Sometimes you can have too much of a good thing! In this case our 2009 SAUSD thread has so many comments on it that it is now running too slowly. So we are starting this new thread for the second half of 2009.
So far this year we have had plenty to write about. The State budget cuts have had a devastating affect in Santa Ana. Layoffs have ensued.
To top this all off, the SAEA cut a weird deal with the SAUSD that essentially cut benefits for all the younger teachers. And then the SAEA held elections.
Now more budget cuts loom…and all the other issues remain. I expect this thread will fill up too before long…
Read the latest thread exposing SAEA incompetence, deception and theft of identity:
Why did a SAEA union board member misuse a blogger’s home address and phone number?
Just unbelievable.
#150,
We posted the proof. Apparently you have a reading disorder to go along with your overall lack of ethics.
#150 What a hack you are. You’re also supposed to be a teacher and this message board’s “union rep” by proxy.
I think you are a stunning example of what is wrong with the SAEA Teachers’ union.
Quit attacking OJ posters who can actually read and comprehend the issues. You’re a disgrace.
Red Vixen (#136) I still don’t get it why people haven’t tried to verify the facts about this anger management thing instead of just making accusations. You make it sound like Anonplus has done some type of major investigative research – all this person did was research Scott and Jennifer’s names and post snippets from a website.
At least you got one thing right – teachers need to ask. As far as I know, I’m the only one that has even bothered calling SAEA to get an answer. I took your advise, and I called Gladys on Friday and asked her, point blank, if anything’s been going on – if Scott and Jennifer are running an anger management business out of SAEA. Gladys said that there is nothing going on – no business being run out of SAEA. In fact, she said that Scott and Jennifer went to anger management training in order to get a better understanding of anger and be able to help teachers.
You and others here thoroughly chastised them for being listed and using SAEA’s address. So, what did you expect? They changed the addresses – big deal. You wanted them to stop listing SAEA’s address and you got what you wanted. But then you go after them for that? You didn’t bother going to them and asking questions before you posted or made the accusations, you just went after them.
Actually I think it’s pretty funny that one of them was creative enough to use Art’s info. The only reason I can imagine that one of them did that was that there was never anything going on to begin with.
The ‘rumors’ that you mention only exist because you and OJ insist on publishing them, over and over, and there doesn’t appear to be any type of research going on. Of course, you don’t see the catch-22 that you’ve created. You don’t believe anything anyone at SAEA says and yet the only people with the answers are the people at SAEA, so you’ll never believe any answer you get from them.
Members of SAEA have more opportunities than that just Rep Council to as questions. We can ask our site reps, we can phone or email Board and Committee members and we can ask them in person when we see them.
Count the votes (#142) Why don’t you contact CTA or have the people that are claiming to have been “railroaded by Isensee’s incompetent, and as it turns out unethical and collusive “representation.” contact CTA or file a lawsuit? My guess is that these teachers are angry because the probably didn’t get what they wanted from filing a grievance.
Art (#152) Just because parts of websites are posted on OJ doesn’t make them facts.
While I am not a union hater or basher, I just can’t understand how posting a blogger’s address on your own site under your name is in any way appropriate or even funny. It’s just plain stupid.
I don’t understand the comments regarding being unable to speak at the Rep meeting. I was at the last meeting. If anyone has something to say, they are welcome to add it to the agenda at the beginning of the meeting and it will be discussed at length. These meetings usually go for about two hours and while I appreciate the input of people, I really need to get to all of the agenda items because I truly can’t stay due to family commitments any longer than about 2 hours. If someone wants to discuss something, I would hope that they would place it on the agenda and not just randomly derail the meetings.
Let’s let the District Attorney decide this one. It is illegal to impersonate someone else’s address as your own. I don’t find this to be funny and humorous. I know someone who did this to someone and they got tossed in the slammer, slapped with probation and had to attend anger management courses. She impersonated an ex boyfriend (all in fun) of course like the Union people just did to Art and she was accused of a crime. No one needs to prove anything…google cached will prove it all.
“At least you got one thing right – teachers need to ask. As far as I know, I’m the only one that has even bothered calling SAEA to get an answer. I took your advise, and I called Gladys on Friday and asked her, point blank, if anything’s been going on – if Scott and Jennifer are running an anger management business out of SAEA. Gladys said that there is nothing going on – no business being run out of SAEA. In fact, she said that Scott and Jennifer went to anger management training in order to get a better understanding of anger and be able to help teachers.”
Well, that’s very interesting. So, Gladys is saying to put the matter to rest? She’s saying that her oversight on the matter puts a kosher stamp on the Anger Management services being conducted with references to the SAEA mailing address and the SAEA phone number listed on the advertisments? That’s interesting.
“Actually I think it’s pretty funny that one of them was creative enough to use Art’s info. The only reason I can imagine that one of them did that was that there was never anything going on to begin with.”
We’ll see if authorities think this isa funny chuckle or not. I am guessing it isn’t very funny to the Anger Management company that is supposed to be made up of ethical and legtitmate resources. I am guessing that CTA won’t find it amusing either.
Let’s just take a wait-and-see on this, shall we?
and as far as a reason: How about this – A guilty, vindictive system abuser thought it might scare Art off. Or how about- an incompetent, overly-angry dummy did it on a lark without understanding the consequences of impersonating others? Or how about this- A pervasive criminal mindset resorts to thuggery when they feel threatened by being outted?
Maybe look at those choices, genius.
Oh and I found post #99 interesting as well:
SAEA Anger Management Scam Inquiry Says:
June 9th, 2009 at 5:51 am edit
As a teacher who experienced a sham representation by Isensee in a grievance proceeding, I am wondering if others would be willing to get together to consider legal options that may be available. Did anyone attend an “anger mgmt.” class taught by Isensee? Did Isensee proxy sign your grievance without your permission? District -SAEA collusion in this process may have dragged out the timeline, potentially costing taxpayers and SAEA loads of money.
We are trying to get a list of all of the RIF(ed) employees and their EMAIL addresses so that we can contact you over the summer. We plan to stand UNITED (everyone)…classified employees, music teachers, counselors, teachers, librarians, computer techs, secretaries, district employees, and parents. We may be planning a “meet up” event over the summer. So please go to this site and sign up. We need EVERYBODY to stand UNITED! Let’s not wait for the Union. They are included of course (everyone is welcome), but we are NOT waiting anymore for people to help us…we are takng matters into our own hands.
http://snipurl.com/attention123 <–go here
2 Cents,
Thank you for verifying and posting that neither Miller nor Isensee had permission to list fictitious business addresses at the SAEA office. Also I appreciate you confirming for us that Miller and Isensee misrepresented a legal business at that location when in fact no such business existed there.
While on the topic of teachers providing anger management services using fictitious addresses or e-mail contacts, another name has come up only this time the person listed the SAUSD e-mail system for her personal business. Use of the district e-mail system for personal business or to conduct a business is in violation of district policy.
In this case Sara Shorey, a SAUSD Reading Coordinator/Curriculum Specialist apparently joins the group of the galactically stupid.
———————————————–
Century Anger Management Provider List for Costa Mesa, California
Century Anger Management provides two levels of certification:
• Level 1 — Content Training
• Level 2 — Certified Anger Management Professional
The following is a list of all active providers in Costa Mesa, California. Click here to see other providers in California.
Level 2 Providers
Action Consultants Therapy
Barry Hughes
1670 Santa Ana Ave
Ste F
Costa Mesa, CA 92627
Phone: 310-901-1667
finbear@earthlink.net
Sara Shorey
623 Whitney Way
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
Phone: 949/400-6765
sara.shorey@sausd.us
——————————-
2 cents I know you don’t get this but guilty people do stupid things. If Isensee and Miller were doing nothing wrong then they had no reason to remove or change the contact information they originally had on the Century Anger Management webpage. But they did change the information because it was brought out here and they knew they were doing something wrong.
Now scurry off and let Sara know she better change her e-mail address before some good citizen calls the district.
Just a suggestion,
Scott, (just an idea) instead of running and having people post why or why this didn’t happen,maybe just apologize to Art and be the bigger person. I know Art and he is a nice person and most likely forgiving with a simple “I’m sorry.” That’s what I would do, but what do I know? Nothing apparently according to the Union’s publicist. Just do it…get it over with.
Besides academic subjects, most public school teachers include in their curriculum respect for rule of law, integrity, courage to speak out against injustice, tolerance and respect for all people, however different. It’s this last which often subjects us to the ire of the political right, and probably why most of the teachers I know don’t frequent the OJB. The tenor of this thread has developed into one of toxic intolerance toward anyone dissenting from a view of criminal corruption permeating leadership in SAEA, SAUSD or its school board. We do have problems in the leadership of our union, school sites, and district, which Santa Ana teachers need to address, but OJB has not developed into an effective forum for constructive discussion of these problems and their solutions. It’s become simply a place to vent one’s anger towards public schools and unions.
Anonplus (#162) Wow I said all that? What post were you reading?
They never listed a ‘fictitious business addresses at the SAEA office’. The only thing that was ever published here was a listing from Century Anger Management that said they were ‘Providers’. What does that mean anyway?
So, what have we all learned? That Jennifer and Scott received and completed training in anger management. Whoopee! We’ve also learned that Gladys Hall-Kessler has confirmed that there never was a business being run out of SAEA. And I don’t think we have any reason to doubt Gladys. And we’ve learned that, according to Gladys, Jennifer and Scott went to the training to help better understand anger and anger management and to help teachers with anger management issues.
Could it be possible that the training they received has nothing to do with a private, outside business or that the only reason they got the training was to help teachers? I’m sure you refuse to believe that this is even a remote possibility because these assumptions don’t fit with your paranoid view of the world. Guess what, maybe they’ve done nothing wrong.
To me the only one that seems ‘galactically stupid’ is you, Anonplus. You love to make accusations, without any basis in fact or verification of facts. You like to play ‘connect the dots’ and create a picture that fits your preconceived ideas. I am amazed at the number of conclusions you jump to and the leaps of logic that you make.
So tell us, Anonplus, what do you want? Are you now saying that you want Century Anger Management to change the address back to SAEA?
SAHS teacher (#164) Well said.
Blah, Blah, Elitist Teacher Blah, …”probably why most of the teachers I know don’t frequent the OJB.”
Welcome back, SAHS teacher. So what makes you so different from all those teachers that you know? You just here taking one for the team? I mean, i know “they” don’t bother coming to OJb. But here you are! Again! Voila! Welcome back!
😉
#164,
The school district and the SAEA have been taken over by bad people. Of course we are going to oppose them!
I support public schools. My kids all go to public school.
I support unions, but not when they are greedy and corrupt. I belong to the AFT.
If we say nothing, the corruption will continue unabated.
Our SAUSD corruption thread has had over 14,000 unique visitors this year!
http://orangejuiceblog.com/2009/06/our-sausd-corruption-thread-has-had-over-14000-unique-visitors-this-year/
.02 Cents,
Initially I wasn’t going to bother responding to you whether you penned under “Need to know”, “Reality Check” or any other name because under all of those pseudonym responses you consistently apply two commonalities. The commonality your responses all seem to have is the unmistakable delusional concept of ignoring/denying facts and an ongoing attempt to interject the cloud of plausible deniability by SAEA. Deniability in this case because “Gladys says” no private business was being carried on at the SAEA office. You try to further give SAEA deniability because “Gladys says” she knew that Miller and Isensee went to anger management classes to help teachers. Isn’t that sweet? Let’s all buy what you claim Gladys says. I don’t think I will.
First of all no one claimed Isensee or Miller were physically running a business out of the SAEA office. What was said is that the SAEA office was being used as their Century Anger Management (CAM) provider address and Miller was also using the SAEA phone number as his (CAM) provider phone number.
You asked:
1“The only thing that was ever published here was a listing from Century Anger Management that said they were ‘Providers’. What does that mean anyway?”
2“So, what have we all learned? That Jennifer and Scott received and completed training in anger management. Whoopee”
3“Could it be possible that the training they received has nothing to do with a private, outside business or that the only reason they got the training was to help teachers?”
One would almost believe you are as naïve as you pretend to be, but since we both know you are not and already know the answers, I’ll humor you anyway.
1.A level 1 “provider” is someone trained to help others with anger management. A level 2“provider” is someone certified to teach and train anger management to others.
2.What we have all learned is NOT that Miller and Isensee just received training in anger management; they also received training to teach anger management.
3.Of course it is possible Miller and Isensee only got the training to help teachers IF you expect anyone to believe Isensee and Miller spent $595 and 40 hours of training to be certified at the training level just for that purpose.
Not that it matters to you, but teaching, consulting of the CAM course to others also requires purchase of CAM products to provide to their students. So based on your hypothesis they would altruistically buy and provide the work materials as well. This is also possible except would they really need to have themselves listed in the CAM website as available providers for Santa Ana if this was all such an altruistic in house exercise?
It only takes a quick read of Century Anger Managements pages to understand this is a training and certification school designed for graduates to create their own business. The following are excerpts from the website;
Century Anger Management’s Professional Anger Management Certification training requirement is currently 40 hours, which can be completed two ways. Either through live content trainings and our state of the art online courses or through our “Home Study” program, which uses a combination of DVD’s and online classes available through our website…..
Currently, there are no State or Federal laws for anger management providers or anger management training. At Century Anger Management, we have designed a training program for anger management with standards equal to or above other training organizations across the country while simultaneously making training affordable to trainees…..
We also offer unprecedented marketing support of your business and we do not require participants to purchase minimums of workbooks and client support materials and they are certified. We offer a variety of volume discounts on workbooks for providers. A listing of our discounts can be found on our website. In fact, our organization rewards our providers with discounts on materials and will also include your organization in a variety of outbound marketing campaigns that our partners and we produce…….
Now 02 cents you can draw any conclusion you want. Criminal activity requires the unity of act and intent coupled with the ability to complete the act. Until Miller and Isensee changed their listing on the CAM site I had no idea if they were involved in anything questionable or not. When Miller decided to play a game with Pedrosa, Miller actions spoke louder than any words. I don’t care how you try to spin it.
They are your union leaders. If you can live with these types of leaders then that is your problem because I don’t pay your union a nickel.
Why was Susan Mercer at our site looking for Jill and demanding that the principal send Jill to talk to her? How unprofessional! Doesn’t Susan Mercer have better things to do than harass teachers who don’t want to talk to her?!!! Get a life Susan! Help teachers keep their jobs and stop trying to intimidate us!
I just read Russo’s letter that she sent out to certificated staff on the 10th.
June 10, 2009 77 lay-offs were rescinded based on the implementation of the Board’s priorities for 2009-2010 budget. This will bring back elementary music teachers, counselors, psychologists, elementary support staff including teachers on special assignment and elementary assistant principals.
Congratulations to you! I mean that really 🙂 I want to know how the board decides what a priority is.
Personally, I think they need their heads examined, but of course “I know nothing” el zippo nada, diddly.
Once again “teachers on special assignment” are in (back playing cards down at the district office) while the REAL teachers work with KIDS (what a concept) and the multiple subject people are thrown against the wall only to be splattered with paint balls once again.
I will ask this once only: What is the union doing for the MULTIPLE subject people? I don’t care if I get my job back in this lousy district, but I am mad that they keep these people as sacks of potatoes “just in case” a whirlwind of money comes in. Jane, take a paycut and don’t wear black on my account because I think you need to GO honestly. I am sure you are out shopping in your “Mercedes” while the multiple subject people who are NOT on “special assignment” got fired.
Also, single subject people should not have to do what they don’t feel is best just so we can all be hired back. Stop making people MORE angry and upset than they already are. I know at my school, the staff is ready to bounce each other over the room situation and displacement process. Thanks for being the leaders that you are…the people who were once a family are no longer speaking. Good job! Way to go!
Classified people…I feel sorry for you…you’re NEXT. Remember, we have a board member who asks people what the district does with their money. He is voting on it isn’t that scary?
Here is a copy of the letter Jane Russo sent out to sites on Friday,text only, fyi:
June 10, 2009
Dear Certificated Staff,
I have been asked by the Board of Education to share with you a brief history of the impact on
staffing due to the State Budget cuts for this year and to report some good news to you related
to our efforts to maintain and / or return as many positions as possible. The State budget crisis is
worsening with an estimated deficit of $24.3 billion. Fifty percent of the State budge it dedicated to
education and therefore, the State’s budgetary problems become problems of our school district.
For every billion dollars that the State cuts from the education budget, the Santa Ana Unified
loses $9 million. Nonetheless, we continue to examine every option to maintain and retain as
many teachers and staff as possible. The Board has also given direction to District staff to create
a structure of priorities for returning positions, should the State budget improve.
Lay-offs: What has happened and why?
March 15, 2009 581 lay-off notices were issued due budget uncertainties.
April-May 2009 85 lay-offs were rescinded due to retirements and attrition.
June 5, 2009 136 lay-offs were rescinded due to single subject vacancies.
June 10, 2009 77 lay-offs were rescinded based on the implementation of the Board’s priorities for
2009-2010 budget. This will bring back elementary music teachers, counselors, psychologists, elementary
support staff including teachers on special assignment and elementary assistant principals.
Unfortunately, at this time we are unable to bring back teachers to implement first through third grade Class
Size Reduction (CSR). However, because elementary (CSR) remains a priority, the Board will continue to
consider CSR.
As always, it is important that we continue to provide our employees with the most current and complete information
when it becomes available. Each of our employees is a great asset to our students, our District and our
community. As we weather this financial storm, we must continue to work together and support one another.
Sincerely,
Jane Russo
REPOST
In some email exchanges for information from a variety of sources:
Jane Russo’s CSR Letter as of Friday
I would assume that the CSR letter was sent only to elementary schools. The whole elementary displacement thing is a mess, principals apparently can’t read the flow charts and are making things up as they go. It is very complicated but these people are supposed to be administrators and understand a simple flow chart. Susan has been inundated with phone calls and is trying to answer them as quickly as she can (at least that is what she said at the last Rep meeting). From the meeting, I understand that they will fund classes at 30:1 for next year and it has created a mess for the RIF’d teachers and the school sites. They have to find a place for all of the teachers who have been out of the classroom (BRT’s, Title 1 coordinators, etc..). This has become a major problem for teacher’s with Spanish credentials somehow because apparently they are no longer needed since the out of the classroom teachers all have them, crazy because these people got these credentials mostly for job security. Just a mess.
SAEA
It is stupid to see union hacks on a message board “fighting” with other posters. Why aren’t they “fighting” for teacher jobs? Why all the waste of energy on being non-productive during a crisis?
As a teacher who experienced a sham representation by Isensee in a grievance proceeding, I am wondering if others would be willing to get together to consider legal options that may be available. Did anyone attend an “anger mgmt.” class taught by Isensee? Did Isensee proxy sign your grievance without your permission? District -SAEA collusion in this process may have dragged out the timeline, potentially costing taxpayers and SAEA loads of money
The enemy of my enemy is my friend. I noticed that Norma Potter had some SAEA board members’ panties in a bunch. Here’s her phone number.
Contact Norma Potter: 714-978-8861. MERCED
I know tensions are high and teachers don’t need one more thing to be pissed off about. However, I’d like to point out that the SAEA website has NO current information about what has been happening during their Site rep meetings (REPRESENTATIVE COUNCIL MEETING)
APRIL 28, 2008
MINUTES
nor is it current for the BOD meetings (SAEA Board of Directors Emergency Meeting)
March 31, 2009
Minutes
Sites and bond money
It was interesting to hear from some Jefferson teachers that part of the bond money is going to fund a new parking lot, because they don’t have enough room for their teachers to park. They will have plenty of room now, but the construction of the parking lot is a go anyway. Go figure.
Regarding Poor Communications in SAUSD and SAEA
The elections lacked guidelines for procedures. I think the situation is much like the new teachers at school sites face. Many times they only learn about procedures and rules when they get into trouble, no one bothers to think about the fact that they don’t know everything. The same is true with SAEA, so many people have been reps for many years and when new people come on board there is no official training and I think there should be.
Susan really is very tenacious and calls the district people on the carpet when they make their ridiculous power grabs. The situation with Olsky was particularly ridiculous. Jane told Susan that she was going to hear “rumors” and she needs to come to her or Lopez when she does. The problem was that the “rumor” came directly from her deputy superintendent, someone that is technically 2nd in line and above Lopez. She just needs to be smarter about who she hires and she needs to fire some people now.
Here is some information from OCSEA: Norma Potter is our CTA Staff Contact Person. Since CTA is providing all the legal services pertaining to the RIF be sure to keep Norma updated on all communications and status changes regarding your RIF notification letters. Twelve letters have been rescinded so far.
http://www.ocsea.com/4–08.html
Here is OCSEA’s current website. There are current meeting minutes and there are lots of items to that clarify status and the Bakersfield decision. Take a look:
http://www.ocsea.com/
Does anyone know Norma Potter’s email? I’d like to send her a link to this blog.
Jill,
Please look at the latest repost #174. I had some email exchanges and it appears that the district and union have created some kind of flow chart to let site principals “figure it out” on their own. Of course, HR should not have turned over this responsibility to individuals. HR should of course be in charge of having an orderly way of doing things.
As the ending sentence suggests: It’s a mess.
Best wishes to you. What number are you on the list for being recinded, now?
Regarding Isensee…
I will speak up, but I won’t mention teachers’ names because they wrote to me and I am not going to say their names (as promised) but they do want other people to KNOW that they asked Isensee to specifically NOT contact the principal and tell the principal who had an issue. Instead, Jennifer called the principal(s) plural because this has happened to many people who do not wish to be named. The principals(s) then called in the employees who did not want this to be known and asked them why they contacted “the Union.” These people wanted the issue to be handled in a manner that didn’t OUT them, but instead they vowed to NEVER call the Union again.
The other day, my principal asked me why Susan Mercer was looking for me at our school. I told the principal to tell Susan Mercer to take a hike because she has done nothing for my cause. Thanks for stuffing envelopes and showing up for 1 rally after the letter was already sent out that we were all fired.
FYI: Don’t ask to speak with me again because I do not wish to speak with you. Get it? Got it? Good! Like I said, I don’t really care if I get re-hired in this piece of work district at this point. I don’t agree with how they do things, their philosophy or the way they treat employees, students and parents.
I do care though that all this behind the scenes garbage is going on. What is this that you want the single subject to do now so that the multiple subject people can teach Social Science and Language Arts? Spill the beans. I don’t blame the single subject people for being upset either because they will have 45 or more and are now being asked to do more and more including some new “behind the scenes” garbage.
The only way that they can fairly say testing is an accurate measure of a teacher(s) success is:
They will need to have an outside source actually do the testing (not allow the actual teacher to touch the tests or be in the room) if they want it to be FAIR.
I don’t know about anyone else, but if I am going to be judged on test scores (in competition with other teachers) because my job is on the line, then I don’t want another teacher to have access to the test period.
If a teacher is going to be ranked on test scores then they will teach to the test and cheat if it means “a raise” or getting re-hired.
Remember, if you have an OUTSIDE person test the kids then fine, but otherwise this merit system will be a joke and just another teacher cheating.
One last thing…
Don’t you just love how the district leaders and Union people always begin their letters with “huge financial disaster”, “drastic cuts to education”, “worsening deficit”? They do this for a couple of reasons:
1. They think you are too stupid to read or listen to the news to know this.
2. They want to “justify” what it is they are about to say…most likely cutting YOU.
Lastly, they end with how sorry they are and how great of a job that they have done to maintain their “mismanagement” while they did not take a paycut or lose any benefits. They are NOT working with 30-45 kids all day. Remember that!
I find all of these letters to be rather insulting to my intelligence and I would rather just have them “save it” or “shove it.” You have to pick one of those 2 things. Why?…because we are in a financial distaster of course and I regretfully have to write this to you.:)
Just having a little fun here.
If test scores will determine my “success”, then I want to control who enters my classroom. By the time we test our students in May we have usually had a 50% turnover in students on our roster. It’s a revolving door at our school as I’m sure it is at most non-fundamenmtal schools in SAUSD.
Yup.. Once again because they think they do not nott need us at this school sites we are screwed again and again. No one brings us back because they just don’t care. So once again they school sites get screwed with no help-once again all will be complaining that they have no help. Well as I said..time and time again Classified gets screwed!
Anon,
Yes, you’re right…kids are floating in and out. Don’t you just love when they put a new student in your class 1 week before testing? They say that it does not reflect upon you…yeah right? It clearly goes on MY record. I posted this child’s score on data director so who are they trying to kid? Test scores really don’t mean a hoot of beans to me. Teaching a child to become successful and independent in the real world does. Happy Sunday! I am going shopping since I am fired. I may as well have a good time while I am at it. 🙂
SAUSD once again bribes their students so they won’t skip school
http://orangejuiceblog.com/2009/06/sausd-once-again-bribes-their-students-so-they-wont-skip-school/
I have a few words then I’ll be out and off this blog for the day…
Ernest F. Ching, Jr.
http://www.lawyers.com/California/Anaheim/Ernest-F.-Ching,-Jr.-276878-a.html?
rrrring
It is so heartbreaking to see the dismantling of Class Size Reduction, to think about the future impact on the students and the present impact on the teachers. The fact that the District could keep it if they chose to makes it more painful.
We just received $14.3 million in federal stimulus money which was supposed to be for saving jobs. And we’re about to receive $4.9 million more (if we haven’t already). Not to mention that the state has only received the first 67% of the stimulus money. Then there’s the $11.4 million in Title I money, $5.1 million of which either has been or will shortly be received. Then there’s the $11.3 million in Special Ed money of which $4.5 million is now, or will shortly be, available – money that can be used to reduce the encroachment on the General Fund.
As for reserves, we may be keeping much more than I originally thought. Based on a $504 million budget the required 2% comes to $10 million, but we’re keeping $28.8 million (5.7%) which is $18.8 million over the required amount. At the last Board Meeting, Mr. Murrey stated that the reserve was this high because of the stimulus funds we had just received, but it was that high on the third interim report, before the stimulus funds were received. Actually that $14.3 million must have been added to the revenue to reduce the supposed “deficit.”
Ah yes, the deficit. The one in 07/08 that was projected to be $42.2 million, but only a few months later it turned out we actually had no deficit. We spent less than our revenue for that year. Or the 06/07 deficit that was projected to be $23.5 million but came in at about a quarter of a million.
In order to manufacture this “deficit,” the District has a pattern of increasing their projected expenditures dramatically at about the time they have to justify rifs, and then miraculously the expenditures come in much closer to the original budget. One of the most dramatic examples of this pattern is in 07/08 when the actual expenses in Books and Supplies were $23.8 million less than what they had projected in the spring. This year, we had a third interim report so the actuals will probably be closer to those projections, but they’re still estimating spending $5 million more in Services and Other Operating Expenses than budgeted and $5.5 million more in Books and Supplies. If they kept to the original budget, there’s $10.5 million right there for CSR and we only need about $5 million to add to the $14.4 million from the state for CSR.
All of this information can be calculated from publicly available documents. By the way, if there’s anyone out there who would like to work with me on studying the District’s budget, please let me know. I asked SAEA about attending a budget presentation a couple of weeks ago, but was told that would be “inappropriate,” so I don’t think anyone from the union will be contacting me soon. Hopefully, the union is doing similar analyses and will use the information to convince the District to save Class Size Reduction.
If only the District would do the right thing and bring back CSR now. Imagine what a celebration there would be at all the elementary sites if it could be done before Thursday.
Russo has made a mockery of her “success is the standard” motto. If she really believed that success were the standard and that failure is not an option, she would spend the stimulus money now rather than hoard it out of fear she might have to make herself look good to the state next year. The rifs this year have destroyed morale like in no other. The heartless and unnecessary letter from Russo that we were presented with on the day of the teacher destroyed what little morale might have been left. Russo is obviously interested only in keeping her job, and presenting numbers to the state that it will accept. In reality, this district would probably be better off if the state did take it over and put some competent administration in at the top. Goodbye Russo, Richardson, Hernandez, and many others. Rif to you forever. To avoid that outcome, Russo has privately changed the district motto. Here’s how it goes:
1.Survival for district fat cats is the standard.
2.Failure to survive is not an option, but failure in the schools is.
3.It’s up to us who have power to do whatever it takes to keep our jobs, even if it means destroying lives of teachers and causing great and maybe irreversible harm to students.
http://snipurl.com/classsizereduction
and
http://snipurl.com/financescsr
These will be updated (keep checking them)
We are adding a ton of things to them.
I guess that “Flow chart” is being used heavily and I went to find it on the SAEA site, because it was there just a while ago, and it is NOWHERE TO BE FOUND. Hmmmm… wonder why that is?
It looked like the work of Susan Mercer, so it should be there. Remember, Susan ran her presidential campaign on the back of her strong “power point” presentations contribution.
What happened to the flow chart at the SAEA site? Anyone?
#162 Anonplus’ post:
“In this case Sara Shorey, a SAUSD Reading Coordinator/Curriculum Specialist apparently joins the group of the galactically stupid (Anger Management consultant using SAUSD email for private purposes). “
Ms Shorey certainly is “in the know” when it comes to coordinating a business similar to SAEA insiders Jennifer Isensee and Scott Miller.
SAUSD has a habit of using these quasi-administrative employees as finks and enforcement gophers. When the cuts come, they district puts them back in the classroom, but they are still politically entrenched with SAUSD administration and of course, SAEA board members and the grievance chair who cull information on members from these types of “specialists”. It’s all about “what’s in it for me?”.
Ms. Shorey is violating district policy. Who wants to bet that she’ll get easy treatment instead of the harsh treatment many employees get for much less – including manufactured reasons by awful administrators?
Heard this morning that 79 TOSA (teachers on special assignment) were rescinded. At least we know the district’s priorities now. It’s not, and never has been, the classroom.
Sites & Bond Money – Don’t get me started about bond money. The passage of Measure C was for renovation, modernization and new construction to alleviate overcrowded classrooms. That’s what I voted for, however the purchase of the Ostuka site really irks me.
The BofE voted to purchase the former farm land from the Ostuka family, via eminent domain, for the construction of a new elementary school. That did not happen. The land was used to build the district’s super warehouse. How much money was funnelled to attorneys to aquire the land and how much Measure C money was used to purchase the land only to build a warehouse?
That is NOT what the voters voted for. And how many of you recall the Tustin settlement? Where did that money go? Time and again the district and BoE has demonstrated that they are not capable of handling money. They are inept.
And thanks to the SAEA I am not saddled with paying for Measure G. I am tired of paying for your mistakes with no results. No wonder the youth of Santa Ana fail, the district is riddled with LOSERS, not teachers.
Poster 190’s comment prompted me to google Tustin Settlement. Was the $60 million used for construction?
Tustin Will Pay to End Dispute With Schools
By Daniel Yi, Times Staff Writer
December 18, 2002
Tustin has agreed to pay Santa Ana schools $60 million by Dec. 27, closing the book on a protracted land dispute that threatened redevelopment of the former Tustin Marine Corps Air Station and jeopardized funding for new campuses in the overcrowded district.
Most of the money will go to speed construction of a 2,500-student high school in the rapidly growing southwest area of the city, Santa Ana Unified School District officials said.
The decision also means Tustin will be free to zone the 1,600-acre former helicopter base for commercial and residential use, a step that has been delayed by the legal tussle.
“This will put the dispute behind us,” said Tustin Councilman Jeffery M. Thomas, who with his colleagues voted unanimously Monday night to approve the deal.
Santa Ana school officials Tuesday praised the decision, which will provide immediate funding for the future Segerstrom High School on 38 acres of the old Armstrong Ranch at MacArthur Boulevard and Raitt Street.
Construction Money
Santa Ana Unified, which bought the land this year, was scrambling to find money to build the school.
Critics have complained about the slow pace of school construction in the district, which passed a $145-million bond measure in 1999. The district has qualified for an additional $127 million in state matching funds for new schools.
The Segerstrom campus could cost as much as $100 million, and about half that amount will come from state matching funds, district officials said. Any remaining Tustin settlement money would go toward other school construction projects.
District officials are eager to start work on the high school, which could open as soon as 2005. With November’s passage of Proposition 47, the $13-billion statewide school construction bond measure, demand and fees for school construction services are expected to rise quickly.
“We really need to start building some new schools soon,” said Margie Brown, the district’s director of facilities planning.
Officials on both sides said Tuesday they hoped this is the final chapter in the eight-year legal battle over the Tustin base, which closed in 1999.
When the federal government announced plans to close bases nearly a decade ago, it pledged that local agencies, including school districts, would benefit from the land windfall. But under plans drafted by Tustin, which was charged with converting the helicopter station to civilian use, Santa Ana Unified was left without land. It sued.
Fermin Leal (OCReg) is going to update “the list” that was posted in the newspaper so that we can keep track of it ourselves. I heard back from him today.
I didn’t want my name published either. The OCReg’s reasoning was: (we wanted the public to have a record of it and make sure that the list of those being rescinded was being done fairly).
I was upset by it at first, but at least now I have “the list” that they hoard at the district or at the union office (you know the one we can only see for 5 minutes?) I recall having “the list” grabbed out of my hands a few times if I looked at it too long. My number is now 59 (supposedly) and I am one of the higher up 2002 people. Another co-worker, hired in 2001 is #16.
257 are yet to be rescinded according to the person I talked to at the district office today.
I will have my new lawyer (Ernest Ching) do all that though. It is always good to have more evidence than not enough. I encourage everyone to look up the names of the people on “the list” single/multiple subject at the CA credential look up a teacher’s credential page to make certain that they have rescinded people who have a proper credential and not an emergency credential or preliminary. If they do have this, then we may be able to protest that if we are more qualified for that position. I have already found someone who has a preliminary and she was rescinded. Like I said, maybe you would be more qualified to teach than this person. Now, go to this site…
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/layoff-employees-budget-2387926-state-year
Fermin is getting the new list of those rescinded and he will update it as soon as he has it (he hasn’t done it yet) keep checking it. Yes, I know he is in the district’s pocket, but at least I have the names of people to watch (eye on education)….that’s me. It’s better than not having the names, right?
https://teachercred.ctc.ca.gov/teachers/PublicSearchProxy
From what we know, the candidates gave their statements during a site rep meeting – where only site reps attend. The site reps are supposed to bring back information to their site membership. However, SAEA does not post candidate statements/speeches on their website for the average member to access. The super-duper organized union leaders who have subs covering their classes, make copies of who they want the members to vote for and send out that literature well before the other candidates can drop off their own literature in person.
It really is quite a racket. All the top union cronies have a huge advantage to influence the votes. In fact, GRIEVANCE CHAIR, JENNIFER ISENSEE sent out special election materials to remind the membership voters to vote a certain way. She even gave big candy bars out to the site reps which members voted for her candidates.
Shared information is against SAEA procedures. You have to be pushy to get any information. A good example is the last rally that was held. If you wanted to find out the talking points, you’d have to CALL THE SAEA OFFICE YOURSELF to get that information. SAEA could have posted it on the website, but they chose not to. During that same time, Jeffrey Goldberg, SAEA VP & Webmaster was busy scrubbing up the SAEA site of numerous items, yet didn’t put up any talking points on what was supposed to be an “important rally”.
Then when you see the poor judgement and the vindictive behavior of SAEA TREASURER SCOTT MILLER when he takes a swipe at Art Pedroza by misrepresenting him on an Anger Management site, you get a better sense of why SAEA is constantly complaining that site reps remain uninterested in getting involved at any significant level in union activities.
JUST WHO HAS TIME FOR ALL THE NONSENSE THAT IS THE CURRENT SAEA BOARD?
The whole board and Gladys should be ashamed at the way they tamper with the lives and careers of others. It’s borderline criminal. And there does seem to be illegal activity going on with that group of goons.
#192
Jill, I am constantly amazed at your courage and resourcefulness! Have Ching send a letter of cease and desist to Mercer if she tries to pull any more intimidation crap on you.
In fact, Ching has been listed many times in relation to teachers, counselors and other employees. He just might have enough cases for a nice sized class action case for gross non-representation. Keep us posted.
I think a full audit of grieviances should be done. I have gotten much feedback that Isensee, in fact, does not have a clue how to do that job she is being paid to do on behalf of teachers in SAEA.
I know teachers who have an intern credential who were rescinded yet those with a preliminary are still RIF’d. The interns were fortunate enough to have been hired earlier.
Regarding preliminaries, many teachers will have their credentials cleared within the next few weeks. It’ll take time for that information to post on the CTC website.
In this district, it is not about who has emergency/intern/preliminary/clear credentials that determines if your RIF is rescinded. It’s your hire date. I believe this was due to the Bakersfield case. Last year, teachers were moved up the seniority list if their hire date was earlier than their credential date. Unfortunately, it’s not about a teacher’s qualifications.
However, being a highly qualified teacher should not be tied to the type of credential one holds. I know quite a few clear credentialed teachers who have no business being in the classroom.
Something to ponder…
Would you hire a lawyer who hasn’t passed the bar? I’m sure someone out there will say yes, just to be an a**hole.
Can a teacher have “tenure” without a credential?
Maybe a lawyer will be able to overturn this **** decision.
I invite everyone to read about the homeschooling parents who cannot teach their kids without a credential, but in the school districts they can? interesting…
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=homeschool+%2Bcredential&aq=f&oq=&aqi=
I don’t need you to remind me about that Bakersfield thing…I am well aware of it and I have a word for it that I can’t use on here.
Things will change under Obama (seniority will be tossed out the window) finally, but by then I will be picking hay with the chickens.
Just something to think about…I don’t want any arguments over this.
I will say this: it isn’t fair…but NOTHING is fair in life…especially in this district or California. 🙂
2 Anonplus and Red Vixen,
Please let me apologize for having asked you to inform us “late bloomers” about the SAEA scandal. I am sorry but i did not follow the links properly and lost track of what was going on. I am new at this blog thing. I am sorry 🙁 But thanks again. I am so disgusted with the SAEA leaders. After reading what Scott did to Art, I have no doubt these people are corrupt and/or crazy!!! They have to be kicked out!
Anonplus, i have a question. What did you mean when you said “3rd type of union visitor to the blog”? Please explain.
It was just a general response that wasn’t specifically addressed to you, Jill. I’m just offering another view for other readers out there.
Scandal? More like Scandal(s) <—plural…no never …not here! 🙂
Anon Teacher
No worries 🙂 Have a great Tuesday….Can we make it til Friday? I have Jury duty on Friday.