Once again we have had to set up a new SAUSD corruption thread as the last one started to run slow with all the comments on it.
Our schools are in crisis today – not just here in Santa Ana but all over the state. The only thing we know for sure is that we are going to take more budget hits.
I am amazed that the SAUSD hired back all their laid off administrators. How crazy is that? Class sizes are growing, good teachers are laid off, and the union, as usual, is asleep at the wheel.
We will continue to reason through all this here at the Orange Juice blog! We can but hope for the best…
#46
Just received a letter from SAEA sent to Reps. It stated that yes, the district did screw up once again by sending the sub letter to all probationary teachers, including those not RIF’d, so no need to make a call.
I just got an email from Susan Mercer as well. She will be in the office M-W and F. She won’t be there on Thurs. She’s apparently not attending the workshop on those days. I hope she can do something to represent us, but I did go ahead and hire my own attorney. I just can’t count on them.
Does SAEA ever hold meetings at any other Teachers First credit union branch? If they do it might explain this news story.
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/crews-union-credit-2516663-powder-hazmat
8)
Funny, but I hope you realize that none of the SAEA meetings are held at the credit union branch. It’s next door. The parking is horrific so everyone parks in the credit union parking lot, maybe that’s why some think SAEA meets there.
Nope didn’t realize it because I didn’t really care. Just trying to lighten up a situation you guys have been dealing with. I’ll let you return to your self introspective pity party and apologize for interrupting the flow.
No need to apologize, everyone likes a joke and I can’t think of any reason why you would need to care about that. However, I’m not sure that many people will appreciate the “self introspective pity party” remark. I don’t mind because like you said, I don’t really care.
Tmare,
😉
Wow!
Post # 53~ That was quite a failed attempt to be humorous….. Hopefully next time you think you can land a joke, you might check yourself and see if you can pull it off. But thanks for the laugh ( at, not with you) 😀
There may be some very good news regarding class size at QEIA schools that could cause additional RIFs to be rescinded. As previously mentioned, the District had intended to raise class size in 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grades even at QEIA schools despite the 20:1 QEIA requirement. Apparently, our district was hoping to take advantage of a possible loophole in the law that they thought would result in a warning in 09/10 and directive to have it corrected by 10/11.
It now looks like they won’t be able to take advantage of that loophole after all, or if they try to, they will pay a penalty that will eliminate any savings they had hoped to gain. This information comes from an expert source here at the CTA Summer Institute at UCLA. (CTA offers excellent training in School Finance and Bargaining among other topics at the Summer Institute.) It appears that CTA has been working to ensure that Districts do not circumvent the intention of the QEIA legislation by increasing class size after having already reached 20:1. Presumably, this information will be presented at the School Board meeting next Tuesday if not before.
Of course, that still leaves 20:1 at non-QEIA schools to be restored. Despite the budget constraints, we still need to keep moving forward in increasing academic achievement in our District. Eliminating CSR at non-QEIA schools would only hinder our progress, not only because of the increased difficulty in meeting all students’ needs in larger classes but also due to the loss of very talented, dedicated teachers, many of whom were leading the way in improving instructional practices to meet the needs of all learners.
Patricia,
Thank you for everything that you are doing there. I appreciate that you speak at Board Meetings. I apreciate that you take the time to review district presentations and meet with district officials to review financial documents that could save people jobs who work directly with children. I appreciate that you go to summer institutes on YOUR own dime and your own time to help folks like me. You truly are a gem….a one of a kind. You did not receive a RIF or a slip and are willing to do all of this for us. I cannot thank you enough for everything. I don’t know if I will get my job back, but that is not what is important to me at this point….I am happy for those who will get their jobs back.
That is good news! I know that you have been advocating with these top officials for this and it is because of YOU that this could be happening. Thank you for speaking with the right individuals who are willing to listen.
I think that the 252+ teachers who go through this every year must meet to consider the following….
How Do I Start A Charter School?
http://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/cs/re/csabout.asp
Next, school board election time is coming up in November and we need to find someone who is open minded and willing to come up with solutions that help our family of students, teachers, classified, and parents. We do not want someone who just votes YES to a district presentation, but we need someone in there who does research themselves (like John) and who talks to people, answers the people and cares for the people. If you know of anyone for the upcoming election please email me at jillpuich@yahoo.com
This is important that we start to look NOW! I would like Art Pedroza (the owner of this blog) to run.
Jill,
The praise is nice, but if the District goes 20:1 at QEIA sites as they should, it is not because of me. I know you and others have been communicating with many legislators and other influential parties in Sacramento. And, as I understand it, CTA has been advocating strenuously to ensure that districts follow the intent of the law.
Dr. Pepper anyone?
SAEA President Susan Mercer is not a leader. She’s a worn-out, angry coward. We all know the little tricks she and her friends Jennifer Isensee and Scott Miller pulled so she could get into the president’s chair. But she can’t do her job. She has begun a list of people who are “too angry” or who are “too difficult” to deal with. If you have had an issue that needs attention and you expect Susan or Jennifer to do their jobs, then you’ll be considered too difficult to work with, too. Do you see the little trap they’ve set? You wouldn’t bother with the union in the first place if you didn’t have an important issue that needs resolve. So if you go to Susan and Jennifer, you immediately become a problem for them. YOU. YOU are the problem. And just maybe you need some anger management, too.
Well, guess what, ladies? Do your jobs. Quit calling other members names. Quit labeling others as angry. We’ve all seen your angry, arrogant faces filled with displeasure, so don’t bother calling other people angry. Get professional or get out.
Oh, and quit backstabbing Gladys Hall-Kessler. It’s unprofessional. Just like the anger management scams that Jennifer and Scott were running out of the SAEA union offices. Quit your unethical and unprofessional bad habits. You are disgraceful.
Meg Robinson, Susan Mercer and newly-demoted VP Evelyn Carrigg are all good friends, fyi.
Anonymous,
Interesting observations there. I don’t know Meg Robinson…what does she do?
Let me explain a few things. The district prepared for $11B in cuts and in reality it is $6B (much less than they anticipated). The district is also getting another round of Stimulus $$$ soon *you will hear about that soon (go to my next post…below). No, it is NOT the worst case scenario.
The $55M = 6B state cut is spread out over 2 years (not one). The $11M QEIA funds are supposed to be backfilled with stimulus money.
STIMULUS means. Stimulus = an action, an incentive that influences the activity of something
The stimulus money is to be used (an action) not sitting in the sausd bank. It is supposed to stimulate and influence the economy…retain jobs, give back to the economy, the kids, the people.
I want everyone to read the first paragraph carefully. I will give you a comprehension test at the end. THIS IS THE NEWEST ROUND of STIMULUS MONEY PRESS RELEASE…read it carefully what the intent of it is.
http://tiny.cc/BreakingNews889 < --- go here for breaking news then take my test below ______________________________________________ Now, for your comprehension test. In the first paragraph, why is Arne Duncan releasing this stimulus money one month early? Answer: one month early to help save jobs and drive reform. _____________________________________________
Will each school site have a BRT and a TOSA or are the BRT’s going to be the TOSA’s?
They have basically just re-named the BRT’s TOSA’s, my understanding is that there will be a TOSA only, but this person will serve in the same capacity as a BRT.
Thank you tmare!!!
Want to see where the SAUSD is spending the stimulus money that is supposed to save jobs not this…
http://tiny.cc/sausdwastesmoney
So, now this is where we are at…will the district use the stimulus money or bank it? Please go to this site and ask them to monitor the sausd for the stimulus funds. Remember, round 2 of the stimulus $$ is coming…do NOT allow the SAUSD to bank it.
http://www.wastewatchers.ca.gov/
http://www.reportingtransparency.ca.gov/Audits/
Report fraud and abuse Department of Education Mary Mitchelson, Acting Inspector General
Main Phone Number: (202) 245-6900
Mailing Address: 400 Maryland Avenue, S.W.; Washington, D.C. 20024
Hotline Number: (800) 647-8733
Hotline Email: oighotline@ed.gov
Hotline Website: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/oig/hotline.html?src=rt
or go here for more
http://www.recovery.gov/?q=content/contact
http://www.recovery.gov/?q=content/whistleblower-information
I hope they keep receipts on their solar panel project. The 252 teachers laid off would like to see them.
I can’t even comment on the solar project. I did call SAEA and requested to speak to Susan about it. She was out of the office so I left a message with the front desk. However, since I didn’t passively roll over with her response she hung up on me! Yep! She accused the Register as printing misinformation ( which is not a far stretch) I was told NO stimulus money is going to be used. We will see……
They like to say that they are using Measure G funds + other accounts for construction, but we will ask them to produce every receipt for this project. I know that some stimulus funds do go to green projects, but isn’t it ironic that in the district’s budget presentation that they predicted a $12M increase in consulting/contractor’s fees? Remember, Patty brought this up many times. Isn’t it fishy that this project costs this amount? That $12M is from general fund by the way, so one dime from general funds should not be used to fund solar projects that the gangs will have ruined in a week.
Great links to the state watchdog agencies, but what is direct link to a federal page? I’ve decided I’ll write a complaint about my school’s misuse of about 200 student computers, they sat unused and unmaintained the whole year.
Is there a fed page we can all use? If SAUSD keeps coming up in complaints, OUR government should take action, right? OUR dept of ed I mean the Fed Dept. Ed.
The CTA is certainly hearing enough about the SAEA/SAUSD continuum for them to start debating action. I think Gladys has had enough and been taken out of the loop on the local lvl; does anyone have a good link to CTA ethics/legal dept.? The only ones I can find demand that you sign in as CTA member, so only CTA members can get in…so get in…have you emailed your paid representatives?
CTA can help the way they did in Long Beach and remove Barton and ilk from the union till. see
http://www.nlpc.org/stories/2009/03/12/long-beach-calif-local-probed-political-spending-patterns
Just think if 252 teachers actually leave the Union…that’s $252,000. Maybe they should start representing us.
__________________________________
http://tiny.cc/ImportantVideoMUSTSEE <--urgent The Association of American Educators “is the largest national, non-union, professional teacher association, offering educators an alternative to the partisan politics and non-educational agendas of the teacher labor unions.” The association offers a $2 million liability insurance benefit, plus legal fees. Visit AAE at http://www.aaeteachers.org/
For more information regarding AAE call 800-704-7799
or email: info@aaeteachers.org
Watch the Video here
http://www.aaeteachers.org/video/AAEvid.wmv
__________________________________
Complaints against a corrupt union
http://tiny.cc/complaints
http://tiny.cc/blowthewhistle1
Expose a corrupt teachers union
http://tiny.cc/exposeourunion
Report corruption here
http://www.nlpc.org/report-corruption
Educ Reform Site
http://sandiegoeducationreport.org/index.html
CTA Lead Legal Counsel Beverly Tucker
http://californiateachers.org/casesBeverlyTucker.html
CTA Lawyers
http://mauralarkins.com/Lawyers.html
http://mauralarkins.com/lawsuitMichaelDHersh.html
http://www.ctc.ca.gov/contact.html
http://www.ctc.ca.gov/educator-discipline/default.html
CTA Legal Dept
http://tiny.cc/ctalegaldept
http://tiny.cc/CTABoardofDirectors
http://tiny.cc/LegalNews
http://cateachers.blogspot.com/
http://tiny.cc/CFTinsteadofCTA
Contacting David A. Sanchez
CTA President
Phone: (650) 552-5305
FAX: (650) 552-5007
E-mail: dsanchez@cta.org
CTA Exec Director
Contacting Carolyn Doggett
Phone: (650) 552-5329
Fax: (650) 552-5001
E-mail: cdoggett@cta.org
___________________________________
Help Us Fight Forced Unionism
http://www.nrtwc.org/states/ca.htm
Landmark Launches Complaint Against CTU
http://tiny.cc/complaintsagainstctu
NEA Accountability Project
http://tiny.cc/NEAaccountability
Court: School district can bar political endorsements from teacher mailboxes
http://tiny.cc/teachersmailboxes
Support the 2nd Grade Test Ban Bill
http://tiny.cc/bantestingingrade2
The CTA Layoff Survival Guide
http://tiny.cc/layoffsurvivalguide
Start a charter school
http://tiny.cc/startacharterschool
__________________________________
About QEIA
http://tiny.cc/AboutQEIA
QEIA Funding Rumors 2009-2010
http://tiny.cc/QEIARumors2009 truths:
***Districts will continue to get their full QEIA funding in 2009-10.
***There will be no change in the QEIA program requirements for 2009-10.
***There will be an additional year of QEIA funding, through 2014-15.
__________________________________
Multi-Ethnic Business Task Force Vows to Keep Eye on Stimulus Money
http://tiny.cc/EYEonTheMoney
Latino Business Assoc
http://www.lbausa.com/
_________________________________
Federal Stimulus Money + CA Site
http://tiny.cc/fedsite
http://www.recovery.gov/http://tiny.cc/reportfraud
http://tiny.cc/fraudtips
http://tiny.cc/educreport
http://tiny.cc/accountability
http://www.recovery.ca.gov/
http://tiny.cc/contactthetaskforce
CA Dept of EDUC +Stimulus Money
http://www.cde.ca.gov/ar/
http://tiny.cc/edgov
http://www.ed.gov/about/contacts/state/ca.html
http://tiny.cc/SchoolDataDirect
http://www.educationcounsel.com/
________________________________
http://www.lbausa.com/
Multi-Ethnic Business Task Force Vows to Keep Eye on Stimulus Money
http://tiny.cc/EYEonTheMoney
#63 – Mercer was a major disappointment at Lathrop. She felt entitled to leave her assigned site, during school hours, and roam to other school sites creating havoc. Mercer is an angry and tired person, nonetheless SAEA teachers did elect her, so shame on them!
I have watched how the election/voting process works. Rep drops off the sheets in the lunchroom and teachers drop by (in a hurry), grab one and ask whoever is in the lunchroom (usually the rep is near them) who they should vote for. Naturally, they vote for the person they know (the status quo) not necessarily the best candidate. In fact, I’ve heard many teachers say that they don’t know any of these people….not one of them so they just vote the same ones in until they have something happen to them (ex. the insurance issue) so now they won’t win next year now because the word has gotten out about this group. I honestly do not believe people really knew who they were or what they were voting on. Do they take the time to read it? Do they take the time to go out to meet them? Some do…many don’t. That is what I have witnessed for 20 years…quick voting and half the people don’t even vote. I hear, “I don’t know any of them so I didn’t vote.”
Did you all get the STRS mailer- longevity bonus is disappearing for retirees. Incentive to retire some fossils?
Yes, retire now because it will be shrinking. I made a couple of things for folks so they would understand what the longevity bonus is. I noticed that the CalSTRS deleted their page on it, so I made one. http://tiny.cc/longevityinfoishere
Please go here to read about the LONGEVITY BONUS shrinking http://tiny.cc/longevity
According to the sponsor, the California Federation of Teachers, the CalSTRS longevity bonus is, scheduled to end on December 31, 2010, which may encourage mid-year retirement.
The GPO Government Pension Offset/Windfall Elimination Provision are what a lot of people need to worry about…not even sure if a lot of people even know about them. I know that I have tried to talk to teachers about these and they just say to me, “that won’t happen to me.” They don’t understand them nor do they want to understand them, but they better save their money NOW.
If you receive a pension from a federal, state or local government based on work where you did not pay Social Security taxes, your Social Security spouse’s or widow’s or widower’s benefits may be reduced by 2/3. Nine out of 10 public employees affected by the GPO lose their entire spousal benefit, even though their spouse paid Social Security taxes for many years. Some 360,000 individuals lose an average of $3,600 a year due to the GPO — an amount that can make the difference between self-sufficiency and poverty.
Let me put this simply…you pay into CalSTRS, but maybe your spouse pays into the Soc. Security system (like most do) unless you married a cop, firefighter, fellow educator etc. You cannot double dip. You can’t get both. They will be reduced by 2/3. So, when you go to retire, you are expecting your spouse’s and yours, but you won’t get them. They will be reduced by 2/3.
The same thing if you worked 20 years out of education, for example. Say you worked at a restaurant for 20 years then decided to become a teacher, you can’t double dip your benefits when you retire. I know it doesn’t seem fair, but it is the law right now and it won’t change for awhile. Diane Feinstein is working to change this law, but she isn’t getting any younger, so it better happen sooner rather than later.
http://www.nea.org/home/17729.htm
http://www.ssa.gov/pubs/10007.html
http://www.retirementsecurity.org/public/department50.cfm
http://www.nea.org/home/17731.htm <---what is the GPO? http://www.nea.org/home/17734.htm <---what is the WEP?
http://projects.latimes.com/schools/city/santa-ana/
http://www.edjoin.org/searchResults.aspx?countyID=30&districtID=513
http://tiny.cc/educspending
I saw this last night on the news, so I looked for it and here it is.
http://www.myfoxla.com/dpp/news/education/Budget_Cuts_Town_Meeting_20090807
You retirement at age 55 will be a thing of the past. This is about state workers, but they do plan to do the same to teachers as well.
http://tiny.cc/byebyeretirement
The article states,
“The fact is the present pension system cannot be sustained. The unfunded pension liabilities the state already faces is a nasty warning something must be done. Across the nation, other states facing the same problem have lengthened the number of years an employee must work, raised the retirement age, required greater employee contributions to their retirement, and done away with or modified their so-called defined benefit retirement plans.”
I am a parent and have a student at a high school in SAUSD and I have a friend who has a child in middle school here.. has anyone noticed the skeleton crew at the middle schools? THe high schools seem to have a lot of people but when I went to one last week I noticed that they have new people and once again everyone seems to be scrambling to do each others job. I have made my voice heard at the Super’s office..I see nothing has been done nor do they care. These poor office workers are getting the shaft again. Thank god it’s my daughter’s last year and we will be done with this district for good. My best firend is a office worker and if it wasn’t for how many years she has been in this district she would be jobless..moved to another site.just like so many of her co-workers. But I do see 4 vice principals and one principal at this high school site. Now I have been there during lunch and is it really needed to have so many of them walking around? I could be wrong but am I?
Dear “Parent 45″/#83,
Thank you for taking the time to post on this blog.
We need to hear from those we [SAUSD] serve.
I share your concern that the “office workers” (certificated) always are first to be “shafted”.
As a teacher, I know that my job will only be more difficult and that the students will receive less of an education for every certificated worker who is missing. Sadly, SAUSD doesn’t care. They think administrators are far superior educational “agents” than anyone else INCLUDING teachers. That’s why they haven’t cut back on ANY administrative positions, brought back ALL the APs, and are hiring TOSAs [Teacher Obsequiously Serving Administration]. Yes, those many APs walk around with their walkie-talkies looking important and ordering everyone around…and yes, that “may” help with some security oversight on campus, BUT, why doesn’t SAUSD care to provide the BEST EDUCATION for all students instead of remodeling District offices, overpaying the non-doctorate/challenged nonsuperintendent, and hiring FAR TOO MANY administrators?
Sadly, you, like many parents, aren’t thrilled to have been part of the SAUSD experience, instead, you are elated when your student(s) SURVIVE it!
Hey, all you other parents and former students out there in BLOGland, PLEASE share your “grassroots” stories here…the more truth, the more potential for change.
I want the best for the students and parents I serve in Santa Ana. I give 100% to them and wish the District/Board cared enough to give them the best too! We will see if the Board will stand up for the students and families of Santa Ana this Tuesday, or if they will bow to administration’s self-serving edicts.
Will Susan Mercer be speaking at the board meeting on Tuesday? I hope she plans to tell the board that we have $60M in reserves & that the stimulus money is supposed to save jobs. If they say that they have to wait on “the money” until it actually arrives, then why did the district “not wait” on the stimulus funds for the solar panel project???? Kind of a contradiction don’t you think? We can’t spend the money to save jobs, but we can spend it on projects that will be ruined in a week.
It is sad that SAUSD won’t take “the high road” and be PRO ACTIVE to STIMULATE their own District/constituents by applying the Federal monies IMMEDIATELY to place more teachers in classrooms to ensure the best possible education for every student and potentially expedite their poorly chosen mantra of “failure is not an option, it’s up to us all (SAUSD)”.
Well, tomorrow is the big day. I see that Susan Mercer hasn’t even sent out a letter today reminding folks to attend the board meeting or even encouraging them or offering hope. Some leader she is. I bet she plays solitaire in the back while she gawks at those who have lost their jobs. You people are fools. She doesn’t care.
I agree with number 87. Susan Mercer should be doing what she was “elected” to do. REPRESENT!!!! I don’t feel she has represented me whatsoever. I really hope she has something up her sleeve that she isn’t letting us know about. Why we have such a hopeless leader is beyond me.
Parent 45,
I would like to welcome you to Orange Juice blog and I would like to thank you for adding your voice to concerns about SAUSD.
I think that Wilson teacher gave insightful comments to your questions.
As an example of the focus of building up administrators to fortify the Superintendent, let me tell you about Human Resources.
Juan Lopez is the head of HR. This past year or so the position was elevated to Assistant Superintendent of HR. He also received a $20k raise and was named as top SAUSD administrator of the year. Why? I am not sure, except that his job seemed to be focused on firing school district employees in large groups.
Chad Hammitt is his assistant and now Chad has an assistant of his own: Arturo Jiminez. Arturo was recently added to this brand new position.
How many secretary and teaching jobs do you see in the above equation? For all that fluff at the top, SAUSD had get rid of staff that run the schools and assist students with their education.
I only gave ONE small example. Multiply that over and over again with 7 assistant superintendents and Jane Russo, Superintendent and their staff, offices and sundry support personnel.
Competent leaders will not need to pad their jobs with scads and scads of subordinant people filling positions that should be done by far less administrators. To make matters worse, it has become apparent that this large superintendent cabinet does not communicate with the school board and regularly tries to cut corners by with holding critical information or by not even bothering to do the studies and research necessary to make informed decisions critical to running a GOOD school district.
I would be interested to know how much SAUSD encourages parent participation.
Thanks again for taking the time to post here.
REPOST:
National Legal and Policy Center
107 Park Washington Court
Falls Church, Virginia 22046
Our local teachers union is deducting extra PAC contributions from teachers payroll. The Santa Ana Educators Association has a check off form that was used years ago to oppose Scwarzenegger’s propositions but now they continue to take the deduction w/o getting authority to do so in the new school year. Approximately 3,000 members, no clear idea of how money is used. Union and Santa Ana Unified School District are complicit in this as the union headquarters was used as phone bank during school bond campaign, supported by union and district.
Union president was Dave Barton, also a school board member in another district, see your own expose in this regard.
http://www.nlpc.org/stories/2009/03/12/long-beach-calif-local-probed-political-spending-patterns
Pattern of abuse? Barton resigned from union presidency the same day your story appeared!
Good work and hope you can help us. We have a large group of teachers very unhappy w/ our union.
See http://orangejuiceblog.com/ and go to SAUSD corruption in right side bar.
Sincerely,
XXXXXXXXXXXXXX
I also contacted the Pacific Legal Foundation requesting they act as amicus curiae in determining if check-offs need to be re-done every year.
I am deeply saddened at having to work with such anti-union forces but the SAEA has earned it.
As Sincerely as I can muster,
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Links to the NPLC and Pacific Legal Foundation..
http://www.nlpc.org/stories/2009/03/12/long-beach-calif-local-probed-political-spending-patterns
http://community.pacificlegal.org/Page.aspx?pid=183
Valley’s new principal = Felicity Swerdlow
Anyone know her background? I did a Google search and came up with the following:
– Director, Secondary Curriculum, Pasadena USD
– Middle school background
Why is no one in this district qualified to become a high school principal? Why does the district always go outside and pick up the candidate?
Attention SAUSD Board Members:
From: Jill Puich
I want YOU to read the first paragraph carefully. I will give you a comprehension test at the end.
THIS IS THE NEWEST ROUND of STIMULUS MONEY PRESS RELEASE…please read it carefully what the intent of it is.
http://tiny.cc/BreakingNews889 < — go here to read the press release (newest one)
______________________________________________
Now, for your comprehension test.
In the first paragraph, why is Arne Duncan releasing this stimulus money one month early?
Answer:
one month early to help save jobs
______________________________________________
I am asking you as a board member to follow the law.
*The stimulus money is clearly intended to save jobs.
*QEIA legislation states that it is to be 20:1 (K-3) and 25:1 (4,5).
*Please follow the law, stay in compliance and save jobs.
*If QEIA classes are 20:1, then Title 1 must be as well to stay in compliance.
The OC Dept of Educ Bill Habermehl is not the law. What this man says is not gospel. I have watched a few videos of this man and he has asked his secretary to answer many questions for him that he can't even answer. His word is not gospel and he is clearly incompetent. His secretary knows more than he does and I have video proof of that. He is on his way out.
Arne Duncan is expecting YOU (as a Board Member) to do what he asked you to do with the money.
Bill Habermehl did not give YOU this money, Mr. Duncan did. Do not tell me for one moment that you must hold on to this money or wait until it arrives when you have already used/spent the money on the solar panel project. That is a contradiction.
SAUSD has $60M in reserves. This is fact and we have proof of that. They can also use fund 40 and even another insurance acct. They receive the MOST money in OC. I have a friend who left the SAUSD to work in San Diego. It is only her 2nd year there and she is back working already. What is wrong with this picture? Even L.A. did not lay off any permanent teachers.
I want to know why it is only the SAUSD that wipes out 8 years of teachers? Other districts do not wipe out that many years of folks…only in SAUSD. The morale is horrible right now. ONLY YOU can change that!
The 252 laid off teachers have been meeting and are considering:
1. starting their own charter schools
2. joining a new union and getting away from the SAEA
3. recalling board members
4. they may sue the union and the district + ask them to produce receipts dating back to 2000
We hope that it doesn't come down to this, but many are tired of being treated like doormats.
People plan to take action now.
Obama and Duncan are giving one time money to save jobs not bank it.
Please, as Board Members…follow the laws (QEIA and stimulus), stay in compliance for Title 1
and do the right thing. The SAUSD is not a bank! Thank you for your time! I don't expect a response. I just would like you to follow the law tomorrow night
#91 – the good news is that she’s not already on google someplace for being a pedophile enabler like Brennan @Saddleback or some kind of drama where she was shown the door from more than one district in a row before landing at SAUSD like the last principal at Valley, Gomeztrejo.
My guess is that she knows Olsky- who came from basically the same area. She KNOWS someone who got her that position. We know that for sure.
Good luck. You’ve got someone who is underqualified for the position so that is never an advantage for school staff or students.
It’s NEVER about providing the best education possible. It is ALWAYS about stuffing the administrative ranks with shoddy cronies.
I think this has been discussed before, but I didn’t see anything about Kaiser. Yesterday I went in to pick up a prescription. I use to get a set of 3 for 10 bucks. Now I have to pay 10 bucks for each. I called the benefits office and was told that it changed July 1st and that is what the union negotiated. DID WE EVER GET A LETTER? I would have like to of known about it or maybe the letter got lost in the mail. Heck if they changed our insurance to save money then they better step up and start to save jobs. I sure as hell do not want to see Mercer sitting in the back tonight on her laptop. She better speak up tonight. Oh wait maybe that is high hopes there.
Susan Mercer is under the impression that she gets to tell CTA Staffer, Gladys Hall Kessler, what she can and can’t do. At least that is what Gladys claims. Or is Gladys just making that all up so that she can get out of her own duties?
SAEA office is a clusterfuck of incompetence. CTA is headed for some really bad publicity soon, if they don’t take a broom and some disinfectant to that mess. Keep contacting CTA until they finally understand the problems Santa Ana teachers face.
What is SAUSD’s explanation for placing a teacher at our high school whose previous assignment was at an ELEMENTARY school???
We have several new teachers in my department, and I wanted to know exactly where these teachers came from. Imagine my surprise when one is coming from elementary.
I looked up the name on the California teaching credential website only to find 8 people with the same name. Seven of them were multiple subject. Only one had the single subject credential.
I see 2 possibilities. Either we have a teacher with a multiple subject credential on our campus, or the district placed a single subject credential at an elementary school last year.
Hmmm….
#97
What you probably have at your site now is someone who would prefer to be an elementary teacher but he/she has a single subject credential. If someone was RIF’d then recinded or displaced but still had a job then they would have to go where the job is that fits their credential. There seems to be quite a bit of this type of re-shuffling due to credentials going on this summer.
#95
From what I recall in the benefits paperwork given to us prior to the contract vote, the Kaiser co-pays and prescription costs were to match the HMO and PPO as of this year so that would account for the difference in prescription costs.
Of a bigger concern to me at this point is the fact that I AM being charged for a brand new $300 deductible even though my deductible this year has already been paid. We were specifically told that this would not happen (however, I pretty much knew it would). Watch your bills everyone. I’m waiting for the doctor bill, but the Blue Shield statement shows that I owe it. If anyone else encounters this, please post it here.
#98
I was treated for an allergic reaction a few weeks ago and subsequently went back to the doctor’s office because I had another allergic reaction to an allergy medicine I was originally treated with.
Imagine my surprise when I learned my deductible is $600! I’m wondering if this is due to not having paid the original $300 deductible with Blue Cross (I’m in good health and rarely see the doctor). Now it seems with the switch to Blue Shield, this is another $300 deductible on top of the previous insurance.
I’d be interested to hear about any new union forming. Many of us tried that years ago when we took the 4% pay cut that we did not need to take…(thanks Tom Harrison and all your cronies…talk about bad leadership, now THAT was bad leadership!)…and it was very involved. But please keep us posted on that.