Congratulations to Susan and all of the winning candidates.
Congratulations also to all of the candidates for being willing to put themselves out there and be part of the process. I believe that everyone benefits from the fact that there are those willing to take this risk.
SAUSD Trustees Rob Richardson and Jose Hernandez squeezed money out of SAUSD employees and vendors
http://orangejuiceblog.com/2009/05/sausd-schools-fail-to-hit-api-test-score-targets-except-for-a-few-fundamental-schools/
The district is up to it’s old tricks again.
There is a job posting (on April 15, 2009) for an Associate Superintendent for Business Services making $184,629 per year.
I thought we were in hard economic times, increasing class size, letting certificated and classified go.
Red Vixen (#871) Regarding your recent repost:
Since this person insists on calling me a ‘union hack’, I hope you allow this post:
In what capacity is Susan Mercer negotiating with the school district right now? None
What position does she hold that she is supposed to be doing that? None
She was again in the district office cutting deals with Chad Hammitt Tuesday, May 19, 2009 after school hours. – Unless the person that emailed you was in on the meeting, the person has no idea what the meeting was about. How about giving someone the benefit of the doubt? Maybe Susan was meeting with Chad on legitimate business?
With many school sites having no copy paper at all, why is SAEA sending out paper notices to all the members in envelopes instead of using email? Because SAEA refuses to use SAUSD email addresses and unless SAEA gets 100% of the teachers to use and provide non-SAUSD email addresses, there will always be a need to send out paper-mail.
Everyone knows that Jennifer has the emails of all the site reps. Actually, Jennifer DIDN’T send her email to ALL reps.
Why not take it to the next level and go paperless? SAEA would love to go paperless.
If Scott is using SAEA phone numbers for his side job, is he paying for Paul and Rue to answer the phone and take messages for him? Why don’t you ask Paul and Rue?
Can teachers opt out of paying dues to be a member of SAEA? Yes
Does anybody here know if Capo has rescinded any of their teacher layoffs? I know that our district is similar to theirs.
The SAEA Union Jam Down is complete:
President – Susan Mercer
Secretary – Jennifer Isensee
Treasurer – Scott Miller
High School Segment Director – Billy Castanha
Intermediate Segment Director – Hank Montelongo
Elementary Segment Director – Rhonda McKanna
Elementary Segment Director – Julie Meneghini
This slate of characters certainly wanted to ensure a win.
I am so looking forward to how they manage things in the new year at a cost of one thousand dollars per paying dues member. Teachers, pay attention, now!
#893 – Capo folks had very active message boards during the recall. They still might. Maybe a google search can lead you there to get your questions answered. If you find out anything, please let us know.
Thanks in advance
How about if we don’t wait around to see how things will be managed? How about if we organize on our own to save Class Size Reduction. That’s 232 jobs right there plus 75 QEIA teachers. We know Class Size Reduction works. And, the District can afford it, especially if they don’t insist on keeping excessive reserves. How about if we share what we know at the next School Board Meeting on Tuesday and start putting some pressure on? Any takers?
You know Patricia, that’s gonna be a NIH (Not Invented Here)response from the union.
Your proposition makes sense and it could bring the whole membership together as a common cause of saving jobs, but I just don’t think it’ll be taken up by your SAEA union because it’s not something that they thought of FIRST.
I’m sure that NTK will be along shortly to put you in your place
Patricia,
You are one class act and I appreciate that you are willing to fight for those who are losing their jobs.
Computer work is what I love doing and I will do a webpage for you anytime free, Patricia.
To: Others who read this board
I cannot quote anyone (Chad or Jane), but what I am hearing (my interpretation) is that the district is in the hole and will continue to make “more cuts”. Now I may be wrong, so don’t plan your life around what I say, but that is what I got out of it. I don’t plan to wait until 116 people retire or quit….that could be 5 years from now especially if they cut more people.
I think we all need CSR (in grades K-12) by the looks of the test scores.
Red Vixen:
Some of those who have spoken here in defense of the union don’t seem to believe that there is much SAEA can do. For example, “Had Enough of the Whining” (577) wrote: “Our union is there to make sure the RIF procedures are done properly. That is all the a (sic) teachers’ union can do.”
Saying that there isn’t much that can be done and blaming the current economic crisis may be a smokescreen for choosing to not organize to save Class Size Reduction. I remember a few years ago, when I tried to get a motion on the table at a Board of Director’s meeting for SAEA to make saving CSR a priority, no one would even second the motion to even allow for discussion to take place. Some of the secondary people on the SAEA Board of Directors and in other leadership positions may see this as an issue that affects elementary and not the entire membership. I don’t see that saving jobs has been a priority.
I think that part of the thinking may be that without any General Fund money being used for CSR, there will be more money later for potential salary increases. My thought is that we shouldn’t limit ourselves to an either/or mentality.
SAEA has not made it clear that they have studied the District’s budget in enough detail to be able to confidently say what the District can or cannot afford. I think they may be relying too heavily on information provided by the District, when they need to do the research themselves. As NTK will undoubtedly say, I am not on the Bargaining Team so how would I know? The answer is,I don’t know how much research SAEA has done on the District’s budget. I only know that there is no evidence that they have conducted a careful analysis. I will, however, ask what has been done.
SAEA is planning something for the 9th of June. I received a flyer with a skeleton or some other symbol of death on it. I guess the plan is to just wait for the District to announce on the 8th that Principals should plan for 30:1 and then mourn the end of CSR and loss of jobs. Maybe, they think that it will look like they’re doing something.
Why are they deciding to do something on the 9th of June? It’s kind of late…we already got laid off. Our principal told me weeks ago that she was told to put 30 kids in each room k-5 to begin the year. They already made their minds up, so I guess we could rally, but do you think they will change their minds after the principals already made the classes up?