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…
For anyone who is considering using PERB, you can sign up for PERB case notifications. You’ll get periodic email notifications. You can get an idea of what some of the actionable issues are out there:
http://www.perb.ca.gov/decisionbank/SearchResults.aspx
#246 I don’t have to answer to you. I am NOT your UNION nor am I running for ANY office. I fought for my job back (yes, definitely) and for what I thought was right. I do feel badly for those who were not re-hired. What do you want me to do about it? I think you need to go to the Union or bark up the tree elsewhere. I am done fighting battles. If that is self serving, then it is…one person can only do so much. Call me names and do whatever, I don’t really care honestly. If it makes you feel better then by all means do it. I can’t make the district give you your job back. I wish that I could. Sorry! By the way, this is Red Vixen’s corruption blog…I just helped out during the summer when she was busy or gone. It is NOT my responsibility to keep you informed of ANYTHING! Have a good day! 🙂
Right now Blanca is calling several teachers to take long term assignments starting on Monday. They have already gone down the list and contacted all tenure Rif teachers. So now it is on to probationary teachers. Myself and my friends have all denied to sub because we get more in unemployment. Looks like Monday will be pretty chaotic if there are several classes with no teachers. Hmm maybe they should have thought this over more. So I know of 5 people now who are probationary year 2 teachers who chose not to sub. I do not know any year one teachers, so not sure if they are calling those teachers yet, but if they were smart they will not do it too. By the time you factor in supplies, the drive, and time it is very little money. Now if they told us we would get our daily rate after 20 days then I am sure we would all say yes.
Jill,
Sorry you had to deal with a sour grapes person. It really doesn’t sound like someone who is really out of a job. It sounds like one of those idiot union inside members taking pot shots at you. If anyone has any great union hack stories, please step up. I think we need to hear how SAEA is really doing on behalf of the membership.
Jill, Congrats on getting your job back and congrats to all the other education professionals who hung onto their jobs and fighting for them. Your brand new site sounds lovely and I wish the very best year possible, Jill. Thanks for your energies and for your fighting for your job and the jobs of the other teachers who deserved to have state/fed funds spent on keeping class size smaller. The district is better for it- the students did better because of efforts like yours and Patricia’s.
Have a fantastic year. Post when you want. I appreciate your work in keeping things lively here.
And a big shout out to Anonplus who always keeps an eye on things – big and small!
Rv- –
Thanks for all you did this summer, Jill. I’m glad you have your job back. Not all of us have our jobs back, but your efforts have made things better. I don’t know why Garfield is griping at you? Where is SAEA to help him or her?
“You can please all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot please all the people all the time.” Abraham Lincoln
Possibly even more appropriate:
You can’t please everyone, so you got to please yourself . . . Ricky Nelson: “Garden Party”
I always wonder about is this “hunt” to find the bad teachers and how to “get” them. Maybe you are the “bad” teacher yourself no matter how you claim to be a good one. Why are old teachers and new the ones who are usually considered to be potentially bad (now I don’t mean they’re all bad, but that people are trying to find out if they are bad or good)? I think the ones who claim to be “good teachers” or think they are “safe” by claiming others are bad are in turn the actual bad teachers. I mean do you think the harder you “good” teachers pound your fists to find the “bad” ones will make you safe from being found out? I
The only way to see if a teacher is effective or not effective is by hard data. Data that shows a students growth. If your data is not showing growth then obviously you’re not effective.
# 259~ Very interesting observation you make! I prefer to keep it simple. For me, a “good teacher” is one that is driven to teach. A teacher who thinks about the student and smiles ( even when that student is not around) A person who gets excited when the light comes on when the students learns something. A “good teacher” wants the student to do well and notices even the smallest growth in that child and is proud. On the other hand, a “bad teacher” is one who will think of any reason to get out of the classroom. One who complains about the class and assignment year after year. It is obvious to us “good teachers” when we run up against a “bad teacher” because they really don’t want to be doing what they are doing. With that said, I do agree with your idea of student growth. Obviously, that is what we all are trying to accomplish. However, there are many sides to teaching. Well gotta go… it’s Saturday and I need to work on my classroom… does that make me a “good” or a “bad” teacher? LOL!!!
Very well said, SA Teacher. I agree completely.
SA Teacher, everything you talk about can be pretty much defined as opinion. If we were to base a teachers effectiveness on everything you say then you could pretty much label anyone a “bad” teacher if you didn’t like them. Teacher effectiveness should be based on data that indicates growth and not an opinion that cannot be measured or tested. Anyone can pretend to be interested and engaged for $50,000 a year w/benefits.
Working on Saturday? It doesn’t make you anything. Just because you work on a Saturday doesn’t mean you’re a good or bad teacher. If students data doesn’t show growth and you have no interventions to show that you made an attempt to “fix” this then most likely you’re not an effective teacher. Sitting in your classroom on a Saturday just makes you look like you can’t finish your work in a timely manner whatever the lame excuse may be.
#262
It makes that teacher use the days they have since the district won’t provide them. Sour grapes! I’ve seen many a “good” teacher whose test results wouldn’t support that because of students and environment (Willard) One size does not fit all.
I am really bad at taking test because I have high test anxiety. This is really bad for me in math. I know the materials but I just can’t do well on the test. If you took a problem and put it on the board, I could tell you the steps and do the entire problem. Does this make my teacher a “bad” teacher, even though I learned a lot from him but still do bad on tests?
Then how else are you suppose to find the “bad” teachers? Have a “who can get along with their coworkers” contest and then pick the teachers who are hard to get along with? How about a who is the most popular and says the right things contest?? Or someone who spends their every weekend at school away from their families because they’re so dedicated to their work?
Thank you, Student (#264)- it is nice to hear from one of the people many of us work so hard to help. It appears to be very difficult for people outside of the classroom to understand that test scores alone do not show whether students have learned the subject matter, and perhaps if more of the other stakeholders involved in the education process spoke up then we could really get somewhere. Students, family, and educational professionals all need to have a voice if effective change is to be accomplished.
Tsk Tsk Tsk #264.
I highly doubt that a SAUSD student would opine on this blog on a beautiful Saturday afternoon…
I know many of you use “anonymous” for protective reasons, but this is a bit much….
rif rif,
I have admired your contributions throughout the summer. You have asked hard questions. You’ve participated in an honorable way. I am sorry that you still do not have your job back. I noticed that it has been suggested that staying on unemployment is more financially intelligent than doing the substitute teaching thing at this point. I have a feeling that SAUSD is going th have to hire back more teachers b/c they will have shortchanged a bunch of sites and a bunch of students in the system. Hopefully they’ll have to fill any/all slots as soon as it is discovered. I know you’ll make the right employment choices for yourself and I am rooting for you and other displaced staff to get your jobs back and continue onwards with your chosen careers.
Will the union help you guys going forward by having some kind of system in place to demand real teachers be placed back into classrooms as the demands present? I certainly hope so. At the very least, CTA is starved for those union fees from all those teachers, if they are not gainfully employed in educational teaching positions in a school district.
Good luck, chin up, and thanks for everything you’ve done for yourself and others here.
Rv- –
I highly doubt that a SAUSD student would….
… but this is a bit much….
sbello,
I am glad YOU said it! I mean, I understand the sentiment, but I think some folks are taking us as fools 😉
However, this does remind me to mention: The high school CAHSEE testing requirements have been suspended for this year, starting about 2 weeks ago, if I understand this right.
I probably should email John Palacio to double check, but that is the notification that I got.
So any bad test-takers will be relieved by this impending news!
I just think there has to be a better way to find the “bad” teachers out, than trying to find out if they’re dedicated or not. How would you measure dedication? Everybody’s dedication stick is different (no pun intended), some have long dedication sticks and some have short ones. Some teachers are really effective in the hours they are in the classroom without having to put in 10 hour days and weekends.
#262:
I did not know that to qualify as a “good teacher” all you need to do is earn $50,000 and finish your work before Saturday. It seems that would be something a “bad teacher” would do because they’d rather spend their weekends in their safe homes away from all the Santa Ana children playing soccer in the parking lot!
If you were actually a good teacher you would be in your classworm working on assignments and making better your students learning environment. But as it seems, a bad teacher would be sitting on their BUTTS doing nothing but talking on this blog 24/7.
Obviously, you seem to have been in need of one of those “good” teachers because most of your posts need serious punctuational help.
And in response to what you said as #270, finding the good teachers is mainly dedication to their classroom, and if a teacher is putting in the bare minimum (arrive when the first bell rings, leave when the last one rings) then they obviously could use some improvement.
And lastly, why are you so devoted to figuring out the bad teachers from the good? It does not seem like that big of a deal, and is taking up others’ valuable time.
Oh “a” stop being so ignorant. I was hired back Thursday and have been kicking butt to move my class and get a decent learning environment going for the students. Your lack of intelligence, poor grammar and punctuation remind me of a poster named Michelle Quinn. On that note, I will sit back and watch you make a fool of yourself (again)! Thanks for the entertainment…..
And here I thought it was just me. “a” shows up with his first comment after “Last Call” (0208 a.m. on 8/29), isn’t really able to articulate clearly and now we have this debate over what a good or bad teacher is? Jesus. This is like trying to define “Pi”!
I know I am a classified person and may not suppose to be on this site but can any of you tell me if you heard of anything about them reinstating any of the Classified? Some people say they have heard that. I lost my job and was just wondering. I’m getting unemployment but I would like to come back. Just wanted to know if the rumors were true?
#274 Classified,
Why do you think you are NOT supposed to be allowed on this site? Everyone is welcome to come with pertinent questions and comments.
I am sorry about the loss of your job. Thankfully you’ve got unemployment, but it is natural to want your job back. Hopefully someone can help with answers.
Attending the board meetings, contacting your union and networking with other laid off employees might be helpful to keep you in the loop.
If I were you, I’d contact board member John Palacio jpalacio@pacbell.net
He’ll give you his phone number and you can call and hear what he knows right now. I think that is your best bet for accurate information. John is ALWAYS helpful and available, fyi.
Welcome and please feel free to post and read at will. There are NO rules that say you can’t.
😉
Thanks, RV.
Have any of you considered questioning why and/or filing a lawsuit concerning teachers are getting seniority credit for the years they taught on an emergency credential? Those teachers are bumping MANY teachers who came into SAUSD with a credential way down on the seniority list.
If you’re a religious person, pray for the teachers at Sierra Intermediate. They begin their school year with reassigned site administrator Jeff Bishop.
Yes, prayer works.
We, the dedicated staff here at Wilson labored under a dictatorship for many years.
Then, last year, a real human being, Mr. Norris Perez, “newby” principal from a family of TEACHERS, came to our rescue [a begrudging thank you to Russo or someone else?].
Last year was the most intense, yet most uplifting and satisfying year I have ever had while working for the last decade in SAUSD.
Administrators who truly support and encourage their staff should be a prerequisite for attempting to stimulate staff to be their best. Last year was the first time that administrators at this site lived up to their calling.
The result(s)? Just check out later this week which elementary school in SAUSD had the greatest percentage increase in API scores.
Is it the teachers? Is it the students? OR…is it the “enablers/administrators” doing their job?
SAUSD must be desperate for subs tomorrow. I just got like 25 calls and still counting to sub tomorrow. I am a probationary teacher and to sub at the long term sub rate is not worth it. If I was one more year in the district, I would have tenure and I would be able to get my daily rate. Most of my friends have done the math unemployment gives us more. If we were to sub, we would have to pay for gas, childcare if needed, supplies, time to make the class look presentable. I am very sad that school is starting tomorrow and I am not in my own classroom. I enjoyed working with SAUSD and using DataDirector to see their growth. It will be a sad day tomorrow for me. SAUSD is going to have a lot of schools that will be out subs, so that means admin has to go in. I don’t think that is a good way to start the year off. Then again the district really does not care at all. I hope all of you have a good first day and with less staff that it goes somewhat okay. Good luck SAUSD teachers:)
I never saw admin go into a Willard class in 10 years! They would send in the DSO’s, the noon aids, and classified before they would ever take a class.
281 – Wello said and so true! Admin certainly did not lead by ezample, did they?
279 – I’m so happy for your school. When a good administrator comes along, it’s almost as if the district made a mistake. Willard had a great AP a couple of years ago. Ms. Bola was a dream administrator, but Bishop and Bernadette Medrano ran her out of the school. Such a loss to our staff and students.
well have fun sitting in your classrooms til 10pm. I’m leaving when I’m done with all my work which is an hour after the bell rings. I don’t think I’ll sit around and pretend I have a lot of work to do.
#281
If they do that they are breaking the law. A certificated teacher must be in that classroom. Now if it is a bathroom break, that is okay. But for a longer period of time, it is not.
a – Quit fabricating these anti-teacher posts. You’re making a fool of yourself.
One of my friends, who is unable to sub today, told me she received 25 calls this weekend to sub and has already received 5 this morning. What is going on in SAUSD? Please tell me that alot of students will not begin the school year with substitute teachers. Something has gone horribly wrong in SAUSD.
#282 – Where is Bernedette Medrano hanging her had these days?
SAUSD teachers –
Please keep the community apprised of the substitute status.
287 – Look for her to set up shop at Sierra.
Another Anon, how are these anti-teacher posts. I don’t hate or dislike teachers. I think teachers are great and that’s why I became one.
a,
I don’t post on here much, but I often read this blog. I think what the other bloggers are trying to say is that we are just not interested in your postings. I know that I am not. You are just taking up space.
So, there were quite a few district big wigs doing classroom walk-throughs today. Do you think they were looking to see if classrooms were set up even with the elimination of buy-back days?
We started today with one sub in a regular teacher’s position. She is a regular sub and not a RIF’d teacher and not subbing in a long term position. Just FYI at one site. The news is that there are 99 RIF’d teachers left. I’d imagine that most (if not all) are probationary and probably do not want to sub and lose their unemployment benefits.
SAUSD Teacher – The bigwigs go around to the schools every year on the first day of school. They check the student/teacher ratios etc. and are reassured by the site admin that everything is just fine.
I would like to know how many schools at subs today. I still am rif and have opted to not sub because like tmare said, I don’t want to lose my unemployment benefits.
correction, I meant to say had subs today.
My neighbors daughter started K at Walker yesterday and the mom tells me that there were only 13 kids in the class. One teacher to 13 kids? Is this some kind of fuzzy, modern math?
#286 and #288
I’m just a “normal” sub and not one phone call this start of the school year. First time in 8 years. Gee, I didn’t realize I had lost my job as well!
#298,
I am sorry to hear that you have not been called. I use to sub long term prior to teaching and it was not an easy gig to do the same work as a teacher and get paid nothing. As you are aware, most of us probationary teachers are not going to sub at all. So I would think by now you should be getting a call to sub since it is has gone down the list of seniority. Either way the system is not fair. Probationary teachers lose and so do subs who sub in the district on a normal basis.
#298,
I’m glad we have some qualified subs now in the district.
300 – Are you insinuating that #298 is not a qualified sub? If so you couldn’t be more wrong. At our intermediate school, she is one of the most requested subs on campus. She can teach anything and can do one day to long term. Before NCLB, she taught math for one entire school year – never missed a day – and in the testing process her students ended up with some of the highest gains in the school that year. So be careful when you determine who is a good sub.