SAEA Clowns determined to manipulate SAEA Elections results? You decide.
Candidate for SAEA union Secretary, Jennifer Isensee, sent out her list of handpicked candidates to school site representatives this past weekend. She is the ONLY candidate that has the contact list for all of the site reps. She’s also a PAID employee of the school district who is supposed to handle grievances for teachers. She’s got so much time on her hands after making sure that hundreds of teachers have received layoff notices that she’d also like to hold a board position too!
The candidate cronies that she has been advertising have a distinct advantage over challengers, in that, the Elections Official (Maureen Doughtery) denies the challengers access to equal resources for contacting union membership.
I guess this election is so special that the crony club needs to win at any cost! Looks like weak sauce opponents have been stacking the deck to ensure a win.
Meanwhile, SAEA board members have clammed up. Not an official peep about the shenanigans. However, lots of union hacks seem to be swarming the OJ boards with all sorts of nonsensical defenses.
The official SAEA board excuse will probably be that they are so busy with multiple positions in the union structure that they simply cannot be bothered with any request for accountability. Hurry and get out the vote suckers! This is the best it can get for your $95.00 dues per month! And suck it up, Rif’ed teachers, this is as good as it gets. Look on the bright side: Once you’re out of your jobs, you won’t have to pay union dues for this kind of nonsense. Lucky you!
SAEA Elections timeline according to the Teachers Union website.
March 24 Nominations open.
Declaration of Candidacy forms are available from SAEA site reps and the SAEA Office.
April 24 Nominations close.
Declaration of Candidacy must be received at the SAEA Office by 4:00 P.M. Postmark date is not valid.
April 28 Nominations from the floor of Rep Council.
April 29 Acknowledge of Declarations from candidates.
April 29-May 1 Preparation of the ballots and voting materials.
May 4 Ballots and voting materials sent per District Mail to the sites.
Those unable to vote at their site may request an absentee ballot from the SAEA Office from May 4-May 21.
May 4- 21 Voting at the sites.
May 21 All ballots must be returned to the SAEA Office by 4:00P.M. on Thursday May 21.
May 21 Counting of ballots at 4:00P.M. at SAEA Office.
May 26 Results are announced to candidates and faxed to the sites.
May 26 Notice of run-off elections, if necessary.
May 26 Preparation for run-off elections, if necessary.
June 1 Deadline for submitting election challenges at 5:00P.M.
Election Challenges must be submitted at the SAEA Office, in writing, to: Maureen Dougherty, SAEA Elections Chair.
June 1 Election material sent to sites for run-off elections, if necessary.
June 1-12 Run-off election voting, if necessary.
Boy, Oh Boy, the entrenched SAEA Union Cabal sure wants to win this year. At any cost! Goooooooo insiders club!
Isensee is a perfect example of what is wrong with the SAEA. Her job depends on grievances being dragged out for years and that is exactly what she does. She is on a first name basis with all the downtown fat cats and conducts negotiations in secret meetings. I never knew she was on the District payroll but it sure makes sense now. Vote this one out!
Looks like Sandra Rubio is running a dirty campaign. Maybe Sandra should come clean and let everyone know that she will hold two positions as well. While she’s at it, she ought to disclose how CTA had to come in an take over the books when she was treasurer. Oh, yeah, she was the treasure during the pay cut.
Red Vixen: What a bunch of horse crap. You like to publish mis-information as much as Art does.
Let’s look at the one the quotes, direct from actual source:
“Would you please make sure the election is conducted this coming week? With testing, the end of the school year fast approaching, teachers will be extremely “crunched” for time. Voting is probably one more thing they DO NOT want to do at this time of year; however, the very future of SAEA depends on this election.
If you need help in holding this election, please call me. Voting is by secret ballot and ballots should not be left out on tables or unsupervised.”
What’s wrong with this email? Do you even have a clue how this whole process works? There are 2700 teachers in SAEA. Typically, about half that many will vote (note that they got about 1400 for the tentative agreement vote). But, as with everyone else, people get burned out really quick. This election is the FOUTH one this year and it’s competing with TWO additional votes that being run, so teachers are being inundated with demands to vote, vote, vote – for SAEA the MOST important vote right now is the election. People get tired of voting – it’s a simple fact.
So, you throw as many as 3 simultaneous votes into the mix along with everything else that makes demands on teachers in a normal day, top it off with one or two weeks of state mandated testing – and something has to give. Oh yeah, and on top of all that, about a quarter of the site reps simply REFUSE to run ANY ELECTION – no matter what the cause or candidate. I wouldn’t be surprised if even fewer teachers vote in this election than did for the tentative agreement.
So, Jennifer was 100% correct and justified in encouraging people to make sure that the election is HELD this week. That means, because you obviously don’t have a clue, that each Rep is asked to give a secret ballot to each member, having each member sign for it. And then, it’s up to each member to get the ballot to SAEA. They can send it via their Rep, District mail, US Mail, or hand deliver it and they have until May 21st.
How often have YOU or I had great intentions but forgot to do something? Jennifer didn’t say ‘Vote Now’ – she said make sure that your Rep RUNS THE ELECTION and gets the process started as soon as possible. It makes sense. The sooner the Rep gets the ballots into the hands of the members, the sooner and more likely the ballots will get returned.
Again, there are Reps that forget the election, unintentionally misplace the ballots (bottom of a stack of tests maybe?), get caught up in their own lives, etc. – it’s not a judgment call – it’s simply a fact for all of us – sometimes life gets in the way of good intentions.
So encouraging members to make sure that their Reps RUN THE ELECTION is a valid concern that should be held by everyone. You make it out to be a crime to say ‘get out and vote’ or ‘ don’t forget to vote’ – and you sound like an idiot in the process.
On top of all that, Jennifer even offered to help get someone out to the site to help run the election if the teachers were having a problem getting the election held. Kudos’ to Jennifer!
Jennifer emailed a list people that she thinks would be good for SAEA to people from her personal computer, using her personal email account and her personal email address, using her personal email list. Not one of the emails was sent out using Jennifer’s SAEA email address to any teacher’s SAUSD email account and, again, it was done on her personal time at 8:19AM on Saturday, May 2, 2009.
Jennifer making suggestions to friends is no different than people sending our fliers, phone banking, visiting school sites or making recommendations on a blog .
Just because Jennifer is organized enough to do it as an email and has a huge email address book, doesn’t make her a criminal – in fact, just the opposite, it seems to me that it makes her even more qualified.
Jennifer has worked 15+ years – don’t you think that by now she might have a few hundred friends and acquaintances within the district? That she might have her own personal email address list?
Under Jennifer’s leadership, hundred’s of grievances have been filed and resolved. She works long hours resolving all kinds of issues for teachers. You don’t have a clue what she does, how she does it, how long she works – get a clue.
And, where do you get off deriding people from volunteering? Jennifer holds ONE elected position on the Board – Elementary Segment Director. Being Grievance chair is NOT a voting position on the Board. She’s been appointed by her peers on the Board of Director’s to be on the frontline, representing teachers. And she’s first and foremost still a teacher – a damn good teacher of special needs students – and she receives ONLY her regular teacher’s salary. When she’s elected Secretary, she’ll give up her position as Elementary Segment Director, so she’ll still only have ONE elected position on the Board.
Most every member of the Board has multiple responsibilities – in addition to their normal teaching assignment. None of them complain about it and none of them get paid for their extra efforts. Every single one of them volunteers because they care about teachers and teacher’s rights. They volunteer because they want to make a difference. They volunteer because they care.
And, finally, why would anyone from SAEA bother giving you an official response to the OJ? Just because you call something ‘shenanigans’ doesn’t make it so. You’ve lost all trust and credibility with anyone at SAEA – something a real reporter values. You’ve already labeled them as cronies; hacks, etc. so anything they say you’ve already discounted and refused to believe. You’ll simply discount it again as an attempt to justify or explain away something.
Count the votes (#1): You don’t have a clue what you are talking about. First off the grievance process is just that – a process. Hurrying up the process opens up the Union to complaints of failure to properly represent.
Jennifer’s job does not depend on grievances dragging out for years. Her job, as grievance chair, depends on her doing just like everyone else does – work long, hard hours and producing reasonable results. Her job depends on the majority vote of the members of the Board of Directors and the teachers Rep Council.
The only grievances that have been dragging out for years are those that have become the responsibility of CTA. My understanding is that there are 4 levels of grievances – the first three are handled by SAEA, but those that aren’t resolved there are referred to the executive director and/or CTA attorney’s for further action – so, if a grievance takes years, maybe it’s because it’s a lot bigger, more detailed, more complicated and more difficult to resolve.
As for being on a first name basis – that’s a laugh. First off, there’s not a teacher in SAUSD that can’t call Jane, Juan, Chad or anyone else at the District office’s by their first name. In addition, once introduced, every member of the Board of Education can be addressed by their first name – there’s no standing on ceremony with these people.
If you choose to defer to these people then you’ve got a serious problem. And, what happens when the a new group comes into power at SAEA? You want them to call all the ‘fat cats’ at SAUSD Mr Lopez, Ms Russo, or Mr Hammitt? Jane, Chad and Juan are people – they are a humans – they are regular people. When teachers and union members use the first names of the superintendent and assistant superintendent’s and directors, they reinforce that equality of their positions. SAEA does not ‘defer’, ‘bow down’, or ‘acquiesce’ to SAUSD. On top of all that, being on a first name basis and building a solid working relationship allows progress to be made and helps avoid misunderstandings.
And what kind of secret negotiations do you think go on? How about this scenario – every teacher deserves the protection of their due process rights and deserves a level of privacy when their grievances are discussed with the District. Do you want your dirty laundry aired for the world to see? Jennifer works hard to resolve the majority of teacher issues BEFORE they ever get to a grievance – saving SAEA, SAUSD and teachers time and energy so that they can address the really important issue – teaching children. I don’t know who’s been feeding you the line about ‘secret negotiations’ – but I’m sure they have their own agenda.
And, clearly you didn’t understand the organization of your own union. If SAUSD didn’t pay Jennifer’s salary, than your union dues would. You should be grateful that Jennifer IS paid for by the District. They are essentially paying the salary for someone to represent you, look out for you welfare, fight your fights, and stand up for your rights. I don’t think a non-union company would pay someone to be an employee advocate, do you?
This post assumes the reader knows what the initials SAEA stand for. Perhaps I am the only reader who does not know —-?
Casual Observer (#%5) My apology – SAEA = Santa Ana Educators’ Association (no doubt someone else will come up another set of words for the acronym)
#3 Need to Know
If the OJ blog has lost SAEA’s trust then the OJ is doing something right! Turn the heat up.
I just finished reading today’s LA Times story about “housing” teachers to do nothing and it’s costing taxpayers roughly $10 million annually. That’s stinks. I bet ‘ya think the LA Times reports misinformation as well.
I strongly recommend all concerned parents and citizens to check out this story at:
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-teachers6-2009may06,0,3038809.story
If LAUSD is plauged with this problem, it’s safe to say so is SAUSD. How many teachers is SAUSD housing to do nothing??? Some of us still remember the falsification of attendance a few years ago at a few of the school sites.
#3 your post cites 8:38 am — not teaching?
anon (#7) – guess the question is for you also, 12:15PM? Not teaching? Using SAUSD resources for blogging?
As for Red Vixen having lost the trust of SAEA – ya just don’t get it, do ya? The idea is to try and get the facts out there and not just make accusations. So, Red Vixen has begged and pleaded for input from SAEA, and now Red Vixen bitches and complains when they remain quiet, resorting to calling SAEA leaders ‘names’. Why should SAEA or anyone else be forced, coerced or baited into posting just to give Red Vixen or anyone else fodder for more accusations and insults?
As for ‘housing’ teachers that are unfit – that’s a really good question…oh yeah, did you bother calling anyone at SAUSD to ask the question? I’m guessing not, since all you can do it send a link and then assume that SAUSD is in the same position. By the way, have you heard of the term Due Process? The law is really funny about that – people are assumed innocent until proven guilty. Funny, I don’t see you complaining about the police or fire personnel that are on ‘administrative leave’ collecting full paycheck while their Due Process rights are protected.
By they way – it was a teacher that notified SAEA of the attendance falsification being forced down the throats of the teachers and it was SAEA that demanded that the practice stop – but hey, don’t give the teacher or the union any credit for that.
Isensee has done what every bureaucrat does- ensure the continued survival of their bureaucracy. All the long-winded union hacks had best prepare for a return to the classroom if Mercer and the cabal lose their cushy “jobs.” They are simply corrupt, lazy, and have not protected teachers for years.
PS- Who’s to say it isn’t Juan, Chad or Jane posting these Union defense diatribes? They love the submissive puppy dogs they have trained so well. Takes years to make a good dog.
# 9
Spot on about Mercer. I remember when she defied a former principal and would leave campus, during school time, and show up at another school site under the guise of being “helpful.”
I’d like to throw this query out to blogland –
why do most SAUSD teachers dress as if they were going to clean out the garage? There’s one principal who wears leggings with oversize blouses. And she should not be wearing leggings! There should be a dress code dictating proper professional attire for the teachers, teacher aids, and administrators. Or does the union, have in place, some silly condition exempting professional attire for their dues paying professionals? No one should show up to work looking like a slob. And some of the gals look like they just rolled out of bed.
Laziness? Yep, you got it right.
#8
Why isn’t there a strong and cohesive parent organization to make the district more accountable?
Count the votes (#10) I guarantee you and everyone I’m not a SAUSD lackey.
I’m not sure what you think Jennifer has done to ‘continue the survival of their bureaucracy’? Hope you maintain the same disdain for every union Board of Directors that has ever served or ever will serve to protect teachers, since that is THE defintion of a bureaucracy – an administrative policy-making group, characterized by specialization of functions, adherence to fixed rules, and a hierarchy of authority.
I find it amazing that you call union members and Board members submissive puppy dogs? These hard working people bust their ass on behalf to protect the rights of their fellow teachers – and MOST of them have full-time teaching jobs as well. There are only two full-time release employees at SAEA. The rest have to juggle teaching with their union duties and their ‘normal’ lives.
Clearly you are clueless if you think that anyone on the Board has an ‘cushy’ SAEA job – every except David Barton and Jennifer Isensee work at either a school site or the District offices.
It’s sure easy for you to sit there and bad mouth me because I defend these people, for you to call them lazy and corrupt and for you to lie saying that they haven’t protected teachers for years – you may not like every decision that they’ve made and that’s your right – but if you’re going make accusations, then at least offer some proof. Oh, and by the way, don’t even go there with the reduction in retiree benefits.
Has the union ever failed to defend you in a grievance? And I don’t mean, just because it didn’t go your way!
Neither of us knows what went on behind closed doors in bargaining and neither of us knows what alternatives were or weren’t viable – so it’s speculation. I know it’ll be hard for you change your ways, but just try dealing in the facts this time or, at the very least be honest and declare the things you write as your opinion and that you have no facts.
#8
Due Process to the tune of $10 million? It must be nice to squander taxpayers money. No one should be “entitled” to maintain a job, especially if they are inept. Tony Espinosa.
SAUSD attempts to circumvent Public Act Request/s by engaging district attorney/s to the tune of $3,500 to delay the inevitable. Must be nice to have an endless budget for attorney fees.
Housing inept teachers/administrators seems to have struck a nerve with you. Pat Machado’s name jumps to the forefront on this topic. And so does Jeff Bishop.
#8
Newsflash … the firefighter’s $28 million overtime fiasco has been plastered all over the news. That;s why a young and hungry journalist needs to “investigate” the district.
$10 million dollars annually for due process? Are you a graduate of the Bernie Madoff School of Business?
Let us all take judicial notice that NeedToKnow has become our resident expert on teachers, retirement, unions, incarceration statistics, and most of all circular argument techniques using multiple names in the process.
We all capitulate to your expertise as you smoke those keys from the district office in your feeble attempt to filibuster all other opinions at the OJ blog.
You seem to think your opinions are facts thus why not the rest of us?
#14
Why in the world are you spouting off with numbers that come from LAUSD here? Do you have any logical correlation to provide? Newsflash: they are not the same district. Then you proceed to provide examples of due process abuse by naming district administrators who are not even a part of SAEA. SAEA is teachers, not administrators and what the district does to enable inept administrators is solely their responsibility, the union has no say in that matter whatsoever. On another note, if a teacher in SA is under investigation or for some reason is deemed unfit but due process is not complete, they do receive their salary but the majority are placed in a position away from students to provide whatever service the district deems necessary. This makes sense, the UTLA’s postion that these teachers receive their full salary and do nothing does not make sense.
I am saddened by the use of this blog by Red Vixen to post such a slanderous attack on J. Isensee. I know J. personally, and know that she has only the best of intentions for SAEA. Red Vixen’s source must be the one and only Robert Chavez.
His negativity has been a problem in SAEA, CTA, and NEA for far too long. He comes in close to last in elections because of his vile attitude, and contempt for anyone holding office.
Red Vixen, it’s time to get the whole story, or stop with your slanderous messages. I know you are not a member of SAEA, because your information is so far off!
Great Post, RedVixen! I appreciate your updates because I don’t really know the candidates. I just hear stories about the current ones running and they are not all that positive right now. Keep up the great work!
#18 of course you know her and are saddened because you are on Jennifer’s list to be voted in “NeedToKnow” and “Saddened”. Go Robert and Patricia! The Rif(ed) people are pulling for one of you. But, we all know who counts the votes. By the way, when will the votes be counted? Shall we have a video camera there?
I think it has been stated before, if you are a member, you are welcome to be a part of the count. Just call the union. You don’t need a camera, you can be there personally.
Wow, nice to see so many people posting their opinions! Welcome, all!
They say it takes a village to raise a child. It looks like it takes an entire SAEA union cabal to communicate for Jennifer and Maureen. Nice job guys!
It would be so much easier if your GRIEVANCE EXPERT and HEAD ELECTIONS OFFICIAL showed some kind of leadership. I’ll say it again: You teachers are screwed. AND you’ve been paying handsomely for it, too! Suckers! 😉
Here’s Jennifer’s Note to Site Reps. Not just little chosen excerpts, but the whole deal. You guys decide!
Subject SAEA elections – thanks site reps!!!
Sent: Sat 5/2/2009 8:20 AM
Hi
These are the candidates I am endorsing for our very important upcoming SAEA election. Please vote for the sane, intelligent, dedicated and qualified people I’ve listed below. If you like the direction that David Barton has taken our Association, it is critical these individuals assume leadership positions as SAEA moves into very challenging times.
Spread the word to the teachers at your site as well as your friends at other schools throughout the District.
Would you please make sure the election is conducted this coming week? With testing,the end of the school year fast approaching, teachers will be extremely “crunched” for time. Voting is probably one more thing they DO NOT want to do at this time of year; however, the very future of SAEA depends on this election.
If you need help in holding this election, please call me at 714-317-6636. Voting is by secret ballot and ballots should not be left out on tables or unsupervised.
And by the way, I’m running for Secretary. I am an experienced and active member of SAEA. I will continue to work for all of our members, through grievances, RIF hearings, stress workshops, contract maintenance and enforcement trainings, maternity leave workshops, Read Across America, and any other issue or task that will benefit our members.
I truly enjoy every minute I work for our teachers.
Thanks for your vote!
More importantly, thank you for conducting the election and all of the work you do as Site Rep!
Jennifer
Then she goes on to endorse her selections for various posts. Look at what was left out of the selected quotes from the poster, “Need to Know” and you’ll get an idea of what they would rather not you know about.
Let’s be clear: Jennifer is NO DAVID BARTON. Period. Dave has served his time and he has issued some very powerful and moving written statements during regular intervals and during critical periods. He is a communicator and he’s shown leadership. Jennifer couldn’t even be bothered to repost the candidate speech she made to the site reps last month.
The blathering, spamming poster named “Need to Know” has been “at it” on this blog from 7:12 am yesterday(Was posting under the moniker at that time as “Fed Up”) until nearly midnight last night. Lots of it during typical work hours. That same poster then took up the moniker “Saddened” to try once again to distract the discussions.
WHO is that fearless defender of specially chosen SAEA candidates who has unlimited time during the school work day to post and post and post all sorts of silly protests and attacks?
I just can’t help myself, teachers – can you spell
S C R E W D ? Hurry and get out the vote!
Give it to ’em Red! The Union Hacks are out in full force! Could you please highlight the quotes below? Thanks!
Alfred Alder
“A lie would have no sense unless the truth were felt as dangerous.”
President Harry Truman
“I don’t give ’em hell. I just tell the truth on them; it makes them feel like they’re in Hell!”
#17 Are you telling us that you DO NOT support UTLA or other any other teachers union?
Jennifer has done nothing wrong. Red Vixon is accusing SAEA candidates of running a corrupt election without any evidence whatsover. How nice it is to have this forum to write whatever one wants from the outside. Red Vixon knows nothing of SAEA’s bylaws or elections procedures. It is all perfectly legal to endorse candidates. Just like Robert Chavez, Patty O’neal and Sandra Rubio can also send out emails encouraging members to vote and which candidates that they support.
This blog is the most sickening and disgusting piece of garbage I have ever seen. I stopped reading it for a while until just now. I am frankly sick to my stomach and I’m sorry I had to see this just now. Most teachers are turned off by this kind of slander that has been hurled at Jennifer Isensee and at the current SAEA leadership. Red doesn’t realize how highly respected, admired and well liked these people are by most of the reps and teachers throughout the District. But how could she know that? All she know is the gargabe that she is getting from those who are running against Susan and Jennifer.
The people running this blog are sad, pathetic human beings who have nothing better to do with their lives then write lies, half truths, innuendos and slander people they don’t even know.I’m frankly distressed to see adults act in such a despicable manner. There is no reason for a teachers union election to be so mean spirited. Those who are running against Susan and Jennifer are simply desperate beyond belief.
And Red Vixon does this in the shadows. She uses a fake name so that no one even knows who this person is. We don’t know if she is a teacher or not. I am posting under anonymous, yes. But I am not the one creating these blogs. Everyone else who creates blogs on the Orange Juice publishes their name. Why doesn’t Red Vixon tells us who she is? Doesn’t that bother anyone here?
I for one will not be reading this blog anymore. Most teachers at my school have never heard of this blog. The few who have read it have all said they are done with this blog.
And just a note. Maureen is doing the proper thing by not contacting Red Vixon. Would SAEA members want their elections chair giving out information to a blog like this? Her job is to run SAEA’s election. Not to be communicating with sickening people who run blogs that literally get off by attacking good people.
#24 I am simply telling you that a situation that receives press in the LA Times regarding LAUSD is not the same as SAUSD and that I do disagree with LAUSD and UTLA’s policy of having teachers who cannot teach do nothing at all and receive full pay and benefits (SAUSD doesn’t do this).
#26 – SAUSD doesn’t receive the same press because the ed reporter for the county’s largest newspaper is LAZY! And do really think there’s that much difference between the two of the state’s largest school districts?
Sorry RV. I’m a different poster than “Need to Know”. What a compliment! Just so typical of you. When the conversation is too high leveled for you, you start blaming and trying to divert the conversation yourself. That does limit your credibility.
anon (#11) The District lacks a dress code because the Court found that the one they HAD written wasn’t legally enforceable. If the District wants a dress code, then they can write a legally enforceable one, with the help of SAEA. In the mean time, teachers, and administrators are professionals – that’s one of the things they have fought for, for years – and are trusted to make the correct decision regarding what is appropriate to wear to work. every work situation is different – I’m not sure that the an art teacher, a PE teacher, an SDC teacher or a kindergarten teacher should wear the same clothing.
And, of course, that judgment is highly subjective – what you think is appropriate, what I think is appropriate, and what anyone else thinks is appropriate will probably be completely different.
It is unfortunate that, as in the example you give, some people don’t quite get it. It’s especially unfortunate that when it’s common knowledge that leaders lead by example, but it’s clear that this ‘leader’ either doesn’t care about the example she sets, or feels comfortable that her staff is a ‘casual staff’.
By the way, did you ever bother asking the Principal why she dressed that way? Maybe there was something going on that you weren’t aware of….
At least the reporter for the OC Register did do a story on the lost benefits of the younger teachers. He may have had a few facts wrong:vesting issues but he did run it so let’s give him credit for that.
Wow I think red vixoon and the owner of this blog needs to be sued. I have seen nothing but hard work coming from SAEA. The SAEA officers volunteer their time and spend endless hours fighting for us. I bet these negative people writing on this blog have never volunteered and ounce of there time. It saddens me to see this kind of bashing by educators. I think this blog should be shut down. We are talking about our colleagues. As an educator I am sadden to see such bashing and interfering with an SAEA elections. I know Jennifer has worked numerous hours and given her life helping others. Jennifer has helped me. Anytime I have needed help Jennifer was prompt in her response. She did above and beyond in helping me.
Red Vixon was asked by someone in another blog to come out and reveal herself. It’s easy to sit there and attack people she doesn’t know just because she is sour that SAEA leaders won’t respond to her. She is like an immature child who when she doesn’t get her way will throw a temper tamtrum and lash out at everyone else.
Everyone who reads this blog should see clearly that the person running this blog has an agenda. She doesn’t understand our union, procedures, bylaws, or even the basic structure. She is bashing our election’s chairperson because she won’t respond to her emails. And by the way, Red V got Maureen’s email from someone without her permission. Maureen is not only under no obligation to contract Red Vixon, it would actually put the election at risk to do so.
But Red doesn’t understand that because she is clueless about this business. She also mentioned that teachers send $95 a month to SAEA. Actually no. Red should check out SAEA’s web page (which she has bashed, but she continues to use SAEA’s website to get information). There is a link to union dues. It outlines where the money goes. $179 a year goes to SAEA. The rest goes to CTA and NEA. I believe that CTA gets too much of our money, but that is a separate issue. I would bet anything that Red has no idea that out of the $936 SAEA members pay a year in union dues, that only $179 goes to SAEA.
This is a non member who has made allegations against Jennifer and SAEA that our election is corrupt without one shred of evidence to back it up. This person sounds to me like she has a vendeda. Why don’t you come out and reveal who you are? Then come to a rep council meeting and say these things to their faces.
Anonymous is just squawking because he doesn’t know how to keep a web page up and RIF(ed) members had to visit LA Unified’s site to get info on the RIF process. We learned more visiting other sites and now we don’t even bother asking or going to your page (Jeff) anymore. Why aren’t you running for anything by the way? Good!
Don’t you love when someone who doesn’t have a life of his own is accusing someone of not having a life? Why would a union person want 2 “supposedly” thankless positions if they didn’t have an agenda themselves or a life? Remember, people who keep saying others have an agenda clearly have an agenda of their own. Leave Red Vixon alone (by the way it’s Vixen) and he does have a life and he doesn’t need to run for 2 Union volunteer jobs to get attention. Get over yourselves Union people. You say so many people respect you. Who? The people in your inner circle is all you could be referring to. The RIf(ed) are NOT rolling out any red carpet for any of you. In fact, the carpet we’d roll out for you would be the ones that the kids wet on.
anon (#11) And, since when do you get to decide when a member of SAEA can and can’t leave school to help another teacher? And, in case you didn’t know, SAEA Board Members have an even higher responsibility to assist and represent teachers throughout the District, whenever and wherever needed. Do you have any first hand knowledge WHY Susan Mercer visited the other campus? Could it have been because a teacher made a request for assistance? How do you know wether or not Susan had already been released for this purpose and the principal simply didn’t want to honor the request? You characterize Susan as defying the principal – why wasn’t she written up for insubordination? So, anon, do you really have all the facts, are you just jumping to conclusions – conclusions that fit your predisposition and bias?
anon (#11) and, one more thing, being a member of SAEA doesn’t exempt teachers from acting ‘professional’ – whatever that may mean – but you want to lump SAEA members together to classified and administrators, and you fail to grasp that SAEA has nothing to do with administrators, so your real beef seems to be with the principal and the district. Oh, and by the way, don’t forget to be the first to volunteer to work on the dress code committee – maybe you should even demand that the union make it so important that it becomes part of the contract.
anon (#8) Good question.
opps…that last one was for anon (#12) —
good question.
anon (#10) Fortunately, in our democratic society, due process is so important that, yes, $10,000,000 is reasonable.
So, let ‘s as the rhetorical question – how badly do you want your union to fight for you? If you loose your teaching credential – you also loose your retirement and the ability to ever teach again. When you are playing with someone else life, it’s easy to say, enough is enough – but what if it was your life?
I don’t believe for a minute than incompetent teachers or administrators should be in our schools – but I do believe that that they have a right to defend themselves. And, thanks to membership in a union – they don’t have to battle the district, with obviously unlimited funds, alone. If it was just the teacher vs the district – the problem would have probably gone away, because the teacher would never have been able to afford a defense.
anon (#15) nope, not a graduate of that particular business school…but again, you fail to remember that, thankfully, schools aren’t business and aren’t run that way – education is not an assembly line, students aren’t a product, and each child is an individual that grows, learns and matures at a different rate. Applying a ‘one-size-fits-all’ mentality to schools and education is a waste of time. So, again, is $10,000,000 for due process a good business decision? Ask the teachers that are being investigated. In the business world, they would have probably offered each a settlement to go away – but in education, there’s a lot more on the line.
Judicial Notice (#16) You are a fool to think that I work at SAUSD. As for a filibuster, I beg to differ. And as for my opinions be facts – I couldn’t disagree more.
Facts I quote from sources. If you want to refute them, with facts, then do so. As for me not allowing others opinions to stand as valid – au contraire – each and every person’s opinion is valid, but a major difference is that I try and create some type of argument (in your opinion circular) for my position. Most posters, including yourself, simply figure it’s enough to ‘spout’ off. I at least ask people to think about an alternative perspective.
Judicial Notice (#16) And one more thing – since the vast majority of comments are anti-SAEA and anti-union, why shouldn’t i take up the cause? That’s the beauty of freedom of expression and freedom of speech
A Fan of OJBlog (#19) The OJ blog does serve a purpose. And Red Vixen does a fine job of ‘stirring the pot’ – but try and look at a balanced picture. Read the quotes from Bigger Fan of OJ!
“A lie would have no sense unless the truth were felt as dangerous.”
“I don’t give ‘em hell. I just tell the truth on them; it makes them feel like they’re in Hell!”
While Bigger Fan of OJ! would like these to apply in the negative towards Susan and others, the fact is they apply just as well towards all those ranting against Susan. The lies being told by people against Susan seem to make sense to people that are angry for a lot of reason – but that’s because THEY are afraid of the truth of the information and positions that Susan and SAEA leadership support. Likewise, people are angry at the truth that SAEA and Susan present, because the realize that it is the truth – even though they don’t like it or disagree with it.
It’s not easy to take a position that is controversial and true – and Susan and the SAEA leadership have done just that. Feeding you lies about what others think ‘could’ be done or ‘should’ be done is what others are doing to persuade you to vote against Susan and others.
another newbie (#30) You are so right on the money – well done to the OC Register reporter!
A Fan of OJBlog (#33) Goodness, aren’t we a little pithy! Well, hooray for your insight on web maintenance abilities. I guess that fact that it’s done by a volunteer that self-taught doesn’t matter?
Did you even notice that ULTA, with nearly 50,000 members and a budget that is probably 25x larger than SAEA’s uses a PAID, professional webmaster to design and maintain their website? If SAEA wanted to spend $5,000+ a year for a website, i guess theirs would be nearly flawless, too. I don’t think that any of the RIFd teachers lacked the access or resources to have their questions answered. SAEA brought some of those ‘useless’ SAEA Board Members into the office, away from their ‘cushy’ jobs, to answer phones, information was posted as it was made available, letters were sent, meetings were held – if someone didn’t get a question answered, then I am sure people at SAEA would love to know how the process could be improved i the future. I’d suggest that you tell anyone you know that has a suggestion [besides the OBVIOUS – that there should be no more RIFs] about how the RIF process could work better, to call or email SAEA.
By the way, did you know that SAEA worked the SchoolsFirst Credit Union to provide assistance during this difficult time? That during the RIF hearing, SAEA provided a counselor to help people? That SAEA provided massage therapists to provide some stress relief? Oh and by they way – all of that was FREE to SAEA and FREE to the members. In addition, SAEA paid to have a stress management professional come in and give free seminars to teachers?
Finally, Jeff’s not running because he’s currently 2nd Vice President of SAEA – oh, wait, that’s information you would have found if you’d actually bothered visiting SAEA’s website…
TeacherHS (#34) At first, I wanted to agree with you so much…but then I re-read your post and well…
If a job at SAEA is so rewarding, other than the personal satisfaction of helping others, why don’t you apply? Each and everyone of these volunteers – from Site Rep to President DOES, in fact, have a life.
And agenda? Of course people have agendas – mine to make sure that people hear something other that people slamming some of the hardest working people in Santa Ana – namely, anyone that volunteers at SAEA.
Am I or anyone else happy you were RIFd? Of course not – but what role do you think SAEA had in the RIF process? NONE. SAEA has no input in the process – PERIOD. SAEA did not even know who or how many until AFTER the letters were sent out. So – be angry. Be really angry – but be angry at Jane, Juan and everyone else that had a hand in making this decision!
NeedToKnow #41,
It doesn’t matter to me who brought you in to comment here. You have been very prolific in your comments and thoughtful with your opinions regardless of who you work for. I would not be surprised if you don’t vanish as quickly as you arrived once the union elections are over.
Personally I would hope you stick around to debate some of the other political issues here once your obligation has been met for the union.
Finally, the proper way to spell it is ” S C R E W E D” – I think it’s available in most dictionary’s…
Hello Need to Know: Referring to your post above, the proper way to spell it is “DICTIONARIES”.
Judicial Notice (#48) Thanks. I came here on my own and I will stay as long as the topics, conversation and debate remains interesting. I have no plan to vanish from here…
#49
Ya gotta love it!..LOL